Cooler weather turns on king mackerel bite
Kingfish are finally making a showing just off the beaches of Anna Maria Island out to 5-6 miles offshore. Look for diving birds to find the bait schools, which in turn will lead you to the kings.
While targeting king mackerel, expect to also hook up with Spanish mackerel, bonito and even cobia. Black tip sharks are abundant in these feeding frenzies, so remember to have a rod rigged and ready.
In the backcountry, flats fishing is still highly productive. Working shallow flats with live shiners is proving prosperous for snook and redfish. Shallow flats peppered with sandy potholes are a great place to start looking for the bite.
On deeper grass flats, spotted seatrout are becoming more abundant. Artificials, such as topwater plugs or soft plastics, work great if you’re drifting the flat. If you’re anchored up, try baiting live shiners. Shrimp under a popping cork will work. However, beware of the numerous pinfish throughout the flat as they will nibble every shrimp you throw out.
Capt. Warren Girle is fishing offshore structure for migratory species. King and Spanish mackerel are abundant, as well as cobia and sharks. To find these fish, Girle is anchoring over hard bottom and chumming with live shiners. For the macks, Girle is free-lining large- to medium-sized shiners combined with fluorocarbon leader and a long shank hook. For the cobia, the same applies. As for the shark, a circle hook and wire leader rig is a must.
Jim Malfese at the Rod & Reel Pier says pompano are making a showing. Pier fishers using small jigs tipped with shrimp are connecting with the feisty fish.
Pier fishers using live shrimp are still catching limits of mangrove snapper. Fish 12 inches are the norm. While targeting snapper, expect to find some black drum and flounder, too.
Finally, Spanish mackerel are being caught around sunrise by fishers using silver spoons or small white jigs. Fish up to 20 inches are being caught, with jacks and ladyfish in the mix.
Jonny Keyes at Island Discount Tackle is taking advantage of the morning low tides by getting out of the boat and wading to fish. While fishing with Capt. Harrison King, Keyes is finding snook in sandy potholes dispersed throughout shallow grass flats. Keyes is catching snook by fly-fishing or using topwater plugs with spinning gear.
Moving out to the beaches, Keyes is cashing in on the abundance of migratory species that are close to shore. Bonito and Spanish mackerel are readily responding to properly placed flies. By chumming with shiners, King is creating a feeding frenzy and one cast gets a bite.
Capt. Rick Gross of Fishy Business Charters is bay fishing on the flats of Tampa Bay and Sarasota Bay. Working the flats results in some of the best fishing, according to Gross. Snook, redfish and trout are practically chewing the transom off his boat, he says.
For the snook and reds, Gross is fishing shallow grass flats during incoming tides. Mangrove islands, oyster bars and sandy potholes are great features to look for when hunting snook and reds. Live shiners free-lined in these areas are producing a bite.
For the spotted seatrout, Gross is fishing deeper grass adjacent to channels or ditches. Again, free-lined shiners are producing a bite. Topwater plugs are providing good action during low light conditions.
Capt. Mark Howard of SumoTime fishing charters reports a very productive week, thanks to the fall season being in full swing and a multitude of fish species coming to the dinner party.
The nearshore waters of Anna Maria has been on fire with kingfish, Spanish mackerel, sharks and other pelagics moving through our waters as they make the run south. Howard says the key to success has been to have a live well full of shiners and then chum the passing schools of fish to the back of your boat.
On a scout trip with Capt. Chip Peabody, Howard set up to fish in 16-20 feet of water just off the beach and landed plenty of Spanish mackerel and a few kingfish. Their big fish weighed in at 25 pounds and made a whopper portions of smoked dip.
Sharks have been active off the beach. Using a whole Spanish mackerel rigged on a wire leader has produced black tip sharks to 5 feet. After a leader touch the sharks were freed to fight another day.
Inshore fishing has been steady for snook, spotted seatrout and redfish. The key to success, Howard says, has been to be at your spot when the current is moving and having a live well of frisky shiners to chum and get the bite going.
The past weeks daytime low tide moved the fish out to the mangroves and to the outside edges of the flats. Howard’s tip to fire up the bite is to use a mixture of live and dead baits as chum. Throw the shiners into your fishing spot and wait for the reds and other predators to move in.
Looking forward, the bite will continue to produce as we near the Nov. 6 full moon. Redfish will start to gather in big schools as the full moon approaches and two-hour rallies of drag screaming action should be no problem. Snook and speckled trout will continue to chew as the fall season advances.
Send high-resolution photos and fishing reports to fish@islander.org.