March madness — Anna Maria style
March is here and with it comes a hint of spring — warm southern breezes, longer days, hoards of tourists and, best of all, springtime fishing.
Amid personal watercraft, tour boats, rental boats and parasailers, eager fishers are venturing out to do some scouting in anticipation of the spring fishing pattern. Water temperatures are on the rise, triggering migration of our inshore species and, well, I guess us too.
Fishing over structures has been productive for bites. Fishing the beaches with jigs for pompano is another bite that has been available all winter. But now it’s time to venture back to the flats.
I’m leaving the dock equipped with shrimp and shiners, which is a sure sign it’s transition time. The morning bite on the reefs and wrecks is producing respectable catches of sheepshead and mangrove snapper. Both species are readily taking live shrimp on a knocker rig.
After a couple of hours of this, the wind that was a breeze in the morning, begins gusting to 20 mph —and it’s time to head to calmer waters and protected shallow grass flats.
Live shiners for bait are attracting attention from hungry snook and spotted seatrout — both species in the slot, too. Redfish are following suit.
Look for sunning reds on the shallow flats out of the wind. Be stealthy in your approach as these fish are being easily spooked.
Finally, migratory fish, such as Spanish mackerel, bluefish, jack crevalle and ladyfish are beginning to appear again. Look for diving birds along the beaches and throughout southern Tampa Bay to find them. Live shiners paired with a long shank hook will work, but jigs and spoons are even better. Cast into frenzied fish and retrieve quickly. The rest will happen on its own.
Capt. Rick Gross of Fishy Business in Holmes Beach is working nearshore structures with great results. Live shrimp combined with a knocker rig and dropped to the bottom are being devoured by a variety of reef species, especially sheepshead. Sheepies, some up to 5 pounds, are being reeled up with consistency. Mixed in with the sheep herd is flounder, mangrove snapper and Key West grunts.
Moving inshore to the grass flats in southern Tampa Bay, Gross is finding flats species flourishing with the rising water temps. Artificials such as the Rapala Skitterwalk are attracting attention from snook — surprisingly big snook, too. Slot and over-slot fish are being caught, along with oversized spotted seatrout. Berkley Gulp! shrimp, another artificial is proving just as well.
Finally, along area beaches, Gross is casting small jigs tipped with shrimp into the surf for pompano. Along with pomps are black drum and sheepies.
Capt. Aaron Lowman at Island Discount Tackle in Holmes Beach is fishing nearshore and inshore structures targeting sheepies, black drum, mangrove snapper and flounder. All of these species are being taken on live shrimp on a knocker rig. By resting baits directly on the bottom around the structures Lowman clients are reeling sheepshead to the boat in the 5-pound range. As for the snapper, limits are attainable, although the sheepshead bite is most consistent.
On the flats of Anna Maria Sound, Lowman is casting live shiners to the hungry species enjoying the first warm water of the season. Slot-size snook are being caught along with numerous under-slot fish. Afternoon tides are resulting in the best bite for linesiders, as well as redfish and gator trout.
Lastly, bluefish, ladyfish and spotted seatrout are being jigged up from the deep grass flats. Berkley Gulp shrimp are a sure fire way to get them hooked.
Capt. Warren Girle is cashing in on the return of climbing water temps in Sarasota Bay. With water in the high 60s to low 70s, Girle is finding the bay coming to life again. Spotted seatrout exceeding 2 feet are being caught on soft plastics and a jighead. Jigging around sandy potholes and edges of troughs is producing rallies of trout, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and ladyfish.
Along mangrove edges and oyster bars, Girle is finding snook and redfish feeding on free-lined shrimp and shrimp under a cork. Both species are being caught in the slot with numerous under-slot fish.
Moving offshore, Girle is finding a variety of reef species, including sheepshead, mangrove snapper catch-and-release gag grouper and, best of all, hogfish. That’s right, hogs up to 8 pounds are making their way into Girle’s fish box. All of these fish are vigorously feeding on live shrimp. For the catch-and-release gags, pinfish work.
Jim Malfese at the Rod & Reel Pier in Anna Maria sees black and white due to the sheepshead he is seeing being reeled up to the deck by pier fishers. It’s like a convict convention during the morning incoming tides.
Sheepies in the 3-pound range are ravaging live shrimp, fiddler crabs and tubeworms. Champion sheepshead fishers from all over the world can be found laying on the pier angling their rods underneath to reach the piling no one has reached before. Limits of these tasty striped fish are attainable but it won’t last forever.
Pompano are making a showing around the R&R pier where fishers using small jigs tipped with shrimp are catching these delicacies of the Gulf. But the bite is sporadic. While targeting pomps, expect to catch whiting, ladyfish and small jack crevalle.
Live bait fishing with shrimp is resulting in flounder and black drum. Both species are being caught in keeper sizes.
Send high-resolution photos and fishing reports to fish@islander.org.