With an influx of red tide and windy days, fishing around Anna Maria Island could be termed “hit or miss.”
On calmer days, venturing out into the Gulf of Mexico can be satisfying for anglers in search of a bent rod. Good action on Spanish mackerel and kingfish can be found around nearshore and offshore structures. You may also come across a cobia or two if you’re lucky. And with all those stone crab traps out there attracting attention below the surface, it’s not a bad idea to keep your eyes peeled for a triple tail.
Inshore fishing is following the same suit. Avoiding the patches of red tide is leading anglers to the flats of Sarasota Bay all the way north of Rattlesnake Key in Tampa Bay to Miguel Bay. Snook are abundant in areas where the water is free of red tide and redfish are found intermingling with the snook.
Finally, deeper grass flats are host to a variety of fish, including spotted seatrout, ladyfish, mackerel and jack crevalle. Free-lining live shiners in these areas can be exciting because you never know what’s going to hit your bait. Again, this bite is occurring in waters free of red tide.
Capt. Warren Girle is working nearshore ledges on days when winds are light and the seas are calm. By anchoring and chumming, Girle is attracting migratory fish — king and Spanish macks — to the boat. Blacktip and spinner sharks are being lured in by all the commotion caused by the macks. By free-lining live shiners on a long shank hook, Girle’s clients are hooking into these macks, with some of the kings exceeding 20-pounds.
Moving inshore, Girle’s clients are catching a multitude of trout on deep grass flats during moving tides. Live shiners fished under a cork are producing a bite. Slot-size trout are being caught with some regularity, although many under-slot fish are mixed in.
Capt. Aaron Lowman is snook fishing throughout the shallow waters of southern Tampa Bay. Top spots for Lowman include mangrove islands where the magic combination of turtle grass and good current are present. The combination of this environment and a live shiner on a 2/0 hook is the perfect recipe for some fine snook fishing, according to Lowman. Most catches are falling just under 24 inches but, every so often, fish up to 40 inches are taking the hook.
Redfish — although somewhat spread out — also are coming to the boat for Lowman’s clients. Fishing docks with live pinfish combined with a split shot and a 3/0 hook are attracting bites. Casting these baits directly under Lowman’s select docks is resulting in slot-size reds for his clients.
Jim Malfese at the Rod & Reel Pier is seeing good numbers of snook congregating under the pier. Pier fishers using live pinfish, shiners or ladyfish are every so often enticing one of these linesiders to bite. Smaller fish — 20-24 inches — are much more common than the slot and over-slot fish.
Pier fishers using R&R select shrimp are catching their limits of black drum. Drum, the most predominant species this week, are being taken by casting a weighted shrimp under the pier to rest on the bottom. Black drum up to 24 inches are being hooked in this fashion. Mixed in with the drum are redfish, flounder, mangrove snapper and sheepies.
Capt. Jason Stock is running out to nearshore and offshore structures for a variety of species. Nearshore structure in depths of 25-45 feet of water are producing numerous Spanish mackerel, kingfish and spinner sharks. Fishing offshore structure is proving even better with cobia and amberjack being caught. For all of these species, Stock is carrying a wide assortment of live baits, including scaled sardines, threadfin herring, pinfish and cigar minnows.
Capt. David White of Great White charters is doing a little trolling for grouper around some of the nearshore reefs. His favorite plug — the Mann’s Stretch 25 — is proving productive for some keeper-size gag grouper, as well as some smaller ones, too.
Fishing the nearshore reefs with live bait is producing good action for White’s charters. Free-lining shiners is resulting in Spanish mackerel and a few kings. Switching to a knocker rig and a shiner is adding to the variety by enticing mangrove snapper, gag grouper and an occasional cobia to the boat.