Fishing around Anna Maria Island is consistently good for those willing to take on the summer heat.
I am noticing a couple of factors fall into play. For one, a swift moving tide is in your favor. In fact, I’ve noticed the stronger the tide the better when fishing the flats for keeper trout and redfish and catch-and-release snook.
I’ve also noticed fishing earlier is better. Early morning when temperatures — both air and water — are slightly cooler and the fish seem to be more active. Plus, it’s a little easier on the angler, too.
Lastly, the size of your bait plays a major role, especially when on the flats. Most of the shiners in the bar are small right now. We call them “hatch bait” because basically they are still juvenile. When on a good bite, I’m experimenting by casting one rod with a small bait and one with a normal or large-size bait and just about every time the small bait gets eaten first.
On my Southernaire charters, I’m giving my clients a thrill by setting them up on blacktip sharks in Tampa Bay. Most of these sharks are 3-4 feet, although fish up to 6 feet are not uncommon. For the small sharks, sight-casting with medium weight tackle is nothing short of addictive.
Small chunks of Spanish mackerel on a light-wire rig and a circle hook are attracting quite a bit of attention from small sharks. For the bigger stuff, I’m beefing up the tackle to extra-heavy spinning gear. Large chunks of mackerel soaked on the bottom during quick-moving tides are being devoured, usually within 15 minutes of being cast out. These large sharks are averaging 6 feet and taking 20-30 minutes to reel in, which really puts some of the visiting anglers to the test. This isn’t like catching blue gills and bass in the pond back home in the Midwest.
Capt. David White of Anna Maria Charters is fishing offshore for a variety of species. By using a bottom rig combined with dead sardines or live pinfish as bait, White is attracting red grouper, African pompano and snappers — including mangrove, yellowtail and lane.
Moving inshore, Spanish mackerel and spotted seatrout are being caught with regularity. Live shiners free-lined or under a cork are White’s plan of attack when targeting these fish. Big snook are being hooked up and released around the beaches and passes.
Capt. Rick Gross of Fishy Business Charters is reporting a great bite on Spanish mackerel. By fishing along the beaches and in Tampa Bay, Gross is catching as many mackerel as his clients can reel to the boat. Mangrove snapper also are being caught in good numbers, with most being found around rock piles, docks and artificial reefs.
On the flats, Gross boasts of excellent catch-and-release snook action. Rallies of schooley-size fish 20-26 inches are being hooked with some slot-size fish mixed in. Also on the flats, Gross reports finding many spotted seatrout. His clients are reporting catching slot and under-slot fish with ease.
Capt. Warren Girle is working his charters in the Gulf of Mexico around the artificial reefs and wrecks for mangrove snapper. Limits of these fish are being caught during the hour or so just after sunrise. In the same areas are Spanish mackerel, which are attracting barracuda and blacktip sharks. All of which are keeping Girle’s clients busy.
On the flats of Sarasota Bay, catch-and-release snook fishing is productive. Spotted seatrout are being caught on the flats as well as mackerel, bluefish and jack crevalle.
Capt. Aaron Lowman is targeting mangrove snapper around nearshore wrecks and ledges. Chumming with hatch bait and a chum block is really getting the snapper fired up for his anglers, according to Lowman. While fishing nearshore structure, Lowman is hooking into a few flounder and some permit.
Fishing in Tampa Bay is resulting in numerous spotted seatrout and Spanish mackerel. Free-lined live shiners are a top bait for either species.
Lowman also is seeing jack crevalle and bluefish mixed in with the bite.
Capt. Jason Stock is still mustering up a tarpon bite, although it’s late in the season for silver kings. Lucky clients looking to do battle are being rewarded with sore arms and fish tales to tell their friends back home. Cruising the beaches and passes is still yielding fish for those willing to be patient on the hunt.
Moving offshore, Stock is fishing ledges and wrecks for mangrove and yellowtail snapper. This bite is going strong, at least until the goliath grouper show up. But don’t worry. Once this happens, Stock is pulling out the heavy gear and reeling them up, too. It makes for a good trophy photo.
Send high-resolution photos and fishing reports to fish@islander.org.