Fishing the offshore waters west of Anna Maria Island offers great action for anglers willing to make the long trek out to the deep.
Light, southerly breezes combined with some great tides are the recipe for success when fishing 30-50 miles out in the Gulf. Catches of migratory fish — African pompano, blackfin tuna, kingfish and amberjack — are reported with gusto.
Bottom fishing for snapper is red hot, with limits of above-average mangroves and yellowtail snapper being reeled up.
And, for the sheer thrill, sightings of whale sharks are more frequent.
Last but not least, a blue marlin skyrocketed from the water near Capt. Jason Stock’s boat while he was fishing offshore — something we don’t see often.
Moving inshore, catch-and-release action on the popular trio of snook, redfish and spotted seatrout is the highlight of the backcountry.
But they may take a backseat to the silver king as we delve deeper into May and tarpon begin making appearances in many backwater areas, as well as the deeper grass flats of southern Tampa Bay.
Soon, we should see larger schools in Tampa Bay and the passes around Egmont Key and at Bean Point.
As for now, the shallow-water flats action is where it’s at. Casting live baits against the mangroves is yielding snook and reds. On deeper grass flats, the spotted seatrout bite is on fire.
The deeper grass areas are host to top predators — jack crevalle, ladyfish and Spanish mackerel, species adding great variety to the bite.
On my Southernaire charters, I’m seeing a lot of snook on the hook — all released, of course. We’ve had a few slot-size fish this week — also released — but many of the hookups are 20-26 inches. It bodes well for a possible open season on snook in September.
The catch-and-release spotted seatrout bite also is keeping me busy. Deeper flats are producing encouraging numbers of 15-20-inch fish. I’m finding trout exceeding 20 inches while targeting snook on shallow grass flats in the bay.
As for the reds, the bite has been random. I’m catching them, but they’re mixed in with the snook, deep in the mangrove roots.
Capt. Warren Girle is finding catch-and-release spotted seatrout to be the most consistent bite on the flats of Sarasota Bay. Deeper grass flats — depths of 5-8 feet — hold excellent action on slot-size trout, while gator trout are found randomly when working the shallow flats — 3 feet of water or less. Girle said free-lined live shiners work well in both scenarios.
Sportfishing for snook and redfish is going well for Girle. Casting live shiners under mangrove limbs and among the roots results in catches of both species. He also said that casting bait around docks contributes to the redfish catch.
Jim Malfese at the Rod & Reel Pier sees mangrove snapper in the 12-inch range being reeled up by fishers baiting their hooks with live shrimp.
Bait shrimp also attracts interest from black drum, jack crevalle and catch-and-release redfish and snook at the northern-most pier. Casting jigs or spoons out from the pier produces action on mackerel, which is the most prominent bite, while ladyfish, blue runners and jack crevalle are getting in on the action.
Capt. Jason Stock says his anglers are enjoying an epic amberjack bite at the offshore wrecks, ledges and springs. Free-lining live baits over these areas attracts the bite. Other migratory fish — cobia, kingfish, blackfin tuna and African pompano — are caught in the same areas.
Stock says bottom fishing is hot as large mangrove and yellowtail snappers take live or frozen bait offerings.
Capt. David White is finding exceptional snapper fishing when dropping bait over hard bottom areas offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, with mangrove and yellowtail snappers the most apparent. Mangrove snapper 6-8 pounds are being caught, as well as yellowtails in the 5-pound range. To add to the excitement, African pompano and blackfin tuna are being reeled to the boat, adding to the coolers for the trip home.
While working inshore, White is finding bonito, sharks and macks for his clients. Finally, in the backcountry, White is taking advantage of the catch-and-release bite — snook and redfish — near mangrove shorelines during higher stages of the tide.
Capt. Aaron Lowman says he’s putting sport anglers on a lot of catch-and-release snook while working the shallow flats of southern Tampa Bay. According to Lowman, the bigger tides are producing the best action. While targeting the snook, the catch-and-release redfish and some large spotted seatrout join in on the action.
Fishing deeper grass flats by channel edges or sandy potholes are yielding good action for Lowman. He’s finding macks and jack crevalle competing with catch-and-release spotted seatrout for live shiners on the hook.
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