Inshore fishing for the sought-after trio — snook, redfish and trout — is in full swing around Anna Maria Island as we near summertime.
Fishing the flats in Tampa Bay is producing good catch-and-release action for snook and spotted seatrout. Catch-and-release redfish also are available, although their numbers don’t equal the amount of snook and trout being caught. Fishing morning incoming tides is proving to work well, as long as the tides are swift. Slower tides and the half-moon phases are not quite as good, although the bite is attainable.
There’s big news for snook, redfish and spotted seatrout anglers starting June 1. For Tampa Bay and any waters north of State Road 64/Manatee Avenue, normal regulations will resume for snook and redfish. For the spotted seatrout: The daily bag limit is three per person and the slot is 15-19 inches.
For waters south of Manatee Avenue, snook and redfish will remain closed to harvest through May 31, 2022. The spotted seatrout harvest will resume with a six-fish recreational vessel limit, not including captain and crew. These fish must fall 15-19 inches.
For more information on updates to fishing regulations, visit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at myfwc.com.
The hot topic, though — the most anticipated bite in May — is finally here.
Yes, you guessed it.
It’s tarpon season.
The silver kings are being spotted along the beaches of Egmont Key, Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key. Numerous schools of fish are being sighted within a mile of the beaches. In fact, I’m seeing quite a few fish on the flats of Tampa Bay and in the Manatee River. Keep in mind, the river fish tend to be smaller juveniles. If you intend to catch a monster, you should be patrolling the beaches on the Gulf of Mexico.
On my Southernaire charters, catch-and-release fishing for snook and trout is quite productive. Most trout catches are 14-22 inches. As for the snook, I’d say 18-30 inches is the size range being hooked. I am also seeing some catch-and-release redfish mixed in while targeting linesiders. Morning incoming tides are producing the best action. Finding areas free of Lyngbya —or gumbo as we call the ugly, stinky, floating alga — is imperative to finding a good bite.
The cleaner the water, the better.
Capt. Warren Girle is putting his sport fishers on good numbers of catch-and-release snook along the mangrove shorelines of Sarasota Bay. Free-lining live shiners in areas with oyster bars and lush turtle grass is producing the best action. While targeting the catch-and-release snook, Girle is hooking up with some catch-and-release redfish.
Targeting catch-and-release spotted seatrout also is producing action for Girle’s clients. Deeper grass flats are yielding plenty of trout, as well as some Spanish mackerel, bluefish and jack crevalle.
It was Capt. David White’s week for the limelight, with his sighting of three whale sharks swimming and feeding and checking out his boat up close while about 30 miles offshore.
White and his clients got their 15-minutes of fame online and in TV and print media.
Meanwhile, White was patrolling with clients hoping for tarpon bites along the beaches of Egmont Key and Anna Maria Island. Although the large numbers of fish have yet to appear, White is achieving a few hookups during the morning tides.
On days when he’s not targeting tarpon, White is hooking clients up with mackerel and mangrove snapper in the inshore waters.
Moving offshore, White says the yellowtail snapper bite is as good as it gets. While offshore, White also is putting clients on amberjack, African pompano and blackfin tuna.
Capt. Aaron Lowman is finding catch-and-release snook fishing quite productive for his clients while working the flats of southern Tampa Bay.
Morning incoming tides are producing good action on these linesiders, especially when fishing around mangrove shorelines where swift tidal flow occurs. In these areas, Lowman also is interacting with some hefty catch-and-release redfish and trout.
On deeper flats, away from shore, Lowman is finding vast quantities of smaller trout mixed in with macks, ladyfish and jack crevalle.
Capt. Jason Stock is on the hunt for tarpon along the beaches of Egmont Key, Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key. His clients are casting live crabs and threadfin herring to the schools of fish, resulting in plenty of action. Still early in the tarpon season, Stock anticipates seeing greater numbers of fish — and some mega-size kings — in the weeks to come.
Jim Malfese at the Rod & Reel Pier is seeing the action heat up on catch-and-release snook as we gradually slip into the summertime fishing patterns. Most catches are occurring on live shrimp as bait and the fish are mostly 18-26 inches, although larger snook are taking the bait. Some larger linesiders, exceeding 40 inches in length, are taking offerings of pinfish, ladyfish and mojarras as bait.
Other catches occurring on live shrimp include catch-and-release redfish as well as black drum and a few mangrove snapper. Spanish mackerel are being caught by anglers using lures, such as small jigs or silver spoons.
Send high-resolution photos and fishing reports to fish@islander.org.