With the last of the cold fronts behind us — hopefully — springtime fishing around Anna Maria Island promises to be exceptional.
The waters are warming and the winds subsiding, creating the perfect recipe to get out and fish.
Those who fish offshore in the Gulf of Mexico are getting the chance to venture out deep, without having to contend with rough seas and strong winds. Hopefully anglers have a larger window of opportunity to fish this spring over the winter weeks, when only one or two days a week were good for an offshore venture.
As for inshore fishing, we’ve had many more days to be on the water despite the winds and chill factor. Getting around on the water should be more tolerable and the fishing more consistent — it should be enjoyable. The fish should be languishing in their springtime spots.
Targeting snook, redfish and trout on the flats should be shaping up to its full potential as we finish out the last weeks of April. Water temps in the mid to upper 70s are ideal for flats species and they should last until we see the heat of May settle in.
Other species — mackerel and mangrove snapper — are starting to show up, providing some variety for fishers wishing to give the backcountry fish a break.
April can be a good month for cobia. So keep your eyes peeled as you travel from one spot to the next. You never know when you might see one of these brown bombers cruising along the surface of the water. Checking inshore structure, such as reefs, wrecks and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, is wise if you fancy hooking up with a cobia.
Lastly, just get out and enjoy the water while the temperatures are mild and pleasant. Scorching heat is around the corner. So now is the time to get out and enjoy some of the best fishing our area has to offer.
On my Just Reel charters, I’m spending my days with clients on the lush grass flats of Tampa Bay. Snook fishing is productive on the higher stages of the tide. Live shiners as bait are resulting in many hookups on this popular flats fish. I’m seeing some keeper-size snook being caught and released, although most snook are 20-26 inches.
Spotted seatrout are following suit, with many catches in a morning charter. A lot of trout are measuring 14-18 inches, with a few over 20 inches for lucky anglers.
I’m seeing redfish here and there, usually being caught while we’re targeting snook among the mangroves.
Lastly, Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and jack crevalle are present on the deeper flats, which is adding variety to the bite. They are very entertaining when caught on medium-light spinning gear.
Capt. David White is concentrating his efforts throughout the inshore waters of Tampa Bay south to Sarasota Bay.
Targeting snook and redfish is proving to be worthy of some action. Casting baits in the shallows along mangrove shorelines or around oyster bars is working well. Swift incoming tides are producing the best action, White says, although a good outgoing tide is productive.
Moving to deeper areas of Tampa Bay also is putting White’s anglers in the action. Spotted seatrout are the highlight on the deep grass flats and White is seeing some hefty Spanish mackerel mixed in while working these areas. He says you can also count on hooking up with some ladyfish and jack crevalle.
Capt. Warren Girle is finding action by fishing a variety of areas and bait. He says live shiners are working well on the flats when targeting snook. Many snook 20-26 inches are readily taking his clients’ offerings of live shiners. Spotted seatrout also are taking interest in the shiners, inhaling baits as they are cast over the deeper grass flats in Sarasota Bay.
On windier days, Girle is baiting with live shrimp. The shrimp work well when cast around residential docks and canals, resulting in redfish and black drum, as well as an occasional flounder and mangrove snapper.
Jim Malfese at the Rod & Reel Pier in Anna Maria says the numbers of snook arriving at the pier is increasing weekly. Pier fishers baiting with live shrimp are hooking into some of the smaller-size snook, measuring 18-22 inches, while pier anglers baiting with pinfish and small ladyfish are hooking into larger linesiders.
On days when the bait schools are present at the pier in Tampa Bay, targeting Spanish mackerel with small jigs or spoons is an option. You also can try tipping a jig with fresh-cut shrimp and bumping it along the sandy bay bottom in hopes of catching a pompano.
Capt. Jason Stock says he’s enjoying action on migratory species while working his charters offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.
According to Stock, warm breezes from the south are driving large schools of bonito to our offshore waters, where bait schools are being ravaged by the high-speed tuna-like fish, which leaves the bonito an easy target to spot. When feeding on small glass minnows, bonito will aggressively break the surface of the water as they gorge on the bait, and the action is visible from quite a distance. By motoring over these schools and casting live shiners into the frenzy, Stock is watching while his clients battle the hard-fighting fish.
Stock also is putting clients on some hookups with the kingfish as they cast to the bonito.
Changing locations and baits is working to find the offshore action, including offshore structure with live crabs as bait, setting up Stock’s anglers for a permit hookup.
Meanwhile, bottom fishing with live pinfish and shiners in the same areas is yielding action on catch-and-release gag grouper.
Send high-resolution photos and fishing reports to fish@islander.org.