With many days of afternoon and evening thunderstorms, Anna Maria Island anglers are finding themselves gathering around the mouth of the Manatee River in search of a bite.
Massive rainstorms can raise water levels in Lake Manatee to dangerous levels, which triggers large releases of fresh water into the river.
As a result, many species that take residence up river move west in search of higher salinity levels, including snook, redfish and spotted seatrout.
Concentrations of these species are being found at the mouth of the river and throughout the waters of Anna Maria Sound.
It often results in schools of reds on the shallow bars of the flats, as well as next to the mangrove shorelines lining the north and south sides of the river.
Snook can be found in the same areas as the reds but are most apparent along the shorelines, where good water flow exists.
As for the trout, deeper flats in these areas can hold a variety of sizes, ranging 14-24 inches.
Anglers in search of action on Spanish mackerel and mangrove snapper are fishing the waters closer to the Gulf of Mexico which aren’t as impacted by the freshwater action from the Manatee River. Fishing the reefs and wrecks by Egmont Key, as well as the passes of Bean Point and Passage Key, is working well for both species. And on the right structure, lucky anglers are hooking into keeper-size gag grouper.
On my Just Reel charters, I’m spending most of my time around the mouth of the river. Spotted seatrout are taking our bait in several areas, with some fish reaching 22 inches. Many fish are slot-sized: 15-19 inches.
Targeting snook and redfish along the mangrove shorelines also is a good bet. Finding slot-size snook is slightly difficult, although many fish 20-26 inches are being reeled by my clients.
Lastly, fishing structure for mangrove snapper is resulting in limits for patient anglers willing to weed through the steady bite of Spanish mackerel.
Capt. Johnny Mattay is targeting mangrove snapper and gag grouper in Tampa Bay. For the snapper, medium spinning gear is working great to free-line live shiners over wrecks and reefs where the snapper are taking up residence. Chumming in these areas is helpful in raising the snapper from the depths to where they’re visible behind the boat. Once this occurs, a free-lined shiner among the chum often results in a bite.
Gag grouper are present in these areas and usually make their presence known by eating a bait rigged on light tackle for snapper. This battle is usually short-lived as the angler with medium gear is outmatched by the savvy, powerful grouper. That being said, a quick switch to a heavy rod and the addition of a live pinfish for bait is resulting in keeper-size gag grouper.
Fishing the flats also is producing action for Mattay, who reports snook are being caught on the flats near and around the mangrove shorelines during higher stages of the tides. Again, live shiners as bait work best.
Capt. Warren Girle is finding plenty of action while fishing the flats of Sarasota Bay. Redfish — one of Girle’s specialties — are making a showing throughout the shallower flats of the bay and are frequently taking the bait. Schools of redfish can be found, which can result in great medium-spinning tackle action. When schooled up, these reds will eat a variety of live or dead baits, as well as artificial lures — spoons or soft plastics on a jig head. When targeting the reds with live bait, Girle’s clients often are hooking into snook.
Moving onto the deeper flats in the bay, Girle is catching spotted seatrout and mangrove snapper. The trout are most apparent although with persistence anglers are catching limits of the snapper.
Jim Malfese at the Rod & Reel Pier says he’s seeing snook caught by anglers using stout tackle capable of handling the fish. Snook of all sizes are being caught, including some 28-33 inches, which is the legally acceptable size to keep. For bait, live shrimp is working well, as well as pinfish, shiners and even small ladyfish. When using shrimp as bait, anglers are not limited to hooking a snook, as redfish and mangrove snapper also are taking interest in the small crustaceans.
All of the reds caught this past week were released, as they were larger than the maximum legal size of 27 inches. As for the snapper, most are 10-14 inches, perfect to take home for dinner and limits of snapper are being caught by determined anglers.
Capt. Jason Stock is finding action on a variety of species while fishing well offshore on his full-day charters. Amberjack are being caught regularly around wrecks, reefs and springs. Free-lined live baits or baits fished on a bottom rig are working to hook into these high-speed, offshore jacks. Cobia are being caught in the same fashion, although not with the frequency of the amberjack.
For anglers looking for a snapper dinner, Stock is accommodating them with mangrove and yellowtail snapper. Both are being caught over structure with live shiners as bait. Again, either free-lining baits or bottom fishing is producing the action.
On windier days, Stock is working in the sheltered waters of Tampa Bay to target redfish, which are schooling and producing great action on medium spinning gear. Permit also are being caught inshore in Tampa Bay and around some of the nearshore reefs in the Gulf of Mexico.
Send high-resolution photos and fishing reports to fish@islander.org.