Hordes of mangrove snapper are invading the inshore and nearshore waters surrounding Anna Maria Island and you can bet many anglers are filling their coolers, bringing home limits of the tasty fish.
Fishing in the passes during the slower stages of the tide will help achieve your limit of five fish per person per day.
Bottom rigs baited with live shiners seem to be the most effective method of attack, although chumming also helps. Chumming the waters attracts mangrove snapper to the boat and other species — Spanish mackerel, bonito and ladyfish — also fall victim to the attraction.
And don’t be surprised to encounter a cobia while chumming, as curiosity can get the best of them, too.
With snapper fishing so good, you might find yourself limiting out quickly, which leaves you wondering what to seek with a morning of fishing planned.
Spotted seatrout are your next best bet. Many deep grass flats of Tampa and Sarasota bays hold schools of trout. The size of the trout depends on what flats you fish and what schools of fish are gathered. You might find some flats loaded with trout 15-16 inches, while other grass is holding fish in the 12-inch range.
That said, some perseverance is required to find the bigger fish unless you luck into the right school.
Lastly, it’s time to keep your eyes peeled for schools of redfish gathering on the shallow grass flats. Once spotted, the fish can be spooky. So be gentle in your approach.
Using artificials such as gold spoons can be a great option, as the lures can be cast a distance, enabling anglers to maintain stealth. The schools have the potential to hold some large fish in the upper-slot range, as well as over-slot fish. So be prepared for a battle.
Capt. David White is working inshore during the westerly winds, which can make offshore fishing in the Gulf of Mexico challenging.
While inshore, White is leading clients to mangrove snapper while fishing in the passes and around structure in Tampa Bay. Bottom fishing with live shiners as bait results in limits of the tasty fish.
On some occasions, chumming works to lure the snapper to the surface, in which case, White’s clients can free-line baits to the snapper.
Spotted seatrout are being caught during morning fishing trips, when fishing over deep grass flats is yielding acceptable numbers of the popular fish.
Lastly, targeting catch-and-release snook is producing good action for anglers wanting to catch larger fish.
Capt. Warren Girle says mangrove snapper are a mainstay on his charters. Whether fishing the reefs in the Gulf of Mexico or fishing select deep grass flats in Sarasota Bay, mangrove snapper are apparent.
When fishing structure, Girle is using bottom rigs to get his bait down to the reef, where the snapper dwell. This method yields snapper measuring 12-16 inches. While on the flats in Sarasota Bay, Girle is free-lining shiners, which also is yielding snappers, although they are slightly smaller.
In the bay or on deep grass flats, Girle is encountering spotted seatrout and ladyfish mixed in with the snapper. On the shallower flats in Sarasota Bay Girle is finding redfish and catch-and-release snook.
Jim Malfese at the Rod & Reel Pier says mangrove snapper are the primary catch for another week at the northernmost pier on Anna Maria Island. Pier anglers using live shrimp as bait are catching limits of the fish. Most catches are 1-12 inches, with some larger fish being caught. When bait schools are present, pier fishers are opting to cast artificials — jigs and silver spoons — which is yielding mackerel as well as ladyfish and jack crevalle from the Tampa Bay waters.
Lastly, using larger live bait such as pinfish or ladyfish is resulting in catch-and-release snook. The fish can range 20-40 inches. So stout tackle is recommended.
Send high-resolution photos and fishing reports to fish@islander.org.