With the fall bite in full swing, Anna Maria Island anglers are getting out on the water to cash in on the abundance of migratory fish in the waters, including Spanish mackerel, kingfish and bonito.
Many anglers are determined to get out despite moderately rough seas and a few rainstorms in a string of windy days.
Anchoring and chumming with live shiners is proving effective, although some anglers are opting to slow troll with live threadfin herring or artificial baits such as spoons and lipped plugs.
Kings in the 20-pound range are being reported, as well as many in to 10-15 inch range.
As for the mackerel and bonito, they are running the normal sizes.
Be prepared for shark encounters while targeting the kings, macks and bonito, as all are on the “favorites” menu for blacktips and spinners.
Moving inshore, snook, redfish and spotted seatrout are being found throughout the backcountry. Live shiners as bait while working the flats is your best bet. If you’re fishing docks and canals, try live shrimp. The reds go crazy for a fresh, live shrimp when dropped in front of their noses.
Also, fishing offshore ledges and reefs is yielding plenty of opportunities, including catches of Key West grunts, mangrove snapper and a few hogfish. Live shrimp is the bait of choice for most anglers as the shrimp will attract the hogfish to the hook.
Jim Malfese at the Rod & Reel Pier says he’s seeing good action on migratory fish, such as Spanish mackerel, jack crevalle and ladyfish. The best bite occurs when large bait schools gather around the pier. Pier fishers casting silver spoons, speck rigs or Gotcha plugs are getting the best results.
Switching to live shrimp as bait at AMI’s northernmost pier also is producing action. Anglers casting shrimp under the pier around the pilings are hooking into black drum, redfish and sheepshead. Anglers wishing to take home a fish dinner are happy to see any of those fish on the end of the line, as all of them are quite good on the plate.
Also, reports of keeper snook being caught by pier anglers are surfacing here and there. Anglers using larger baits, such as pinfish or small ladyfish, are getting the best action in the Tampa Bay Waters.
Capt. David White is hard at work, delivering the fall bite to his charter clients. Migratory species such as bonito, kingfish and Spanish mackerel are the norm.
White says he’s seeing quite a few sharks mixed in with the bite and clients are loving it. Most action on the predator species is occurring within a mile of the beach on Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key. Live shiners free-lined among a lot of chummers results in the best action.
Moving inshore, White is finding snook and redfish for his clients along the mangrove-lined shores of Tampa Bay south to Sarasota Bay. Some of the redfish action is occurring around residential docks and canals, where he says live shiners or live shrimp are his top choice as bait.
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