Anna Maria Island anglers are enjoying some cooler weather, as well as some fantastic fall fishing on migratory species such as kingfish, mackerel, bonito and sharks.
Fishing along the Gulf beaches is good as long as the wind stays out of the east. Anchoring and chumming over artificial reefs is resulting in consistent action on the early morning tides. Lucky anglers are encountering cobia mixed in with other bites, which is always welcome.
Moving to the flats, you can bet that trout, snook and redfish are on the move toward their wintertime spots. Try to catch them in between the fronts, when the water temps have a chance to rise slightly. Fishing shallower flats during afternoon tides should be good, as the fish will be hunting during the warmest part of the day. Live shiners as bait are a good bet, although using artificials, such as top water plugs or soft plastics, also can be effective.
On cooler days, try fishing around docks and other deep areas in the backwater where you can find fish taking refuge from the cooler water.
Also, fishing in the Gulf in depths of 40-50 feet may be a good option when the seas are calm. Try carrying live shrimp for bait out there to target hogfish, Key West grunts, mangrove snapper and porgies. If you fancy a fish fry, this is the bite to go after.
On my Just Reel charters, I’m patrolling the beaches with my clients for pelagics — kingfish, mackerel and bonito. All three are great fighters on medium spinning gear.
In the backcountry, spotted seatrout are the most abundant catch with a few snook and reds mixed in.
Capt. David White is finding his clients plenty of action along the Gulf beaches on the hunt for the migratory species — kingfish and Spanish mackerel. Anchoring and chumming over structure is luring both species to the boat, making them targetable for clients. Kings up to 20 pounds are being caught on live shiners combined with a wire rig — consisting of a long shank hook, and 12 inches of hardwire.
For the macks, using a long shank hook and omitting the wire is working fine.
Moving out in the Gulf to depths of 50 feet is yielding hogfish, grunts and porgies and live shrimp is working best as bait for this bite.
Finally, moving inshore on the flats of Tampa Bay, White is finding redfish and snook along the mangrove shorelines and around docks. Fishing over deeper grass flats is yielding spotted seatrout.
Jim Malfese at the Rod & Reel Pier says anglers there are targeting the migratory species and finding success with Spanish mackerel. Casting artificials such as jigs and spoons and retrieving them with a fast reel results in numerous hookups for pier anglers.
Mixed in with the mack bite are jack crevalle, blue runners, and bonito. The most thrilling bite occurs when small packs of bonito blow up the bait schools, devouring everything in sight, including the jigs and spoons.
Typically, when targeting mackerel, anglers use medium-light to medium spinning gear. This is ideal for anglers who consider themselves sportsmen, as catching mackerel on the tackle requires more skill and finesse than just horsing them to the deck on oversized gear.
The initial bite is quick, followed by the drag-screaming as an angler watches the line steadily pour off the spool. In many cases on light tackle, a fish can take the line down to the knot, which is the terminal end at the spool. Hopefully, the line breaks at the leader so the angler can retrieve it and cast again.
When the bonito move in, the light gear is insufficient, but not incapable. With some skill, endurance and a little luck, the angler has the potential to reel one of the small cousins of the tuna up to the pier.
Being a pier fisher for many years as a boy, I can tell you there is nothing more entertaining than seeing an unsuspecting tourist get hooked up on a bonito and watching the bonito rip every yard of line off their Zebco 22.
And having been a pier fisherman for so many years. I’ve caught just about everything that swims — or flies for that matter — around the piers of Anna Maria Island. I have to say, catching bonito at the pier is most entertaining.
Spectators gather, as do other anglers, offering plenty of advice. It’s a fishing thing. You have to experience it. And, as for the reference to anything that flies, the many shorebirds feeding amid all the anglers can result in the unfortunate situation of catching and entangling a bird.
But not to worry. Most skilled pier fishers are adept at handling the birds with care and can gently remove hooks and line to ensure the bird can fly away.
That being said, don’t miss the mack bite at the R&R. When the birds get too thick for you to cast, take a break. But when the bait shows up, make sure you have the tackle to handle the macks. The excitement and energy of this bite will stoke the passion in any angler.
Send high-resolution photos and fishing reports to fish@islander.org.