Anglers are beating the cold and wind to come up with good catches around Anna Maria Island.
With the wintertime bite in full swing, sheepshead, black drum, redfish and pompano are being caught along the beaches and in the bays.
Live shrimp as bait is useful, as the species mentioned will dial in on the delectable little crustaceans.
Sometimes angling can be as simple as putting a live shrimp on a weighted rig and other times, tipping a jig with a small piece of shrimp can be the ticket to success.
Either way, you want shrimp if you plan to fish around Anna Maria Island in January.
So, whether fishing from a pier, the beach or on a boat, it’s time to frequent your favorite bait shop for live shrimp.
Then, don’t be surprised to catch a variety of species, as fish that inhabit our waters will gladly eat shrimp during the cool-water months. All species, large and small, usually will take interest in the small baits as they are easily stalked and eaten without having to exert energy on a high-speed chase.
On another note, as we ring in the new year, remember there are new regulations on snook in state and federal waters.
The new regulations establish nine management regions and closed seasons as well as bag and slot limits for each region.
The Tampa Bay-Sarasota Bay region is closed Dec. 1 to the end of February and May 1-Aug. 31, with a bag limit of one snook. The slot limit for our region is 28-33 inches.
On my Just Reel charters, I am having good results when using live shrimp as bait.
Catches of redfish and black drum are frequent during morning charters.
Also, sheepshead are making a decent showing and are being caught regularly, too.
Tipping jigs with small pieces of shrimp results in pompano, jack crevalle and ladyfish.
Lastly, I am having snook take shrimp from my clients — despite cold water temps.
Capt. Johnny Mattay is enjoying fishing nearshore structure for a variety of species.
Bottom fishing around ledges, reefs and wrecks is leading to catches of hogfish, Key West grunts and different snappers, including mangroves and lane.
Gag grouper are in the same areas.
They can be relentless on the medium spinning gear typically used to catch the other species mentioned. Fortunately, Mattay carries heavy gear suited for the tackle-busters.
Moving inshore, pompano are the highlight and are being caught on jigs tipped with shrimp.
While targeting the pompano, some sheepshead are in the mix for Mattay’s anglers.
Capt. David White is working inshore along the beaches of Anna Maria Island, resulting in a variety of species for his clients.
Using live shrimp as bait, redfish, black, drum and sheepshead are finding their way to the hook.
Pompano also are finding the shrimp hard to resist — and they’re irresistible for table fare.
Fishing nearshore structure with shrimp is leading to some good action. Porgies, Key West grunts and mangrove snapper are being caught frequently. And some lucky anglers are hooking into hogfish.
Jim Malfese at the Rod & Reel Pier reports redfish are the highlight at the northernmost pier.
Pier fishers using shrimp as bait are casting under the pier deck to get a bite. Most of the reds caught exceed the maximum size limit of 27 inches and must be released, but what a tough problem to have.
Those hoping to take home a fish dinner are settling with catches of sheepshead and black drum — and both can be tasty on the plate.
For anglers hoping to catch a trophy, they can take notes from Jayden Hughes, who recently showed off his skill at targeting sharks from shore, just a short distance from the pier at Bean Point. Tiger sharks – like the one pictured above — and others, are prolific in Tampa Bay and, if handled with care, can be caught and released without harm.
Send high-resolution photos and fishing reports to fish@islander.org.