With it being windy more than not, determined Anna Maria Island anglers are braving the weather to get out on the water for the springtime bite.
Finding wind-sheltered areas in the back bays, rivers and creeks is a great way to catch some springtime action without getting too beat up by choppy waters.
Species such as snook, redfish and trout are being caught with regularity in such areas, especially on warmer days between cold fronts.
Using live shiners as bait produces the best action, although artificials such as soft plastics on a jig head work, too. As a bonus, while targeting trout on deep grass flats, many anglers are enjoying the bite from a variety of other species, including Spanish mackerel, jack crevalle, bluefish and ladyfish.
On calmer days, fishing the artificial reefs in the Gulf of Mexico is productive.
Migratory species such as cobia and kingfish can be caught, as well as bottom dwellers such as mangrove snapper and flounder.
And on days when winds are light and the seas are calm, anglers venturing offshore into the Gulf of Mexico are finding action on a variety of species, including red grouper, mangrove snapper, amberjack, kingfish and African pompano.
I’m guiding clients on my Just Reel charters to numerous spotted seatrout on the deeper flats and shallower ones, too.
On the deeper flats, a variety of other species, including bluefish, mackerel, ladyfish and jack crevalle are mixed in, which adds excitement to the bite.
On the shallower flats, most of the trout being caught are large, which is rewarding. In these areas, snook and redfish are being caught, with most linesiders running 20-26 inches. As for the reds, many catches are falling in the slot of 18-27 inches.
Capt. David White of Anna Maria Charters says offshore fishing is shaping up nicely. Bottom fishing with live or frozen baits is yielding mangrove snapper and red grouper. Free-lined bait on the surface is producing action on blackfin tuna. White says for the blackfins, casting baits around offshore wrecks works best.
Moving inshore, White is putting his anglers on good numbers of snook by casting live shiners on the grass flats where mangroves and oyster bars are present. Although many catches are 20-24 inches, White is happy to say he’s seeing quite a few slot-size fish, too.
Redfish are taking the hook, especially in the same areas as the snook.
Spotted seatrout are another species being caught while fishing the deeper grass flats of Tampa Bay. Mixed in are macks, ladyfish and jack crevalle.
Lastly, White is finding a few kingfish on the nearshore reefs in the Gulf.
Capt. Johnny Mattay, also of Anna Maria Charters, is finding good action while working the inshore waters of Tampa Bay south to Sarasota Bay. Spotted seatrout are being caught in good numbers while fishing over deep grass flats. Live, free-lined shiners with the addition of a split shot are attracting plenty of trout, as well as mackerel, ladyfish and jack crevalle.
He also says that fishing the shallower grass flats, where mangroves are present, is productive for his clients, especially on snook and redfish. Both are being caught frequently with some slot-fish mixed in.
Moving offshore, Mattay says he’s hooking into amberjack while fishing around wrecks. Along with the AJs, Mattay is seeing blackfin tuna.
Switching to bottom fishing in hardbottom areas also is working to get a bite, where Mattay is finding red grouper and mangrove snapper are responding to live and frozen baits.
Send high-resolution photos and fishing reports to fish@islander.org.