As Anna Maria Island anglers anticipate tarpon season, they’re finding themselves with some idle time on their hands. The mass schools of silver kings have yet to make an appearance.
Resident fish are beginning to show in their usual staging areas as they prepare to meet up with the migratory fish that are moving up the coast as we speak.
Areas such as the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and the north side of Egmont Key are a couple of the staging areas worth checking out if you just can’t wait for the big show of kings.
Anglers who are patiently awaiting to patrol the beaches and encounters with schools of 50 fish or more are finding themselves in the backcountry and the Gulf, passing the time before the main event occurs.
In the backcountry, spotted seatrout are the most reliable catch. Fishing deep grass during incoming tides can result in mornings of 20-30 trout, not to mention encounters with bluefish, jack crevalle and ladyfish — which are also present in search of a meal.
If you find patches of grass holding only smaller trout, try moving around as you may come across a nearby school of larger ones, which can yield a limit of fish in no time.
On the shallow flats, snook and redfish are options, although the consensus among the angling community is that we are not seeing the snook numbers we should be seeing this time of year. Doing your homework could result in finding some smaller groups of fish to target. You may not hook up 30 or 40 juvenile snook, but you might catch a few quality slot-size fish.
Catching redfish is also kind of hit or miss. The reds are being found in a variety of places from oyster bars and mangroves in the backcountry to the clear, Gulf waters along the beaches and passes. Nearshore and offshore action are also choices to be considered while waiting for the tarpon bite to heat up.
Other migratory fish, such as kingfish, bonita, cobia and Spanish mackerel, are being caught within a couple of miles of the beaches. And with the migratory fish come sharks, so carry some bigger gear if that’s something you’re into.
Offshore red grouper and mangrove snapper are prowling the ledges and hard-bottom areas. Pinfish for the grouper are the bait of choice, but scale down in size to live shiners for the snapper.
There’s plenty of good fishing to be had prior to the tarpon run — if you have time to go hunting.
On my Just Reel charters, I’m finding great action fishing the deep grass flats of Tampa Bay. Free-lined live shiners are quickly being struck by hungry spotted seatrout as they prepare to spawn. Mixed in are macks, jacks, ladyfish, bluefish and small blacktip and sandbar sharks, which is the perfect recipe for a continuous bite. On some days, it’s every bait.
Targeting snook and redfish in the backcountry is OK, but it’s requiring patience. Most snook catches are 20-26 inches while the redfish seem to be falling within the slot of 18-27 inches. Swift tides are producing the best action for these species.
On calmer days, I’m fishing in the Gulf around ledges and hard bottom which is leading to flounder, mangrove snapper, lane snapper and Key West grunts — perfect fish fry fixins.
Capt. Johnny Mattay is working offshore around reefs, wrecks and hard-bottom areas, where using live shiners and live pinfish as bait combined with a bottom rig is leading to a variety of species. In depths of around 100 feet, Mattay is putting anglers on plenty of large red grouper with pinfish as bait.
Fishing over wrecks and reefs with shiners as bait is luring respectable-size mangrove snapper as well as lane snapper. Also, while fishing over wrecks, Mattay is hooking into blackfin tuna. These are being taken while using free-lined live shiners. Some amberjack is also taking interest.
Moving inshore, Mattay agrees, spotted trout are the most consistent catch. While targeting the trout, macks and jack crevalle are being caught on the deeper grass flats, where good tidal flow exists.
He added that targeting snook and redfish on the shallower grass flats is going well especially in areas where oyster bars exist.
Capt. David White of Anna Maria Charters says the offshore bite is going well over hard-bottom areas. Red grouper are being cooperative and he’s frequently putting clients of the limits. Using live pinfish as bait is working best, especially for the larger groupers.
Switching to live shiners as bait is resulting in plenty of mangrove snapper and lane snapper on White’s trips.
Fishing around offshore wrecks also is providing action for White’s charters. Pelagics such as blackfin tuna and amberjack are the usual suspects in these areas and they’re breaking the surface to devour a free-lined shiner.
As for inshore, White says he’s finding numerous sharks for clients, including an abundance of blacktip sharks for sight-casting. Using fresh-cut chunks of mackerel and bonita works best for the sharks measuring 4-6 feet in length.
For guests who want fish for dinner, White is working the deep grass flats for spotted seatrout. Mixed in with the trout are large Spanish mackerel, which also are finding their way into the cooler.
Capt. Warren Girle is working the flats of Sarasota Bay for snook and trout. Although snook are catch-and-release, Girle says his clients find enjoyment from hooking numerous linesiders on a charter. Free-lining live shiners around mangrove shorelines is attracting snook of 20-26 inches, although fish up to 30 inches are taking the bait, too.
Targeting spotted seatrout on the deeper flats of the bay is adding to the inshore action. Slot-size trout 15-19 inches are frequently being caught as well as some smaller and larger fish.
Fishing in the Gulf of Mexico — when the seas are calm —is yielding action for Girle on migratory fish — bonita, kingfish and mackerel. Girle also noted that there are many blacktip sharks mixed in, which adds a slight edge to getting the fish to the boat quick — before they are bitten in half.
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