With water temps in the upper 80s, Anna Maria Island anglers are finding themselves pushing for the early bite to achieve the most action on the inshore waters of Tampa Bay southward to Sarasota Bay.
Targeting snook and redfish along mangrove shorelines and oyster bars is good, although some anglers are reporting that as waters heat up, the bite is diminishing. In fact, most action or peaks in the fishing are occurring before 10 a.m. On overcast days, the bite is lasting longer but, as a rule, if the sun is out, the bite is early.
Anglers who keep hunting throughout the day are migrating to slightly deeper water after the shallow waters on the flats reach temperatures that discourage the fish to bite.
Targeting spotted seatrout on deeper flats is an option. In depths of 8-10 feet, trout can take refuge by staying deep, where temperatures are slightly cooler. Many trout in these areas are readily taking baits as they are not feeling the heat of the day.
Another option is targeting mangrove snapper. Finding wrecks, reefs or other structure in depths of 10-30 feet is resulting in snapper bites. Small live shiners as bait, combined with a weighted rig to get the bait near the bottom, is resulting in numerous catches of the popular fish.
And, as we approach the July 21 full moon, we should see greater numbers of snapper showing up inshore, making them good targets for all anglers.
Getting out and back to the dock early is your best approach to fishing inshore in July around Anna Maria Island.
On my Just Reel charters, I am spending a lot of mornings targeting spotted seatrout as they remain the most consistent bite throughout the inland waters.
Fishing deeper grass flats in Tampa Bay during the first few hours of the morning is providing the best action, with some trips bringing as many as 20-30 trout to the boat. Many trout are falling short of the 15-inch minimum, although limits of slot-size, up-to-19-inch fish, are making their way to the cooler for anglers who desire a fish dinner.
Catch-and-release snook fishing is going well during the hours just after sunrise — as long as a good tide corresponds with cooler morning temperatures. Using small shiners or hatch bait is working best for the snook, as they seem to prefer smaller baits. Most snook hookups measure 20-30 inches.
Lastly, mangrove snapper are being caught around wrecks and other structure, although the true numbers of snapper have yet to arrive.
Capt. David White is fishing throughout the waters of Tampa Bay. On the shallower flats, he says fishing near mangrove shorelines is providing action on catch-and-release snook and redfish. Using live shiners as bait is leading to numerous hookups, especially for the snook, while the redfish bite is sporadic — between snook bites.
On the deeper flats of Tampa Bay, spotted seatrout are a mainstay for White. Free-lined shiners — especially the smaller ones — are working well to get the trout to bite. Although many trout are running small, White’s clients are putting limits of keeper-size fish in the cooler.
Fishing areas around structure is starting to produce action on mangrove snapper, says White, although the larger numbers of fish have yet to arrive. Still, his anglers are catching quite a few snapper to take home for dinner.
Finally, for the inshore bite and for the thrills, White is targeting blacktip sharks. Casting fresh-cut pieces of mackerel is leading the fish to the hook with sizes varying from 4-6 feet.
Moving offshore, White is putting charters on a variety of snappers, including red snapper in depths of 100 feet or more. Live pinfish as bait are producing the best action on the large snapper. Going slightly shallower, in depths of 60-100 feet, White is finding mangrove and yellowtail snapper with both taking smaller bait, such as live shiners.
Capt. Wes Wildman of Wildman Adventures is targeting snook and redfish along the mangrove shorelines of Tampa Bay. Casting live shiners against the bushes is resulting in numerous snook bites with a few redfish mixed in. Wildman adds that swift moving tides are yielding the best action.
Targeting spotted seatrout on deeper grass flats is proving good for Wildman. In depths of 8-10 feet, he’s putting clients on a few slot-size fish as well as numerous fish just under the slot. He’s also encountering jack crevalle on the deeper flats, which is always a crowd-pleaser as the fish can fight quite well for their size.
With the mangrove snapper beginning to arrive in the bay, Wildman is casting small shiners around rocks and other structure, which is yielding near limits of the tasty fish.
Lastly, juvenile tarpon are being spotted on channel edges adjacent to the flats. Wildman is casting larger shiners to the fish, resulting in several hookups per day with the trophy photo fish.
Send high-resolution photos and fishing reports to fish@islander.org.