With temps in the inland waters in the low 50s, Anna Maria Island anglers are searching for action and struggling to find a bite.
With minimal sunshine and overall cold conditions, local fishing seems to take a backseat to staying warm in the house and getting caught up on the winter rest and relaxation plans.
Yet, for those who just can’t sit still and wait for the weather to break, there is fishing to be done.
Looking for areas where water temps are slightly warmer, such as deeper water and canals with black muddy bottoms, is a good bet to find the bite. Species such as snook, redfish and trout will take refuge from the cold in such areas. Whether the fish will be in the mood to bite is a different story.
With some determination and patience, you might find a bite here and there. Casting live shrimp in these areas is worth the effort but using soft plastics on a jig head also can work. Just remember, work that jig slowly.
Scented plastics, such as the Berkeley Gulp products, might give you an advantage — or some added confidence to an already futile attempt.
If the wind is calm, you might want to venture to the Gulf beaches. Black drum, whiting, sheepshead and pompano can be found cruising the shorelines in search of sand fleas or other crustaceans that don’t require a lot of effort to eat.
Soaking live shrimp in the trough can yield action even on colder days, but dress warm and pack patience as you might find the bites spaced out.
On another note, don’t forget, a license is required to fish from shore in Florida. If you’re a nonresident, you’re required to purchase a license. If you live here, you still need a license, but a shoreline license is free.
And just because you don’t see the game wardens — Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers — on patrol, be aware that sheriff’s deputies and police officers can enforce laws pertaining to fishing licenses. So don’t get caught without one.
Capt. Johnny Mattay reports venturing offshore into the Gulf is producing the best action for his charters.
On calm days, moving out to depths of 100 feet or more is yielding plenty of action on red grouper. American red snapper are abundant but they’re out of season and must be released. As for the grouper, limits are being caught on most trips.
After catching grouper, Mattay is moving into shallower depths of 40-60 feet, resulting in mangrove snapper, Key West grunts, porgies and hogfish.
As for the inshore bite, Mattay says it’s “challenging.” Fishing canals and channel edges is leading to a mixed bag, including redfish, sheepshead and black drum.
Capt. David White is working his charters inshore around Tampa Bay south to Sarasota Bay. Using live shrimp as bait, he’s catching a variety of species, most of which are being found around rocks and docks. Casting shrimp in these areas is attracting sheepshead, redfish and black drum. Occasionally a snook will take a bait, although, with the cold air conditions, this bite is sporadic at best.
Fishing around the beaches is yielding a few pompano and whiting, as well as an occasional black drum.
Lastly, deeper water canals are holding some trout, although many are 14-16 inches.
Send high-resolution photos and fishing reports to fish@islander.org.