With a break in cold weather and windy days, Anna Maria Island anglers are seizing the moment by venturing into the Gulf of Mexico to bottom fish around the nearshore reefs and ledges within 10 miles of shore.
Live shrimp are working best as bait as they are easily purchased at bait shops and all species currently targeted are readily responding.
Sheepshead — a species that feeds on crustaceans — are regularly being caught and should become more abundant in the next couple of weeks as they fatten up before their spawn. And since the sheepies tend to congregate around structure, locating them isn’t that hard as long as you have coordinates for artificial reefs and wrecks. You also can find them around ledges and hardbottom areas along with Key West grunts, hogfish, snappers and groupers, which will take an offering of shrimp as bait if it’s put in front of them.
For rigging, a variety of methods will work and they all have a common factor, using weight. All of the mentioned species tend to hang around the bottom near the structure so some sort of weight is required. Whether it’s a knocker rig — an egg sinker and a hook — or a fish finder rig, which includes the use of a swivel with the egg sinker followed by a leader and a hook or the most basic rig, a jig head. Also, some form of weight must be used to get the bait down on the bottom where the fish dwell.
I like to use a knocker rig, which consists of a 1/2-ounce egg sinker that rests on the eye of the circle hook. The weight of the sinker can vary, depending on depth and current. The size of the hook is dependent on what I’m targeting. Generally, a 2/0 circle hook works just fine but, in instances where either the shrimp are small or the fish are finicky, I will lower the size of the hook until I find what works best. A knocker rig is probably the cheapest way to rig but that doesn’t take away from its effectiveness.
Jig heads work well although some are expensive and, when bottom fishing around structure, you can expect to go through some terminal tackle due to the many snags.. And when you start losing a bunch of jig heads that cost more than a dollar apiece, it becomes frustrating. Hence, the knocker rig is my choice.
On my Just Reel charters, I’m finding good action throughout local waters while targeting spotted seatrout. Free-lining live shrimp or employing the use of a 1/8-ounce jig head and shrimp is leading to trout measuring 12-24 inches.
Fishing along the beaches is proving good for species such as black drum, whiting and sheepshead, as well as a few pompano. Lastly, fishing around structure in the Gulf of Mexico is yielding sheepshead and a few snapper.
Capt. David White says he’s catching good numbers of spotted seatrout while fishing over deeper grass flats and along the beaches. Using live shrimp in both areas is leading to trout 12-20 inches.
For rigging, White is free-lining the shrimp or adding a split shot to the rig depending on depth and current. Using live shrimp as bait is leading to sheepshead and black drum. Casting shrimp around rocks and docks is producing the best action.
Although water temps are chilly, White is catching some live shiners for bait. Using live shiners along mangrove shorelines and around canals is leading to action on redfish.
In fact, White says he’s catching many redfish while using live shiners as bait. This bite is best during afternoons when the sun has had a chance to warm the waters which is triggering redfish to feed.
Capt. Johnny Mattay says inshore-offshore fishing in the Gulf is producing plenty of action on big red grouper and a variety of snappers. Using live pinfish or frozen baits such as sardines or threadfin herring is yielding limits of fish.
Fishing nearshore structure is producing a good bite for Mattay. Hogfish, Key West grunts and mangrove snapper are plentiful and are taking offerings of live shrimp as bait.
Finally, as the indoor waters warm up, Mattay anticipates targeting snook, redfish and trout will be good as long as the cold fronts subside.
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