With water temperatures on the rise, Anna Maria Island anglers are getting out on the water to enjoy springtime fishing.
After the numerous cold fronts and windy conditions that took up most of March, you can bet April and May look promising.
Migratory species such as bonito, Spanish mackerel and their larger cousins, the king mackerel, are a hot topic right now for anglers fishing in the Gulf.
Just find the bait schools and the high-speed predators shouldn’t be far behind.
Moving inshore, spotted seatrout are dominating the bite in the shallow and deeper grass flats. Meanwhile, snook and redfish are being found on the shallow grass flats in decent numbers, although much of the flats the fish used to inhabit seem to be missing.
Many of our inshore grass flats have disappeared, which could be a result of the back-to-back hurricanes we experienced in late 2024 that triggered millions of gallons of sewage to be dumped into the Manatee River and other waterways. Combine that with mass amounts of fertilizer runoff caused by flooding and you have devastation.
Recent surveys done by the Southwest Florida Water Management District paint a pretty picture as to the condition and overall growth of seagrass beds over the past nine years, stating that many areas show increases in coverage.
But these reports seem to be misleading.
Keep in mind the surveys were completed before hurricanes Helene and Milton. So we are not out of the woods.
For myself and some of the other captains on the water on a daily basis, there are opposing views of the condition and quality of seagrasses that exist in our local waters, ranging from Miguel Bay southward to Sarasota Bay.
Capt. Todd Romine, having 40-plus years experience running guided fishing charters on our local waters, feels our grass flats are suffering and have not rebounded to sufficient levels to sustain our fishery.
Capt. Scott Moore, a captain whose five decades of being on the water makes him one of the foremost authorities when it comes to fishing and habitat restoration, feels the same. Unless we are able to minimize impacts on our local waters, the seagrass beds will continue to suffer, he says.
Listening to these fishermen can give us accurate readings of what is going on out there right now. They are the “boots on the ground” anglers whose opinions are based on witnessing conditions on the local water since the 1980s. They report what they see and experience on a daily basis. And if they’re saying conditions are slowly declining, I’m inclined to believe them.
So this brings us back to the recent surveys done by Swiftmud. Most of these survey are performed from an airplane with a crew that records acreages of grass beds. The aerial surveys seem to be effective but there are variables to take into consideration.
Areas of Lyngbya or other foreign algae and seaweeds that are mobile can look like grass flats when viewed from above.
Also, Lyngbya and some other organisms thrive on nutrient-rich waters, causing large blooms that cover existing grass beds, resulting in light reduction that yields a dead grass bed.
No sunlight, no grass.
And you can bet there are plenty of harmful nutrients in our waters, which leads me to believe maybe we have more work to do before we prescribe a “clean bill of health” to them.
It’s our duty to try and it’s the duty of developers. As residents of Manatee County, we should ensure that future generations will have the opportunity to experience the flora and fauna of this beautiful place we call home.
In summation, as we prepare to mark another Earth Day, it’s our duty as stewards to make sure we are doing whatever possible to preserve our waters.
You can contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission through their Seagrass Integrated Mapping and Monitoring program at myfwc.com/research/habitat/seagrasses/simm/ or report to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection through their office of Resilience and Coastal Protection at floridadep.gov/rcp.
Report areas of grass depletion and make your voice heard. I’m sure county commissioners have every intention of trying to revive and sustain our environment by listening to the true data and working jointly with the state to preserve a better environment for us to enjoy.
At least I hope they do.
On my Just Reel charters, the spotted seatrout continue to dominate the bite on most of the deeper grass flats of Tampa Bay southward to Sarasota Bay.
I’m avoiding areas in the mouth of the Manatee River due to the lack of seagrasses, especially along the northern shoreline from Emerson Point eastward to the Pilsbury docks. Many other areas are suffering the same symptoms, but when I do find good grass, I find plenty of fish.
Snook fishing is proving to be pretty good during the higher stages of the tide. Mangrove shorelines and oyster bars are holding the linesiders. Redfish are in these areas and are taking the hook between snook bites.
Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and jack crevalle are providing action on deeper grass flats and over structure.
Lastly, I’m keeping my eyes peeled for tripletail when running areas where crab trap buoys are abundant.
Capt. David White says the inshore bite on snook, redfish and trout is quite good and he finds the higher tides are best for targeting this inshore trio.
Moving into the Gulf, White is finding action for clients on kingfish, macks and bonito, although windy days can make it tough to reach the fish while maintaining everyone’s comfort on the boat. But, he says, if you’re lucky enough to pick a calm day, get ready to get your arms worn out.
Send high-resolution photos and fishing reports to fish@islander.org.