With water temperatures falling to the 70s, Anna Maria Island anglers are finding endless opportunities for hookups —the options to fish are plentiful inshore, nearshore and offshore.
While working inshore, snook and redfish are being found on the flats, enjoying warmer water temps and an abundance of bait. Casting live shiners among mangrove shorelines, oyster bars and even in the passes yields hookups with snook and reds.
Spotted seatrout are enjoying warmer water temps where they lurk in deeper grass flats, especially where glass minnows are present. The trout will take a live bait such as a shiner or shrimp, but casting artificials like soft plastics or top water plugs also can be effective.
Black drum and sheepshead numbers are growing as we wrap up November and move into December. Offerings of live shrimp around docks, bridges and piers should yield good odds of catching both.
And don’t forget migratory fish like mackerel, jacks and ladyfish can be found over some of the artificial reefs in Tampa Bay, as well as in the passes of Bean Point and Longboat Key.
Nearshore possibilities are growing, especially in depths of 40-60 feet. Hard bottom areas are a great place to soak a live shrimp on the bottom. Species like mangrove snapper, lane snapper, hogfish, porgies and a bounty of Key West grunts will keep most anglers busy for hours, provided they don’t run out of bait shrimp. This bite is fish fry material all the way.
Moving out to deeper waters, red grouper are being found in depths of around 100 feet. There are gags out there, too, but they’re catch-and-release.
A variety of snappers are available, including mangrove, yellowtail and lane. There’s also plenty of red snapper, but check your calendar for season, so you know when they’re open and when they’re not.
Lastly, kingfish are being found in nearshore and offshore waters in depths starting at 60 feet.
On my Just Reel charters, I’m finding action inshore and nearshore. Fishing inshore yields catches of snook, redfish and trout, depending on tides and temperatures.
Snook and redfish are being found on mangrove shorelines, as well as around rocks and docks.
Spotted seatrout are around and are being caught over deep grass flats, with a few stragglers being found along the Gulf beaches.
Also along the Gulf beaches are a variety of other species, including sheepshead, black drum, flounder, mackerel and jack crevalle. Fishing around structure, such as inshore ledges and artificial reefs, can yield the best action.
Moving into the Gulf of Mexico in depths of 40-50 feet, hogfish are being caught in addition to snappers and grunts.
Capt. David White is finding good numbers of black drum and sheepshead for his charter clients while working a variety of locations, including docks, reefs and the beaches, where live shrimp as bait works well for these targets. And, he said, live shrimp as bait also works for hogfish and porgies at nearshore ledges.
Switching to live shiners results in action on snook and trout in the backcountry, according to White. Casting along mangrove shorelines and deeper grass flats works best.
While fishing over structure in Tampa Bay and along the beaches, White says his clients are hooking up with mangrove snapper and Spanish mackerel.
Capt. Johnny Mattay is impressed with inshore fishing and he reports his anglers are catching good numbers of snook and redfish. The best results are occurring around mangrove shorelines and oyster bars during higher stages of the tides.
Spotted seatrout are being caught frequently by Mattay’s clients around deep grass flats. Many trout catches are in the lower end of the slot, although some fish exceeding 20 inches are mixed in.
Moving to the passes, Mattay is finding plenty of Spanish mackerel with a mix of jacks and ladyfish for his anglers. Moving into the Gulf, hogfish are beginning to show in depths of 40-60 feet of water, where live shrimp as bait works well.
Finally, in depths of 100-feet plus, red grouper and a variety of snappers are being caught.
Blackfin tuna are being found around offshore wrecks, reports Mattay.
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