With pop-up storms becoming more frequent, Anna Maria Island anglers are keeping a watchful eye on the horizon while on the water.
Being vigilant as these storms increase is wise, because many can contain strong wind gusts and lightning, which cause a beautiful day on the water to turn into a dangerous situation in minutes.
Monitoring the weather radar can be helpful if storms are looming in the distance but in many instances these pop-up storms may not register soon enough. It doesn’t leave much time for you to react, so it’s always best to play it safe by retreating to safer areas — even if that means heading to the dock.
In many instances, we experience small, consolidated storms, making it possible to dodge out of their path. However, it’s always best to seek shelter when lightning is present. And with strong winds, it is smart to stay clear. Wind and waves can overcome small crafts, resulting in a dangerous situation.
Always check wind and weather forecasts before heading out on the water, especially if you plan on being in remote areas where it may take a while to find a safe spot to ride out a storm. And if you boat frequently, you’ve probably been caught in a storm or two and know that it’s not the most enjoyable experience. Plan your day with storms in mind. It’s a critical part of enjoying a day on the water.
As far as fishing goes, mangrove snapper are the highlight of the inshore and nearshore waters. These snapper have infested local waters, inhabiting every kind of structure they can find, reefs, wrecks, rock piles, ledges, docks, piers and bridge pilings.
Small live shiners and shrimp will lure the feisty snapper to the hook. Mangrove snapper have a reputation of being spooky. So light fluorocarbon leaders and small hooks are imperative to your success.
Remember, in state waters, mangrove snapper must be at least 10 inches long and there’s a limit of five fish per day per angler. And, although the smaller fish can put up quite a fight on light tackle, they are popular due to their presence on a dinner plate. Whether grilled, blackened or fried, these snapper rank among the favorites for local and visiting anglers.
On my Just Reel charters, I’m finding plenty of action on mangrove snapper. Fishing structure such as reefs, ledges and rock piles is leading to limits of these tasty fish and usually in short order as they are quite abundant. Using small shiners or “hatch bait” is yielding the best results as these bite-sized baits are quickly devoured by hungry snapper.
Targeting spotted seatrout on deeper flats is providing action after the snapper bite is over. Many trout being caught are falling on the lower-end of the slot in the 15- to 16-inch range, although lucky anglers are finding some larger examples mixed in.
Lastly, targeting catch-and-release snook along the mangrove shorelines is yielding action and, as a bonus, a few redfish are mixed in with the bite.
Capt. Johnny Mattay is spending most of his days fishing offshore, traveling 50-plus miles out, where he’s finding plenty of action on a variety of species.
Blackfin tuna are frequently taking live baits and surface plugs cast behind the boat and quickly retrieved.
Anchoring over reefs, wrecks or hard-bottom is resulting in limits of snappers — American red and yellowtail snappers.
In slightly shallower waters in the 25- to 30-mile range, Mattay is finding red grouper as well as mangrove snapper.
Moving inshore to the flats of Tampa Bay, Mattay is targeting catch-and-release snook along mangrove shorelines, followed by mangrove snapper on the inshore reefs and rock piles.
Send high-resolution photos and fishing reports to fish@islander.org.