With the gag grouper season dwindling to just a couple more weeks, you can bet Anna Maria Island anglers are focused on getting out in the Gulf of Mexico in search of action.
Fishing depths of 80-100 feet seem to be the best bet, although some catches are occurring in shallower waters. With such a short season, the fish are receiving a lot of pressure. So venturing farther and into remote areas is advantageous.
Most of the inshore and nearshore areas commonly fished may be void of keeper-size gags at this point. So persistence and luck might be big factors in getting a hookup. Getting out deeper, to some of your “secret numbers,” could yield better results.
Moving inshore, mangrove snapper are apparent on the reefs, wrecks and any other structure in Tampa Bay south to Sarasota Bay. In fact, many anglers are finding snapper on the grass flats and along the mangrove shoreline where deeper water exists.
Fishing bait schools in the bays is yielding good action on a variety of species, including Spanish mackerel, jack crevalle, ladyfish and spotted seatrout.
Whether you’re live bait fishing or using artificials, you should be able to get a bite if you find the bait schools.
And, if you find these schools in the Gulf of Mexico within a mile of shore, there should be blacktip and spinner sharks on the prowl, too.
Targeting redfish and snook along the mangroves is another option, although the warm water can make the bites slightly challenging. It’s best to fish higher stages of the tide where water flow is maximized to achieve the best bite.
Capt. David White is spending plenty of time with charter fishers who want to target gag grouper. Fishing nearshore and offshore in the Gulf is yielding limits of gags 24-30 inches, with some larger examples in the mix. Live pinfish are the bait of choice, although frozen bait like sardines are attracting attention from the gags. Trolling is also proving effective over artificial reefs and wrecks.
Moving inshore, White is taking his clients to good action on redfish. Schooling reds are being located on shallow flats in Sarasota Bay, with most catches being over the slot limit of 27 inches. Meanwhile, spotted seatrout are being found across the deeper flats with a mix of Spanish mackerel and ladyfish added to the catch.
Targeting sharks along the beaches is filling the gaps with a taste of rod-bending action for White.
Capt. Johnny Mattay is making the most of the gag grouper season by spending his days offshore in the Gulf. Using live and frozen baits is leading to quick limits of gags for his anglers as they work the structure in depths of 80-100 feet. Mangrove snapper are abundant in the same areas.
Moving out deeper, Mattay is excited to see good bites on red grouper, amberjack and American red snapper, which are frequently being reeled up from the depths.
Meanwhile, the time spent offshore is going well for Mattay and his clients, who are finding ferocious blackfin tuna, mahi and big jacks striking their free-lined baits.
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