With another week of mild temperatures, fishing around Anna Maria Island is proving to be quite good.
Sheepshead are beginning to really make their presence known around Tampa Bay. The local fishing piers, as well as reefs and rock piles, are attracting fish. Pier fishers are finding success using live shrimp as bait and the same applies for boaters. Dropping live shrimp to the bottom around the reefs and wrecks is proving quite effective.
On my trips with Southernaire Fishing Charters, I’m targeting sheepies. Not only do these fish fight to the bitter end, they taste great after they’ve been battered and fried. Half a shrimp placed in a 1/2-ounce knocker rig is resulting in sheepshead up to 5 pounds. Rallies are occurring with most catches falling between 2-3 pounds. To find these fish, I’m pulling up to artificial reefs, rock piles and even beaches where structure exists.
As the winter bite matures, you should be able to find the buck-toothed fish almost anywhere barnacles exist — fishing piers, bridges and seawalls. For bait, live shrimp are a great start, although experienced sheepherders usually carry a variety of baits — fiddler crabs, tubeworms and sand fleas as well as shrimp.
Capt. Aaron Lowman is venturing offshore on days when winds are light and the seas are calm. By fishing ledges with live shrimp as bait, Lowman is hooking into a variety of fish including mangrove snapper, sheepshead, porgies, grunts and hogfish. For rigging, Lowman is tying on a knocker rig consisting of a 1-ounce egg sinker, some 30-pound fluorocarbon leader and a 2/0 circle hook. This rig is most effective because it anchors the bait on the bottom, while still allowing the line to slip through the sinker on receiving a bite.
Fishing rock piles and artificial reefs in Tampa Bay is producing a bite for Lowman — sheepshead and flounder are coming to the boat. Again, the use of a knocker rig combined with a shrimp is Lowman’s go-to rig.
Capt. Warren Girle is working the flats of Sarasota Bay for a variety of species. By drifting and jigging, Girle is putting clients on spotted seatrout, pompano, ladyfish and bluefish. Drifting over flats where the depth falls between 4-8 feet is producing the most action. Small jigs tipped with shrimp or simply naked are attracting the bite for his anglers.
Fishing residential canals and docks is providing action for Girle’s clients. Casting live shrimp under docks and along seawalls is resulting in redfish, black drum, sheepshead and flounder.
Capt. Jason Stock is circling the shallow flats of Sarasota Bay when strong winds and rough seas prevent him from going offshore. On these days, Stock is pushing his 23-foot Trevco boat as shallow as he can reach the potholes where the gator trout and redfish lurk. Casting artificial baits — Berkley Gulp shrimp — into these areas is resulting in a bite. On days when these fish are finicky, Stock is using live baits, shrimp and pinfish to draw a bite.
Moving offshore, Stock is working the ledges and rock piles for hogfish. Live shrimp dropped to the bottom are resulting in keeper hogs, as well as porgies, white grunts and snappers. Offshore wrecks are producing action for Stock’s anglers from amberjack.
Capt. Rick Gross of Fishy Business also is working rocks and docks in Tampa Bay for sheepshead. Rallies of these tasty striped fish are keeping Gross busy dehooking and rebaiting. Mixed in with the sheepies are a few snapper and an occasional flounder.
Fishing the flats of Tampa Bay is resulting in spotted seatrout in the cooler. A live shrimp weighted with a small split shot and cast into sandy potholes is resulting in slot-size trout.
Jim Malfese at the Rod & Reel Pier is seeing the arrival of a most-anticipated convict. That’s right — the black-and-white striped sheepies are back. Although the large numbers of spawning fish have yet to arrive, there are fish to be caught at the northern-most pier on Anna Maria Island. Most catches are occurring on live shrimp or fiddler crabs. As the bite continues and the fish get smarter, you may want to try sand fleas or tubeworms. Fish up to 2-pounds are being reeled up to the deck, with bigger catches in the mix.
While targeting sheepies, anglers are hooking into an occasional black drum or flounder. Pompano are being caught by fishers who work small jigs tipped with shrimp.
Capt. David White of Anna Maria Charters is night fly-fishing on some of his charters around Anna Maria Island and in the Manatee River. Baitfish patterns worked around structure such as docks and seawalls are resulting in catch-and-release snook as well as ladyfish, jack crevalle and bluefish. Spotted seatrout are being caught, especially around lighted docks where either the green underwater light or the classic snook lights over the water are attracting the linesiders.
During the day, White is casting live shrimp around residential docks, producing sheepshead, mangrove snapper and black drum for anglers.
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