Anna Maria Island anglers have been anxiously awaiting May as cooler than normal temperatures extended a springtime bite.
Fishing nearshore structure is resulting in migratory fish — kingfish, bonita and Spanish mackerel.
With water temps hovering in the mid- to upper-70s, these high-speed predators are corralling schools of bait fish around wrecks, reefs and hard-bottom areas.
Free-lining baits such as shiners, threadfin herring and small blue runners are being slashed by the sharp teeth of the streamlined migratory predators.
And if you’re looking for tablefare, don’t hesitate to try some offshore bottom fishing because mangrove snapper, flounder and red grouper are available for the taking. The snapper and flounder are found in depths as shallow as 30 feet, while the red grouper can be found in depths of 50 feet or more.
For those who prefer inshore fishing, spotted seatrout is most abundant. Fishing deep grass flats during incoming tides is producing some excellent action on trout. And, on many occasions, there is a mix of other species in the same areas to add variety to the bite. Ladyfish, jack crevalle, mackerel and bluefish are waiting to take your bait.
You’ll know the fish are present when you frequently get cut off. If so, try switching to a long shank hook to prevent losing fish.
Also, as May arrives, it’s probably time to think of dusting off your tarpon gear. Folks remarking on seeing fish in the passes and around Egmont Key are growing in number. And a rare catch near the docks in Cortez caught on video this past week got some attention on social media.
On my Just Reel Charters, I’m fishing the nearshore and the inshore bites.
For the nearshore stuff, I’m finding mackerel and a few kingfish, as well as numerous mangrove snapper, flounder, Key West grunts. Also, juvenile groupers are in the mix for my anglers, as well as lane snapper.
Fishing structure along the beaches is providing action, especially for large spotted seatrout. Many catches in these areas are being released as they are over the slot of 19 inches.
Black tip sharks in the 6-foot range are abundant along the beaches and are being caught using fresh-cut pieces of mackerel.
Moving to the flats, snook are available, although large numbers have yet to be seen.
Capt. Gary Huffman of Tuna Breath charters says he’s working many days nearshore in the Gulf of Mexico. Migratory fish, including kingfish, bonita, mackerel and jack crevalle, are keeping Huffman busy and his clients worn out from battling so many aggressive fish. Freelining baits in hard bottom areas or over reefs and wrecks is leading to the action for Huffman.
Bottom fishing in these areas is working well with many mangrove, snapper, porgies and Key West grunts being caught, as well as some flounder.
On windier days, when the Gulf is not accessible, Huffman is targeting spotted seatrout throughout the bays. Limits of the popular fish are being caught, as well as other species, such as jack crevalle, mackerel and bluefish.
Huffman also is putting clients on snook and redfish while working shallow grass flats, although he says the best inshore bite has been the trout.
Capt. Johnny Mattay of Anna Maria Charters is working oyster bars in Sarasota Bay during the higher stages of the tide. Casting live shiners along the edges and around the bars is yielding large over-slot redfish, as well as a few slot-size fish for the cooler. Snook are lurking around these bars and are devouring baits. Most snook are measuring 22-26 inches.
After fishing the oyster bars, Mattay is moving to slightly deeper water in the bay to target spotted seatrout. The trout are readily taking free-lined shiners for his anglers during swift-moving incoming tides.
Switching gears and fishing in the Gulf of Mexico is resulting in good action for Mattay. In depths of 30-50 feet of water, kingfish, mackerel and bonito are being caught, as well as a few sharks. And, in deeper waters in excess of 100 feet, a variety of fish, including red grouper, snapper, amber jack, blackfin tuna and African pompano are giving anglers a workout.
Capt. David White is finding good shore action while patrolling the beaches of Anna Maria Island. Migratory fish, such as mackerel, kingfish and bonita are being caught during incoming tides. Casting free-lined live shiners combined with a long shank hook works well.
While targeting these fish, White is catching plenty of black tip sharks.
Getting up close to the beaches is working to target species like snook, redfish and spotted sea trout. All three are being found within 50 feet of shore. Many of the reds and trout being caught are short, although a few keepers are mixed in. As for the snook, all sizes are taking bait.
Send high-resolution photos and fishing reports to fish@islander.org.