Springtime fishing is in full swing throughout the inshore and offshore waters of Anna Maria Island, resulting in great action.
Indoor fishing in the bays and Intracoastal Waterway is really heating up as shallow water species such as snook, redfish and spotted seatrout are getting comfortable with rising water temperatures. Spotted seatrout are the most apparent as they seem to be inhabiting most of the grass flats throughout our area in great numbers. A drift over flats where clean, clear water exists, can yield multiple hookups on trout. The numbers seem to be unmatched from prior years.
Both live and artificial baits are attracting the trout, making them targetable to a wide range of anglers.
Snook and redfish are starting to show in good numbers, especially around mangrove shorelines and spoil islands where good tidal flow and lush grasses are present.
Live bait in these areas works best, although artificials will generally work, too.
Higher stages of the tide seem to yield the best results while targeting snook and reds as they gather to feed among the roots of the mangroves and along the edges of oyster bars.
If you catch yourself out during the lower parts of the tide, try fishing the deeper grass flats for trout. These deeper areas are accessible and will produce action while you’re waiting on the tide to rise enough to reach the shallow grass flats along the shoreline.
Moving offshore, king mackerel are a topic of interest as Gulf temperatures are reaching the mid 70s. Most action occurs in depths of 50 feet or more where structure or hard bottom exists, although some reports are occurring of catches in waters as shallow as 30 feet.
Moving out to deeper waters in the 100-foot range, red grouper are frequently being caught, as well as a variety of snappers.
For the kings, live shiners or threadfin herring work well as bait. As for the groupers and snappers, live and frozen baits perform just fine.
On my Just Reel charters, I’m seeing plenty of spotted seatrout being caught by my clients. Free-lining shiners or employing the use of a cork to the rig works well to attract these most-popular inshore species to the hook. In fact, limits of trout are being attained on most trips.
I’m finding snook around mangrove shorelines and oyster bars, especially during high tides. Most of these fish are staying close to the mangroves. In many instances, they’re hiding among the leggy roots of the trees. Redfish are following suit and are being caught in the same areas as the snook.
Moving into the Gulf, I’m finding Spanish mackerel and a few cobia around nearshore structure, as well as mangrove snapper and an occasional flounder.
Capt. David White also is putting clients on limits of spotted seatrout while fishing both deeper and shallow grass flats throughout our local waters. He says live shiners as bait yields the best results.
The same applies for snook and redfish. White says his anglers are catching good numbers of both on shallower flats around mangroves and oyster bars and around some residential docks.
Moving into the Gulf, White is targeting kingfish on days when the winds are light and the seas calm. As a bonus, mangrove snapper are being caught, especially around the artificial reefs.
Capt. Johnny Mattay of Anna Maria Charters says he’s finding great action while fishing offshore in the Gulf. Red grouper are frequently being caught, in fact, he said, limits are attainable on just about every trip. For bait, live pinfish and frozen squid work best.
Mattay says snapper fishing is good when using live shiners combined with a knocker rig or cut sardines on a jig head.
Pelagics such as kingfish and blackfin tuna are present offshore, as well as plenty of large sharks.
Moving shallower to the nearshore wrecks and reefs is providing action on kingfish and large jack crevalle with a few cobia in the mix.
Mangrove snapper are being found around the nearshore reefs, too.
Finally, the inshore bite is resulting in plenty of action on snook, redfish and trout. Mattay says the higher stages of the tides are yielding the best results while working inshore. Using live free-lined shiners for bait is leading to hookups for Mattay’s anglers on all three species.
Send high-resolution photos and fishing reports to fish@islander.org.