With temperatures swinging upward, Anna Maria Island anglers are getting on the water to experience the onset of the springtime bite.
Water temps in the upper 60s to low 70s mean inshore species — snook, redfish and trout — are going to be frequenting the grass flats in search of a meal. Water temps are still slightly cool, but if we stay on this warm daytime trend, we should see increasing action as the weeks progress. Live shiners as bait work well as the water warms and greater concentrations of fish move to the flats. Artificials also are an option as the fish are hungry and motivated to strike. Top water plugs are a good option if you’re hunting for big trout and even snook. And soft plastics will get the job done for both species and, as a bonus, will trigger a strike from redfish.
And don’t forget: You can put on your flip-flops and head to the beach to fish. Species like pompano, whiting, black drum and sheepshead can be had with live shrimp as bait. Small jigs tipped with shrimp are effective, plus they give you something to do while waiting for a bite. Walking the beach and casting jigs can result in quite a bit of action when the beach bite is good.
Don’t forget, even if you’re fishing on the beach, you need a fishing license. Both residents and non-residents are required to have at least a shoreline license when fishing from the beach.
Finally, moving offshore, red grouper seem to be the best action for those wanting to pull on a big fish and bring home some dinner. Both live and frozen baits are working in depths of 100 feet or more. Mangrove snapper and lane snapper are being caught, as well as some amberjack.
On my Just Reel charters, I’m still catching sheepshead over the reefs and wrecks in the Gulf of Mexico and in Tampa Bay. Live shrimp on a knocker rig are being devoured by these hungry sheepies as they begin to spawn. Mixed in the sheepies bite are Key West grunts, flounder and a handful of juvenile groupers.
Spanish mackerel are present in these areas and they’re exploding on offerings of live shiners combined with a longshank hook.
Fishing along the Gulf beaches also is yielding action for my charters. Pompano, whiting, black drum and redfish are readily being caught on a cast of live shrimp.
Finally, working the flats is improving as the water temperatures rise, resulting in catches of spotted seatrout and snook on live shiners as bait.
Capt. David White says numerous snook are being caught by his anglers during afternoon tides on live shiners as bait.
Some large trout and a few redfish are also mixed in with the snook bite for White’s guided trips. He said using shrimp as bait is still luring sheepshead to the hook while fishing over structure in Tampa Bay and as a bonus, he’s finding a mix of mangrove snapper and Key West grunts.
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