Springtime fishing around Anna Maria Island is getting good, although compared to last year, it seems late.
Better late than never, I guess.
With such a late springtime bite, many anglers expect May to really fire off inshore and offshore.
With long stretches lacking rain, the inshore and offshore waters surrounding Anna Maria Island are about as clear as they can get, offering opportunities to sight-cast to fish and a view into the intricate world underneath the water’s surface.
On the flats, good numbers of snook appear in their usual springtime haunts. Redfish are following suit with schools frequenting open flats, as well as random fish being staged around mangrove shorelines and oyster bars.
Spotted seatrout are being found in many areas, too. Deep flats offer numerous bites on slot-size fish, while shallow flats hold big gator trout that seem solitary in their habits.
Moving into the Gulf, nearshore action is quite good for migratory fish like Spanish mackerel, kingfish and cobia. With water clarity this good, cobia can be spotted on the surface, creating great opportunities to sight-cast to them.
Finally, offshore action for red grouper is good while bottom fishing in depths of 100 feet or more. Live and frozen baits will get results.
On my Just Reel charters, spotted seatrout are being found in many areas — from the Gulf beaches all the way back to the shallow flats of Sarasota Bay northward to Tampa Bay.
Limits of trout are attainable, as well as some larger examples. Many larger trout are being caught on shallow flats of 2-3 feet of water and plenty of smaller trout are frequenting deeper flats of 8-10 feet.
Snook fishing is really starting to shape up, with some good rallies occurring during higher stages of the tide. Most catches are 20-26 inches, with larger examples being caught by lucky anglers.
Redfish also are being caught, with most bites occurring in the areas where I’m targeting snook. These catches are measuring 15-25 inches.
Finally, many small blacktip sharks are frequenting the shallow flats and sandy potholes, producing excellent action on medium spinning gear. The sharks are in the 15-pound range, just enough to be a handful on a spinning rod.
Capt. David White is impressed with the number of snook he is finding and catching. Free-lining live shiners in a variety of spots with varying terrains leads to plenty of snook action in Tampa Bay. Mangrove shorelines, oyster bars and sandy beaches hold fish and they are biting. Average sizes are 20-30 inches, with some bigger examples mixed in.
Spotted seatrout are abundant for White. Fishing deeper grass flats yields plenty of action on slot-size trout. In the shallow flats of 2-3 feet, White is finding larger specimens while targeting snook.
Moving into the Gulf, White is fishing structure, such as reefs and hard bottom. In these areas, pelagics like Spanish mackerel and kingfish are being caught.
All of this action is attracting various species of shark, adding an element to the bite as some fish on the hook arrive to the boat bitten in half.
White also reported that while on a busman’s holiday with family April 17, he and his fiance reeled up a couple of early-season tarpon on pass crabs.
Capt. Johnny Mattay reports that inshore fishing is great, as snook and redfish are being caught frequently on his charters.
Snook are being found in many areas and are cooperating nicely when encouraged by some live chummers. Casting baits into these areas results in some intense strikes and plenty of action on medium-spinning gear.
As for the reds, Mattay is finding schooling reds for his charter clients, which can result in consistent action for anglers looking to get their arms worn out.
Moving into the Gulf, Mattay is finding good nearshore action in depths of 40-50 feet. Migratory fish like kingfish and Spanish mackerel are being caught. Mangrove snapper and catch-and-release grouper also are present at these depths.
Finally, Mattay is moving offshore and bottom fishing for red grouper — and the bite is still going strong. Cobia are being found offshore randomly when they curiously approach the boat in search of a meal.
Send photos and fishing reports to fish@islander.org.
Fishing tournament May 9
On May 9, anglers will hit the water at 6 a.m. for the Reel for Rotary fishing tournament, followed by an awards banquet at Cortez Kitchen, 4528 119th St. W., Cortez, at 4 p.m.
Sponsorship tiers for the Rotary Club of Anna Maria Island event are named for fish species and scale from the $250 Mullet level up to the $5,000 Marlin level, which provides four angler registrations, a full-page ad in the tournament guide, a reserved table at the banquet, prominent banner placement and a large logo on tournament shirts.
For sponsorship and registration information, go to ami-reelforrotary.square.site.
— Lisa Neff
