Snook season ended April 30 and Anna Maria Island anglers are sliding right into the next best thing: Tarpon season.
The indicators are apparent as the lovebugs have arrived in force and the royal poinciana trees are beginning to bloom.
Those with a vigilant eye on the water are already being rewarded with sightings of silver kings along the Gulf beaches of Longboat Key, Anna Maria Island and Egmont Key.
Action at the Sunshine Skyway Bridge is a good bet and has been for a while for anglers who regularly work that area. It’s helpful to get out there for the early bite because the fish have yet to be pressured by the masses.
The full moon was on May 1, which triggered some large outgoing tides, resulting in pass crabs flushing out of the bays and into the Gulf. This offered good opportunities to stage up in the passes and collect crabs as bait for upcoming tarpon trips.
Between now and the next full moon, May 31, we should see tarpon numbers increasing as resident and migratory fish gather along our beaches, eager to eat in preparation for their offshore spawn.
So, if you haven’t dug out your tarpon gear yet, you may want to consider some prep work.
It’s time for tarpon season again.
On my own Just Reel charters, catch-and-release snook fishing was as good as it gets. Fishing around the full moon tides yielded great action, with some mornings resulting in 25-30 snook being reeled to the boat. Most catches were 20-30 inches, with a few larger fish for lucky anglers. Swift tides moving over shallow grass flats were producing the best action.
Snook season is now closed until September.
Spotted seatrout this past week were cooperating in most areas, especially over deep grass in 5-7 feet of water. Larger trout were being found on shallower flats, but were not as frequent as the 15-18-inch fish found on the deep grass.
I was seeing redfish here and there, usually while catching snook.
Lastly, a bycatch of ladyfish, mackerel, jacks and flounder, was adding variety to the catch on most days.
Capt. Johnny Mattay said inshore fishing was really shaping up this past week, with a variety of species available to target.
Redfish were being found during higher stages of tides, especially around oyster bars and mangrove shorelines. Catch-and-release snook were being found in the same areas. Both species were responding to free-lined shiners, according to Mattay.
Spotted seatrout were another option, with many being caught on deeper grass flats and along the Gulf beaches.
Speaking of Gulf beaches, Mattay reported seeing good numbers of tarpon and his clients were hooking up. Live threadfin herring and crabs were drawing bites for Mattay’s charter fishers.
Moving out into the Gulf, cobia, snook, kingfish and grouper were being found around the nearshore wrecks and reefs 3-9 miles out. Cobia was the highlight, said Mattay, with plenty of keeper-size fish being caught.
Finally, fishing in depths of 100 feet or more was yielding red grouper and a variety of snappers.
Capt. David White said he was putting his anglers on catch-and-release snook while working the flats of Tampa Bay southward to Sarasota Bay. Most catches were 20-30 inches with some larger fish mixed in.
Spotted seatrout were regularly being caught over deep grass flats. Spanish mackerel were present in these areas, as well as ladyfish and jack crevalle. Targeting reds on the flats was going well, said White, especially when schooling reds were present, which was resulting in multiple hookups at once for White’s anglers.
Along the beaches, White was finding cobia at artificial reefs and wrecks, as well as mackerel and a few snappers. White said he’s happy to see a growing number of tarpon arriving, which was presenting plenty of opportunities for hookups and trophy photos. Casting live threadfin herring or crabs to the silver kings was working well to get bites.
Send high-resolution photos and fishing reports to fish@islander.org.
Tarpon fishing tips from the FWC:
- Do not drag tarpon over the gunnel of a boat.
- Use a dehooking tool.
- Tarpon smaller than 40 inches should be supported horizontally when removed from the water.
- Tarpon larger than 40 inches must remain in the water.
- Do not fish for tarpon when large predatory sharks are in the area feeding. If sharks show up, move to another fishing location.
- DO NOT GET IN THE WATER WITH A TARPON!
Fish and Wildlife pilots ‘Cast for Cash’ program
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is piloting a research program that pays recreational anglers to help scientists collect data on released reef fish.
The program, Cast for Cash: It Pays to Fish for Science, invites recreational anglers in the Tampa Bay region to record fishing trips using a temporary camera system installed on their boats.
In exchange for providing research data, anglers can earn $250 per trip for up to six trips, or as much as $1,500 during a three-month period.
The project is intended to help scientists understand how many fish are caught and released during recreational fishing trips and evaluate whether onboard camera systems can provide data for fisheries research.
Participants must meet requirements, including:
- Hold a recreational fishing license with the State Reef Fish Angler designation.
- Live in a household in possession of a boat.
- Launch from the Tampa Bay region.
- Be 18 or older and have no resource violations.
For more information, including applications, go to myfwc.com/cast-cash.
— Lisa Neff
Rotary fishing tournament set
The Rotary Club of Anna Maria Island will hold its annual Reel for Rotary Fishing Tournament Saturday, May 9, with competition spanning the waters of Cortez and Anna Maria Island, including Sarasota Bay to Tampa Bay and the Gulf.
The tournament features three divisions — inshore, offshore and catch-and-release — giving anglers of all preferences a chance to compete. Registration is online at ami-reelforrotary.square.site.
The fishing will be 6 a.m.-3 p.m. May 9, followed by a banquet and awards at 4 p.m. at Cortez Kitchen, 4528 119th St. W., Cortez.
First-place prizes are $1,500 for the inshore division and $2,500 for the offshore winner.
Proceeds from the event support the Rotary’s local charitable initiatives, in keeping with the tournament’s tagline: “Tackling community needs together.”
For more information: info@reelforrotary.com.
— Lisa Neff