Beat the crowds — fish early, fish late for best results
Despite the exaggerated volume of boats on the water for the holiday week, fishing around Anna Maria Island remained consistently good. Now the key to fishing these crowded weekends or around the holiday is to fish early morning or late evening. Those fishing morning tides are reporting good action on Spanish mackerel and snapper around […]
Head out to the Rod & Reel for R&R, great snook action
With near perfect weather, fishing around Anna Maria Island is proving to be stellar — especially at the Rod & Reel Pier on Tampa Bay. Clear, emerald green waters and light breezes from the west are the perfect recipe for fishing at the R&R and the catch-and-release snook bite is happening right now. After numerous […]
Tarpon bite slows, other species readily take the bait
Since the tarpon bite is calming down in Tampa Bay, fishers around Anna Maria Island are setting their sights on other species. Catch-and-release snook are making a great showing around the passes and beaches. Spotted seatrout are in abundance throughout the grass flats in our local bays and along the Intracoastal Waterway. Sharks are in […]
Weather, fish fall into routine summertime pattern
Falling into our typical summertime pattern of calm east breezes in the morning followed by a spattering of thunderstorms in the afternoon is providing excellent fishing around Anna Maria Island. Inshore fishing is providing good action on spotted seatrout and catch-and-release snook. Deep grass flats are holding many and all sizes of trout. To find […]
Variety in weather produces medley of catches
Anna Maria Island is host to wide-ranging conditions for fishing. During the past couple of weeks, we experienced a full spectrum of weather, including tropical storm-like conditions from Alberto. Before that, we had exquisite weather — calm waters and light easterly breezes that make for excellent fishing across the board. These conditions can be ideal […]
Plenty of rain, but no damper on fishing
Fishing around Anna Maria Island remains consistent as long as you don’t mind fishing in the rain. Rainy days have enveloped our little island, but it doesn’t seem to bother the fish. At least most of them. Inshore fishing is good for hooking spotted seatrout and catch-and-release snook. Also present in the backcountry are jack […]
Inconsistent weather results in consistent fishing action
Anna Maria Island fishing — between rain drops —remains excellent. Despite numerous afternoon rain showers, the waters remain clear and the fishing is good. Tarpon season is improving, although the large numbers of fish have yet to show. Those eager to tangle with the “silver king” are able to hook up with persistence in Tampa […]
Rainy conditions put damper on local tarpon fishing
When tarpon arrive, Anna Maria Island has just about all it can offer when it comes to fishing in west central Florida. However, with all the rain in the past week and windy conditions, the tarpon experienced a slight break from the anglers. As soon as conditions improve, the tarpon will be back on the […]
Fishing bows to the king, the return of the silver king
With the recent arrival of tarpon, I’d say the plate is now full for anglers visiting and fishing around Anna Maria Island. The smell of tarpon is in the air. It’s time to dust off your tarpon tackle and make sure everything is in working order. There is no fish in our waters that is […]
May brings consistently good weather, fishing, too
Fishing around Anna Maria Island is consistently good for another week — mild air temperatures and water temps still hovering in the mid-70s. Spotted seatrout and catch-and-release snook are responding positively to the conditions, which makes the perfect recipe for a day on the water with a rod in your hand. Offshore fishing is following […]