Fishing Report – 3/2014

snapper and grouper anna maria island

I’m seeing decent amounts of linesiders gathering along mangrove shorelines, docks and canals, where the bite is occurring on live shrimp and shiners.

Typically, since the water temps are still in the upper 60s to low 70s, the best bite is occurring during the afternoon outgoing tides. By this time of day, the sun has had a chance to warm the water a couple of degrees, which seems to make a difference.

Mangrove snapper, as well as gag and red grouper are being caught on offshore ledges in good numbers. Keeper-size gags are not uncommon, although the red grouper are a different story. Most red grouper being caught are 15-18 inches, which is just shy of keeper-size.