Pleasant weather provides promising fishing action
Fishing around Anna Maria Island is as pleasant as the weather.
With a light easterly breezes and calm seas both inshore and offshore adventures are promising. Fishing inshore around the bays and Manatee River is providing good action on spotted seatrout and snook. Redfish are being caught — especially around docks and canals. Live bait such as shiners or shrimp are getting the most attention, although lead-head jigs combined with soft plastics are also producing.
Moving offshore gag grouper are being found around the artificial reefs in the Gulf of Mexico. Spanish mackerel, kingfish and bonito are present in these areas. Moving out further to about seven miles around reefs and ledges is producing action on blackfin tuna, cobia and amberjack.
On my own charters with Southernaire fishing I’m finding decent action on redfish around docks and in canals. Casting select shrimp under these docks is yielding redfish up to 22 inches. Black drum, flounder and sheepshead are also being taken in this fashion.
On warm days, fishing the flats for trout and snook is resulting in good action. Most snook being caught are just under slot. As for the trout, slot and under-slot fish are mixed together. While targeting the trout I’m also seeing bluefish, jacks, and mackerel on the hook.
