Holiday is over, leftovers consumed, time to get back on the water

Now that the tryptophan has worn off and everyone has recovered from over-consumption during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, Anna Maria Island anglers are making their way back out onto the water to enjoy fall fishing.

On the calmer days, venturing into the Gulf of Mexico is a good bet as migratory species — kingfish, mackerel, bonito and sharks are readily available to be caught around structure. 

The artificial reefs are a good bet to check out as large schools of bait are gathering around these areas. Other areas such as hard bottom and ledges can be prosperous, too. Although targeting the migratory fish with free-lined baits is most exciting, don’t forget to try bottom fishing. Mangrove snapper, Key West grunts, grouper and kingfish are luring down deep near the structure. You may even encounter a few flounder, if you’re lucky. 

If it’s too windy and the seas are rough, anglers finding themselves confined to the back country are finding action. Fishing the inland bays — Sarasota Bay north to Tampa Bay — presents opportunities to catch species such as snook, redfish and spotted seatrout. Other species such as jack crevalle, ladyfish, bluefish and Spanish mackerel are also present in these waters which can provide anglers with quiet a variety of options. And with water temps dropping into the mid to lower 70s the potential for pompano should be on your mind. It may be worth doing a little drifting and jigging over your favorite areas to target these fish.

This drop in water temperature will also make it necessary to carry not only live shiners but a few dozen live shrimp. As water temps drop, some species will gladly eat a shrimp and you many encounter species such as pompano that wish to only eat a shrimp so keep a few in the Flow-Troll bucket among your shiners.

Finally, don’t forget that snook season closes in a few weeks on Dec. 15. So if you haven’t gotten your keeper-size snook yet, you’d better get after it, as your time is running out. This is the last year snook will be open in December as in 2024 snook season will end November 30.

On my own Just Reel charters I’m spending as much time in the Gulf of Mexico as possible. Kingfish and Spanish mackerel are the main bite with nice examples being caught of both species. Bonito and shark are in the mix as well as some unexpected hookups on amberjack. Hooking into the AJs in depths of 40-50 feet in state waters is not a common occurrence so any opportunities to do so are always welcome. 

In the backcountry, I’m finding snook, reds and trout accommodating although this bite requires a little more patience than the bite in the Gulf.