April brings warm weather, light breezes and plenty of species to target

Just Reel Fishing Charters – Fishing Report April 2, 2025

With the warm weather and light breezes of April and May on the horizon, you can bet Anna Maria Island anglers are ready to get out on the water and see what awaits at the end of their line. 

Inshore fishing is shaping up to be better than normal as we finally leave the cold fronts behind and begin settling into a consistent weather pattern. Species such as snook, redfish and trout are lurking in their favorite springtime haunts, waiting to gorge to themselves on the influx of bait that is expected to arrive in the weeks to come. 

Spotted seatrout are especially prolific on most grass flats where clean, clear water exists.

In depth of 2-8 feet, spotted seatrout can be found with peak feeding times occurring during the swift stages of the tide. The same applies for snook. 

Mangrove edges alongside lush grass flats where a good water flow exists provide excellent ambush points for linesiders and create great opportunities for the angler, whose timing and spot selection are correct. 

As for redfish, a variety of terrain can be host to these “bulldogs” of the shallows. Whether it be mangrove edges where oyster bars exist, or shallow sand bars dropping into deeper grass flats or even sandy beaches where structure exists, there’s a possibility you’ll find reds. Add good tidal flow and a little luck and you have the perfect recipe to have blackened redfish for dinner. 

Don’t forget about the other coastal species, such as ladyfish, jack crevalle and Spanish mackerel. All of these are worthy of bending a rod as they display acrobatic jumps and drag-screaming runs, and a fight to the end. 

Speaking of Spanish mackerel, don’t forget their larger cousins the king mackerel should be arriving as water temps in the Gulf creep into the low- to mid-70s. 

Nearshore action as a whole should start livening up at these moderate temperatures bringing species including bonito, sharks, kingfish and Spanish Mackerel to the nearshore reefs and wrecks. Also throughout your travels in the nearshore waters in the Gulf, keep an eye out for cobia as they will be meandering along the surface, moving from one piece of structure to the next. 

So, if you’re tired of the wind, cold water and rough seas, April will be a sign of relief and a confidence builder as the fishing will be getting better.

On my Just Reel charters, spotted seatrout are dominating the bite.

Fish of all sizes are being caught in a variety of areas as long as a few important characteristics exist — clean, clear water, good tidal flow, and plenty of seagrass. Many slot-size fish measuring 15-19 inches are being caught with some just under and some just over the slot. Live shiners as bait are working well, although soft plastics on a jig head are proving to be effective, too. 

Snook fishing during the higher stages of the tide is also going well. A lot of fish measuring 20-25 inches are being caught with slot fish between 28-33 inches mixed in every so often. 

Redfish are also around especially when casting baits around rocks and docks. 

Finally, Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and jack cravelle are filling the gaps for my clients when fishing deeper grass flats.