Plenty of fish to be found, if you can locate healthy grass flats
Jut Reel Fishing Charters Fishing Report April 16, 2025
As water temperature are on the rise, Anna Maria Island anglers are getting out on the water to enjoy the much-anticipated springtime fishing. With the numerous cold fronts and windy conditions that took up most of March, you can bet April looks promising so far.
Migratory species such as bonito, Spanish mackerel and their larger cousins — the king mackerel — are a hot topic right now for anglers fishing in the gulf. Find the bait schools and these high-speed predators shouldn’t be far behind.
Moving inshore, spotted seatrout are dominating the bite in both the shallow and deeper grass flats. Snook and redfish are being found on the shallow grass flats in decent numbers, although must of the grass flats these fish inhabit seem to be missing.
Many of our inshore grass flats have simply disappeared which could be a result of the back-to-back hurricanes we experienced in late 2024 which triggered some devastating effects to our local waters due to millions of gallons of sewage dumped into the Manatee River combined with mass amounts of fertilizer run off caused by extreme flooding over many waterfront residential areas.
Recent surveys done by the South Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) seem to paint a pretty picture as to the condition and overall growth of our sea grass beds over the past nine years stating that many area are showing an increase in coverage.
These reports seem to be slightly misleading.
When considering these latest statistics, we need to keep in mind that these surveys were completed prior to Hurricanes Helene and Milton which brings up the thought that we aren’t out of the woods just yet.
I as well as numerous other captains who are on the water on a daily basis have quite the opposite views of the condition and quality of seagrasses that now exist in our local waters ranging from Miguel Bay southward to Sarasota Bay.
Capt. Todd Romine having 40-plus years of running charters on our local waters feels that our grass flats are suffering and have not rebounded back to sufficient levels to sustain our fishery.
Capt. Scott Moore, another captain whose five decades of being on the water makes him one of the foremost authorities in our area when it comes to fishing and habitat restoration feels that same, stating what unless we are able to minimize our impacts on our local waters, the seagrass beds will continue to suffer.
Listening to these fishermen seems to be the best way to get an accurate reading of what is really going on out there. These are the “boots on the ground” anglers whose opinions are a result of witnessing the conditions we’re faced with on the water since the 1980s, making them a voice that needs to be heard. They have an unbiased view of the status of our local aquatic ecosystem by simply reporting what they are seeing and experiencing on a daily basis compounded with over 90 years of data between Capt. Romine and Capt. Moore. And if they’re saying conditions are slowly declining, I’m inclined to believe them.
So, this brings us back to the recent surveys done by SWFWMD. Most of these survey are done from an airplane in order to give an aerial view to record acreage of grass beds that exist in our local waters. These aerial surveys seem to be effective but there are variables to take into consideration.
Areas of Lyngbya or other foreign algas and seaweeds that are mobile can look like grass flats when viewed from above which leaves a window of error in the data.
Not to mention Lyngbya and other organisms thrive on nutrient-rich waters causing large blooms which ultimately cover up existing grass beds eventually resulting in light reduction which yields a dead grass flat.
No sunlight, no grass.
And you can bet there are plenty of harmful nutrients existing in our water which leads me to believe that maybe we have some more work to do before we prescribe a “clean bill of health” to our local waters.
I know we can’t stop progress but it’s our duty to try and modify progress to keep up with the times. In fact, as residents of Manatee County we should demand it so we can ensure that future generations will have the opportunity to experience the flora and fauna of this beautiful ecosystem we call home.
So, in summation, it’s our duty as stewards to make sure we are doing whatever possible to preserve our waters.
You can contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission through their Seagrass Integrated Mapping and Monitoring (SIMM) program at https://myfwc.com/research/habitat/seagrasses/simm/ or the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) through their office of Resilience and Coastal protection at https://floridadep.gov/rcp to report seagrass loss in Florida.
Report areas of grass depletion and make your voice heard. I’m sure county commissioners have every intention of trying to revive and sustain our environment by listening to the true data and working jointly with the state to preserve a better environment for us to enjoy.
Report areas of grass depletion and make your voice heard. I’m sure our county commissioners have every intention of trying to revive and sustain our environment by listening to the true data and working jointly with the state preserve a better environment for us to enjoy.
At least I hope they do.
On my Just Reel charters the spotted seatrout continue to dominate the bite on most of the deeper grass flats of Tampa Bay, southward to Sarasota Bay.
I’m finding myself avoiding area in the mouth of the Manatee River due to the lack of seagrasses especially along the northern shoreline from Emerson Point eastward to the Pilsbury docks. Many other seas are also suffering that same symptoms throughout our area but when I find good grass I’m finding plenty of fish.
Snook fishing is proving to be pretty good during the higher stages of the tide. Mangrove shorelines and oyster bars are holding fish. Redfish are in these area and are being caught between snook bites.
Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and jack crevalle are providing action on deeper grass flats and over structure which provides great action for anglers who want to keep their rods bent.
Lastly, I’m keeping my eyes peeled for tripletail when running areas where crab trap buoys are abundant.
