Anna Maria Island Fishing Report – June 11, 2025

Just Reel Fishing Charters

June full moon triggers tarpon fever

After some well needed rainfall — and then some — Anna Maria Island anglers are ready to get back on the water to fish. 

The full moon in June occurs on June 14, which should result in some well-anticipated banner days for tarpon fishing. 

Dramatic outgoing tides occurring in the evenings should be flushing plenty of crabs within the passes of Longboat Key, Bean Point and Egmont key, which will trigger a fishing frenzy for the tarpon. 

These tides are some of the most popular tides to fish for silver kings so be prepared to be among the crowds. Bring plenty of patience, as well as stamina as this is your best chance to get hooked up multiple times during a single tarpon fishing excursion. 

Once hooked up with a large tarpon, there are many obstacles to overcome before the fish is brought boatside. Maneuvering around numerous boats in close proximity is probably the most difficult. 

If you’re able to accomplish that, don’t forget about the many bull sharks and hammerhead sharks that are on the lookout for an easy meal. 

Finally, are you strong enough to fight the fish for as long as it takes to get it to the boat? I’ve seen anglers take up to two hours to land a tarpon, and by the time they were done, they didn’t want to catch another, so make sure you’re mentally and physically prepared for the battle of your life. 

And don’t forget to pack plenty of drinks on the boat as you’ll want to stay hydrated before during and especially after the ordeal. There’s nothing worse than having your arms cramp up halfway through the fight and having to pass the rod over to someone else because you just can’t take it another second. These fish fight hard, and they fight to the end, so plan accordingly.

And finally, when you get that majestic fish boatside it’s time to get some pictures or maybe even some video to remember this amazing feat you have just accomplished. 

Once the fight is over, you’ll feel an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment, as the adrenaline is still pumping hard through your veins, so cherish this moment as when it’s gone, the fatigue will set in making you slightly apprehensive of casting another bait into the water to start the process over again — but you’ll do it. 

Now you’re hooked.

On my Just Reel charters, I’m finding the backwater action to be quite good.

Spotted seatrout are being found on just about every grass flat where clean, clear water and good tidal flow exists. All sizes of the bucktoothed fish are being caught with many slot-size fish in the mix, which is making it easy to attain a limit of trout for those anglers who wish to have a fish dinner. Targeting catch-and-release snook is going well although finding concentrated numbers of fish has become slightly cumbersome as many snook are beginning to migrate to the beaches to spawn. 

This scenario requires moving to new spots more frequently to keep the bite going instead of just sitting in one area and catching one after another. 

I’m also starting to see some frequency in the mangrove snapper bite as many catches are occurring on some of the deeper flats as I’m targeting trout. Most snapper are 12-14 inches.

There also is a surplus of migratory fish such as ladyfish, jacks and sharks in Tampa Bay, which is filling the gaps between snook and trout.