Anna Maria Island Fishing Report
Plenty of species to catch ahead of Sept. 1 opening of gag grouper
Anna Maria Island anglers are anxiously awaiting the opening of gag grouper season Sept. 1. Although the duration of the season is a meager two weeks — ending Sept. 15 — many anglers are eager to get out on the water, hoping to get a limit of gags to bring home for dinner.
And with the season lasting only two weeks, these grouper will be the most precious of the year.
Heading offshore is a safe bet, as a greater number of fish should be frequenting the consistently cooler water temps in the deep water, which, in theory, should provide the best chances of hooking up.
That being said, there should be a few nice examples lurking around for our inshore waters, too. But these fish are limited as are the spots they inhabit, so plan now if you want to take part on opening day.
Although gag grouper are considered a prize on the plate, they also are known to be one of the most fearless of the groupers species and can pack a punch on even the heaviest gear.
These tackle-busters are well known for their abilities to put both the angler and gear to the test. And, behind the strength, these fish possess smarts, too, as they are quite proficient at maneuvering around whatever structure is present in order to break your line and escape to freedom.
In other words, there’s some skill to catching gags. It’s not as easy as just finding a spot and dropping a line. Strength and smart by the angler are keys to success.
As far as bait is concerned, gag grouper seem to be opportunistic eaters, which opens an immense array of options to the angler. Live bait, such as pinfish, grunts or shiners, are top choices, but not the only choices. When these aggressive fish are dominating their territory, they’ll eat just about anything that they can fit in their mouth when they’re hungry.
This being said, offerings of dead bait — squid, frozen sardines and threadfins — also are effective.
And if you’re out of bait, artificials can prove to be deadly as well. A large jig with a curly-tail grub have been known to lure some large groupers out of their hiding places.
Trolling dive plugs is an option. The initial strike when trolling can be quite shocking to an angler, as the strike seems to be the strongest as the grouper is ambushing a passing lure.
After the catching comes the reward of arriving back to the dock to hopefully do a little bragging in anticipation of that evening’s dinner of fresh gag grouper. Whether grilled blackened or fried, gag grouper will stand up to any fish. The gag’s slightly meaty texture flakes apart with the fork and will leave you yearning for more every time.
Don’t forget grouper must be 24 inches in total length and the bag limit is two per person per day.
It’s time to get out your grouper gear and start pre-fishing your spots to prepare for gag grouper season.
On my Just Reel charters, I’m seeing limits of mangrove snapper being reeled up over the gunnel.
Fishing structure in Tampa Bay and in the Gulf of Mexico results in great action on these popular indoor snappers. Chumming around the wrecks and reefs is bringing schools of snapper to the surface, which makes them targetable with just a snapper hook and a sinker.
I’m even seeing snapper on the flats while targeting catch-and-release snook along the mangroves, which is always a nice addition between snook bites.
Speaking of snook, the backcountry waters are quite warm, so I’m also finding fish in the passes and along the beaches, where water temps are slightly cooler.
Trout fishing is going strong on the deeper flats of Tampa Bay and along the beaches of AMI. Some flats are infested with trout 13-15 inches, yielding a bite on every cast, while other flats are holding larger examples of 18-20 inches. The larger fish seem to be more spread out, but can be rewarding for anglers looking for big trout.
Migratory fish, including jack crevelle, ladyfish and mackerel are being found in most areas inshore, especially where schools of hatch bait are present.
