Wayne Stephenson, Larry Thomas and Johnny Miller pose with a slot-size snook. The anglers caught their inshore slam — snook, redfish and trout — March 7 while fishing with Capt. Scott Moore.
Steve Duryea of Hunterdon County, New Jersey, shows off a nice redfish he “fought hard” and released March 5 in Tampa Bay near the Palmetto shoreline. Duryea, visiting his parents’ home in Holmes Beach, fished with Capt. Nick Costello.
Cleve Brown of Indianapolis shows off a gorgeous snook that took his live pinfish March 14 on a guided fishing trip with Capt. David White of Anna Maria Charters. The fish was hooked in the no-take zone in Sarasota Bay near Longboat Key and was released after the trophy photo.
Ron Vantine and his family, visiting Anna Maria Island from Minnesota, fished nearshore March 10 using white bait to catch numerous snook that all went back to Sarasota Bay after a quick trophy photo! The Vantines were guided by Capt. Warren Girle.
Springtime fishing is in full swing in the waters surrounding Anna Maria Island. You might find interruptions in the bite due to strong March winds and a cold front but most days on the water are successful ones.
Fishing the flats in Tampa Bay south to Sarasota Bay is resulting in many successful days. Using live bait such as shiners is working for spotted seatrout, redfish and snook and limits of these fish are attainable.
You might find catching keeper-size snook challenging but if you’re an avid, local angler you know that’s usually the case. In fact, many locals, when they catch keeper-size snook, opt to release the large fish to live another day.
Before you harvest a snook, make sure you know the regulations. Harvest is open in all Florida waters of Manatee County north of State Road 64, including waters of the Braden River and tributaries of the Manatee River, but excluding all waters of Palma Sola Bay. A snook permit is required and bag limit is one snook per person per day and must measure not less than 28 inches or more than 33 inches total length. Snook remains catch-and-release for state waters south of State Road 64 — Sarasota Bay through Gordon Pass in Collier County.
For the redfish and spotted seatrout, many are finding their way into the cooler. Spotted seatrout are a good choice for harvest as they seem to regenerate their numbers quite sufficiently. And with the redfish regulations limiting anglers to one fish per person per day in the slot of 18-27 inches, these fish are able to remain sustainable.
Ultimately, the best scenario is catch-and-release, although keeping enough fish for a meal is adequate to keep our fishery at sustainable levels. Especially in the inshore waters when targeting the top trio of sportfish — snook, trout and redfish.
The days of filling the cooler on every trip are over and seem to be frowned upon by many anglers. My family and I like to eat fish as much as the next but only keeping what you need for dinner ensures we have a fishery in the future.
Offshore, the bite is resembling the inshore bite with its spring time abundance. Inside depths of 120 feet of water, red grouper are dominating the bite around hard-bottom areas and ledges. Live pinfish as bait on a bottom rig is being engulfed by large red grouper. Live shiners are working well for grouper and, since they’re smaller in size, they’re attracting mangrove and vermilion snappers to the hook.
Amberjack also are on the prowl, taking baits fished toward the surface in mid-depths in the water column. Lastly, permit are a favorite right now and they’re being found around wrecks and reefs.
On my Just Reel charters, my clients are enjoying great action on snook and trout. Both species are cooperating as water temperatures are settling into the mid 70s. I’m seeing many large trout in the 20-inch plus range being caught, as well as twice as many slot-sized fish of 15-19 inches.
Most snook being caught are 20-26 inches with an occasional larger fish mixed in, which is fine with me as I don’t care to harvest snook.
Mixing in other species — jacks, mackerel and bluefish — is working well to round out the day. These fish put up a great fight and are abundant throughout our waters.
Capt. Jason Stock is finding good action while working offshore structure in the Gulf of Mexico. Targeting permit over wrecks, reefs and other structure is a highlight this week, according to Stock. Casting free-lined live crabs over these areas is resulting in many hookups on these elusive fish. Most permit are 10-20 pounds, although a handful of catches went to 30 pounds.
Amberjack are being caught frequently, especially when fishing around wrecks and natural springs in the Gulf of Mexico. Using live shiners and pinfish is attracting the fish to bite, says Stock.
The grouper and snapper bite is occurring offshore, inside 120 feet of water, where mangrove and vermilion snapper are cooperating nicely. As for the grouper, red grouper are dominating the bite.
Capt. Warren Girle is finding good results while working the deep grass flats in Tampa Bay. Free-lining live shiners as bait is working well in these areas for a variety of species. The migratory fish — jack crevalle, bluefish and Spanish mackerel — are voraciously taking the bait along with quite a few hooks.
These toothy fish are notorious for cutting right through a fluorocarbon leader when they hit. Using a wire leader to prevent cutoffs is futile, as in most instances the water is clear, which enables the fish to see the leader. In other words, an ample amount of hooks are needed to target these fish because you will be rerigging often.
Over the deep grass flats, Girle is finding ample spotted seatrout and a great opportunity to put a keeper-size fish in the cooler for dinner.
Pompano are present and taking small jigs tipped with fresh-cut shrimp.
Capt. Dave White says he’s seeing a lot of healthy looking redfish and snook being reeled to the boat by his clients. Free-lining live shiners over shallow grass flats is working best to achieve this goal.
And White is running numerous fly fishing trips for reds and snook, despite windy conditions. Spotted seatrout also are being caught, especially over deep grass during the swift-moving tides.
Moving offshore, White is putting clients on plenty of red grouper, mangrove snapper and African pompano.
Jim Malfese at the Rod & Reel Pier says sheepshead are dominating the bite at the northernmost pier on AMI. Pier fishers using live shrimp are catching numerous sheepies weighing in at 2-3 pounds.
Live shrimp also is attracting a few black drum and redfish to bite. Both are being caught in keeper-sizes, according to Malfese.
Lastly, many snook at arriving at the pier, although most are not taking baits — yet. You can plan on seeing the bite improve as water temperatures rise.
Send high-resolution photos and fishing reports to fish@islander.org.
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