May brings hot temps and hot fishing action inshore and nearshore

Fishing around Anna Maria Island wish Just Reel fishing charters is heating up as we slide into the month of May.

The anticipation of the elusive silver king is the buzz among most of our local anglers. A few tarpon sightings along the beaches are being reported. I’m seeing groups of 3-4 fish scattered throughout the flats of southern Tampa Bay south to Sarasota. Hopefully, in the next few weeks we should see the numbers of fish increasing.

On my recent fishing trips I’m fishing the shallow grass flats of Tampa Bay. Mangrove shorelines where ample tidal flow exists are holding respectable numbers of snook. Although the linesiders are catch-and-release now, they remain one of my favorite fish to target. Most catches are falling between 20-26 inches with larger fish mixed in.

I’m also finding a decent number of redfish mixed in while I’m targeting snook. Slot and over-slot reds are being caught with the largest this week coming in at 31 inches caught by Joy Legasse of Harbor Isles.

Lastly, spotted seatrout are fairly abundant in areas where clear water and deep grass areas exist. In depths of 4-8 feet, I’m finding a lot of slot trout as well as mackerel, ladyfish and jack crevalle. Schools of bluefish are also present at times, which can really add to the excitement of the bite.