Fish early — fish more accommodating, easier on angler
Fishing around Anna Maria Island with Just Reel fishing charters remains productive despite the heat and the 90 degree water temperatures. Fishing early morning around sunrise is most favorable when the winds are calm and the tide is right. Not to mention that it’s slightly cooler than trying to fish at noon.
On my own Southernaire fishing charters, I’m trying to fish the flats first thing in the morning. My reasoning behind this is that the shallower waters tend to heat up quickly as the sun gets up in the sky, which I feel makes the fish a little less active than when the water is cooler first thing in the morning. Needless to say, its working for me. I’m finding plenty of spotted seatrout on flats 3-5 feet deep. The same applies for catch-and-release snook, although they are slightly shallower and up against mangrove shorelines. Finally, redfish are being found primarily around residential docks with a few mixed in on the flats.
Now, as the sun gets higher in the sky, I’m migrating to deeper water to target mangrove snapper and flounder. Fishing the artificial reefs in 25-35 feet of water is producing good action. This deeper water seems to maintain a steady temperature even during the heat of the day which leaves the fish in the mood to bite. Also on the reefs are blacktip sharks and barracuda, which adds a nice mix to the bite if someone desires to reel in something larger than mangrove snapper.
