Find shelter during windy days to find hookups

With it being windy more than not, Anna Maria Island anglers are finding themselves braving rough seas. But fishers are determined to get out on the water to enjoy the springtime bite.

Finding sheltered areas in the back bays, rivers and creeks is a great wat to enjoy some springtime action. These areas allow you to fish without getting too beat up by the choppy waters.

Snook, redfish and trout are being caught with regularity especially on the warmer days between the cold fronts. 

Live shiners as bait is producing the best action although artificials such as soft plastics on a jig head are working, too. As a bonus while targeting trout on deep grass flats many anglers are enjoying a variety of other species including Spanish mackerel, jack crevalle, bluefish and ladyfish. 

On calmer days fishing the artificial reefs in the Gulf of Mexico is productive. 

Migratory species such as cobia and kingfish can be caught. Bottom dwellers such as mangrove snapper and flounder.

And on those days when the winds are light and the seas are calm, anglers venturing offshore into the Gulf of Mexico are finding action on a variety of species including red grouper and mangrove snapper. Migratory species including amberjack, kingfish and African pompano are also in the mix.

On my Just Reel charters I’m finding many spotted seatrout both on the deeper flats and the shallower ones. 

A variety of other species including bluefish, Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and jack crevalle are mixed in on the deeper flats. This adds a lot of excitement to the bite. 

On the shallower flats, most of the trout are larger examples which is always rewarding. In these areas, snook and redfish are being caught. Most linesiders are 20-26 inches, as for the reds, many catches are falling in the slot of 18-27 inches.