Just Reel Fishing Charters – Anna Maria Fishing Report 7-3-24
Mangrove snapper making late arrival, plenty of other species to be caught
As we settle into the first week of July, Anna Maria Island anglers are still anticipating the arrival of mangrove snapper. Typically, we should already be seeing mangoes around the passes and bridges, although this year they seem to be a little late.
Most anglers are hoping that by the full moon on July 21, the snapper bite will be in full swing. Meaning snapper will be found in mass numbers around the passes, the bridges and piers and even on the flats.
It’s time to start checking the nearshore and inshore reefs in the Gulf of Mexico and in Tampa Bay. With the mass quantities of hatch that arrived after the last full moon in June it should only be a matter of time before the mangrove snapper make a good showing.
As we’re biding our time waiting on the snapper, many inshore anglers are concentrating their efforts on the inshore trio of spotted seatrout, redfish and catch-and-release snook.
Right now, the deeper grass flats are holding plenty of trout. Although there are multitudes of smaller fish 13-14 inches, determined anglers are catching limits of slot-sized fish measuring 15-19 inches.
Larger trout are being caught, especially in areas closer to the beaches. For bait, live shiners are working the best and the fish seem to not be picky on the sizes of the bait. Small shiners or “hatch bait” are working as well as large shiners.
For the reds, casting baits along mangrove shorelines and oyster bars works best. Shiners as bait are good, although many catches are occurring while using cut threadfin herring or pinfish. In many instances, once a redfish is caught there are usually several more in the area resulting in multiple hookups. Slot-size fish seem to be the norm with some smaller examples mixed in.
As for catch-and-release snook fishing, the passes and beaches are proving to be the most productive. Sight casting to snook during swift tides is yielding catches of all sizes. Live shiners are working best as bait, although for the larger linesiders a large hand-sized pinfish will get the job done too.
On my Just Reel charters I’m following the trout bite in the backcountry towards the beaches on the tail end of the June full moon bite.
Deeper grass flats in Tampa Bay are holding plenty of trout, although most catches are 13-16 inches. As of a week ago, there were plenty of upper-slot fish in the same areas, although after the June full moon, they seem to have migrated toward the Gulf.
Fishing areas with structure along the beaches with is yielding trout 18-22 inches. This is great action as well as the opportunity to put a few upper-slot fish in the cooler and take a few pictures of the ones that are too big to keep and must be released.
We are then targeting mangrove snapper, which are being caught, although the large quantities of fish have yet to make a showing. Small shiners have been attracting snapper up to 15 inches.
Catch-and-release snook being caught during swift tides around passes with catches measuring 20-30 inches.
