Cooler weather forecast, great fishing to come
A slight drop in temperature around Anna Maria Island has local and visiting anglers anticipating some great fishing. Cool breezes and cooler water temps are finally settling into our coastal areas and with them comes a forecast for some great fishing.
Snook are starting to meander back to the flats after a long, hot summer of spawning along the the barrier islands, such as our own Anna Maria and Longboat Key to the south. And when these snook arrive at the grass flats, they are there for one reason and one reason only. Do you hear the dinner bell ringing? That’s right — they are there to feed. They know eventually it’s going to get cold so they want to fatten up as best they can. This being said, some great snook fishing is in store for area anglers.
Redfish are making their presence known. And if you’ve been waiting for them, you’re probably saying, “finally.” The redfish bite was nonexistent for a few months, but that is changing. We’re now seeing a nice flux of breeder schools arriving on the flats from Tampa Bay southward to Sarasota Bay. Smaller reds also are being found scattered throughout the region.
Lastly, spotted seatrout are still a mainstay for anglers. Deep grass flats during strong incoming or outgoing tides are producing phenomenal numbers of fish. Many small fish under 15 inches have arrived, although persistent anglers are managing to catch their limit of slot-size trout.
