On my Just Reel fishing charters I’m finding plenty of action while fishing the back country of Tampa Bay southward to Sarasota Bay.

Time to be thankful for cooler temps, and good fishing around Anna Maria

As we get a taste of some fall weather you can bet Anna Maria Island anglers are venturing into the back country waters to cash in on some great flats fishing action before winter finally sets in.

Water temperatures are hovering in the low 70s which triggers snook, redfish and spotted seatrout to migrate onto the flats for one last feed before its time to hunker down for the winter. This means they’re feeding hard trying to pack on extra weight in anticipation of cooler water temps and fewer opportunities to eat.

Finding these staging points where the fish are feeding can result in some epic fishing for inshore anglers. Combining this with the proper tides can lead to some great fish stories as well as a few fish dinners as the abundance of fish in a concentrated areas can result in hook ups on just about every cast.

So don’t miss out as this bite may only last for a few weeks depending on how frequent and how severe the upcoming cold fronts will be. If the fronts are mild, a larger window of opportunity may present itself. On the other hand, if the fronts are slightly colder and more frequent, then we will be sliding into a wintertime pattern sooner than we think.