Category Archives: Fishing Reports

Hurricane ETA dampens fishing a few days, then business as usual First let me start by saying that I hope everyone fared well during the tropical development we experienced last week. Now that all the chores of cleaning up debris in the yard are finished, it’s time to get back on the water — there […]

Fish offshore when winds are calm, inshore when they aren’t Fishing around Anna Maria Island remains consistent for inshore fishers. As for the offshore anglers, strong winds are making it challenging to travel any kind of distance offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. On days when the winds are slightly lighter, fishing offshore is quite […]

Migratory fish invade nearshore waters Fall fishing in the nearshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico — within a mile of the beach — is yielding some thrilling action for visiting and local anglers. Spanish mackerel have invaded our waters in large schools ravaging every piece of bait that crosses their path. While targeting macks, […]

Progressing through fall, migratory species invade local waters As we move through fall, it’s time to start fishing in the Gulf of Mexico for migratory species. Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, bonito and a variety of sharks can be found within a couple miles from shore. Be on the lookout for bait schools, shorebirds diving, and […]

Fall is in the air and the fish are biting A taste of fall is in the air. Or should I say in the water? Fishing along the beaches of Anna Maria Island is host to some great fall fishing during the months of October and November. The fishing highlight is the abundance of migratory […]

Fall fishing is right around the corner With vast amounts of baitfish gathering along the beaches of Anna Maria Island, throughout Tampa Bay and its adjacent waters, fall fishing is right around the corner. As we begin to experience these cold fronts, both inshore and offshore species are starting to become active. Throughout the inshore […]

Inshore, offshore hookups remain hot despite cooler temperatures With morning air temps in the mid 70s, fishing around Anna Maria Island is getting better as we progress through fall. Water temps are falling in the mid-70s, too, which is really getting a lot of the inshore species — snook, redfish and trout — to start […]

Wait out frequent rainstorms to be rewarded with hookups If you’re planning a backcountry fishing trip in the waters surrounding Anna Maria Island during the month of September, you’ll probably want to bring a raincoat. In fact, some slickers might come in handy, too. With frequent pop-up thunderstorms you never know when you’re going to […]

Afternoon storms flush the catch-and-release trio out of the river and to the hook With numerous days of afternoon thunderstorms, fishing around Anna Maria Island remains consistent for yet another week despite the fresh water draining out of the Manatee River. The fresh water is pushing catch-and-release species —trout redfish and snook — into Anna […]