Anna Maria Island is settling into a wintertime fishing pattern, including frequent cold fronts.
Picking days to head out on the water may prove challenging as we face many winter days of strong winds and rough seas.
This being said, watch the weather forecasts and narrow trips to the warmest days with the least wind.
If you’re strictly an inshore angler, this isn’t quite as crucial, as it’s fairly easy to get around and avoid the cold wind in the backcountry.
But, if you’re planning on getting out in the Gulf of Mexico, you’ll want to pay close attention to conditions.
The Gulf seems to be where it’s at if you’re looking for consistency in the bite.
Bottom fishing with live shrimp is leading to a variety of species being caught, including hogfish, sheepshead, grunts, porgies and snappers. None of the catches are very large, but the sheer numbers of fish caught can definitely provide for a fish fry.
As for the inshore bite, you may need to spend some time trying to find concentrations of fish. And, if you do find spots with fish, keep it a secret.
Pompano seem to be the most sought-after species, but if you’re an experienced pompano angler, you know these fish demand a lot of work to find the mother lode.
Drifting and jigging in Sarasota Bay is a good bet to hook up with these tasty fish. Pompano jigs topped with fresh-cut pieces of shrimp are deadly to the pompano.
But, you have to find the pompano.
I have quite a few areas where I know the pomps frequently show up, but if they’re not in these spots, drifting and jigging is the best alternative. This method ensures you can cover a vast amount of water, especially if the fish are spread out. In the process, you likely will hook into other species to help pass the time.
Spanish mackerel, ladyfish, bluefish and jack crevalle will hardly ever turn down a jig in the winter. And you may come across some hefty catch-and-release spotted seatrout, too.
Now, if the flats aren’t up your alley, you can always walk and cast from the beaches. Casting small jigs tipped with shrimp into the surf is an effective way to hook into some pompano.
Fishing around either the passes of Bean Point or Longboat Pass is a good start. On this bite, you may hook into some black drum and whiting, which adds a nice mix, especially if you’re struggling to find the pomps.
And don’t forget about fishing the local piers. Casting cannonball jigs tipped with shrimp can be useful when fishing the deeper waters of Tampa Bay from either the Rod & Reel Pier or the Anna Maria City Pier.
Capt. Jason Stock is focusing his efforts on fishing the offshore ledges and hard-bottom in the Gulf of Mexico. Using live shrimp as bait, Stock is putting clients on numerous species, including hogfish, Key West grunts and porgies. These bites are occurring as soon as the bait reaches the bottom. Mixed in are mangrove snapper and catch-and-release gag grouper.
Capt. Aaron Lowman is working charters in the Gulf of Mexico when the winds are light and the seas calm. Starting around 3 miles offshore and moving to about 8 miles offshore is producing good action from bottom fishing for Lowman’s clients. Using live shrimp as bait is attracting an assortment of species, including mangrove snapper, hogfish, porgies, Key West grunts and catch-and-release grouper.
Tripletail are being caught in these ranges and are found by casting around any type of floating debris.
Moving inshore, black drum and sheepshead are being caught on live shrimp. Casting baits from the boat toward the beaches is working the best. Lowman also is seeing a few pompano mixed in, as well as some catch-and-release redfish.
Capt. David White is concentrating on fishing inshore around rock piles, reefs and wrecks, where he’s finding sheepshead and black drum.
Fishing along the beaches is yielding the same results, plus some pompano and catch-and-release redfish. During the warmest hours of the warmest days, White is fishing the residential canals, where he’s coaxing catch-and-release snook to take a bait from his clients.
Hamilton Brown at the Rod & Reel Pier says sheepshead are making their presence known at Anna Maria Island’s northernmost pier. Not only are they visible due to the clear waters of Tampa Bay, but they also are readily taking baits. Offerings of live shrimp or crabs, combined with a bottom rig, are intriguing the sheepies to take the hook.
While targeting the sheepshead, anglers are hooking into an occasional black drum and some catch-and-release redfish.
For the lucky anglers at the pier, casting shrimp on a bottom rig away from the deck is attracting a random pompano, although Brown reports he has yet to see any consistency on this bite.
Send high-resolution photos and fishing reports to fish@islander.org.
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