Inshore fishing around Anna Maria Island
The inshore fishing has remained very consistent this past week, with plenty of redfish around nearly every area we fish. We’ve also caught more slot snook this past week than ever before. We were catching 3-8 slot snook per trip, which was great to see. We try to release these fish so we can catch them again when they grow bigger, but if you’d like to keep one, we can make that happen. After all, snook are one of my favorite fish to keep, so there probably isn’t a better time to book an Anna Maria Island Fishing Charter than this October. We can keep snook until December 1st, so make sure you come out and get your snook for the year. There seems to be an unlimited amount of undersized trout, which will lead to excellent trout fishing in the spring. We have also been catching a ton of mangrove snapper in the bay and right off the beaches. They’re sticking around a little longer than normal, which has been an awesome addition to our inshore fishing trips and a perfect way to end the day.
Offshore fishing around Anna Maria Island
The fall migration is in full swing, with large numbers of Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, cobia, bluefish, jack crevalle, sharks, and bonita showing up on most heavily structured areas where bait is abundant. When you book an Anna Maria Island Fishing Charter this fall, be sure to ask about our offshore fishing options, which include reefs, rockpiles, ledges, and other productive spots for the species listed above. This type of fishing is exciting and action-packed, as all these fish put up a fierce fight, and we typically experience a highly productive fall run. My favorite part about fishing miles from shore during fall is that you never know what you might catch or what fish could be lurking around the rock piles that day. One time last fall, we were targeting cobia when the largest school of jacks I’ve ever seen swarmed right behind the boat, and we caught them until everyone’s arms were sore, along with a few cobia. When you fish in the right areas during fall, you just never know what might be around or what might come from behind the boat. Fall is also when hogfishing begins to pick up, so we should start heading out once the wind calms down and look for hogfish. If catching a hogfish is something you’ve never tried and want to give it a shot, don’t hesitate to ask.
What bait have we been using on my charters?
We’ve been using whitebait on my charters, and the great thing about fall is that it’s everywhere. I’ve been catching bait early in the morning on the beach right as the sun rises, which is an incredible way to start the day. The bait is as good as it gets on the beach, and I catch as much as I can fit in my livewells so we can chum heavily. The bait on the beach is a nice mix of big and small, which is exactly what we need for October success. Almost every fish will eat whitebait, so it’s my go-to bait nearly year-round. The key is to have plenty, because if you chum hard enough and the fish are around, they’ll come.
What size gear are we using?
We use 8-foot Redbone rods, my favorite rods for charters, paired with 4000 size Quantum reels, which have been flawless. I run 20-pound braid with a 3-foot, 25-pound leader attached to the braid. These lightweight setups make catching big snook and redfish a lot of fun, and they have enough backbone to land the large fish quickly so we can release them. Offshore, we use the same gear but with a heavier leader, making these combos very versatile.
