August down here in paradise can be one of the hottest months of the year for fishing! This past week, we’ve had one of the best weeks of shallow water sportfishing I’ve experienced on my Anna Maria Island Fishing Charters. Usually, August can be a very tough month for fishing because water temperatures often reach the low to mid 90s, making fish very lethargic and making it hard to keep bait alive in the super shallow waters where we do most of our fishing. But this August has been very different from past years — we’ve had a lot of rain, which keeps the water temperature in the mid 80s, ideal for some fantastic snook and redfish action on the grass flats. I’ve had a busy August with many repeat customers and newcomers, and we’ve absolutely crushed the snook and redfish up shallow! In this blog, I’ll share ways to find snook and redfish, how to catch them, how to keep your bait alive, and some stories from a few of my charters this month.
Snook & Redfish Fishing on Anna Maria Island
The best way to find snook and redfish is to get up in your tower and scan every shoreline, mangrove island, and dock line for these fish. All you need to do is dedicate some time and put in a few hours of work, and you’ll know exactly where the fish are. If I ever have a charter that’s slower than usual, the last thing I do is go home. Instead, I run around and do some fishing on my own time to make sure that when the next family comes to do some Anna Maria Island Charter Fishing, I am as dialed-in as possible! Another key to finding snook and redfish on the grass flats is having plenty of fresh, healthy bait to chum heavily and look for fish blowing up on the surface. Having a large live well, like the one in my T Craft boatworks vessel, is a huge advantage in locating fish.
In my opinion, the best way to catch snook and redfish this time of year is to use a 30-pound fluorocarbon leader with a 3/0 circle hook and a nice, lively live bait. You want to be stealthy when you arrive at your fishing spot. Every time I get to a spot where I know there are a lot of fish, I will turn on my trolling motor and cruise in very slowly. I like to stop far from the area where the fish are, giving them plenty of space, because they are very skittish and will dart away quickly if you get too close. If you’ve ever been on one of my charter fishing tours, you’ve seen me in action—being very stealthy as I navigate through the beautiful shorelines of Anna Maria.
The Most Important Part of Fishing on Anna Maria Island
The most important part of my Fishing Charters in Anna Maria Island is keeping my bait alive, fresh, and happy. This comes very easily to me because I have the best boat for what I do, and one of the top boat builders has crafted a livewell system that outperforms the competition. I have 100 gallons of live well space with three 2,000-gallon-per-hour pumps that keep my live wells clean and help my bait thrive. This is crucial because fish are very smart and can tell when a baitfish doesn’t look right. You need to do some testing and find the right amount of bait to keep in your wells to keep them alive and healthy.
Anna Maria Island Fishing Wrap-Up
This past week has been some of the best Anna Maria Island fishing I have ever seen in my many years of fishing here! I found a beautiful school of happy redfish that nobody else was catching. For a week straight, I took clients to the shoreline where these redfish were holding, and we absolutely crushed these fish! We caught at least 2-3 dozen redfish on each trip, and we got one awesome picture per charter. Then, we released every fish into the water, making sure they stay healthy and are in great shape to breed this fall! These fish were all in the 25 to 32-inch range, and they were nice and healthy! It was so awesome to see, and I can’t wait to put all my great clients this fall on these amazing fish! I am taking a two-week break from charter fishing for a vacation. When I get back, I will be fresh, prepared, and ready to take you all on a fishing experience you will never forget!
