Anna Maria Island Charter Fishing Report: December 2017

Anna Maria Island fishing has been about as good as the weather lately, as the water temps continue to hover around 71 degrees. On our nearshore charters we have been chasing kingfish, bonito, and mackerel off the beaches on both spinning and fly fishing gear with the occasional byproduct of a few shark hook ups. Inshore fishing has been productive as well targeting trout, redfish, and some snook on the flats and back in canals. We have also hooked into quite a few black drum, sheepshead, jacks, and undersized gag grouper on the inshore docks.

Nearshore tips: find blitzing fish on the surface by tracking bird activity. You can either cast to the schools before they go down and move on or get in the general vicinity and start chumming them up. This has been very productive for Spanish mackerel, bonito (false albacore tuna), and the kingfish. 50lb. Leader with long shank hooks is the key here or spoons (which I prefer for clients, given the ease of casting and their effectiveness).

On the inshore side of things, shiners are still the most productive bait, with shrimp working well for black drum and sheepshead. 20 lb. fluorocarbon leader with popping corks and size 4 hooks will have you on the trout. Look for grass flats about 4-5 deep and enjoy!

The fishing is is still good here with a myriad of different options available so book your trip today and don't miss out!

Tight lines!

Capt. Scott