Anna Maria Island Fishing Charter – February 14, 2016

Anna Maria Island Fishing Charter
Captain Aaron Lowman – February 14, 2016
Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Anna Maria Island Waters
Sheepshead, Permit, Snapper, Grouper

 
In between cold snaps this week, clients still found plenty of jumbo sheepshead.
Fishing live baits, such as shrimp around structure was the ticket.
Sheepshead are often underestimated – they can be super cautious, are hard fighters, and taste great.
Permit have made a showing around some of the local beaches and passes this week.
Permit are the larger cousin of the highly-sought pompano.
As with the pompano, permit will agressivly strike small, brightly colored jigs.
This makes jigging for permit a really exciting way to catch these elusive fish.
Hogfish and mangrove snappers have been the highlight offshore a few miles.
Red grouper and throw-back gag grouper have been consistent offshore, as well.
 

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide – January 26, 2016

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide
Captain Aaron Lowman – January 26, 2016
Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Anna Maria Island Waters
Sheepshead, Mangrove Snapper, Redfish

 
This latest cold snap has finally started to push the big sheepshead into the bay. I’ve found them this week between 5 to 20 feet on docks, rock piles, reefs, wrecks, and edges. Live shrimp on a light knocker rig or jig head has been the ticket for hooking the tricky sheepshead. While looking for sheepshead, we are also catching mangrove snapper, flounder, and grouper. Plenty of action and good eats out in the bay this month, book a trip while it’s happening!
 

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide – January 9, 2016

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide
Captain Aaron Lowman – January 9, 2015
Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Anna Maria Island Waters
Hog Snapper, Grouper, Pompano

 
—Hope that everybody had a great New Year! Despite the poor weather lately, fishing has been good. Redfish and sheepshead have begun to show around docks and structure. Shrimp or fiddler crabs are a killer sheepshead bait, and when paired with shiners or small pinfish, you should be able to catch quite a few of both species. Pompano are also trickling in, and can be caught near sandy areas using jigs or shrimp.

—Offshore fishing has been productive, and we have been catching red and gag grouper, hog and mangrove snapper, sheepshead, and an occasional cobia or kingfish. Sharks are also still around, and are usually eager to eat a dead bait.
 

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide – December 27, 2015

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide
Captain Aaron Lowman – December 27, 2015
Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Anna Maria Island Waters
Cobia, Mangrove Snapper, Grouper

 
— Despite the persistent South wind last week, we got offshore to do some reef fishing. Bait has been harder to find, but live pilchards and shrimp on offshore structure have been productive when paired with a moving tide.
 
— Grouper, mangrove snapper, and cobia have all ben hanging around on the reefs, and we managed to have some great days out there!
 

Anna Maria Island Fishing Report – December 23, 2015

Anna Maria Island Fishing Report
Captain Aaron Lowman – December 23, 2015
Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Anna Maria Island Waters
Kingfish, Mangrove Snapper, Sharks

—This week, Tampa Bay and Anna Maria Island fishing has been defined by strong South winds, and tough, but surprisingly productive fishing. Nearshore fishing has produced Spanish mackerel, mangrove snapper, sheepshead, and some flounder. Offshore reef fishing has been providing larger mangrove snapper bites, as well as sharks in high numbers, and the occasional kingfish.