Anna Maria Island Fishing Report – Summer 2019

—So far, July 2019 has paid off big for fishing charters aboard my 24′ Carolina Skiff. We are having fun charter fishing the waters around Anna Maria Island, Sarasota Bay and the Manatee River in Bradenton. The weather has been hot and muggy, as expected this time of year, but the inshore bite has been equally hot! My fishing excursion clients have been finding continual, exciting backwater action with snook, seatrout, redfish. We have also been able to zero-in on spanish mackerel, mangrove snapper and gag grouper in and around Tampa Bay. We are locating the spanish mackeral, snapper and gag grouper over inshore structure, such as wrecks, rock, even bridge pilings.

Big snook…Big smile!!

Summer Permit Fishing – July 2019

—The dog days of summer are upon us here on sunny Anna Maria Island.

It’s smoking hot by mid-day, which somewhat limits fishing options later in the day. One great option is permit fishing on many of our near shore wrecks and reefs off of the Anna Maria Island coast. Many of these structures are located less than 9 miles off of our gorgeous beaches.

Anna Maria Island Fishing Report-July 2018

—The bite was hot the entire month of July in the waters around Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key. Fishing action was the typical “heat of the summer” fishing frenzy, both inshore and near shore.

Anna Maria Island Fishing Report – July, 2017

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide
Captain Aaron Lowman – July, 2017
Tarpon, Flounder, Grouper

—July fishing around Anna Maria Island has been almost as hot as the thermometer!
The huge influx of small “hatch bait” into Tampa and Sarasota Bay has the gamefish all fired up.

Anna Maria Fishing Charters in July

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guides
Captain Aaron Lowman – July 31, 2016
Grouper, Seatrout, Snapper, Flounder

—Snapper fishing in Tampa Bay, and near shore structure around Anna Maria Island, has been hot this week. As we move away from last week’s full moon, snapper fishing has improved during daylight hours. Early and late in the day have been most productive. Live and cut shiners on small circle hooks with a split shot, or knocker style sinker, have been the best rigs. Remember to bounce a jig on the bottom for the bonus fish this month…jumbo flounder in areas where snapper congregate.

July Fishing Around Anna Maria Island

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide
Captain Aaron Lowman – July 21, 2016
Spotted Seatrout and Mangrove Snapper

—Trout fishing around the backwaters of Anna Maria Island and Tampa Bay this week has been very productive. I usually look for grassflats with signs of bait around, like a flickering surface or diving birds. Grassy areas like this have been producing tons of fish with plenty of keepers over 15 inches. Live shiners, free-lined on a matching size circle hook, help with catch and release.

—Snapper fishing is hot inside Tampa Bay near submerged structure with current. Hang a chum bag around a reef, bridge, or even docks to draw snappers out of hiding. Live shiners, or chunks of shiners, drifted back in the current on light line is one of the best ways to catch these wary fish in the heat of the summer.

Anna Maria Island Snapper & Cobia in July

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide
Captain Aaron Lowman – July 14, 2016
Snapper, Cobia and Sharks

—Reef fishing for mangrove snapper, cobia and sharks has been the hot ticket around Anna Maria Island and Tampa Bay during this first week of July.
—Mangrove snapper have been steadily slamming baits presented near the bottom, and at times have been rising up like a dark cloud in the water column to eat chum. Free lining a live bait, or a chunk of bait, will keep the snapper bite going after the school starts to catch onto what you’re doing.
— Live chum helps keep the party going through the brutal heat of the day. Spanish mackerel, and even a few king macs and cobia, will chase your live shiners free lined away from the boat.
—Big, spawning sized flounder are all over rock piles/reefs in anywhere from 10′ – 50′. Bouncing a live shiner, or pinfish on a knocker rig is a good bet. Half ounce bucktail jigs, worked sharply but methodically along the bottom, are big producers of flatties as well.
—Sharks, jacks and bluefish have made a push into the bay and surrounding beaches. They may be following the influx of hatch bait this week. Small spoons or bucktail jigs work great for these guys.

Snapper in July

Big Flounder

Cobia in the chum

Snook & Flounder-July-Anna Maria Island

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide
Captain Aaron Lowman – July 6, 2016
Snook and Flounder

— Snook and big flounder have recently been exciting anglers all around Anna Maria Island and Tampa Bay.
—The snook are all over the Gulf beaches and passes as the summer exodus from the backwaters to Gulf waters continues. We have had great luck early in the morning along the beach throwing live pinfish and/or shiners with the lightest line possible.
—Flounder also move offshore this time of the year and bouncing a baited jig on the bottom around near shore reef structure has been an effective way to catch them.

Early Morning Snook

Summer Flounder

Flounder hit a shiner

Anna Maria Island Fishing Report – July 24, 2015 – Captain Aaron Lowman

Anna Maria Island Fishing Report
Captain Aaron Lowman – July 24, 2015
Flounder, Seatrout, Snapper

—A strange weather pattern last week with wind and rain in the mornings led to some action-packed inshore fishing.

Anna Maria Island Night Fishing – July 21, 2015 – Captain Aaron Lowman

Anna Maria Island Fishing Report
Captain Aaron Lowman – July 21, 2015
Night Dock Fishing