Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide – June 10, 2016

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide
Captain Aaron Lowman – June 10, 2016
Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Anna Maria Island Waters
Cobia

—During the heat of the day, when the tarpon bite slows down, I’ve been taking my clients to look for hard-fighting cobia. Cobia are nomadic wanderers, and can be difficult to pin down to a pattern most of the year.

—Right now I’m finding a pretty consistant cobia bite on many nearshore/inshore structures, as well as free swimming fish on sandbars. Nine year old angler Alex Jorgensen from Iowa caught this stud 25# cobia in between mangrove snapper and spanish mackerel this week!

—Mark Winters and crew doubled up on cobia earlier in the week, while snapper fishing as well. Cobia are delicious, fast, and hard hitting.

—Come get em while it’s hot!

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide – June 1, 2016

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide
Captain Aaron Lowman – June 1, 2016
Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Anna Maria Island Waters
Tarpon, Snook, Grouper

 
—Tarpon bite still going strong. With all the pressure in the pass, I’m looking in the bay and on the beach for less pressured fish. Using long, light leaders, and burning a little gas, I’m catching fish away from the big crowds.

—Mackerel, trout, and snook have been good on bigger tides of the week inshore.

—Gag grouper bite has been on fire. Catching them in as little as 10ft of water inshore, out to 9miles. Snapper mixed in have been big, not a ton, but nice ones.
 

Anna Maria Island Tarpon Fishing – May 21, 2016

Anna Maria Island Tarpon Fishing
Captain Aaron Lowman – May 21, 2016
Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Anna Maria Island Waters

 
—Tarpon fishing is in full swing now, and multi-fish days are not uncommon. Yesterday, my clients and I witnessed a huge hammerhead shark attack one of our tarpon in shallow water. See this amazing footage below.
 

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide – May 14, 2016

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide
Captain Aaron Lowman – May 14, 2016
Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Anna Maria Island Waters
Tarpon, Kingfish, Snapper, Grouper

 
—It’s that time of year again. Tarpon are beginning to make a good show here in the bay, and on the beaches. Sight fishing with live bait is definitely the most exciting way to fish for these giants, although chunking with dead bait can produce days with double digit hookups. The tarpon bite seems to fade during the high sun hours around mid day, allowing for some great snapper, grouper, mackeral, and kingfish action on some of the nearshore reefs.
 

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide – April 22, 2016

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide
Captain Aaron Lowman – April 22, 2016
Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Anna Maria Island Waters
Snook, Seatrout, Redfish, Kingfish, Snapper, Grouper

 
—Great couple days on the water with the propane guys of Nashville, TN.
Pre-front, full-on conditions had the bite on fire!
On the super windy Thursday, we went offshore to some ledges in about 35′.
Spent the morning catching tasty mangrove snapper, big catch-and-release gag grouper, kingfish, and bonito.

—We decided to stay inshore Friday.
Started out the day with a handful of nice trout over deep grass.
Finished up the day with close to a dozen nice redfish, and a bunch of snook!
 

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide – April 19, 2016

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide
Captain Aaron Lowman – April 19, 2016
Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Anna Maria Island Waters
Snook, Seatrout, Redfish, Kingfish, Snapper, Grouper

 
—Inshore:

Good numbers of trout showing up on the grass flats, with the biggest fish coming from skinny water around mangroves. Redfish and flounder are around residential docks, and shiner or pinfish around pilings have produced this week.

Snook bite seems to be getting going. Catching plenty of schoolie sized fish, with a few slotties in the mix.

—Nearshore:

Mangrove snapper are still making a good showing on nearshore structure, along with plenty of throw-back gag grouper. Kingfish and sharks are beginning to make a show around schools of bait, gathering around local reefs/wrecks. Most action this week coming from 3 – 7 miles off the beach.
 

Anna Maria Island Fishing Charter – April 3, 2016

Anna Maria Island Fishing Charter
Captain Aaron Lowman – April 3, 2016
Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Anna Maria Island Waters
Snook, Seatrout, Redfish

 
—Strong tides and a warming weather trend helped the inshore bite really get going the past couple weeks.
—Bait is on the move into Tampa and Sarasota Bays once again, sparking a good seatrout, snook, and redfish bite.
—I’m finding snook, trout and redfish close to mangroves, in potholes on grassflats, and around docks and oyster bars. A live shiner under a popping cork is my go-to rig for these situations.
 

Anna Maria Island Fishing Captain – March 7, 2016

Anna Maria Island Fishing Captain
Captain Aaron Lowman – March 7, 2016
Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Anna Maria Island Waters
Snook, Trout

 
—Inshore fishing action is starting to warm up along with the water temperature.
I’m seeing plenty of snook and trout around, with live whitebait being the bait of choice. Trout love shiners, but are also willing to take an artificial lure such as a gulp shrimp or bucktail jig.
—As we head into March, I expect the backwater bite to gain momentum as the water temperatures continue to increase.
Book your trip today!!!

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide – February 25, 2016

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide
Captain Aaron Lowman – February 25, 2016
Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Anna Maria Island Waters
Pompano

 
I have FINALLY begun to see pompano show up in Anna Maria Island waters. As water temperatures slowly rise, some much-needed energy is being brought to the whole system.
Fishing with small, brightly colored jigs is one of the most effective ways to catch pompano. We are also catching plenty on a corked live shrimp inside the bay, and around areas of deep grass.
Most “first-timers” can’t belive how hard a 15 inch fish can pull! Pompano is a firm and mild white meat fish, making it particularly popular for the dinner table. Book a trip while it’s on!
 

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.