Anna Maria Island Fishing Report-March 2018

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide
Captain Aaron Lowman – March, 2018
Snook Fishing Report

—Here in the Tampa Bay waters surrounding Anna Maria Island, Bradenton and Longboat Key,  March 1st signals the opening of snook season. Recreational anglers are permitted to keep one snook per day that measures between 28 inches and 32 inches in total length during March and April. We have been lucky enough to have some early warm weather coincide with the opening this year, so it’s been a great week targeting snook in both Tampa Bay and Sarasota Bay! Water temps have been in the low 70°s this week, which is just what your want for springtime snook fishing.

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.