Anna Maria Island Fishing Charters & Guides

Anna Maria Island Fishing Charters

Looking for a great place to vacation with great beaches and equally great fishing? An Anna Maria Island fishing charter can put you on the hot bite for a cooler of fillets, some great stories and if you get lucky, one for the wall. Depending on the time of year and what you want to catch, fishing opportunities here are ample. You can fish the shallow estuaries for schooling reds over oyster bars, or head out to deeper water in the Gulf of Mexico to try your hand at grouper and amberjack on the bottom. Pelagic species can be found offshore near the surface. Some fish are seasonal in their appearance and some have seasons set by the Marine Fisheries board. Our charter captains know what fish are biting and which are in season.

Anna Maria Island Inshore Fishing

You might think inshore fishing is light tackle just for speckled trout, reds and whiting. Don’t tell that to the tarpon, also known as Silver Kings! Tarpon can reach 300 pounds, and like to cruise shallow waters. You’ll need strong tackle and plenty of time to get one of these to the boat. Reds, specks and whiting all like shrimp and squid. Cut bait from pinfish works well on trout. If you want to work with artificals, use gold spoons on the reds and short soft-body grubs for trout. Flyfishermen are in luck. Trout and reds both fall victim to shrimp or small crab pattern. If tarpon is the target, use bigger live bait or big crabs. Some people like to try their hand with a flyrod. Just match your fly, rod and reel to the fish. Be sure to cast in front of and past the fish so you can pull the fly into the line of sight. Then, hold on.

Anna Maria Island Offshore Fishing

In slightly deeper waters, look for grouper on the bottom with live or cut bait. You can also find these tasty fish by trolling with a downrigger. Once you hook up with one, mark the spot. There’s more down there waiting to be caught. Anna Maria Island fishing charter captains know the natural and artificial reefs where these tackle busters are likely to hang out. Trolling is a top method for catching mackerel. A ballyhoo pulled at the surface is a sure way to connect with mackerel. Once you find a school, tip a big bucktail or a jig with a frozen bait and try to catch one by casting. Just know a big king mackerel can strip the line from a light spinning rig before you know what happened. If you want a fight, ask your captain to chum up some barracuda over a reef. Although this predator may not be the best table fare, they are an absolute blast to catch on properly matched tackle. Heading further offshore, you will run into amberjack and larger grouper. Live bait is again the top choice, but frozen baits work well, especially on grouper. Giant jigging spoons can summon an amberjack from the depths, if you can reel up from the bottom. Both of these make a tasty addition to the table. While spending time offshore, your Anna Maria Island fishing charter captain will keep an eye out for piles of grass or debris at the surface. Why? He’s watching for mahi mahi or dolphin. Known to hunt around floating weed lines, these colorful fish fight hard and come in schools. So it’s all hands on deck when the captain spots them.

Book An Anna Maria Island Fishing Charter

FishAnywhere has a wide choice of Anna Maria Island professional fishing guides. You can book your next fishing trip online in a matter of minutes. Start your adventure today and book an Anna Maria Island fishing charter now!