We are in the middle of January and it has been a very cold month so far. It looks like it will be a very chilly next ten days around Anna Maria Island. Spring break is on the horizon and the island is recovering very nicely from the hurricanes that we experienced in the fall last year. There was destruction but we have bounced back better than ever and ready to see all the tourists this spring and summer. One of the best things about our area is that no matter what the weather is doing, regardless of the time of year there is always some species of fish to target.

One of the most enjoyable things to do while vacationing on Anna Maria Island is to book a fishing charter. The best way to see the island and surrounding areas is from a boat on the water. Booking a six- or eight-hour fishing charter gives us plenty of time to be able to fish at several locations and travel a decent distance on the water to be able to see the beauty of Anna Maria Island and the Cortez/Bradenton mainland. During our fishing charters we frequently travel to islands like Egmont Key and Passage Key. We see lots of wildlife including dolphins, Manatees, and many different species of birds. The amount of wildlife activity we encounter on our fishing charters varies by the day just like how the fishing is. The spring and early summer are great times to have chances and incredible fishing and lots of wildlife encounters. The fall is also a great time and is personally my favorite but is more of an abbreviated season compared to the spring and summer.

We offer both inshore and near shore fishing charters. Inshore fishing charter is our most popular. On our inshore fishing charters, we stay in Tampa Bay and The Manatee River for the most part. We fish primarily for snook, redfish, spotted seatrout, Spanish Mackerel, Gag grouper, mangrove snapper, and various species of sharks. On our Nearshore fishing charters, we venture into the Gulf of Mexico from the beaches of Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key out to about nine nautical miles offshore. For our nearshore fishing charters, the weather plays a factor in what we can do more than the inshore scene. Depending on the time of year we have different targets on our nearshore fishing charters. During the winter months (currently), we like to get out and fish some of the natural and artificial rock piles, wrecks, ledges, and small reefs in search of snapper, sheepshead, hogfish, and grouper. These fish live close to the bottom around these structures and are some of the finest eating fish around. We like to target these bottom dwellers with a weight to hold the bottom and live and fresh dead shrimp on a small circle hook. In the spring and fall months we get out off the beach and a couple of the artificial reefs that are holding big schools of bait in search of king and Spanish mackerel. Sharks, bonito, and cobia can be with the mackerels as well. Finding feeding fishing in a scenario like this in the spring or fall can provide for some epic hard fighting action. Live chumming and fishing with live pilchards and threadfin herring are our go to baits.

If you are looking for a fishing charter in the Bradenton or Anna Maria Island area, give me a call or text 813-220-8725. We fish the waters of the Manatee River, Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, and The Gulf of Mexico. We cater to family fishing all the way to the most experienced anglers. We fish with light spin fishing gear and live bait that is caught fresh every morning before the charter starts. Booking a fishing charter is a great way to spend time together as a family or also to entertain business clients. Memories are always made and being outdoors and around mother nature is the best way to spend any day!