Anna Maria Early March Fishing

Anna Maria Island Fishing Guide
March 6, 2017
Sheepshead, Mangrove Snapper
Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Anna Maria Island Waters

—Fishing near shore structure over the last few weeks in Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico west of Anna Maria Island has often been an exciting story. Sheepshead, hogfish, mangrove snapper, lane snapper, triggerfish, porgies, grunts and more have been eagerly taking live bait fished near the bottom.
—In Tampa Bay, a live shrimp attached to a small jighead or weighted with a split shot has been a productive rig for fishing the shallow artificial reefs. Offshore, up to 9 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico, using a 1 ounce weight and a 2/0 circle hook to bounce a live bait on the bottom around ledges and rocky bottom has worked well.