As we approach fall here in Bradenton and Anna Maria Island we are getting to the best time of year to fish our inshore waters. The redfish are starting to show up all over the place, the larger snook have made their way back in from the beach, and the mangrove snapper & Spanish mackerel are all over the rock piles and bridges in the bay. This makes for some of our most action packed fishing charters of the year.

The redfish are starting to school and they are taking the spotlight for anglers aboard our charter boat. They are swimming up and down the grass flats eating the small fish and crustaceans that are in their path. Most of the fish are upper slot sized to over slot sized fish making for great fun for all. Once we locate the fish we use live bait to entice the fish to bite. This time of year can bring 20+ redfish days if we find the right hungry school that day. The Spanish mackerel have really moved into Tampa Bay thick over the last month and have also provided great action. We are finding most of the mackerel around the skyway bridge and some of the rock piles in the south part of Tampa Bay. The mackerel are in the same areas that we are catching the mangrove snapper. The snapper are bottom dwelling so we use a split shot to help get the bait down past the mackerel. This can be a good problem to have when the fish are biting really well. The gag grouper fishing will get better and better as the days start to cool. We are already catching some keeper sized fish and will see more as we get closer to October. There has been a good amount of tripletail that has been flushing into the bay. Most of the fish are undersized but as the weather cools this action for the larger legal sized fish will be a good option. There are still some late season tarpon around and with the rain that we are having the juvenile tarpon bite will also be a good option for the next few weeks.

There are a lot of options to choose from depending on conditions for the day. That is what makes it my favorite time of year to fish. If you are looking for a fishing charter in the Bradenton & Anna Maria Island area give me a call or text 813-220-8725. You can also book a fishing charter directly on our website: https://www.onamissionfishing.com/