It’s on! Fishing is as good as it gets all year! Not too hot or too cold; the weather takes a turn for the better and a host of hungry fish including red grouper, blackfin tuna, cobia, kingfish, mackerel and a variety of sharks, permit, mahi mahi [dolphin-not flipper] plus mangrove, lane and yellowtail snappers, which are some of my very best friends to have over for dinner. Red snapper and amberjack are out of season this month and are not welcome to come home to dine. All these players will keep anglers reeling so put a game plan together, load up the boat and let the catching begin!
Grouper
Offshore of Anna Maria Island and Longboat key the best action has been on huge red grouper starting in about 85 ft. to 150 ft. for the larger fish. Look for them on Swiss cheese bottom with potholes. On the calm days of May, you can drift for these guys, especially for a guy that may need to find some fish. Or cruise around and motor fish the bait shows. But on a charter with six anglers you pretty much have to anchor up on a honey hole to keep down the tangles. Have a variety of baits including live and cut on hand to see what they want that day.
Snappers
Snappers will be in the same areas but just go lighter on your tackle. I like 25 lb. mono, 35 lb. swivel, 2 oz. egg sinker and 3 ft. fluorocarbon leader. Using live white bait, shrimp, or chunks of sardines. Usually when the grouper bite stops you can start on the snapper, break out the lighter rods and let the party begin. Don’t tell anyone but if you want a hogfish, bring shrimp. Deploy a chum block and pieces of sardine over the side and watch the snappers rise for the occasion in the water column then go to jighead fishing or freelining baits into the aquarium.
Kingfish
I predict fast and furious action all month for these speedsters. Find large schools of bait and you will find the fish. The “Ditch” the Egmont channel is always a great place to start as well as wrecks and artificial reefs. I always have a flatline out and put out some chum when I am bottom fishing and let them come to me. That way we have constant action as some of my guests want immediate satisfaction. We don’t want to go very long without catching.
Pelagics
Look for cobia which could be around a channel marker close to shore or on the deeper wrecks along with tuna and wahoo.
Tip of the month
Catch your limit of firetruck red grouper then hit a wreck and freeline some pass crabs for permit, flatline a live sardine or cigar minnow for tuna and get wild and crazy. Now is the time to come on out and get ya some of this!
Capt Larry McGuire
SHOW ME THE FISH CHARTERS
Cell: (941) 720-6475
website. www.captlarrymcguire.blogspot.com
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*Operating out of the Bradenton Beach Marina
402 Church Avenue, Bradenton, Fl 34217