Fresh Manatee County Fishing Reports

If you are wanting to catch a variety of fish… And a few unexpected ones… Inshore/nearshore is the way to go.

The flats is the place to fish during the hot summer months on the reefs no need to go out long distance and take away from time catching fish. We caught more in the flats near Land

Just before it starts to get to hot to enjoy being outside an according to the captain the water temperature’s are still in the warm but not hot Category which makes fish more active an and they tend to feed better..

If you're doing a near shore trip, definitely do the 6 hour trip. I'm glad we did. With the travel time to the fishing spots that were 7-10 miles out, 4 hours wouldn't have been enough.

Great experience, learn a lot , non stop action even though 90 out, go early.

Fishing is best in the spring but you can still find some decent areas with the right Captain.

It was very hot and that limited the type of fish that were biting, but we had plenty of grouper and yellow tail biting.

If you're going in July, it will be hot. Pack plenty of water and sunscreen. Go early in the morning, and have fun!

Book a guide the intracoastal waters are very wide in that area around Anna Maria and not always a lot of water.

Summer snook dominate this area. Its a shock even if you are used to fishing in Pinellas.

We caught some trout and red snapper but the snapper weren’t quite big enough, we also caught some puffed fish, a ton of catfish, a shark,, and a couple grouper

The marina was not what I expected. It is a public boat launch. But that doesn't matter as long as you are safely in and out of the water.

Be flexible with your Captain, they understand the conditions and waters. There is a lot to consider when you go out. And keep in mind they are trying their best to give you a great experience, so be kind to them. They can’t make the fish bite- just enjoy being on the water and the experience. Bring food, water and sunscreen (hats, long sleeved SPF shirts), and enjoy.

Bring a cooler with cold drinks and some snacks, and sunscreen. Wear layers--it's generally chilly first thing in the morning if you sign up for a charter the first half of the day, but quickly warms up. In addition, I'd highly recommend the morning charters during the summer, as afternoon storms are common.

Book a guide. Alot of rules for running the waterways here with alot of shallow flats also.

It was my first time fishing out of Bradenton. I would recommend it to everyone.

Great time to get out there. The waters were calm and the fish bite constantly. Only down side of this time of year is several species are closed, so they can't be kept, including amberjack, red snapper, and gag grouper.

Captain was great. Wanted to troll for a while going out . He did everything I expected. And I've been deep sea fishing here for 15 years & he will be the captain I'll every use for all my future trips . As a matter of fact I booked him for another trip while still down here !!! 10 stars

It's a great time to go out. Snowbirds are leaving, and the kiddo's are still in school.

It was good fishing, it goes without saying though, that it will vary from season to season. It was my first time fishing in Bradenton Beach, but I will be doing again in a few months.