Current Conditions & What’s Biting

Weather & water: Recent cold fronts have brought chilly temperatures, gusty winds, and some unsettled water conditions. These fronts are still influencing fishing activity around Anna Maria Island and Sarasota Bay — expect rougher conditions offshore on windy days. Inshore action: • Sheepshead, black drum, and redfish are reliably biting inshore now, especially around docks, rock piles, seawalls, and bridges. Live shrimp is working well for these species. • Redfish and black drum are showing up along residential canals and along Gulf beaches as well. • Spotted seatrout and snook may still be present in the bays and passes — particularly in clearer pockets of water — but they’re more weather dependent right now. Offshore and nearshore bite: • Nearshore reefs and wrecks are producing a mix of snapper species (lane, vermilion, mangrove) and red grouper. • Amberjack have been caught on wrecks in deeper Gulf waters (near 100 ft+).