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+).

Red snapper and red grouper are on the menu! Pushing 30 miles out into the Gulf and beyond to catch these beautiful fish. Is it worth it? YES!! these fish can weigh up to 40 plus pounds and an excellent fighting fish.

At Fish Ami we have been catching a ton of redfish trout and snook! Mangrove snapper are still prevalent near structure, and the opening of Red Grouper and Lane snapper are fastly approaching.