Palmetto Fishing Reports

What a great trip. I took some time off to meet some friends to fish Lake Okeechobee. The water is down and a little sketchy running around the lake but I will say no risk it no biscuit. Boy we flat out caught some fish. Saturday evening the bass bite was AWESOME! Honestly, I would bet there was a 100+ bass caught it a few hours. The bite was on. What a great time. Sunday morning, we fished for Bluegill and Shell Cracker. We kept 51 and a few catfish by noon and called it a wrap. What a great fishing weekend!

Aaron Miller was my guest on Saturday. Our goal was to jump a Tarpon or as many as possible in an afternoon. We tried different methods, live bait, catfish chunks and dead bait. We did a lot of boat riding, hitting all the usual spots. The Skyway Bridge on the lower Tampa Bay, Egmont Key north and south passages and Anna Maria Island. I told Aaron we should run down to Longboat Key Pass. His reply was are you tired of burning gas? Sorry when I have a goal it is not about the fuel expense. It's about the hook up! We fished a couple of old school known spots in the river and struck out. It was getting late in the afternoon at the last stop. I flipped a live bait up against the trussell then bam! There was a boat driving by. I saw a jump but did not identify the fish. I said DANG Aaron this is a monster Snook. We have caught some big Snook in the river over the years. Aaron said no we accomplished our goal. That's a Tarpon. We were light line fishing with twenty pound brain and 20 pound fluorocarbon. Then the break off. I said man that was awesome. Then Aaron hooked up and broke off on the jump. We put on hooks to jump another Tarpon and a break off. I said, I am going to put on 30 pound fluorocarbon leader. In 30 minutes we had five bites, five jumps and one leader touch breaking off on 30 pound test line. What a long day but what a day! Not to mention the 25" Gag and 20" plus inch Sea Trout we caught earlier in the day! That's Fishing!

I really had a great time with Carter and crew. First we had some pretty heavy wind. I thought we could hide from it out the Skyway Tarpon fishing. It was a flat bite. So I asked the crew if they were comfortable running in the slop to Egmont Key. In agreement, we ran out. We caught lots of Trout. Then hooked up on a Blacktip Shark and got broken off. Then we hooked up on another Blacktip, fought it for 30 minutes in three foot slop chop. We were headed back in we ran a flat and found a pothole full of nice Snook. So was had to put it on them as well. What a great day of fishing! Carter was late and caught heck from his girl. It seemed worth it to me!

Today we ran from the Manatee River to the Skyway Bridge, through Miguel Bay, into Terra Cia Bay, out to Anna Marina Island down the beach in Longboat Pass up the intracoastal to Egmont Key sight seeing. There was no bait on the flats of any value, little in Longboat Pass, none at Egmont Key but the Skyway had plenty of bait. Tarpon Season will be heating up. Book your trip today. Capt. Wayne 941-773-3513

The May fishing season is officially in full swing, bringing some of the most consistent action of the year to Palmetto, FL fishing charters. As water temperatures stabilize in the upper 70s to low 80s, we are seeing a significant increase in activity across the flats, passes, and nearshore waters. The Silver King Arrives The highlight of the month is the arrival of the migratory Tarpon. Large schools are beginning to move along the beaches and into the passes of Anna Maria Island and Egmont Key. We are finding success using live threadfins and pass crabs on the outgoing tides. These "Silver Kings" range from 60 to over 150 pounds, providing a world-class challenge for anyone booking a full day fishing charter in Palmetto, FL. Inshore Action: Snook and Redfish While Snook season officially enters catch-and-release only this month to protect the spawning population, the bite remains incredibly productive. We are finding large groups of Snook staging near the passes and around dock structures close to the mouth of the Manatee River. Redfishing has been equally impressive. We’ve encountered large schools of Redfish ranging from 26 to 36 inches on the shallow flats. These fish are responding well to live pilchards and cut bait, especially during the higher tide cycles when they push deep into the mangrove shorelines. For families looking for the best fishing charters in Palmetto, FL, these hard-fighting Redfish are providing excellent memories for young anglers. Variety on the Grass Flats If you are looking for a high-volume day, the deeper grass flats are teeming with Spotted Seatrout, Spanish Mackerel, and Jacks. Using live shrimp under a popping cork or small jigs has been the "bread and butter" strategy for our half day fishing charters in Palmetto, FL. We are also seeing a surprising number of Cobia shadowing sharks and rays in the bay—so always keep a heavy rod ready! Plan Your Trip With the stable weather and abundant bait, now is the time to get on the water. Whether you want to battle a Tarpon or enjoy a relaxing day of inshore fishing in Tampa Bay near Palmetto, Captain Wayne is ready to show you "Good Times." Current Hot Spots: Terra Ceia Bay, Egmont Key, and the Anna Maria Island beaches. Target Species: Tarpon, Redfish, Snook (Catch & Release), Trout, and Spanish Mackerel.