Tarpon time offshore, plus grouper; reds thick in bays
By Capt. Mike Heistand
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Winners
Capt. Jimmy Campbell, 15, left, and crew Tyler Orban, 17, of Team Action Yamaha, won first place in the junior division of the Pete Turner Classic Memorial Fishing Tournament June 20-21, sponsored by the Palmetto Kiwanis Club. Their catch consisted of mackerel, snook, redfish and trout. These Manatee High School students fished in rain and hail conditions to land trophy fish. Winnings included $500, a plaque and aluminum fish sculptures. They are sponsored by Yamaha Marine Group and Action Craft boats. |
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| Bill and Jennifer Lowman, owners of Island Discount Tackle in Holmes Beach, learned a friend had suffered a serious injury on Thanksgiving and was lacking funds for medical expenses and rehab, and they went to work organizing a benefit fishing tournament. The Wes Jackson Fishing tournament was a great success Saturday, with 50 boatloads of fishers participating and a party back at the IDT dock that included prizes - all donated. Jackson's family pitched in, as did Dale Conlon. The event raised more than $10,000, Lowman said, to help pay for rehab and other pressing family expenses. Top winners with 195 inches of fish are pictured with boat captain John Reid, Lowman, rear, and Dan Jackson, left. |
It’s fishing tournament time in our area.
The Anna Maria Island Community Center will hold a tourney July 25-27 with a total pay-out of $16,000 for winners. The first 50 registrants receive a Thunderstick 7-foot Spin Rod.
The event begins the evening of Friday, July 25, with the captain’s meeting, where contestants will receive their packets while enjoying a “Taste of the Island” menu. The fishing contest begins in earnest Saturday morning and ends that evening. The event will conclude on Sunday, July 27, with an awards banquet. Registration fees are $300 per boat, after July 14 $375 per boat. Children 12 and under can enjoy some fishing and fun in the sun in the Children’s Pier Fishing Tournament on Saturday, July 26.
Proceeds benefit the Center. For more information, contact Aida Matic at 941-778-1908, ext.9203.
Also coming up is the Hernando De Soto Historical Society 12th Annual Fishing Tournament July 11-13. On Friday, July 11, at the Bradenton Yacht Club, 4307 Snead Island Road, Palmetto, registration begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by the captain's meeting at 6:30 p.m. Weigh-in and auction is Sunday beginning at 11 a.m. More than $30,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded. For more information, call 941-747-1998.
Local action for tarpon is hot right now, with silver kings being hook from Egmont Key through Tampa Bay and along the beaches off Anna Maria.
Offshore fishing in the Gulf of Mexico is still great for grouper, snapper and amberjack.
Backwater fishers are doing well with redfish, mackerel and trout, plus some huge catch-and-release snook. There are even a few early-season flounder being caught in the bays.
Capt. Logan Bystrom said his charters have been catching a lot of tarpon on the beaches and in the passes using crabs and shiners. Catch-and-release snook “have been showing thick on the beaches and the passes in the early morning and outgoing evening tides with plenty of hookups,” he said, adding that he’s still doing great with trout on the seagrass flats.
Capt. Sam Kimball, out of Annie’s Bait & Tackle in Cortez, said his offshore charters are producing lots of grouper, snapper and amberjack.
Capt. Mark Johnston of Annie’s said his backwater catch has included redfish, trout and mackerel.
Bill Lowman at Island Discount Tackle at Catchers Marina in Holmes Beach said grouper and snapper action offshore in the Gulf is excellent right now. Backwater action continues to be strong for redfish and trout, he added.
Bob Kilb at the Rod & Reel Pier said fishers there are catching lots of mangrove snapper, redfish to 22 inches, yellowtail snapper and a few yellowtail jack.
Dave Sork at the Anna Maria City Pier said anglers there are also reeling lots mangrove snapper, plus some black drum.
Dave Johnson at Snead Island Crab House said he’s hearing lots of reports of redfish being caught at the mouth of the Manatee River, plus some big catch-and-release snook. There are also a lot of mackerel and snapper being boated near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa Bay. Redfish are also a good bet, but they’re running a tad small at 19 inches. Trout are coming out of Terra Ceia Bay, but the catches are few and far between, he added.
Capt. Rick Gross on Fishy Business out of Catchers Marina in Holmes Beach said he’s hooking up plenty of tarpon off Egmont Key, plus mangrove snappers to 4 pounds.
Capt. Zach Zacharias said that better tides towards the end of the week provided much improved action. Mangrove snapper and spotted trout made up most of his catch, but bluefish, juvenile gag and red grouper, ladyfish, jacks, reds and snook all came aboard over several trips last week. He said that Lloyd Johnston and grandson Peter from the Minneapolis area did well with a variety of grouper, snapper a limit catch of redfish and sea trout. Earlier in the week, local Don Lapp and his family bested a pair of 30-inch snook.
On my boat Magic, we’ve been catching 30-pound cobia from the Manatee River - far up the river, too. Redfish action is still strong, and we caught a 17-inch flounder last week.
Good luck and good Fishing.
Capt. Mike Heistand is a 20-year-plus fishing guide. Call him at 723-1107 to provide a fishing report. Prints and digital images of your catch are also welcome and may be dropped off at The Islander, 5404 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, or e-mailed to news@islander.org. Please include identification for persons in the picture along with information on the catch and a name and phone number for more information. Snapshots may be retrieved once they appear in the paper.
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