Anna Maria Island provides some of the best fishing in Florida, hands down. The best angling feature about the island is the vast diversity of the available fishing spots. Anglers can try fishing the grass flats, the bay, the pass, the mangrove canals, the Intercoastal Waterway, the gulf beaches, and the four island piers. Plenty of charter services take guests out for exciting offshore or deep sea fishing on the reefs and sunken wrecks, also.

Surf fishing: Toss a line into the surf using sand fleas, shrimp, jigs, or cut bait for trout, reds, flounder, whiting, or pompano. All of the island beaches are productive, but the northern tip is quieter and less frequented.

Bay: All kinds of fish can be found in the bay, including tarpon, redfish, seatrout, sharks, and cobia.

Grass flats: The best grass flats are located at Anna Maria Sound and Sarasota Bay. Artificial and natural baits will attract spotted trout, sugar trout, small grouper, snapper, large reds, and snook.

The pass: Some of the best fishing on the island is found at Longboat Pass. Get there early to find a spot on the jetty, as this is a popular venue for anglers, especially on the weekends. Expect to catch reds, tarpon, sharks, bluefish, jack crevalle, and mackerel.

Rod and Reel Pier: Located near the north end of the island, this is a short pier with deep water near the shore. There's a restaurant on the upper deck where you can get a cold brew and a burger. Regular catches of sheepshead, jacks, flounder, snook, shark, kings, trout, and even grouper are landed. The world's record hammerhead shark, 17' long, was caught here!

Anna Maria City Pier: A 750' long pier at the north end of the island, this is a gathering place for many non-fishermen who come for the drinks, the food, and the live music. Usually pretty crowded and noisy, the pier still offers nice catches of sheepshead, flounder, mackerel, trout, and reds. More serious anglers might want to try the nearby Rod and Reel pier, within sight of the Anna Maria City Pier.

Bradenton Beach Pier: This pier has a bait and tackle shop and is a great place to net mullet. It also offers blues, ladyfish, sheepshead, flounder, snook, and mangove snapper, along with the occasional grouper. Open 24 hours a day.

Manatee Beach Pier: A short pier on the gulf, the hard bottom here attracts lots of mackerel. Reds, snook, and trout are also readily available. When the water cools down, this is a great spot for sheepshead as they feed around the pilings.

Mangrove canals: The backwaters on the island provide excellent fishing for snook, trout, reds, flounder, pompano, and mangrove snapper. Rent a boat or hire a guide for the best results.

Offshore and deep sea fishing: Book passage on a fishing charter to take you out to deep water, reefs, and wrecks. Expect to catch tasty grouper, huge tarpon, big kings, amberjack, mahi mahi, red snapper, hefty sharks, cobia, and permit.

This guide to the great catches of Anna Maria was brought to you by our resident angler, Holle Abee.

Did you know that fish get stinky if you just leave them in a cooler in your car for a few days?  Good thing you are renting a fabulous Anna Maria vacation condo, because you will have access to a refrigerator for those stinky beauties, and a full kitchen equipped with frying pans.  Your car will thank you.  And so will your belly.