wading slam in Bradenton

TShep704

headed out to my go-to spot this evening with surprising results. I normally wade a set of docks to the right that opens into a little canal which will sometimes hold big fish, but this time i went left where theres a little inlet of mangroves and a lot of grass. Started on the sandbar walking out fishing the drops on both sides, casted right past a hole i saw and got hit immediately by about a 19" red. after that was trout after trout with only a couple over the 15 mark. The sun was pretty much down and i started heading back when about 10' before the seawall i get in at out at i see bait fish going NUTS right b the mangroves. I skipped my CAL shad in there, popped it a couple times, THUD, and the line went slack. started reeling like crazy and finally caught up to momma snook. she had 2 good runs and got airborne but i finally landed her. measured on my rod to be about 32" so it was a pretty nice ending to the day. sorry no pics, i was alone in the water.

but on a side note, does anyone know where in bradenton/anna maria i can net white bait without a boat? i havent seen any in my normal spots...

JEIBE

3 piers off coquina beach or the pass on the north side right under the bridge always hold decent whitebait for me

Snookmeister

I have netted bait at the little bridge that goes over that little cut that flows out just north or the pier. Also caught
Lots of snook there on the outgoing. I have also caught bait at the pier itself and at the coquina boat ramp. Bring cat food and chum, I never go anywhere looking for whitebait without some. You can get them to come up even in areas where you cant see any at all. However, this time of year I find grunts beat whitebait, especially fishing around the areas where the snook are spawning. I caught tons at the coquina ramp with sabiki baited with squid.

TShep704

thanks man! you said snook were hitting the grunts?? and whats the best tide or time of day to catch snook off the beaches?

Snookmeister

Best time of day is USUALLY in the morning/ evening and better at night. However, I have got in some awesome bites mid day in the early summer. If you have a big major solunar phase in the afternoon you can still get bit. I was killing em last august in that little cut north of the pier at like 12pm, bright and hot as hell. It was all about the current and the glass minnows/ pilchards.

TShep704

cool, i appreciate the info. hows the tarpon off the beach this time of year?

Snookmeister

Tarpon on the beach is at its peak in May and June with the migration. Longboat pass will have TONS of fish in it. I know last year at the beginning were hundreds probably thousands of big magrators rolling in the pass towards the longboat side around sunrise. They were busting the hell out of the threadfins. I saw many people hooked up.