Looks like the wife and I are headed to Anna Maria Island in October for a friend's wedding. We're staying at the Tortuga Inn Resort. We'll be there four full days. Anything in particular we need to check out? Good eats in the area? I saw a fishing pier that goes out into the Sarasota Bay on the resort website, so I'll probably throw a rod or two in....just in case I get a free minute.
Spanish Mackeral should be running then, throw in some jigging spoons and a med. spinning reel set up and throw to breaking fish. They arent really good to eat, but they are a blast on light tackle. Coquina beach at the south end of A.M. is a really nice beach, and you might catch a snook or two (if early October) there on live bait (pinfish) free drifted thru the pass if you are not into laying on the beach. Don't know much about the local eateries, and bars sorry.
We were there Oct 2010 and loved it, stayed at the Villa Roma.
Probably one of the best steaks I ever ate, The Waterfront Restaurant by the City Pier.
Surf fished all day, had a blast, I am not much for sitting.
Small Jacks (5lb) were hitting small white rooster tails tossed on light spinning gear. You just hang on an tire them out. Strongest fish I EVER caught.
No matter what I threw, something would hit it. Night fishing with shrimp and cutbait, lot of catfish(dangerous spines) and Hammerhead sharks.
I can't wait to go back(and take more tackle), October is PERFECT time to go,warm weather, water and very little crowd.
Be prepared for great grandma Gertrude in her bikini
While you probably won't have the amenities for cooking them...spanish are actually good eating. You just have to care for them a bit after catching. I've baked / broiled hundreds of fillets and only the first ones were "suspect", because I didn't bleed them as quickly as I should and I didn't keep them "ice cold" after bleeding. I do now and they're PDG if you ask me...As posted above, The Waterfront is always good, along with quite a few more quaint places. Ask the staff there. They won't steer you wrong. As you're really going to be more "Bradenton Beach" than AMI, take a drive south through LBK, go JUST over the Newpass bridge and turn left. You can visit Mote Marine Laboratory, then when you're done, stop at Newpass Bait and Tackle and get yourself one of THEIR cheeseburgers...you can thank me laterThey have a website too.
If you find some spanish chasing, try a method I learned years ago from a local at the Venice Pier...get a "casting bubble"...it's a clear float that has a sliding tube through the center. You can partially fill it with water for casting. Tie on a barrel swivel (like the one you would use for a c-rig). Tie a short length of 30# leader to the swivel. Run the leader thru the tube and tie another swivel to the other end. This is just for the bubble, so keep this section as short as possible. Then, tie on a 4' + leader to the other side of the swivel. Now comes the expensive part...cut a McDonald's straw in half (have a few on hand). Run a piece of the straw up the leader line. Tie on a #2 treble...pull the straw down over the shank of the hook...and cast away! Keep the rod low if you're on a pier and start "plopping" it back...if there's macs around, you'll know it! Same for jacks...they'll slam it. When you get cut off (and you will get cut off...fishing that is
...fishing when I can, golfing when I have to...
The Beach House is really good, nice view, and The Sand Bar is pretty good as well.
Thanks guys! I'll keep it all in mind!
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