GUEST GALLERY
We encourage our guests to email us pictures and details of tactics used for fish caught from the Bateman’s dock, or Anna Maria piers and beaches during their stay. We’ll then publish them on this page for the benefit of other guests, and bragging rights!
CREVALLE JACK
Caught from the Anna Maria Pier spinning a 2” gold Johnson spoon. The presence of Jacks is easily spotted when the water explodes as the school chases bait fish. Another fisherman kept this one for shark bait!
SPANISH MACKEREL
This toothy fish was caught on a Johnson spoon from the Anna Maria City Pier. Two others severed the 60lb line with their sharp teeth !
MANGROVE SNAPPER
Caught at the Anna Maria City Pier with live shrimp cast under the deck between the pilings, just after the blue ‘no cast-netting’ line. Snapper at the piers are plentiful, and good to eat (size limit applies, currently 10”). Great for guests who are content just to catch a steady stream of small, but hard fighting, fish.
TARPON
Mike, of Once Upon a Beach Vacation Rentals, on a charter with Capt Dave White. Anna Maria is a magnet for anglers during Tarpon season, and a charter to catch them well worth considering.
TARPON
Dan from Pittsburgh hooked into a nice tarpon in the bay, using free lined live bait (shiners). It fought hard and ran him right to the shallow beach waters!
BLACK GROUPER
Caught on a freelined live shrimp at the end of Bradenton Beach Pier. Went to AMOB for lunch and ended up renting a rod and buying some bait at the pier tackle shop!
MANGROVE SNAPPER
One of several good sized snappers caught at the end of Bradenton Beach Pier. Was nice to see lots of families renting rods, and the kids catching fish.
PELICAN
These birds are so incredibly majestic. This one sat by us while we were fishing at Bradenton Beach Pier, waiting for us to catch his lunch. Please dispose of fishing line and hooks responsibly to avoid injuring them. And don’t get too close to them - they bite!
LADYFISH
Rented a boat for a couple of hours and fished off the Key Royale Bar with freelined live shrimp, with a size 1 split shot 2ft from hook. Got into lots of ladyfish, trout, and gulf whiting. It included this, our biggest ever ladyfish. They fight hard, including regular pirouettes from the water.
LANE SNAPPER
The first one caught at Bateman’s Dock. Small, but beautiful!
TARPON
We went on an onshore charter with Capt Dave White in search of snook and redfish, but ended up hooking into a pack of nice sized Tarpon. All the more exciting on light tackle (a fast action rod with 20lb line)!
SNOOK
Another nice fish on a Dave White charter, caught up against the mangrove on a freelined live shiner near Longboat Pass bridge
REDFISH
A nice Redfish, caught by Tony Capecchi, a Once Upon a Beach rental customer and writer for Grand View Outdoors. Tony caught our attention because of his 10 Tips For a Family Friendly Beach Vacation for Fishermen article following his visit to Anna Maria Island. It’s an awesome article, fantastically written and is available on our Useful Links page.
FUN FISHING AT INLET
Great fun fishing by the bridge on the inlet between Bayfront Park and City Pier, a 5 minute walk from Bateman’s
BARRACUDA
A toothy barracuda caught off the dock!
7AM OPEN ON CITY PIER
From a guest enjoying the new 7am opening of City Pier, along with coffee and breakfast at the City Pier Grill while fishing. Can it get any better?!
APRIL 2022 : BABY TARPON OFF DOCK!
Nice catch from guest doing some early morning fishing off dock, just after sunrise using live shrimp under a bobber.
APRIL 2022 : CAPT JOHNNY CHARTER
Guest had a great charter trip with Capt Johnny, catching hard fighting Gag Grouper plus trout and Spanish mackerel, and hooking but losing some black tip sharks!
MAY 2022 : BLACK DRUM
Thank you for this picture of a chunky Black Drum caught off the Dock at Bateman’s on a live shrimp under a bobber!
JUNE 2022 : BLACK DRUM
One of a couple of black drum and grey snapper caught at edge of dock using cut shrimp under a bobber
AUGUST 2022 : SNOOK
A productive day’s fishing with mojarra, sheepshead and a nice snook to finish!
70LB+ BARRACUDA
Morning trip with Capt Johnny of Anna Maria Charters. Hooked into shark, grouper and this huge 60lb barracuda!
MARCH 2023 : REDFISH FOR LUNCH!
Another great trip with Capt Johnny. Plenty of redfish, snook and crevalle jacks. We kept these two and got them prepared for lunch at The Waterfront restaurant same day!
MARCH 2023 : MORE REDFISH!
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MARCH 2023 : JACK OFF DOCK
A Jack Crevalle caught by a guest from the Dock, using live shrimp under a bobber
MARCH 2023 : REDFISH
A nice redfish off dock, with a two spotted tail!
MARCH 2023 : BLACK DRUM
A good sized Black Drum, caught from Dock using live shrimp
OUR FAVORITE YOUNG GUEST MAIA
Showing her dad how it’s done!!
CATFISH!
A catfish caught from dock. Put up a great fight on light tackle. Be careful of those spines when unhooking. Lots of sheepshead, snapper and black drum to go with it!
YOUR PICTURE HERE!
Send us details of what you catch while staying at Bateman’s and we’ll upload it to this section of our website!
Please email your photos to fishingatbatemans@aol.com