Anna Maria Island, Florida

[mvSWAT]

Anna Maria Island, Florida....has anyone done any detecting there? I'll be there for two weeks in July....any info would be appreciated.
Happy Hunting. Dan

 

[mr. snuffy]

I kind of grew up on the Island, Bradenton Beach to be exact back in the 50s. There wasn't hardly any people there at all, even the winters weren' to crowded. I lived 1 block from the bay and 1 block from the gulf. Back then there was only one bridge going to the mainland and it came across at cortez to bradenton beach. My dad and my future mother in law were both on the town council. I believe the permanent population at that time was about 2000. Over half the island was covered by jungle(I know cause I played hooky in most of it, had little forts set up all over in it) I went back in 1990 and didn't even recognize the place, people and traffic all over. can't even see the beachs anymore on count of all the high rises and apartments, it used to be that the gulf side was almost all unobstructed beach open to anybody. Maralyn Monroe had a place at Holmes Beach and Micky Mantle had a place ther somewhere. From what I saw in 90 it's now a place just waiting for a hurricane! I've seen it rain fish there and I've seen a couple feet of water over a goodly part of the Island, back then water could just about flow unimpeded from one side to the other, almost all homes were built on stilts back then. Just a little history from an old guy. Have fun there.

 

[G.I.B.]

Standard beach rules apply with regards to metal detecting. However you will need to avoid hunting in the surf at the following location.

Lat 27 28.135 Long 82 42.129

At the end of Crotez Road West in Bradenton Beach, turn North onto Gulf Drive and go up to 7th st. Directly across from Seatrek Dive Shop, 75 yards off the beach is the wreck of the Regina/Sugar Molasses Barge. It sunk there in 1940 and was designated as Florida's 5th Underwater Archaeological Preserve in 2004.

You can look all you want, just don't metal detect in the surf. The 'dry' beach is OK to hunt.

If you go 1.7 miles north of the dive shop to the first traffic light, bear left on Gulf Drive, then the street curves right. Just past the curve you will see a beach access sign on the left. This is the entrance to the Spanish Rocks ledge for snorkeling and diving.

Once on the beach go left past 6 houses, the ledge is 50 yards off shore. (there is another ledge about 125 yards out as well)

This is a great area to hunt at. Let me know how you do and enjoy the heck out of your vacation. The water temps are in the mid 80's and the weather is fantastic.

 

[cntrydncr1]

Hey Dan;
I'm going to be there from July 20 to Aug. 4. There always seems to be several people hunting at Holmes beach/ Manatee Ave. Another popular hunting spot is Coquina beach at the south end of the island. I've only hunter there once, just this past april.I didn't have much luck but I had just gotten my ACE 250 and really didn't have a handle on it yet. I'm taking mine with me in July and can't wait as the first week I'll be staying about a block from the beach.

Although the beaches are not as populated during the summer I'm sure there is still lots to be found. One summer, at Coquina beach I found a child's size bangle bracelet while walking in knee deep water. 2 days later I found another, exactly like it in the same area! They didn't seem to be valuable so I gave them to 2 young girls I knew. Knowing my luck they were from some wreckage and I gave them away!!! LOL

Debby

 

[seas1to2]

yea an they get hit hard. I go about 2 times a months an see at least6 to 12 people hunting, both water an sand. I hunted the water last weekend an spent 6 hours in the water an left with about 1.45, just got to be there at the right time.I don't think there is a beach on the gulf side of FL that doesn't get hunted by at least 10-30 people a weekend.yes the water is very warm almost to warm.Dig all your signals if you hope to find something good.

 

[mr. snuffy]

at coquina beach we used to collect coquinas(very small shellfish) and take them home to make soup. when I mentioned the only bridge in my earlyier post I forgot mention that it was a rikety old wooden one with a turnstile in the middle, when a boat wanted thru they would blow a horn and the bridge keeper would walk all the way out to the middle(after he stopped traffic) and put a hand crank in the center of the span and crank it open then closed, it would generaly take 30 or more min. we used to go to sleep listining to the clackity clack of the boards on the bridge from the traffic. used to fish off it, caught mostly sheeps head and on occasion a shark.

 

[mvSWAT]

Thanks everyone for all of your input.
I hope I come back with something worthy of a post.
Happy Hunting. Dan