Action and variety please anglers in Sarasota, FL
Capt. Jim Klopfer
June 4, 2016
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Action and variety was the theme on charters this week. Clients landed speckled trout to 22", silver trout to 15", bluefish to 3 pounds, Spanish mackerel, jacks, sharks, snapper, sea bass, and ladyfish on the grass flats at Bird Key, Radio Tower, and Middlegrounds. Red/gold and glow 4" Bass Assassin Sea Shad baits worked well as did live shrimp both free lined and under corks. Structure in Big Pass held gag grouper, mangrove snapper, Key West grunts, sheepshead, and sharks using live shrimp on the bottom.
I took off Sunday and Monday, Memorial Day weekend is a good time to NOT be on the water! On Tuesday Amy Goforth, her daughter Gracie (7), sister Julie Numer and niece Katie Perkins (13), all from Kansas City, MO, went out for a morning charter. Action was steady, with the gang landing around 40 fish. We started off on the flats, catching speckled trout to 18", ladyfish, snapper, jacks, and catfish. The tide quit so we moved to Big Pass and had success bottom fishing. Gag grouper, mangrove snapper, Key West grunts, ladyfish, and 3 bonnethead sharks came to the boat.
The bite was good on Wednesday for Tina and John Cantu from Indianapolis, IN and their children Aiden (10) and Bailey (19). We started off casting shrimp under corks near bird Key, landing two really nice trout of 20" and 22", along with smaller trout, a shark, and other species. The Middlegrounds gave up a few ladyfish and bluefish. We finished up bottom fishing in Big Pass, landing snapper, sheepshead, grunts, and another shark.
Joe Culloo and his daughter Erika fished with me on Thursday. Once again, the trout bite was pretty good early, before tapering off mid-morning. The duo landed a couple of nice trout, smaller trout, ladyfish, and catfish. Erica caught a nice 3 lb bluefish. After that we just kinda picked at them, casting jigs and shrimp at several locations, fooling a few more trout and ladyfish.
The bite was a little better on Friday for Brian Damit, his twin brother Mike, and a couple of cousins. We started at Marker #5, not much happening. Big Pass provided a few ladyfish on jigs and the flats near Bird Key gave up trout, sea bass, and ladyfish using Bass Assassin jigs. I got some live shrimp and free lining them over deep grass in 8' of water at the Middlegrounds proved to be the ticket. Speckled trout to 20", silver trout, Spanish mackerel, jacks, sharks, snapper, and ladyfish bit well for an hour or so before the tide slowed down.
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