Saltwater Fishing Report for Sarasota, Florida.
Capt. Bob Smith
May 16, 2004
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
King mackerel are still hot!
King mackerel are still hot on the “M” reefs. Live Whitebait netted on the beach or in the bay and sardines via Sabiki rigs are doing the job.
Rigging: A six inch length of number 3 to 5 coffee wire leader, backed off with four feet of 40# to 50# mono. Hook size depends on bait size, 3/0 to 5/0 works for me. I like a single hook but many anglers like to add a stinger hook.
Tip: If you find the fish not chewing, take all the rigging off and tie the hook directly to your line. You may lose a hook but I have caught a lot of toothy fish this way when they get picky. If you lose a hook, you will at least know you have fish in the area.
Spanish mackerel fishing has been good along the beach and “I” reefs. We caught all of ours on D.O.A. 3” shrimp and live shrimp. Whitebait is also working very well. The average Mack has been 2-3 pounds. Flounder, snapper and grouper are some of the other species being caught on the artificial reefs.
Tarpon are being caught along the beaches but they are sporadic at best. Last week we tried for tarpon along Longboat Key. We had about two hours before the south wind started to rip and we had to give it up. We never saw the first tarpon and other reports have also been bad. We ran from New Pass to Longboat Pass and only passed one other boat looking for the big fish.
Bay fishing has been very active with sea trout, mackerel, bluefish, ladyfish, an occasional pompano and small cobia, and all on the grass flats. Snook have been stacking up around some of the docks and bridges. You may find more bluefish in one area and more trout in another. The fish have been bunched up, so your drift will be hot and cold. The D.O.A. 3” shrimp has produced a large variety of fish.
Enjoy & Protect
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