Saltwater Fishing Report for Sarasota, Florida.
Capt. Bob Smith
January 1, 2005
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
This is the time for the gag grouper
This is the time for the gag grouper to be in close and they are! The wind and cold has given us some problems with finding them along the beaches and on the “I” reefs because of the silty cold water. We are finding some on the bay at places like Harts reef but it has been very good from about the 35’ depths and further out to 50’. Snapper are also coming in with the grouper along with a large variety of reef fish. Boats going out with plenty of live shrimp and pinfish have loaded up. Large schools of pinfish have been hanging around the 35’ to 40’ depth. Gold hook bait rigs will catch all the pinfish you need if you find them.
Take plenty of large live shrimp with you and fish the bottom. You may need to move to save bait if the triggerfish and grunts get too thick. They can go through a 100 shrimp in no time at all. Of course, that is if you don’t want them. Any small white grunts you catch, keep for grouper bait. The grouper have been eating shrimp and live fish equally but the shrimp will kick up the action. This will get all the fish feeding and the mangrove snapper love shrimp.
You need to use your chart recorder “fish finder”. They have been moving around and no one but close friends and family is going to give you their grouper numbers or wave you over to fish. If this is knew to you, look for rough bottom, mark it, and fish it. Grouper often blend into the bottom on most recorders and just look like rough bottom. Unless you know what the bottom should normally look like, you’ll just need to try it. Also lock your drag down. You can’t let grouper run at all or they will cut you off on any structure. Use 20-50 pound test line. At this time, the grouper are averaging 6-12 pounds. The average fight is only a minute or so, but they will hit you with sucker punch you won’t believe. I have see experienced captains have the rod snatched out of their hands, rods broken over the side of the boat, people falling down or hitting themselves in the head with the rod and reel handles breaking off. Once you have him coming up, it is all over, unless something bigger grabs him. Everybody likes to eat grouper.
Large schools of pompano have been encountered on the grass flats but are not sticking around too long.
Happy New Year
Enjoy & Protect
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