The sheepshead bite is hot in Sarasota!
Capt. Jim Klopfer
March 19, 2016
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
The sheepshead bite was ridiculous this week! Any structure in or near the passes was loaded with these fiesty saltwater panfish. Live shrimp fished with just enough weight to hold bottom worked best. Gag grouper to 20" and mangrove snapper to 17" were also landed. Bass Assassin jigs were productive in Sarasota Bay for trout, bluefish, and ladyfish, particularly the west side near Country Club Shores as well as the Middlegrounds and Robert's Bay. Fly anglers scored at Buttonwood Harbor, the Moorings, and Middlegrounds using Clouser patterns.
Bill Kish from Cleveland and a couple of buddies started my week off. We started off fishing docks along Siesta Key, experiencing very steady action on sheepshead, snapper, and gag grouper. Bill had a little excitement as a big ray ate his shrimp and took off. After a ten minute battle, we brought it alongside and released it. We left them biting to go cast jigs on the flats, where the boys had decent action on ladsyfish and trout at the Middlegrounds.
The dock fishing was unbelievable on Monday for Craig Raiford and his son Luke from Kansas. We spent three hours at three different docks, and the results were the same at each; non-stop action on sheepies with a few snapper and grouper mixed in. We finished up in Robert's Bay with a few ladies and a 17" trout on jigs.
Fishing was steady throughout the morning on Tuesday for Laurel and Jim Kniech and their 23 year old twins Kristin and Dan. It was quite foggy to start so we hit some docks and caught 35 sheepshead and snapper in an hour and a half. We finished up at the Middlegrounds, catching bluefish, speckled trout, and ladyfish on both Bass Assassin jigs and free lining live shrimp.
Fly fishers Mike Scavotto and his son-in-law Ryan Nusbickel from St Louis, MO fished with me on Thursday. The bite started off a bit slow, just a couple of trout, when Capt Roy String gave me a call and a heads-up on a nice bunch of fish. I ran up north near Buttonwood and the boys had steady action on speckled trout to 20" and ladyfish. Thanks, Roy! We often work together and share "intel" LOL We worked our way back south on the west side, catching fish at the Moorings and Middlegrounds. Clouser patterns in chartreuse/white and red/gold worked best.
I ran two charters on Thursday. Long-time client Jim Mitchell from Minnesota and his brother John had a good trip, catching bit ladyfish and trout at the Radio Tower to start things off, then sheepshead, snapper, and grouper under docks along Bird Key. The afternoon was even better for Jay Lalley and John Lovely. The tide was slack so I hit some structure in Big Pass and the bite was insane! Every bait that went down got eaten. Sheepshead to 3 pounds, mangrove snapper to 17", and gag grouper to 20" kept the boys busy. It finally slowed down and we moved to some deep grass edges near Bird Key and caught speckled trout to 21" and ladyfish.
I finished up my week with Marissa Caranna from Columbus, Ohio, who treated her dad Chuck and boyfriend Corey to a fishing charter. They had very little experience and wanted a couple of fish for dinner, so I hit the docks along Siesta Key. Action was steady on sheepies, with some mangs and gags mixed in. We ended the trip in Robert's Bay, catching a dozen trout and a few ladyfish. I am taking the weekend off!
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