Sarasota Florida Fishing Report
By Capt. Bob Smith
The fall run is working and everyone is finding fish. From the back waters on Sarasota Bay to the sixty foot depths offshore, anglers are finding the species they want. Some days are better than others and none of the fish have been stacked up for very long, but all in all it has been a good fall run.
Most of the grouper and snapper are being caught out deep but the kings and Spanish have been hitting from the beach out to the sixty foot depth. The Spanish are also on the bay grass flats and in the passes. Snook and redfish are in the back water. Cobia although sparse, has been caught on the bay and Gulf.
Pompano are starting to show and I am hoping to see a good run this year. Pompano action has been slow for the last several years but the South East coast had an exceptionally good spring run this year.
Pompano only feed on crustaceans or mollusks and will take a small round jig, ¼ to ½ oz. bounced on the bottom. The best colors are chartreuse, yellow, and sometimes white. The jig needs to have short hair no longer than the bend of the hook. Tipping the jig with a small piece of shrimp or a live sand flea will work wonders. Sand fleas are the best bait you can have for pompano but they are hard to find on this coast and hard work when you do find them. Sand fleas are found in the surf along the coastal beaches. For the hard core pompano angler, there is no other bait and well worth the work and time. If you do find some fleas, don’t put them in a bucket of water, they will drown. Keep sand fleas in damp sand, paper or cloth but not too damp. I never had any good results with frozen or fresh dead fleas. Small live shrimp would be a better choice if not using a jig.
Enjoy & Protect
My Website: http//www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com
