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Sarasota Florida Report

PostPosted: Thu Apr 14, 2005 6:38 am
by Capt. Bob Smith
8April 13, 2005

Sarasota Florida Fishing Report
By Capt. Bob Smith

This past week it was Kings on the right! As you head out into the gulf via New Pass, turn right at the last green marker and start fishing. King mackerel have been plentiful and twenty pounds a common size. Live herring has been the best bait and easily caught in the same area using Sabiki or any gold hook bait rigs.

The best method has been to free-line live herring while drifting and slow troll it back to your starting point up wind. Use a short light wire leader and a 4/0 or 5/0 hook. Number 3 or 5 coffee mono leader no more six inches long and black swivel is all you need. Some anglers do add a stinger hook for more hook-ups.

I like to make plenty of leaders up before hand. To save time and possibly fingers, I like to leave the leader with a hot fish and retie a new leader on the line. You can retrieve the good un-kinked leaders later when the fish is dead. It is very important to have a straight leader.

Plenty of twelve to twenty pound test line is a good match for the kings. Kings like to make about three long runs when using a fee-line with live bait. We found Spanish mackerel, an occasional shark and sometimes a grouper in with the kings. It is also a good time to keep an eye open for cobia.

The fishing along the beach was good enough on some days to bring the bigger charter boats back in from offshore.

Bay action has been fast and with a good variety of fish. Keeper fish for the table has been harder to find although some good catches have been made. Trout, reds, snook, mackerel, ladyfish, jacks and flounder are just some of the species being caught on the bay.

Enjoy & Protect
My Website: http//www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com
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