Action and variety in Sarasota Bay!!
Capt. Jim Klopfer
April 16, 2011
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Fishing was terrific this week! Light easterly winds and incoming tides resulted in excellent fishing conditions. I started my trips catching a well full of nice sized pilchards. Bait is abundant and it only takes a few minutes to load up. Spanish mackerel to 3 pounds, speckled trout to 22", bluefish, ladyfish, jack crevelle, and sharks were daily catches in Big Pass and the surrounding flats. We ended several of the charters snook fishing near the mouth of Phillippi Creek. We landed snook to 24" and redfish to 26" on the baitfish.
On Tuesday morning I took out 10 year old Hayden Ives and his step mom Debbie McDonald from Ogdensburg, NY. He had a fabulous morning, experiencing a mackerel, ladyfish or trout on nearly every cast for the first 2 hours. We finished up with Hayden catching 4 snook, his first ones ever!
On Thursday The Miller family from Wilwaukee, Wi. fished with me. Grandpa Dean, dad Mark, and sons Jake (6) and Tyson (8) caught 13 different species including bluefish, mackerel, sugar and speckled trout, blacktip shark, jack crevelle, pompano, ladyfish, and catfish near Big Pass.
The fishing on Saturday morning was ridiculous. I suppose the approaching front had them in a feeding mood. Tom Salerno took his son Carl and a buddy out. We only fished 2 spots all morning. After catching bait, I anchored up on the edge of the Yacht Club Channel and caught keeper trout, ladyfish, and big bluefish on nearly every cast. After 2 hours of non-stop action, we moved down to a mangrove shoreline near CB's saltwater Outfitters and caught snook to 22", jack crevelle to 8 pounds, and mangrove snapper to 15" on live pilchards.
More Fishing Reports:
