Fall has fish in a feeding frenzy
Steve Gibson
November 3, 2009
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Fall is my favorite time of year to fish in Florida. Both freshwater and saltwater species seem to be invigorated by the change in water temperature.
Over the past week, I've caught a variety of fish.
In preparation for the fifth annual Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers/Sarasota CCA Fall Fly Fishing Challenge, I spent a few days checking out Bishop Harbor off southern Tampa Bay. I managed a 30-inch snook on fly and several spotted seatrout to 17 inches. The outside sand bar also is holding redfish, snook and large spotted seatrout. In addition, jack crevalle, ladyfish and bluefish are available.
I fished the inshore Gulf of Mexico with Capt. Pete Greenan the day before the tournament. We landed four of five false albacore that we hooked on Super Hair Clousers. The heaviest was an 9-pounder that I landed on 6-week. The albies were chasing flying fish. We also managed a couple of nice Spanish mackerel.
We left when the bite slowed and headed into Gasparilla Sound and Bull Bay to see if we could find redfish and snook. The sand bar outside Bull Bay had plenty of reds on it and we didn't cast to them. Saw a couple of snook, too.
We caught spotted seatrout to 21 inches on Clousers. At Uncle Henry's Marina, we landed marauding jack crevalle to 5 pounds.
On tournament day, we had to settle for trout. Pete won the Trout Division with 147 inches. I had 130 inches. I hooked one snook , but lost it on the jump. I did land a 4-pound black drum on a black crab fly.
With an hour left, we hit a sand hole in Whidden Creek. We caught all of our trout from one hole.
Freshwater fishing is picking up nicely, with bass, bluegill, shellcracker, shellcracker and channel catfish are cooperating. Small poppers are taking bass and panfish early. Myakka Minnows, nymphs and Wooly Buggers are working later in the day.
We'll start our Everglades trips in about a month when the water level is down. That concentrates the fish and makes 300-fish days very possible. We target oscar, Mayan cichlid, bass, bluegill, speckled perch, stumpknocker and occasionally peacock bass.
Sarasota Fishing Forecast:
November usually is a great month for freshwater and saltwater fishing. Most species are invigorated by cooling water and feed heavily prior to winter.
Target Species:
Redfish, snook, spotted seatrout, false albacore, bass, oscar, bluegill
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