Inshore Gulf on fire in Sarasota before front!
Capt. Jim Klopfer
November 13, 2011
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Action in the Gulf of Mexico was fantastic prior to the front! Spanish mackerel were everywhere with false albacore and sharks mixed in. The bars in both passes have ladyfish and pompano on them. Snook and jacks are beginning to migrate up into the creeks and canals and are hitting Rapala X-Raps.
On Monday morning Sam Green from Portland, OR took out his 2 boys Jacob (14) and Joshua (11) on a 6 hour charter. We started off in Phillippi Creek, where they landed a 5 pound jack, several smaller jacks, and some mangrove snapper on live shrimp. We moved to Big Pass and caught large ladyfish on gold Cotee Jigs. Next move was out on the beach where we landed Spanish mackerel on Rapala X-Raps. We finished up back in the bay catching speckled trout near Bird Key.
On Tuesday morning Bill and Julie Skinner from OH and Julie's brother Craig Graf experienced fast action on ladyfish on jigs in Big Pass and Spanish mackerel on Rapalas just outside of the pass. Fish of the morning was an eight pound false albacore that Craig landed on light spinning tackle.
I took out Dave Buckley and his son Brady from Gettysburg, PA on Thursday just before the front moved through. The Gulf of Mexico was flat calm and breaking fish were everywhere! Spanish mackerel action was virtually non-stop on Rapala X-Raps. We actually got tired of catching them and anchored up on a ledge in 25 feet of water and caught a dozen flounder to 21" on pilchards.
I fished on Friday afternoon, after the front, and decided not to fight the wind and dirty water and instead to hang around the "No Wake Zone" just north of CB's Saltwater Outfitters. We did just fine, catching sheepshead and mangrove snapper on live shrimp and a half dozen jack crevelle to 5 pounds, a pair of snook to 22", and ladyfish on Rapala X-raps.
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