Saltwater Fishing Report for Sarasota, Florida.
Capt. Bob Smith
January 4, 2004
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Fishing has been stable
The fishing has been stable with the good weather of the last few weeks. With highs and lows, we have been able to find keeper size grouper and snapper offshore. The further offshore you go, the more you find. Lately I have been fishing close in on natural bottom at about a thirty foot depth. Using live shrimp for bait and fishing on the bottom, we caught a large variety of fish. Gag grouper, mangrove snapper, flounder, black seabass, scamp and sheepshead to name a few. It was hard to catch a grouper 22” or over but we did get some.
On the bay, we had plenty of seatrout on the grass-flats. The action was fast but most of the fish were under the legal size of 15”. Bluefish were hot at times in the passes and sheepshead were hanging around the rocks and some docks. You could find redfish around the backwater docks but there were no good runs that I know of, however some nice fish have been caught.
In all, the fishing has been fun the last couple of weeks! No big headlines but we have been able to keep the rods bent most of the time. I am looking forward to larger gag grouper to come closer in and maybe even into the bay. They do this sometimes. It is also time for a good run of flounder. Flounder have been light the last few of years since we had a bad red tide. If they come back this year, I usually find most of the big ones in with the large gags.
Enjoy & Protect
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