Sarasota action steady after front with Capt Jim Klopfer
Capt. Jim Klopfer
December 31, 2011
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Our unseasonable warm December ended with the first real cold front of the season. On Monday we caught 15 Spanish mackerel on the flats, unusual for the 26th of December! Still, water temperatures are in the low to mid 60s and fishing remains steady. Speckled trout and ladyfish are all over the flats, silver trout are schooled up in the deeper channels, pompano were caught in Big Pass, redfish, flounder, and sheepshead are under docks, and sea bass and snapper were landed under the area bridges.
On Monday afternoon the Brennan girls from Brookfield, WI were back in town, this usually spells trouble for the fish! Laura (18), Cari (15) and Theresa (14) landed over a dozen Spanish mackerel on live shrimp at the Bird Key flats, several of which went 3 pounds. Ladyfish and trout were also caught there, as well as on the flats in Roberts Bay. A school of silver trout were located near the Ringling Bridge, a dozen were put in the box in short order on gold jigs and live shrimp.
We got out just ahead of the front on Tuesday morning. Sarasota resident Nate Miller took out his son Scott and grandson Clark (11) who were visiting from Hawaii. We started of catching a dozen ladyfish in Roberts bay on jigs and shrimp. A couple of pompano and a Spanish mackerel were landed in Big Pass near Marker # 19. Another mackerel along with ladyfish and trout were caught on the flats near Bird Key on free lined shrimp. We finished up with several silver trout and ladyfish.
The Manby family, also from Brookfield, WI, fished with me on Wednesday afternoon. We decided to go later and let it warm up a bit. The girls did well, landing some very large ladyfish along with speckled trout and flounder at the middlegrounds, Bird Key, and in the Intracoastal near Phillippi Creek.
Tom Daegling from Lexington, MO treated his son Dan to a trip on Thursday. After catching several ladyfish and trout, along with a 16" flounder, on jigs in Roberts Bay, we decided to do something different. We fished the creeks and canals near Stickney Pt and caught a half dozen snook and two 5 pound jack crevelle on Rapala X-Raps and Trigger-X swim baits.
Tom Mazza from Lexington, MA took his kids David (19) and Lauren (11) out on Friday afternoon. Free lined live shrimp fooled speckled trout to 17", silver trout to 16", ladyfish, and flounder on the Bird Key flats.
Bill Park from Toledo, OH and his step sons Joey and Jonathan started off catching a 3 lb pompano and several nice trout at the Radio Tower flat on gold jigs. A move to some docks on Bird Key resulted in gag grouper, sheepshead, and flounder on live shrimp. We finished off catching bluefish in Big Pass on Rapalas.
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