Sarasota docks provided action and variety this week.
Capt. Jim Klopfer
February 27, 2016
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Fishing was very good early in the week, ahead of an approaching front. The grass flats at Stephen's Pt, Middlegrounds, Marina Jack, and in Robert's Bay produced pompano, bluefish, speckled trout, Spanish mackerel, and ladyfish for anglers casting Bass Assassin 4" Sea Shad baits. Docks throughout the area produced sheepshead, flounder, gag grouper, and mangrove snapper; live shrimp fished on the bottom worked best. A severe front moved through on Tuesday evening, shutting down fishing for several days.
On Sunday Eric Palmer and his buddy Terry from upstate New York went out for a morning fishing charter. We started off at the Middlegrounds, catching a few ladyfish and bluefish. A move to Stephen's Pt. resulted in non-stop action on ladyfish with a few trout mixed in. Red/gold Shiner Bass assassin Sea Shad jigs had the boys constantly "doubled up". After an hour and a half, we decided to try something different and hot some docks along Bird Key. Mangrove snapper to 13", gag grouper, and sheepshead hit live shrimp. We finished up at Marina Jacks with more ladyfish and a decent pompano.
Chase Klinestecker and his wife Sandra from Michigan were my guests on Monday. We started off at Stephen's Pt, with the couple landing Spanish mackere, spackled trout to 17", and ladyfish on jigs. We moved to the docks in Big Pass and sheepshead, flounder, gag grouper, and mangrove snapper joined the party.
Naperville, IL resident Bill Thiel fished with me on Tuesday morning. The front was coming and some wind was in the forecast. We started off in Phillippi Creek; not much happening. We moved to Robert's Bay where Bill caught his first saltwater fish on fly, a speckled trout. Several more trout and ladyfish hit the fly as well as jigs. We finished up with fast action on a dock, catching a lot og juvenile gag grouper, several decent mangrove snapper, and a nice sheepshead. By the time we got back in, it was blowing a good twenty knots.
I took the rest of the windy, cool week off to rest, spruce up the boat, and get ready for the insanity that is March in Florida.
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