Sarasota Fishing Report Capt Jim Klopfer 4/13/2013
Capt. Jim Klopfer
April 13, 2013
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Fishing was productive this week with a nice variety of species being caught and plenty of fresh fish for dinner going home with happy clients. Bluefish to 3 pounds, Spanish mackerel to 3 1/2 pounds, silver trout to 16", speckled trout to 21", pompano, flounder, jacks, and ladyfish fell for Cotee jigs, Gulp! Shrimp, Rapala X-Raps, Clouser Minnow flies, and live shrimp. Both Big Pass and New Pass were productive as were the nearby deep grass flats. A trip to the Myakka River produced snook, bass, and tilapia using Rapalas and Beetlespins.
On Sunday Ed Okerson from Plano, TX and his friend Teijo from Finland went out on a morning charter, fishing was good, but it would have been better had the dolphins not been so aggressive. They are cool to watch, but three times, in Big Pass, Bird Key, and Radio Tower, we got the fish going and the dolphins came in and shut them down. Still, Teijo caught a 3 1/2 lb Spanish mackerel on a free lined shrimp. They also caught speckled trout to 17" and ladyfish on shrimp and Gulp! baits.
On Monday Allen Hartman from Roanoke, VA did some fly and spin fishing. We started off fly casting, but action was sporadic with Allen catching a pair of jacks and several speckled trout. The wind picked up so he changed to a Glow Gulp! Shrimp on a spinning outfit and experienced steady action on speckled trout, silver trout, a pair of nice Spanish mackerel, and plenty of ladyfish. The Radio Tower and Marina Jack flats were the best spots.
I had two trips on Tuesday. In the morning, Dean and Kiya Genthe, their daughter Jarge, and Uncle Dan had a very good trip. We started off in Big Pass where large bluefish and Spanish mackerel hit gold Cotee jigs, trolled Rapala X-Raps and free lined live shrimp. Action slowed after the dolphins showed up so we moved to the Radio Tower where it was steady on trout and ladyfish. We finished up near Marina Jacks catching ladyfish, silver trout, and speckled trout. In the afternoon, Greg Wallace from GA treated his grandson Caleb Taff to his first "real" fishing trip. The silver trout bite was hot with Caleb besting grandpa as far as size goes. A dozen nice silver trout, one slot speckled trout, a Spanish mackerel, and a flounder went into the box. Most of the fish were caught on Gulp shrimp near Big Pass.
Later in the week I took out brothers Menash and Elihou Murad from the New York City area. We did not catch a ton of fish, but did get some quality. Using free lined shrimp and Cotee jigs they put a pair of bluefish to 3 pounds, two average Spanish mackerel, a pompano, and three speckled trout going 21", 19", and 18" in the box. They also caught a dozen ladyfish. All were caught in or near Big Pass.
On Friday it was blowing 30 knots + out of the south, so i decided to go scout on my own on the Myakka River near Venice. Action was fair, I caught a couple of small snook, a really fat 3 pound bass, and several big tilapia.
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