Sarasota fishing report Capt Jim Klopfer 3/7/2015
Capt. Jim Klopfer
March 7, 2015
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Fishing was excellent this week! It warmed up and the water temperature rose into the low 70s. Clients caught snook and bass in the Myakka River, sheepshead, gag grouper, black grouper, mangrove snapper, black sea bass, Key west grunt, and black drum fishing deep structure, and speckled trout, pompano, bluefish, flounder and ladyfish on the flats casting Bass Assassin jigs.
I started my week out on Sunday with long-time client Phil Steward from Pepperell, MA and his daughter Bethany (30). As has been the case, the best bite was bottom fishing with shrimp on structure in 10' to 15' of water. Gag grouper, sheepshead to 4 pounds, black sea bass, and mangrove snapper came to the boat. They also caught ladyfish, Spanish mackerel, and a flounder casting Bass assassin jigs at the Radio Tower and Middlegrounds.
On Monday I was in the Myakka River with Rob Carr from New York and his friend John. Action was steady with the boys catching a half dozen snook to 26", a pair of bass, and John landed a Tilapia, not sure if he snagged it but it was hooked the face. All of the fish hit gold #10 Rapala X-Rap Slashbaits.
Jim Mitchell and his brother-in-law Charlie Beard went out on Tuesday morning. Action was steady bottom fishing around docks and other structure near Big Pass. Sheepshead, black sea bass, gag grouper, mangrove snapper and more came to the boat. We finished up catching a few ladyfish on jigs.
I ran two trips on Wednesday. In the morning Bill Wells and his son-in-law Steve Jackson caught black drum to 3 pounds and sheepshead fishing docks. They also caught ladyfish and trout at Marker #5 using jigs and free lining live shrimp. In the afternoon, Steve cook and his son Drew from Canada, along with a couple of friends experienced very good action in Big Pass. We caught the tide just right and it was virtually a bite on every drop for an hour and a half, with sheepshead to 4 pounds and mangrove snapper to 12" hitting shrimp. We moved to the flats and landed bluefish, ladyfish, and pompano on shrimp and jigs at Marker #5 and the radio Tower flat.
On Thursday Bill Kish and John Englander went out on a Myakka River charter. It was a little too "nice" at first, but then the breeze kicked up along with some cloud cover and the snook started to bite. They caught a half dozen, along with a 5 pound jack crevelle casting Rapala plugs.
Bill thiel from Naperville, IL treated his daughter Julie, her husband Tom, and grand daughter Grace to a trip on Friday. We started off at Marker # 5 catching ladyfish, trout, flounder, and bluefish on Bass Assassin jigs and free lined shrimp. A move to structure near Lido Key resulted in non-stop action on sheepshead to 3 pounds and mangrove snapper. For an hour and a half, every bait that went down got a bite!
I finished up my week with Bill Kish and a couple of buddies who were in from Cleveland. Action was non-stop near the Twin Bridges as the boys caught a bunch of sheepshead, snapper, grouper, and a big grunt bottom fishing with shrimp. We moved to the flats where action was steady, with ladyfish taking jigs and shrimp.
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