Sarasota fishing report Capt Jim klopfer 4/25/2015
Capt. Jim Klopfer
April 25, 2015
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Fishing was fait-to-average this week on the deep flats. Clients landed snook, speckled trout to21", Spanish mackerel, bluefish, sharks, ladyfish, jacks, snapper, and sea bass. Most of the fish were caught using live shrimp, though Bass Assassin jigs fooled a few. It was just hard getting a good flurry going; it was more just picking at them here and there. I fished flats from Marker # 5 north to Long Bar. Bottom fishing ledges in Big Pass was more productive this week. The key was being there when the tides were relatively slow, it was just too difficult keeping the bait on the bottom and not hung up in swift water. Gag grouper, red grouper, flounder, mangrove snapper, jacks, and sharks were all landed on rocky bottom this week.
On Monday Sarasota regulars Doc Dojutrek, Bill Kish, and John Englander went out on a charter. Action was good early on snook, speckled trout between 16"-20", along with a few ladyfish, Spanish mackerel, and jacks at Stephen's Pt. and Long Bar. The bite quit mid-morning, despite a good tide, and we just picked at them after that as we worked back south. We finished up with fair action near Marina Jack, catching a bluefish, mackerel, shark, trout, and some ladyfish.
Paul Whalen, Jim Arnold, and Mike Molnar went out on Wednesday. The trout bit pretty well at first, but after an hour the wind and tide quit; so did the trout. A move to Big Pass proved to be a good choice. We stayed there the rest of the trip, catching mangrove snapper, gag and red grouper, a shark, jacks, and ladyfish bouncing live shrimp on the bottom.
Tracy Harnisch from Pine, Colorado took her children Luke (9), Hunter (7), and Brooke (7) out fishing on Friday. We caught a few ladyfish and trout at Marker #5, then moved to structure in Big Pass, catching red and gag grouper. We finished up with a hot bite free lining large live shrimp on grass edges and did very well on speckled trout to 20", along with ladyfish and jacks.
I finished up my week on Saturday with John Levell and his wife Mary from Orlando, FL. Fishing was fair on the deep flats with the couple catching speckled trout to 16", jacks, snapper, sea bass, and ladyfish using live shrimp near Big Pass.
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