Steady Spanish mackerel action in Sarasota
Capt. Jim Klopfer
October 8, 2011
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
The deep grass flats near Big Pass on the north end of Siesta Key continue to be the most productive spots on my charters. Bait fish are abundant, the water is clean and clear, and this is holding the predator fish. Spanish mackerel are my primary target, but we are catching speckled trout, mangrove snapper, jack crevelle, sharks, bluefish, sea bass, grouper, and ladyfish as well. Strong easterly breezes makes fishing in the Yacht Club Channel behind Bird Key a great option as well.
Early in the week Sarasota residents Linda and Link Miller did very well near Otter Key free lining live pilchards and threadfins on the outgoing tide. We fut a half dozen nice Spanish mackerel in the box there. A move to the Marker # 5 flat resulted in more macks, trout, and mangrove snapper to 12".
Later in the week Greg Davis from Bardstown, KY took his son Nash (11) and his buddy Woody McCoy (11) out for an "artificial only" trip. Stephen's Pt. produced a few trout and ladyfish on Gulp! Shrimp, but action was spotty so we made a move to Big Pass. Olive Rapala X-Raps were the hot lure there, fooling 8 Spanish mackerel including a couple of three pounders. Casting the lures into bait schools on the edges of grass flats and burning them back to the boat produced most of the fish.
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