Terrific action on the deep grass flats in Sarasota
Capt. Jim Klopfer
September 24, 2011
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
It would be hard to imagine fishing being any better than it was this week! There are still plenty of fish out on the beach, but action on the deep flats near the north end of Siesta Key has been outstanding! Bait is so thick that a decent cast with my ten foot net caught so much bait that I literally could not lift the net back in, I had to let a bunch out first. All that bait has attracted some very nice Spanish mackerel, along with sharks, trout, bluefish, and ladyfish. Fish are EVERYWHERE!
On Monday morning I met Jason Lowther and his father-in-law Randy Simms from Columbus, IN at CB's in the dark, a little before 7:00. We idled north, casting Rapala X-Raps around docks, seawalls, and mangrove shorelines on the falling tide. A half dozen jack crevelle to 5 lbs, two snook, and a bunch of ladyfish kept us busy for an hour or so. We made a move up to Big Pass, where one toss of the net resulted in a well full of threadfins. The result was non-stop action on Spanish mackerel, speckled trout, ladyfish, and a couple of sharks hooked and lost in the Yacht Club Channel.
Tuesday morning Gemma Bond took her boyfriend Cory, his dad Doug, and grandfather Bob out fishing. I did not keep count, but am certain we landed over 100 fish, it was a fish or two on at all times for two hours at the Marker # 5 flat. Several VERY large Spanish mackerel were landed, along with a dozen two-pounders, some speckled trout, a ton of ladyfish, a decent gag grouper, mangrove snapper to 12", two 3 lb bluefish, a couple of sea bass, one bonnethead shark landed and two sharks hooked that spooled my ten pound outfits.
Joe Osborne took his father-in-law Mark out for a morning charter. Once again, filling the well was easy and they proceeded to catch a bunch of trout and Spanish mackerel near Bird Key. We hit some docks on the way in, but did not do too much, just a few snapper and ladyfish.
On Saturday Angie Snook from Findlay, OH treated Sean Kasey from Brandon, FL to a charter for his birthday. As I was going under the Siesta Drive Bridge on my way to catch bait, Sean noticed a bunch of breaking fish just ahead. We spent a half hour or so catching ladyfish and jacks on Rapala X-Raps, then the dolphins came in and put on a spectacular show, shutting down the fishing. The flats on both sides of Bird Key provided constant action on trout to 21", Spanish to 3 lbs, ladyfish, jacks, sea bass, and snapper to 12" using pilchards and threadfins.
More Fishing Reports:
