October 26, 2008

Sarasota Florida Fishing Report

By Capt. Bob Smith

King and Spanish mackerel are still going strong along the beaches! Live sardines, pilchards and shrimp on free-line are working best.

Diamond jigs and deep running plugs are working best with trolling and casting. Don't forget your Sabiki bait rigs for the larger bait-fish. We have had barracuda, little tunny and black-tip sharks mixed in with the mackerel along the beaches and out to about the thirty foot depth.

The standard live bait rig for the above is a 4/0 to 6/0 hook, six inches of #5 or #7 coffee wire, black swivel, three to four feet of forty to sixty pound mono leader attached to double line with a blood knot. I like to double my line with a Bimini or spider hitch. I use this on twelve to twenty pound test line. Some anglers like to add a stinger hook for less missed fish.

If the fish get picky or I just want to pick up the action, I use a 4/0 Aberdeen 202 light long shank gold hook with thirty to forty pound mono leader without the wire leader. I use this rig on twelve pound line. Yes! They eat a few more hooks but I put more fish in the boat and have more fun.

The bay fishing has been good on the deeper Middle ground grass flats. A mixed bag of, seatrout, mackerel, bluefish, flounder, snapper, jacks, and ladyfish is being caught, just to name a few. Live bait, shrimp and fish is working well. Artificial lures like the DOA shrimp will help you pick out the better fish and not feed the pinfish.

I know that the small pinfish and grunts can be agitating, but this is the sign of healthy grassflats and is what will draw the better fish to the area.

Enjoy & Protect

My Website: http//www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com

Fish Species: All
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About The Author: Captain Bob Smith

Company: Fishing In Sarasota

Area Reporting: Sarasota Florida

Bio: Bay and coastal light tackle fishing guide. 25 years, full time guide in Sarasota.

You will be fishing with the top of the line in fishing platform. My 22' 10" center console Panga Marquesas is one of the most fishable bay and coastal guide boats in the Sarasota area that can fish all of the skinny water and back water on Sarasota bay plus the coastal offshore waters in the Gulf of Mexico. You can mix your fishing up with a little inshore and offshore in the same trip.

With a very large variety of fish in this area, this boat will allow you to fish the shallow grass flats for Trout and Redfish or move to the docks and Mangroves for Snook. On those windy days, make the long runs across the open bay to the protected fishing grounds without taking a bath. We can fish the swift waters of the inlets for Pompano and Bluefish, the beaches for Tarpon and Cobia, or move offshore for Black Grouper, Barracuda, Permit, Snapper, and Kingfish just to name a few. I carry plenty of live bait and artificial lures on board with a large assortment of rods and reels for different kinds of fishing. This is hands on fishing for the novice or experienced. I find them you catch them! I find it more gratifying for both of us if I teach you how to catch fish rather then catch fish for you.

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