January 21, 2009
Sarasota Florida Fishing Report
by Capt. Bob Smith
Hold on to them Ladyfish! That seems to be the only action since the temperature drop, but it will pass. The fish will acclimate and if the temperature stays low, they will move to deeper water and start to feed.
When the water gets cold, only the Snook may leave and go up the rivers. Most of the other fish stay in the area throughout the winter, regardless of change. The weather will turn them on and off.
We expect to find Trout, Pompano, Bluefish, Redfish, Flounder, Mackerel, Sheepshead, Snapper, Grouper and many more species throughout the winter months.
One of our favorite fish is the Pompano and they had been cooperative before the bad weather. Pompano feed on sandy bottom, from the Gulf beaches to the grass flats and channels around the bay. They can also get very hot in the passes. When we fish the passes, we drift and bounce a Pompano jig on the bottom. I like to tip the jigs with a very small peace of shrimp. I make a short cast, leaving the bail open and letting the jig free-fall until it hits the bottom and then close the bail. Without reeling in line, I give the jig a short hard snap up and let it free-fall back to the bottom. This will send up a small puff of sand, simulating a crab digging in. If you are doing it right, you will soon see the paint disappear from the jig, but the tail will hold some color. I like yellow or chartreuse best.
Live shrimp with a large splitshot will also work; just let it drift along the bottom without snapping. Pompanos favorite bait of all is live sand-fleas. You seldom find live sand-fleas for sale, so you need to catch them yourself. They live in the surf and you need a sand flea rake to catch them. They will drown in a bucket of water but do well in about an inch of wet sand. You need to catch them just before you go fishing.
Enjoy & Protect
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