July 25, 2010 Fishing Report - Capt. Jim Klopfer - Adventure Charters

Fishing was very good this week. There was a lot of bait on the flats around the passes and the water was nice and clear. We have been tossing Cotee jigs for the first hour or so, catching speckled trout to 22", ladyfish, and bluefish at Marker #5. As the sun comes up and the bite slows, a couple of throws with the net fills the baitwell, and then I anchored off the deep edge of grass flats near Bird Key. Paul Maranan from Wauwatosa and his family caught Spanish mackerel, bluefish, speckled trout, ladyfish, jacks, grouper, snapper, and sailcats free lining live pilchards. In addition to those species, we caught sharks, flounder, and pompano in the same Big Pass area on other charters. We got very little rain from "Bonnie" so I expect the fishing to remain quite good this week.

Juluy 18-24, 2010 Fishing Report - Capt. Rick Grassett - Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.

Anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released snook and jumped tarpon during the past week. I traveled to Stuart early last week to fish the 11th annual DOA Outdoor Writers Festival. It is a fun filled event that matches guides with outdoor writers from around the country. The area is known for its big snook and trout and this year was no exception.

Snook to 44” were caught and released in the St. Lucie Inlet on DOA shrimp and TerrorEyz. There were also a pair of trout in the 10-lb class caught and released on DOA baits in the Indian River near Ft. Pierce. Anglers fishing with me waded a couple of flats close to the inlet one day and fished the inlet another day. We caught and released several snook to 30” on CAL jigs with shad tails and rootbeer DOA TerrorEyz in the St. Lucie Inlet.

Back at home in Sarasota anglers fishing on my boat jumped a pair of tarpon and got one to the boat in the coastal gulf on flies on Thursday. Tarpon are thinning out in the gulf but are aggressive. As they thin out along the beaches they are starting to move to inside waters of Sarasota Bay. Bay fishing, particularly for big trout, bluefish and Spanish mackerel is also a good option. The best action in Sarasota Bay will be early in the day due to afternoon heat and thunderstorms.

July 22-25, 2010 Fishing Report - Capt. Jack Ryan

LOffshore fishing has been resulting in Mangrove snapper to 20", lots of Spanish Mackerel,Small AJ's, Little Tunnies, and Barracuda. Trolling early in the am
produced the most Tunnies and cuda's. Bottom fishing with heavy chumming really got things going with nice snapper that were put on the ice.

Things were great with rods bending for all our customers.....Until.... a couple (or More) huge Golitha grouper started inhaleing our snapper and other fish and just ripping our tackle apart....oh,well...we will just to another spot....It's a tough job,but someone has to do it.

Come with us offshore and see what for yourself...Capt. Jack Ryan @CB's, it's a lot of fun....

Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Forecast for July 2010

Tarpon fishing along the beaches will still be a good option this month. Although tarpon schools will be smaller, they should be more aggressive. Catch and release fishing for snook in the surf or around lighted docks at night should also be good. Look for reds around oyster bars when the tide is high and fish deep grass flats for trout, jacks, ladyfish, pompano and more. Fishing early in the day will be the most productive time of day for many species.

Tarpon schools will thin out this month as many fish have already spawned. Since they have expended a lot of energy to migrate and spawn, their focus will change to feeding. I particularly like to fly fish for tarpon this month. Tarpon are not affected by heat as much as some species may be, so with good visibility you can have great action in the middle of the day. Set up on the edges of bars and cast flies and DOA Baitbusters, 4” shrimp or BFL’s to them in shallow water.

Anglers fishing deep water should have good action by drifting with live baits, either free lined or under a float. I also like to have a live crab or a DOA bait ready to cast to them. They may not show as well on the surface this month, so try to be sure you are set up in their travel lane. You might only get a glimpse of them, but a quick cast in the right spot will often result in a hook up. Fishing passes on a good moving tide can also be productive using the same technique.

You may see some tarpon starting to move to inside waters towards the end of the month. Look for them around bridges before dawn or on deep grass flats or in deep holes in bays. Upper Charlotte Harbor, Tampa Bay and Sarasota Bay all have areas where late season tarpon will congregate.

Snook season remains closed this month, although catch and release fishing for them can be hot! One of the best techniques will be to sight fish them in the surf. You can walk the beach in the morning and sight cast to them with flies or 3” DOA shrimp and CAL jigs. You’ll need a pair of polarized sunglasses to be able to see them. You’ll also find lots of snook around lighted docks and bridge fenders. The same DOA baits and flies that we use in the surf will also work around lighted docks. Work the edges where light and dark meet by casting up tide and swinging your lure or fly into the strike zone. Most beaches from Anna Maria Island to Boca Grande will hold snook in the surf. Lighted docks and bridges close to passes should be the most productive areas.

Snook took a big hit this year with the record freeze of January and they will need all the help they can get to recover. The big difference between now and the past is less habitat and increased fishing pressure which will make it harder for them to recover. Handle them gently and release them quickly.

Reds should be plentiful during July. They take both heat and cold pretty well so you might find them around oyster bars or along mangrove shorelines at mid day when the tide is high. Look for them in potholes, along the edges of bars or under docks when the tide is low. I like to blind cast with CAL jigs, spoons or flies to locate them. Casting a top water plug or fly popper is also a good way to locate them when the tide is high. Sight casting to them is the most challenging and rewarding. Try to fish areas with light colored bottom for the best chance to sight fish. North Sarasota Bay and lower Tampa Bay have some great flats for reds in July.

Trout, especially “gators”, will be found in skinny water at dawn and dusk. Cast top water plugs and fly poppers for the most action. Fish around bait schools to locate them. They will drop into deeper water later in the day where you might also find jacks, ladyfish, blues or pompano. I like to drift deep grass flats and cast ahead of my drift with jigs or flies to locate fish. Look for birds diving or fish “breaking” on the surface. A DOA Deadly Combo, consisting of a “clacker” float and a DOA shrimp is one of my favorite lures for fishing deep grass flats. I have caught almost everything, including late season tarpon, on this rig. You can do the same thing with a fly popper with a fly fished behind it.

You might find some action in the coastal gulf with tripletail, a stray cobia or little tunny. You’ll find tripletail or cobia around crab trap floats in the coastal gulf or you might also find them in bays. Have a rod rigged and ready for them, since there probably won’t be time to rig up when you find them. You’ll need medium weight spinning gear for tripletail and medium heavy to heavy tackle for cobia. Look for fish “breaking” on the surface to find little tunny. I have often found little tunny, cobia and tripletail in the coastal gulf while tarpon fishing. Sometimes cobia will swim with tarpon schools much like they would follow a ray or a manatee.

There are lots of options during July. Since we will be in our afternoon pattern of thundershowers, it is best to fish early in the day. I will focus on tarpon along the beaches as long as they are available. Another good scenario would be to snook fish before dawn, fish the flats at first light and then fish tarpon in shallow water when the sunlight is good. Whatever you choose to do, remember to always limit your kill, don’t kill your limit!

Capt. Jim Klopfer’s Fishing Forecast for July 2010

TIt is certainly hot in July here on the Suncoast, but the fishing can be very hot, too. Just as in the other seasons, angling techniques need to be adjusted for the weather conditions. Most fishermen get out there early and try to be finished up by noon, it is brutally hot in the early afternoon and often we get thunderstorms in the early evening.

Tarpon fishing should remain excellent this month. July can be better than June, yet the fishing pressure will be light as many anglers have quit for the season. The large schools will have dispersed, but there will be a lot of scattered fish milling about. Casting a crab or pinfish at rolling fish will produce strikes, as well as drifting a bait out behind the boat on a cork. Fly fisherman will have sight fishing opportunities in the late morning on both the Big Pass and New Pass bars.

Redfish will be schooled up in north Sarasota Bay from Long Bar north to Tidy Island on the east side and from Bishop’s Pt north to Whale Key on the west side. Sight casters will do well with soft plastics on a light jig head and weedless spoons. Live bait anglers will catch some large reds and trout by working the potholes with white bait or big hand-picked shrimp.

The majority of the snook will also be out on the beaches this month. Point of Rocks is a great spot, but there can be fish anywhere on the beach, especially if there is a little structure like pilings or rock groins. Small plugs, jigs, and flies will fool the wily snook, while a livewell full of frisky pilchards practically guarantees success. This is a great situation for shore-bound anglers to do some sight fishing and catch a big snook on light tackle! Fishing the lighted bridges during the nighttime will also be productive, especially bridges that are near the passes.

Bay fishing is really pretty easy and very productive in July. The drill is pretty much the same for me on most of my charters. Get out there at first light and work the deeper grass flats with Cotee jigs, Gulp Shrimp, or a Yozuri Crystal Minnow plug. The flats around the passes are good, as are the Moorings, Bishop’s Pt., Helicopter Shoal, Buttonwood, Long Bar, and Stephen’s Pt. The bay will be full of bait, keep an eye out for birds working, breaking fish, or bait on the surface. If the fishing slows, I’ll net up some bait. Anchoring on the edge of a deep grass flat and chumming up the fish will usually result in non-stop action on trout, mackerel, jacks, ladyfish, bluefish, small grouper, mangrove snapper, flounder and black sea bass. The rig is simple; a 1/0 long shank hook on a 24” 30 lb leader is all you need. You can add a bit of split shot if the tide is strong.

The last few years I have kind of discovered an untapped fishery; mangrove snappers. Snapper fishing the last two summers has been nothing short of incredible, and I am looking forward to it being another banner year. The “No Wake Zone” just north of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters is a great snapper spot, especially on the outgoing tide. Grab some shrimp at CB’s, then anchor up on the edge of the channel. The rig consists of a #1 hook on a 24”long 20 lb leader and enough weight to barely hit the bottom. White bait works great on snappers, too, especially around shallow grass that drops off sharply into deep water.

Tide Charts

Sarasota
Venice
Port Charlotte/ Boca Grande