With the weather warming up the fishing is improving.
The fishing last week has started to improve after the last cold front passed through. The spring migration is here and the bite has been very good on the right tides.
Last week fishing the grass flats with artificial and live shrimp we had several days catching and releasing over 50 trout as well as Spanish mackerel and a few redfish .
On several of the calmer days I ran the crab bouys and caught several tripletail .
Kelly is a Sarasota native and the owner and operator of Mangrove Charters. He's passionate about fishing and hunting. As a full-time fishing guide Kelly operates out of a 22 ft. Bayscout and specializes in light tackle using both artificial and live bait. Redfish are his favorite.
Anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action in Sarasota Bay with me recently.
Dave Reinhart, from MA, with 28″ red caught and released on a CAL jig with a grub while fishing shallow water in Sarasota Bay.
Bill Morrison, from Anna Maria, and Don Morrison, from MA, fished a trip with me and had great action with trout and Spanish mackerel on flies and CAL jigs with shad tails. Dave Reinhart, from MA, fished skinny water with me on a blustery day later in the week.
Fish were turned on ahead of an approaching front. He caught and released a slam, including a 28” snook, 28” redfish, trout and a couple of pompano that were sight fished on top of a bar in 18” of water, all on CAL jigs with a grub tail! Not big numbers of fish but a great day for quality fish and variety.
Fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay is a good choice for action with a variety of species including trout, pompano, blues and Spanish mackerel. Check the coastal gulf for Spanish mackerel, false albacore and tripletail when conditions are good. Shallow water fishing for reds and large trout is also a good option now, although they are very challenging in clear water. These conditions usually require long casts to avoid spooking fish.
Our natural resources are under constant pressure from red tides fueled by industrial, agricultural and residential runoff, freezes, increasing fishing pressure and habitat loss and degradation, please limit your kill, don’t kill your limit!
Kelly is a Sarasota native and the owner and operator of Mangrove Charters. He's passionate about fishing and hunting. As a full-time fishing guide Kelly operates out of a 22 ft. Bayscout and specializes in light tackle using both artificial and live bait. Redfish are his favorite.
