08-08-2004, 06:42 AM
[font "Arial"]Spanish mackerel and barracuda have been fairly good on the artificial "M" reefs. Much of the action has been done by trolling small artificial bait for the Spanish mackerel and using the mackerel for the cuda. Snapper fishing has been good if you can find the right size bait. Some of the boats have been traveling further south to the Icebox area in 50 to 70 feet of water for a little better bottom fishing. You need large shrimp or small baitfish (pilchard or whitebait) for snapper and live are best.
On the bay, we have had a good variety of fish but the bites are only lasting fifteen to thirty minutes and then they're gone. Spotted seatrout, jacks, ladyfish, bluefish, Pompano, snook, and redfish have been some of the species caught. Between four people, you may catch 30 to 40 fish in a half day trip but you would be lucky to get four keepers out of it.
Most of the fish have been moving around the grassflats and chasing the small baitfish. When you find the fish, everyone will catch them one after another but when they stop, it may be an hour before catching anything else. The D.O.A. shrimp is working great on the bay for us. We left a large school of trout and ladyfish chewing hard just east of the Zwicks channel sand bar on Saturday. The fish were breaking all around us. Large schools of under size trout were swarming under and around are D.O.A. shrimp at the side of the boat. Some mackerel and bluefish were also in the mix.
Enjoy & Protect
My Website: http//www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com
Thank you!
Capt. Bob Smith
2529 Temple St. Sarasota, FL 34239
Phone: (941) 366-2159 / FAX: (941) 362-4040
My Website: [/font][url "http://www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com/"][font "Arial"]http://www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com[/font]
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