08-17-2001, 11:54 AM
Capt. Kevin Chamberlain<br>August 16, 2001<br> <br>Action around Sarasota has been hit and miss for the last few days. High tides and dirty water from the storm are mostly to blame. Some areas in North Sarasota Bay have been plagued with floating grass making it difficult to get a decent presentation from most baits, weedless or not. <br> <br>When the grass was too thick, either on the surface or in the column, live shrimp did the trick. Redfish, bluefish, trout, jacks and ladyfish all took shrimp suspended under popping corks. Reds to 26", trout to 20" and bluefish to 3 pounds are also biting DOA's TerrorEyz and Slimy slugs in areas where the grass isn't so concentrated. <br> <br>Deeper grass, in 3 to 6 feet of water, has been considerably cleaner and trout and ladyfish have been good early. Sailcats have definitely claimed their share of the water, too, nailing everything from bottom baits to topwaters. Upcoming, fast-moving tides may clear some of the grass. <br> <br>Tarpon are still in good numbers in Charlotte Harbor but it's the snook, redfish and jacks that have been stealing the show. Snook have been gathered at the mouths of canals where tarpon roll and are aggressively taking the same baits, beating the slow moving tarpon to the punch. DOA's TerrorEyz in measles, pearl and gold have definitely produced the best results. Tarpon to 25 pounds and snook to 7 were boated and released. Jacks have also been herding baitfish up against the seawalls and like most jacks, will eat anything that gets in their way.<br> <br>If the tarpon action is slow, hit the mangroves on the higher stages of the tide. Redfish and snook have been cruising the trees and eating well. We've had decent results on the west side of the harbor and reports are good on the east side as well. Gold spoons have been taking their share, but topwater flies and lures are also effective. <br> <br>Now's also a good time to keep an eye peeled for big schools of redfish. They'll patrol the flats in big numbers, feeding up in preparation for their annual spawn. There's no mistaking them, either. They'll pack together, pushing enough water to startle you. Before your knees turn to jelly, it's a good time to have a plan of attack. <br> <br>They're usually very spooky and a little stealth is in order. Try not to jump around the boat and fire up the big motor to run up on them. Sometimes, even an electric trolling motor will put them off. Polling, or wading is definitely the way to go. <br> <br>When in range, try to lead the school with your cast, working the bait back in front of them. If you've regained composure, try to lure one away by casting to the side of the school. If you can pull the fish away, most likely, the others will not get alarmed. If they do, just sit tight, wait for them to settle down, and have at it again. It's a blast!<br><br>Thanks,<br>Capt. Kevin<br> <br>To see photos from recent trips, click on http://www.flatsangler.com.<br><br><br>