Sarasota fishing report

[captjim]

I submit a weekly fishing report and a monthly forecast for several publications. Here is my weekly report, Fishing was VERY good over the last week, despite the water temperatures hovering in the high 50s, a tad cool for this time of year. Big Sarasota Pass was the best spot for me this week. On a couple of trips we never left. Most of the fish we caught were ladyfish, but we also took up to a dozen bluefish to 4 pounds, small Spanish mackerel, black sea bass, small red and gag grouper, and a couple of pompano. A gold Cotee grub on a 3/8 oz white Cotee jig head worked very well, and we also caught a few fish on live shrimp. The bars just south of Lido Park and the deeper water near Shell Rd on the north end of Siesta Key were the two most productive areas. Most mornings there were plenty of breaking fish and a lot of bait and birds to give you an idea of where to fish. The beginning of the hard incoming tide was best. We also hit a few of the normal bay spots with pretty good success. The Bird Key and Marina Jack flats were good, along with Bishop's Pt., Stephen's Pt., and the middlegrounds. Trout, blues, ladyfish, and sea bass hit Cotee jigs cast as we drifted across the grass in 5-7 feet of water. Here is my Dec forecast, We are settling into our winter fishing patterns as the weekly cold fronts decent upon us. I will be spending most of my time fishing between C B's Saltwater Outfitters at Stickney Pt. Rd. south to Nokomis. Speckled trout, ladyfish, jack crevelle, and the occasional pompano will be taken on the higher stages of the tide over grass flats and around oyster bars. A soft plastic grub or jerk worm on a 1/4 oz jig head works very well along with live shrimp either free lined or under a cork. On the lower tides stage, the fish will usually be in deeper water on the channel edges. I like Cotee jigs in darker colors like olive, green, and rootbeer, along with Gulp and Exude baits. Snook will work their way up into the creeks and canals seeking warmer water. Phillippi Cr. and South Cr are good spots, along with any deeper residential canals. If it is cold I like a live shrimp or Gulp bait, if it is warmer I will use a Yozuri Crystal Minnow plug. Work any structure that you can find such as docks and rip-rap. Sheepshead will start showing up in Dec and it is great fun to target them on the oyster bars in shallow water. Either a live shrimp or a shrimp-tipped jig will produce. You may catch a red or snook while you are at it. Structure in deeper water such as docks or rocky ledges in the Intracoastal will hold these tasty saltwater panfish. Anglers seeking redfish will do well tossing large hand-picked shrimp under docks along the bay on the higher tides.

[niteheron]

On those sheephead, do you work the bait much or keep it still?

[captjim]

When I am fishing oyster bars using a tipped jig, I bounce it slowly off the bottom. Later, like mid February, I will start fishing live shrimp around docks in Big Pass. Then I will fish it right on the bottom near the structure, Jim