Sarasota, FL 10/29-10/31 report

Figured while you guys are paddling around in 58 degree water...I"d make you weep a bit.
i'm in Sarasota (actually Siesta Key) for a family thing- working from a gazebo right on the water.  Have fished every day- early morning, and late afternoon.

Day One:
In a double with the wife in front. Never fished this tannin-water before. Out by some mangrove islands, water is like 0-2 feet deep.  There are fish tailing everywhere. AND I CAN"T BUY A BITE.  I'm throwing shrimp, topwater, jigs, you-name-it.  Wife reading some tourist guide and says, 'it says here that Snook and Redfish like jigs and spoons."
Hmmm...ok...haven't thrown a spoon. Only one i have is a PET spoon- little silver thing that i use for stripers.
First cast-- WHAM!!! drag ripping, big head shakes-- giant wake shooting all over the place....hooo man! I got something on.  15 min, and i beautiful 29" redfish at the boat! First Red for Stevo.
Day Two:
Morning- paddle out by myself at dawn...high tide, so ease up to some tailing fish, drop anchor. Cast, cast, cast - repeat ad nauseum. Finally bang- little jack maybe 14" fights like a striper.  pull up and head toward a cut between two islands, third cast- bang-- 14" snook...jumps all over the place, doesn't fight too hard, but nice aerials.

Day Two afternoon:
Repeat morning
day Three morning:
Repeat day two morning, except add a smalll red, and a couple of snook.

Its really a trip seeing fish tailing in 1 foot or less....

see you all on the weekend

I am jealous! I would love to get to Florida to some warm water! I have seen Snook and Redfish being caught on the outdoor channel on TV and think it would be a kick on a flyrod. Well have a safe flight home before you get too spoiled with the warmth.   

.....that's what life should be like  Thanks for the "torture" report Steve 


oh....and thanks for NOT INCLUDING PHOTOS on your report  (it's not like we see pics of snook and redfish on our weekly fishing reports )

haha! pics - yah i'll get my wife to take some on our evening outing if i catch anything. 

I have to admit, i could get used to this-- working remotely from a gazebo outside. Fishing everyday.

Mooch-- redfish hit just like halibut, but fight like stripers on steriods, They look like giant kingfish, with downturned mouths. 
Also the jack was a jack crevalle....

I was in the keys for 2 months in the last spring of 2004. april 6th to june 6th or something.

nothing would hit the shrimp? was it live? that was the money bait when I was there. that and pinfish.

catching redfish and snook is the real thing, you are doing well, but you are a good fisherman to start with.

I didn't know what I was doing then, (let alone now).
redfish and snook are REAL gamefish.  I mainly caught small barracuda in the shallows. but even the 4 and 5lb ones fight
hard.  long runs in shallow water. jumps.
some floridians think of them as trash fish.   I did hook a big 'cuda, close to 5 feet long, towed me all
over before I lost him, not that I would have tried to land him. a 'small' tarpon (70lbs?), broke off.

lots of mangrove snapper. never got a GAG (grey grouper).

Definitely consider florida and the keys for a fishing vacation if you have not been.

real fun.

J

You're bring back good memories of FL.  I lived in St Augustine FL (by Jacksonville) for about 3 years.  Never fish Sarasoda or Siesta Key but I've fished St. Petersburg, and the Keys.  One thing I likea about FL is that your never know what you have on the other end of the line.  The tails you saw might have been a permit, pompono, bone fish, although this time of the year, tarpon likes to hang out near the mangroves to hunt for mullets and other bait fish. 

The best lure I've used down there is the Gotcha Plug, the silver with a florecsent tip worked best for me.  I've caught reds, jacks, speckle trout, mangrove snappers, cobia, spanish mackerals, flounder, bluefish, snook, even small goliath grouper, all from the shore.  Anyway, thanks for sharing, you're being me many fond memories of FL.

Eugene

Lived in Ft Lauderdale, redfish are yum-my! So are the sea trout. How about that bathtub water?

I grew up in Texas and caught a ton of Redfish and seatrout (AKA Speckled Trout). Great memories of fishing in 85 degree water.

Sounds like a great trip.  Pics?

Jason

couple more days playing with the snook and red's- also managed a couple of nice jack crevalle... only pics i could get with wife to take were on an afternoon trip- got these two little guys (every fish on same lure)

Let's see a pic of the lure!!!!!

sheesh.... #1 with a white feather hook

Let's see a pic of the boat! A pic of the gazebo! A pic of a thermometer showing the water temp! The rod and reel!
Lemme see...did I foget anything? Oh yeah...a pic of an Aligator! A mangrove!  the actual lure on the rod (not that we don't trust you)

Just kidding...nice fishing.

And a baby's arm holding an apple.

mom and dad live in hollywood...hang myself if i get enough rope...

i'm an old fan