11-27-2001, 07:48 PM
Capt. Kevin Chamberlain<br><br>Aside from a few windy days, fishing's been good in Sarasota. Most trips were on deeper grass catching bluefish and ladyfish. Flats action was on the slow side and the blues made up for it. The bay is still loaded with bait and in most cases, there's something under them trying to get a piece of the action. <br> <br>Bluefish in the 3 pound range ate soft plastic jigs and Clouser Deep Minnows near Ringling, the Middlegrounds and just north of the Siesta Drive bridge. Small cobia, flounder, pompano and decent silver trout were landed in the same areas. In Little Sarasota Bay, snook to 22 inches, redfish to 17 and trout to 18 inches took the plastic jigs near oyster bars on higher water. Ladyfish are everywhere! <br> <br>Look for low tides toward the end of the week in Gasparilla Sound and Bull Bay in Charlotte Harbor. Low water means tailing redfish this time of year. If there's not enough water to pole the boat on the flats, wading will certainly get you close enough. Weedless gold spoons are irresistible to the reds. Surface poppers and shrimp imitations are good choices for fly anglers.<br> <br>Snook will suspend in deeper holes at low water and move onto the flats, around the mangroves, as the tide moves up. Streamer flies and soft plastic jigs are good baits tossed up under the trees. Trout, Spanish mackerel, jack cravalle and others will feed over the deeper grass, in around 3 to 5 feet of water. Just a reminder, trout are still out of season and must be released. Instead of handling trout, a release tool is the better option and will give them a better chance for survival. <br><br>To see photos from recent trips, click on http://www.flatsangler.com.<br><br>Thanks,<br>Capt. Kevin Chamberlain<br><br><br>