Sarasota Area Backcountry Report

Sarasota Area Backcountry Report - Printable Version

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Sarasota Area Backcountry Report - FlatsAngler - 07-02-2002

All in all, it's been a decent year for tarpon. They arrived early off the beaches, with a good appetite, and put on a good show. A few days of hard west winds made it tough, and some long-needed rain put us to the test but they are, after all, tarpon, and few will deprive themselves of the pleasure. Tarpon fishing off the beaches has since slowed with June's full moon, when they went off to spawn. Like some years, they may return in good numbers and hang around into July. If not, there are other ways to prolong the pleasure. From Tampa Bay to Charlotte Harbor and points south, there will usually be tarpon that move into the bays and will spend the summer months there. When tarpon fishing slows down on the beaches, there will be fish moving up into Charlotte Harbor. August and September are known to be the hottest months of the year, but they're also known for tarpon near Cape Haze, the mouths of the Peace and Myakka Rivers and the canals throughout the Harbor. The bigger fish will be in the harbor and around the bridges. The smaller ones, up to maybe 40 pounds or so, will be roaming the canals. The I-75 and 41 bridges, at the mouth of the Peace River in Punta Gorda, will hold plenty of tarpon. They can also be found around the mouth of the Myakka River and in the open harbor. Artificial lures and flies, along with live bait will work here and it's common to find them around ladyfish that are terrorizing schools of baitfish. Catch the ladies with a jig or spoon and attach them to a tarpon rig. Toss that into the melee and wait for the tight line. Canals in Charlotte Harbor hold good numbers of smaller tarpon. Fish from 7 or 8 pounds, up to around 40 pounds are common catches. Larger fish may also be encountered in the same areas. Artificial baits and flies work well, with white being the preferred color and a slow, delicate presentation just off the bottom will usually produce good results. Most of these fish won't be the big boys of early summer, but some of them will draw out a good sweat. And, as is typical with summer fishing, it's an early game and a pre-dawn start will certainly put the odds in your favor. The long-awaited rains have gotten the bays stirred up making sight fishing a little more difficult. The best time for redfish and trout fishing will be either early morning or later in the day. It's also a good time to use artificial baits. Shrimp move offshore in summer to spawn, and those that are available are small. Jigs and top water baits are good choices. A weedless gold spoon is also good in shallow water, or water with floating grass. For fly anglers, top water poppers are a blast. Beach snook fishing has been good from Longboat Key, south to Casey Key. The best times are from about 8am to noon. As the sun rises, you'll be able to spot the fish and cast to them. After about noon, it becomes difficult to see them. Two of the best baits for beach snook are jigs and Clouser Minnows. For jigs, white or gold are good colors. All white, or chartreuse and white Clousers will also get their attention. ____________________________________ Capt. Kevin Chamberlain http://www.flatsangler.com (941) 366-FISH (3474)