06-08-2002, 11:04 PM
June 8, 2002<br><br>Sarasota Fla. Fishing Report<br><br>By Capt. Bob Smith<br><br>The Offshore boats running about thirty miles out and fishing hard bottom areas with live bait (Threadfin herring) have been doing very well for all kinds of fish. Snapper, grouper, sailfish, blackfin tuna, king and dolphin just to name a few of the fish caught this past week. You will find plenty of live bait on the way out, just remember to take some gold hook bait rigs along.<br><br>M-7 has plenty of snapper and some gag, but it is very hard to get them past the Goliath grouper "Jewfish". You need a 4/0 reel with at least fifty pound test line to get the Goliath grouper to the surface. A 6/0 with eighty pound line would do better. Goliath groupers are still protected and can't be taken, but they are starting to get a little pesky in some areas.<br><br>Tarpon are being caught along the beaches with some days being much better than others. Tarpon fishermen have caught a few large kingfish while floating live bait (Pinfish and Threadfin) for tarpon. We also had some very good days for Spanish mackerel along the beaches and out to the (M) reefs, but not every day.<br><br>Bottom fishing close in has not been good. This is mostly due to the large number of small fish destroying your bait before it hits bottom. Even the live pinfish don't last long. Bay fishing on Thursday was not good for us! Every place we went and everything we did turned into catfish and more catfish.<br><br>Enjoy and Protect<br><br>For more information on Sarasota's Sportfishing, please visit my Website: http://www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com<br><br><br><br>