Despite the wind, April produced a variety of fish

Marshall Dinerman of Atlanta had a reason to smile after landing his first redfish in nearly six years.

April continued where March left off -- windy.

Extremely windy.

John Weimer shows off a fine peacock bass.

In fact, I have yet to walk the beach in search of snook in the surf. I hope it's not too long before the windy subsides and conditions get right for my favorite form of saltwater fly fishing.

That doesn't mean we didn't fish in April. Au contraire! We got out many times and did pretty well.

In salt water, we fished Sarasota Bay, catching a variety fish. Marshall Dinerman of Orlando caught a 28-inch redfish on a Live Target pilchard in Buttonwood Harbor. He said it was his first redfish in nearly six years! In addition, we caught snook, spotted seatrout and ladyfish.

Dave Marshall of Port Charlotte caught a pair of snook on MirrOlure Lil Johns on light jigs from a Longboat Key canal.  Later, he added his largest redfish ever -- a 30-incher. He used Lil John on a jig. We also landed another snook and one of the largest mojarra I've ever seen.

Todd Dawson of Bradenton fished Sarasota Bay off Stephens Point and did well. We caught 25 spotted seatrout to 17 inches and a small gag grouper, using D.O.A. CAL Jigs and gold grubs.

Dave Marshall and his Sarasota Bay redfish.

I got out on a solo trip and had a very good day. Using an 8-weight fly rod, I bested five snook to 26 inches around dock lights. I used a small, white shrimp imitation. After daylight, I caught a pair of redfish, six spotted seatrout and four more snook to 30 inches on a MirrOlure topwater plug and MirrOlure MirrOdines.

I fished Buttonwood Harbor on another occasion and caught 12 snook, 10 spotted seatrout and two redfish on flies, jigs, MirrOdines and topwater plugs.

Peacock bass action was extremely hot in April. John Weimer of Sarasota joined me for two trip to The Everglades . We walked in to a small lake and caught 130 peacock bass to 4 pounds on Junior's Craft Fur Minnows and Myakka Minnows. We also caught largemouth bass to 3 pounds, oscar, Mayan cichlid, hand-size bluegill, gar and tilapia.

The walk-in trip (the walk is easy) is one you won't want to miss. However, I expect conditions to be right for the trip for only a few more weeks. Once the rainy season (June through August) begins, the walk will be impossible because of high water and mosquitoes.

I also fished Lake Manatee on a couple of occasions, catching bluegill, largemouth bass, shellcracker, speckled perch and shellcracker on popping bugs, nymphs and Myakka Minnows.

MAY FORECAST: I look for beach snook action to take off once we get conditions conducive for sight-fishing the surf. For this, I used 6-8-weight fly rods, intermediate sinktip lines and 20-pound fluorocarbon leader. My fly choice is my Gibby's D.T. Variation, a creation I've used to catch more than 5,000 snook in the surf over the years. Bay fish should remain good for spotted seatrout, snook, redfish, ladyfish and jack crevalle. We'll continue to fish The Everglade for peacock bass, largemouth bass, oscar, Mayan cichlid, bluegill and other species until conditions get too tough. Locally, Lake Manatee, the Myakka River and Webb Lake should produce good results (largemouth bass, bluegill, speckled perch,  channel catfish, sunshine bass).

My beach snook trips are filling up quickly. So, it might not be a bad idea to book ahead of time. Call me at 941-284-3406 or email be at steve@kayakfishingsarasota.com.

As always, thanks to my generous sponsors: NuCanoe, Aqua-bound, MirrOlure , Temple Fork Outfitters and D.O.A. Lures.

Steve Gibson

Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing

www.kayakfishingsarasota.com

941-384-3406

Sight-fishing for snook in the surf is the name of the game

Todd Dary of Sarasota battles a typical beach snook on fly rod.

We're experiencing some of the best sight-fishing you can find. Snook are spread out in the surf from Anna Maria Island to Naples and are hitting a variety of flies.

We've hit local beaches on several occasions and have done well. This is one of our favorite activities.

Todd Dary shows off a snook.

"Beach snook" season usually begins in May and runs through August. I believe the peak months are July and August. So, the best is yet to come.

We've been concentrating on Casey Key. We've had a number of trips in that area.

John Weimer of Sarasota joined me for several outings. We've had slow to fair trips. The best was a six-fishing trip, with snook to 24 inches. On one trip, John caught a decent snook on his first cast, then later added another fish.

I've done well on a couple of solo outings. On one trip, I caught and released eight snook to 27 inches. On another, I managed 23 snook to 28 inches. I hooked 30 snook during the latter session.

John Lacy and Kurt Godshall of Kentucky were down on vacation and spent a day fly fishing the surf. They combined to hook 14 snook and landed six. The best fish went 23 inches.

Todd Dary of Sarasota had a fair day. He hooked 10 snook and landed six. The biggest fish went about 23 inches.

I spent one day early in the month walking along Manasota Key. I caught one snook and one trout. 

Dr/ Jesse Ehrlick of Sarasota fights a snook.

This is an area that usually is pretty good. I'm hoping the action gets better and plan to spend time there during the next couple of months.

For beach snook fishing, we use 6- to 8-weight fly rods, floating or intermediate sinktip lines, 20-pound fluorocarbon leaders. If you choose to use a lighter leader, it's a good idea to add a short length of 20-pound fluorocarbon shock tippet.

The key to success is being able to see the fish and recognize them as such. This can be tricky for beginners. But once you see a few fish, it becomes much easier.

It's important to cast the fly in front of the fish. So, it's your job to determine in what direction the snook is swimming or in what direction it is lying.

I've caught as many as 41 snook in a morning. I've had a few trips during which I caught none. But that doesn't happen often.

Brian Boehm and I fished Casey Key late in the month and had a snookless day. Fish were plentiful, but rather spooky. I had four fish follow the fly, but that's as close as I got to hooking up.

My best day in terms of quality fish took place during August 2010. I caught 15 snook  of which eight were 28 inches or larger. My largest snook went 40 inches and 21 pounds. I also landed three redfish of more than 30 inches and jumped three monster tarpon.

Interestingly enough, I returned to the same spot the next morning and caught only two small snook. I didn't see any redfish or tarpon.

Go figure!

Dr. Jesse Ehrlick of Sarasota joined me for his first beach snook outing and did well. He hooked six snook and landed three.

I explored some new territory along the north portion of Longboat Key. I caught six snook out of the eight I hooked the first morning. The largest fish went 25 inches. The next day, I fished the northern tip along Longboat Pass. I got to cast and many snook up to 20 pounds. I didn't hook any, but the prospects are interesting.

John Weimer and I did travel to Naples to fish a small freshwater lake. We caught 10 monster Mayan cichlid and seven bluegill. Several of the bluegill pushed 11 inches. We also hooked what we thought might be a tarpon for a few seconds. The lake has a good population of peacock bass, largemouth bass, bluegill, shellcracker, Mayan cichlid, tarpon and snook. It's usually pretty good during the hotter months.

I haven't fished Sarasota Bay in a while, but the best bet usually is snook and tarpon at night around lighted docks.

During the day, spotted seatrout, ladyfish, jack crevalle and bluefish are cooperating over deeper grass on the east and west sides of the bay.

Redfish, snook and spotted seatrout action should be fair on the flats.

JULY FORECAST: I looked for improving sight-fishing for snook in the surf. There are quite a few large snook spread out along the beach. In addition, night fishing for snook and small tarpon should be good around lighted docks. Spotted seatrout, jack crevalle, ladyfish and bluefish  should be plentiful over deep grass. Shark action is heating up in southern Tampa Bay.

If you've never caught a snook, now is the time. In addition to getting a shot at some quality snook, you'll also get to fish is some of the most beautiful water you'll ever see.

No matter what your choice, please give me a call at 941-284-3406 to book a trip.

Steve Gibson

Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing

www.kayakfishingsarasota.com

941-284-3406

Night fishing around lighted docks was the key to April success

Happy Susan Bostwick of California shows off her first snook. She caught it on a fly rod.

April was a good month, but a perplexing one.

Typically, April is a wonderful time to hit Sarasota Bay and catch a bunch of spotted seatrout. We caught some decent-sized trout during the month, but not a lot of them.

I'm still convinced the bay is still feeling the effects of  last fall's red tide. I could be wrong, but that's my hunch.

Snook often are plentiful in the dock lights.

We did slip out one day and catch some really nice fish. Starting a couple of hours before daylight, we caught a couple of snook and jack crevalle around dock lights in the Longboat Key rim canal. 

After the sun came up, we paddled out into the bay and found cooperative trout in several spots. But when we hit the "outer elbow" off Whale Key, we started getting trout from 2 1/2 to 4 pounds. Must have caught 15 before they quit hitting.

We caught all of the trout on MirrOlure MirrOdines, a suspending plug that is seemingly magical on a variety of species. Key to success with the MirrOdine is working it correctly.

I like to hold the rod horizontal to the water to my left. I twitch the lure a couple of times, then reel up the slack. I repeat this retrieve until I'm ready to make another cast. Most often, fish will hit as the lure is suspending.

Lee Soares of California battles a leaping seatrout.

It's important to work the lure slowly and allow it to perform its magic.

In addition to trout, I've also caught ladyfish, jack crevalle, snook, mangrove snapper, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and redfish on the MirrOdine. I don't think there's a fish out there that won't hit it!

Vinny Caruso of Bradenton and Capt. Bob Zola of Fort Lauderdale joined me to explore the waters off Vamo in Little Sarasota Bay. We caught 15 trout to 24 inches, several ladyfish, three snook and a flounder. We caught the fish on MirrOdines and MirrOlure Lil Johns on light jigs.

Howard Beemer of Fort Myers and his son in law, James Wies of Illinois fished Little Sarasota Bay and caught 10 trout to 23 inches, ladyfish, snook and flounder on MirrOdines and Lil Johns.

Mike Skalla holds a decent black drum.

Mark Skalla and Mike Skalla hit the water an hour before daylight and had a fair day. Mark caught a couple of nice snook on jigs while fishing dock lights around Longboat Key. They also caught three black drum to 10 pounds, two jack crevalle, mangrove snapper, spotted seatrout and flounder.

Vince O'Boyle of Venice caught flounder, redfish, mangrove snapper and a black drum on Lil Johns and light jigs in the rim canal at Longboat Key.

Ted Tolliver of Ohio had a fair day. He managed a dozen trout to 17 inches, Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and bluefish. We fished the Longboat Key rim canal and deep grass in Sarasota Bay off Whale Key. Most of the fish were taken on Lil Johns and MirrOdines.

Lee Soares and Susan Bostwick of Petaluma , Calif., fly fished on a tough day, but their persistence paid off. Each caught his/her first snook. Lee's 28-incher was the day's best. They fished lighted docks in Bowles Creek.

Mark Skalla's first snook.

After daylight, we moved out to deep grass patches in Sarasota Bay. They caught spotted seatrout to 23 inches.

The significance of their outing was that a day prior, 21 anglers fished the Fly Division of the Sarasota CCA's Photo All-Release tournament. Those 21 angler caught a total of four trout and one redfish.

Lee's best snook and trout would have made him grand champion of the Fly Division in that tournament.

Pat and Penny Martin of New York joined me for a four-hour outing. We launched at Buttonwood Harbor and fished the rim canal at Longboat Key. The morning was very slow. We caught flounder, jack crevalle, ladyfish and missed a couple of snook.  We estimated one of the snook at 20 pounds or more.

Everette Howell of Longboat Key hooked a pair of tarpon and a snook while fly fishing around lighted docks. After daylight, he switched to a MirrOlure Lil John on a light jig and landed a 25-inch snook.  We caught one other snook and a jack crevalle.

Greg Tango of New Jersey and Mike Tango of California caught four snook to 27 inches, mangrove snapper, jack crevalle, flounder, silver trout and 20 spotted seatrout to 21 inches fishing around dock and seawall at Stephens Point and deep grass patches in Sarasota Bay. They used MirrOlure Lil Johns on light jigs, MirrOdines and D.O.A. Deadly Combinations.

We fished Lake Manatee on a couple of occasions and did fair. Launching at the Verna-Bethany Bridge at the east end of the lake, we caught largemouth bass to 3 pounds and hand-sized bluegill on popping bugs. We moved up the river and caught bluegill, bass and stumpknocker on nymphs.

We launched at Lake Manatee Fish Camp on another occasion and caught six bass to 3 pounds on poppers. We also caught bass, bluegill and channel catfish on nymphs.

I drove down to Casey Key and spent a morning looking for snook in the surf. It's still a little early, but the snook population in the surf will increase daily. I saw about 10 snook, but didn't catch any.

MAY FORECAST: Snook and tarpon are the best bets on fly rod around lighted docks along the east and west sides of Sarasota Bay. Spotted seatrout, ladyfish, jack crevalle and a few bluefish should cooperate over deep grass on both sides of the bay. Snook numbers should increase in the surf for those who like to sight-fishing with fly rod or spin tackle. In fresh water, I anticipate good action on bluegill, largemouth bass and channel catfish.

May is a great time to fish Sarasota Bay and surrounding waters. In addition, I look for decent action on peacock bass, Mayan cichlid, bluegill and shellcracker in south Florida waters.

I anticipate vastly improved sight-fishing for snook in the surf.

Fishing from a kayak is one of the world's great activities. I've been doing it since 1986.

If you'd like to fish, please give me a call!

Steve Gibson

Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing

www.kayakfishingsarasota.com

941-284-3406