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

December was a potpourri of action: peacock bass to large spotted seatrout

John Weimer of Sarasota shows off one of the may large spotted seatrout he caught from Sarasota Bay. 

For the past two months or so, we've been concentrating our efforts around the freshwater lakes and streams of southwest Florida.

First, we like to catch fish. And we've found that the state's lakes and streams result in bent fly rods!

Second, there's much more to Florida than salt water.

The author and a fine peacock bass caught on 5 weight.

We've been fishing the state's salt waters since 1971. We began fishing the Gulf of Mexico and Choctawhatchee Bay around Fort Walton Beach. I was in the Air Force then, and stationed at Eglin AFB.

We moved to Sarasota in 1975 and have been here ever since.

What we've discovered is that the region's lakes and rivers often are overlooked and underfished. That's a good combination for those who want to catch fish on fly.

For the most part, we target hand-sized bluegill, shellcracker, largemouth bass and channel catfish. That's particularly true when we're fishing around Sarasota. Our favorite spot to fish in Lake Manatee, a 2,400-acre reservoir located 9 miles east of Interstate 75 on State Road 64. This lake is lightly fished and chock full of bluegill, speckled perch (black crappie), shellcracker, largemouth bass and channel catfish.

John Weimer's bluefish put up quite a battle.

We also fish the Manatee River, Myakka River, Upper Myakka Lake and Benderson Lake.

For this, we use .5- to 6-weight fly rods. I like to cast No. 12 Gibby's Snymphs  (simple nymphs) under a strike indicator on my .5-weight TFO fly rod. I'll rig my 2-weight with tandem Myakka Minnows. I'll cast a small popping bug on a 3-weight TFO.

Best time of year to fish Lake Manatee and other nearby waters is November through May.

I also love to travel south to fish Alligator Alley and the waterways around Naples.

At Alligator Alley, I target oscar, but also catch bluegill, largemouth bass, Mayan cichlid, peacock bass and stumpknocker. I most often cast a 3- or 4-weight rod loaded with floating line and 8-pound fluorocarbon leader. My fly of choice is my Myakka Minnow in gold, copper, brown or black. If you don't get cut off or lose your fly to a snag, often you can fish all day with one fly.

When fishing Alligator Alley, we often catch more than 200 fish each. I estimate that 60 percent of the catch will be oscar, an exotic that was unintentionally introduced into south Florida waters in 1954. Oscar are extremely strong and readily take a fly.

The waterways around Naples can be even better -- not in terms of numbers, but in quality. All species (oscar, peacock bass, bluegill, shellcracker, largemouth bass) seem to run a little larger than average.

I fish Naples from May through December. I've found the colder months to be a little slow.

Peacock bass there range from just a few inches to more than 5 pounds. My largest on fly is a 5 1/2 pounder that I caught in November . We usually cast 5- or 6-weight rods, floating lines, 8-pound fluorocarbon leaders and JR's Craft Fur Minnows or my Struttin' Peacock Fly. I've also caught plenty of peacock  bass on nymphs, Myakka Minnows and popping bugs.

Peacock bass are very strong and will test the skills of any fly angler.

Butterfly beacocks were introduced into south Florida waters by the state in 1984 and have thrived. Maximum size of butterfly peacocks is about 10 pounds, but the average size is 2.

I've found peacocks like to hang out around docks, rocks and aquatic vegetation like hydrilla.

Saltwater fishing shouldn't be overlooked. After the onset of cooler weather, the pattern changes and fish can actually perk up.

One of my favorite spots to fish this time of year is Palma Sola Bay. I find spotted seatrout to 4 pounds will pile up in holes and canals. I've had some fantastic days there over the years. We average 40 fish per outing, but have topped the 100-fish mark on several occasions.

For this fishing, we use 6-weight fly rods with an intermediate sinktip line, 10-pound fluorocarbon leader and a variety of flies. Clouser Minnows and Bob Popovics Jiggy Fleyes are good choices.

In addition seatrout, we also encounter snook, redfish, ladyfish, jack crevalle, flounder and pompano.

Around Sarasota Bay, spotted seatrout are the main catch, but snook, pompano, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, flounder, ladyfish, black drum and (occasionally) redfish also are available.

We like to get out an hour or so before daylight to target snook around dock lights, using an 8-weight rod, floating line and 20-pounding fluoro leader. Fly choices include Gibby's Snook Minnow or Gibby's Glass Minnow.

At daylight,  we will target snook,  redfish and black drum in canals with fly or spinning tackle.

We'll spend the rest of the day on the flats or over deep grass, targeting redfish, snook, spotted seatrout, flounder, pompano, bluefish, ladyfish, jack crevalle and Spanish mackerel.

When fly fishing, we'll use Clouser Deep Minnows or baitfish patterns. On spinning tackle, we like the mini MirrOdine by MirrOlure. We also like to cast MirrOlure Lil Johns on 1/16-ounce jig heads.

We encountered some very good spotted seatrout action during the month. In fact, John Weimer of Sarasota obliterated his personal-best seatrout several times during one outing, catching and releasing trout to 27 inches. Fly of choice was Junior's Craft Fur Minnow.

I did a solo trip and caught a bevy of trout to 28 inches on Craft Fur Minnows. In addition, I managed bluefish, pompano, snook, redfish and jack crevalle.

Jesse Ehrlich of Sarasota joined me and a great tide, but we didn't have a great day. We caught about a dozen spotted seatrout to 23 inches. In addition, we lost a decent redfish that went for a Craft Fur Minnow.

Another solo outing resulted in a bunch of trout to 26 inches. Most were taken on chartreuse-and-white Clouse Deep Minnows. I also caught jack crevalle, ladyfish , bluefish and pompano.

Marshall Dinerman of Atlanta, Ga., caught a pair of snook from a Longboat Key canal on Clouser Minnows.

JANUARY FORECAST: Usually this is the month for big snook in the Myakka River. The action hasn't been great the past two years, but then again the weather hasn't been cold. And cold is the key to pushing the big snook up the river. We'll see what the month has in store. We look for excellent night snook around lighted docks, plenty of spotted seatrout in deep holes and canals and along the edges of the flats. In fresh water, we anticipate good action on bluegill, speckled perch, channel catfish and largemouth bass in Lake Manatee. Of course, Alligator Alley is a prime spot for oscar, Mayan cichlid, bluegill and largemouth bass.

We're approaching "The Season." That means the demand will be high for kayak fishing services. Be sure to book your trips early to assure you get in on the action!

You can call me at 941-284-3406 or email me at steve@kayakfishingsarasota.com.

Happy Holidays!

Steve Gibson

Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing

www.kayakfishingsarasota.com

941-284-3406

December saw improved fishing in Sarasota Bay and plenty of freshwater action

John Kis of New Rochelle, N.Y., caught a variety of species, including this leaping bluefish.

December arguably was the best month of fishing we've experienced in a while. After battles with red tide, poor water quality and wind, things finally perked up in salt waters around Sarasota.

Ray Gibson of Atlanta shows off a fine pompano.

We experienced good to excellent action in both fresh and salt waters from Tampa Bay to The Everglades.

The big news, however, was the return to glory of Sarasota Bay. That's good news on a number of accounts. First, it's close to home. Second, the bay perked up considerably after red tide pummeled it for the second straight year.

John Weimer of Sarasota and I launched at Stephens Point and caught a number of ladyfish and jack crevalle. We were anticipating spotted seatrout, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and pompano, but came up short. However, the water quality of extremely encouraging.

The next three days saw us launch off Longboat Key at Buttonwood Harbor. The first day, we caught several snook on fly rod around dock lights. Then at daylight, we switched to spinning gear and caught a number of snook to 26 inches on MirrOlure Lil Johns on light jigs.

We moved into the bay and caught numerous spotted seatrout to 22 inches on MirrOlure MirrOdines. In addition, we managed eight bluefish to four pounds and eight pompano to three pounds.

Next day, repeat client John Kis of New Rochelle, N.Y., caught snook, spotted seatrout, ladyfish and pompano. Snook were caught on Lil Johns and light jigs in the Longboat Key rim canal. We caught seatrout to 21 inches, bluefish, pompano and ladyfish on MirrOdines.

Ray Gibson of Atlanta caught spotted seatrout to 19 inches, ladyfish and pompano on MirrOdines and flies.

That action was particularly encouraging after several months of slow fishing. If we can avoid red tide, I anticipate a good year of fishing in Sarasota Bay.

We fished Lake Manatee on a number of occasions and did well. We caught hand-sized bluegill, speckled perch to 15 inches, largemouth bass, stumpknocker and channel catfish on Gibby's Snymphs under strike indicators. We also caught fish on popping bugs and Gibby's Myakka Minnows.

Manatee River action ranged from fair to very good. On one trip, we caught six channel catfish to four pounds, a number of hand-size bluegill, tilapia and a 7-pound largemouth on Snymphs under a strike indicator.

John Weimer and I visited a small lake east of Naples and had an average trip, catching bluegill to 12 inches on Myakka Minnows, stumpknocker, largemouth bass and two peacock bass.

JANUARY FORECAST: It has been unseasonably warm, but we're expecting the weather to cool off with a cold front on the way. When that happens, look for snook to begin to push up rivers, creeks and canals in search of warm waters. If that happens, we anticipate decent action up the Manatee and Myakka rivers. Spotted seatrout, pompano, bluefish and Spanish mackerel action should remain good in Sarasota Bay over deep grass. In addition, our trips to Alligator Alley should results in hot fly-rod action on oscar, Mayan cichlid, largemouth bass, bluegill and stumpknocker.

We hope everyone had a great holiday season.

Of course, we couldn't do anything without our sponsors: NuCanoe, Aqua-Bound Paddles, MirrOlure, D.O.A. Lures, TFO and Peak fishing.

January is looking good and my schedule is filling. If you'd like to experience the world of kayak fishing, please give me a call (941-284-3406) or drop me an email (steve@kayakfishingsarasota.com). 

Steve Gibson

Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing

www.kayakfishingsarasota.com

941-284-3406

Wind, rain, red tide and high water slowed things down in October

I've always said October is the best month in Florida.

Light breezes, low humidity, comfortable temperatures and great fishing.

Usually it is. But not this October. It was windy and rainy. We had a hurricane (Matthew) push up the east coast. That storm didn't affect us much here on the west coast, but we did get a lot of wind and rain.

Snook fishing has been consistent throughout the area.

I can handle most anything when on the water: rain, heat, cold. Wind is another matter. It makes fishing quite tough. It's not that you can't fish in the wind, but it make controlling the kayak a problem. It doesn't allow you to fish areas slow and thoroughly  as you'd like.

Still, we were able to get out and catch fish.

Early in the month, we spent a few days fly fishing local fresh waters. We fished Upper Myakka Lake and Benderson Park. We did well.

The first day at Myakka, we launched the kayak and paddled to the dam. There, we floating over the dam and spent a few hours casting flies for whatever might be lurking in the depths. We caught hand-size bluegill, shellcracker, largemouth bass, tilapia and channel catfish.

We returned a day or so later, but high wind prevented us from getting into the lake. So we opted to fish the protected boat basin. We were surprised when we caught a bunch of hard-fishing, hand-sized bluegill.

We wanted to target Clay Gully, a creek that empties into Upper Myakka Lake. But high water caused by recent heavy rain made that impossible. We'll keep that in mind and plan a return trip in a month or so.

Snook gather in a dock light.

For most of this fishing, we used a TFO Finesse 2-weight rod, floating line and a No. 10 Gibby's Snymph (simple nymph) under a strike indicator.

Our trip to Benderson Park was quite surprising. The lake is a former pit that was given to Sarasota County. It now serves as a world-class rowing facility. I'd fished the lake a couple of times previously, but not in about 15 years. I launched at the boat ramp on the south end of the lake and paddled up the east side to the Cooper Creek spillway. There, I caught several bass to 15 inches on Clouser Deep Minnows.

I drifted along the east side and cast Snymphs to the edge. I caught 25 bluegill, four shellcracker, five bass and a hefty channel catfish. I also hooked another channel cat, but lost it after a short battle.

I was at the lake in the spring of 2000 when the State of Florida stocked it with 10,000 channel catfish. After my outing, I would say the lake has a good (and hungry) population of channel cats.

Sarasota Bay has been battling red tide, so most of my salt water outings have been in other areas. I fished a couple of days in a tidal creek south of Venice. I was scouting for the 12th annual Fall Fly Fishing Challenge. The creek paid off for me last year when I caught enough snook to win the Snook Division of the tournament.

Speckled perch action should perk up in November.

This time was different. First trip, I didn't see a snook. John Weimer and I returned a week later and totaled five snook to about 20 inches.

I decided I would fish somewhere else in the tournament.

I also fished Sarasota Bay off Stephens Point. I've had memorable days off Stephens Point, but not this time. Usually, it's a spot where I can always catch 20 or more spotted seatrout. I caught none on this trip. I only managed a couple of ladyfish and a jack crevalle.

To make matters worse, two underwater lights in the Stephens Point basin were turned off, making night snook fishing impossible.

Scratch Stephens Point as a tournament spot.

We waded the flats near Vamo in Little Sarasota Bay and caught seven snook on Rainey's Bubblehead Poppers. That was encouraging. However, we didn't find any redfish or trout. That eliminated the spot from tournament contention.

John Weimer and I drove to Palma Sola Bay and did so-so. We found several underwater lights that held a bunch of snook. We left them alone, preferring to catch them during the tournament.

We paddled out onto the nearby flats and found a few seatrout.

We returned on tournament day. Things started out pretty decently. I caught five snook and lost another at the side of the kayak.

We then headed out onto the flats. I caught a small trout. Now, I had the rest of the day to catch one redfish.

Didn't happen. In fact, the wind started blowing and we had to abandon our outing.

Fortunately, Weimer managed four trout that totaled 53 inches to win the Trout Division.

Congratulations, John!

We're hoping the wind finally settles and that red tide dissipates.

If so, things should pick up in November.

NOVEMBER FORECAST: We look for improved snook, spotted seatrout and redfish action in Sarasota Bay and surrounding waters. Water temperatures should drop, causing gamefish to begin a feeding assault in preparation for winter. Night snook fishing should remain strong. In fresh water, we look for improved action on bluegill, bass, speckled perch, shellcracker and channel catfish. Best spots should be Lake Manatee and Upper Myakka Lake. Also, we're anticipating a couple of trips south to the Land of Peacock Bass. We've got a small lake just east of Naples that holds a decent population of peacock bass, plus monster bluegill, shellcracker, largemouth bass and Mayan cichlid.

Steve Gibson

Southern  Drawl Kayak Fishing

www.kayakfishingsarasota.com

941-284-3406

Freshwater fishing was the ticket to September success

John Weimer of Sarasota shows off a beautiful peacock bass that fell for a Clouser Deep Minnow.

Let's just call it "Freshwater September."

With red tide rolling into Sarasota Bay, we switched things up in September and spent most of our time in fresh water.

Hefty shellcracker 

We located a bunch of Mayan cichlid in a small lake within South Gulf Cove in Charlotte County and spent a couple of days there.

We drove south a couple of hours and fished a small lake east of Naples and did well.

We didn't forget about salt water. In fact, we launched near Buttonwood Harbor and had two pretty good outings.

First, let's address red tide. It's a pesky algae bloom that can kill fish and makes things uncomfortable for humans. However, it doesn't mean you can't catch fish. When red tide enters a body of water, it doesn't cover it like a blanket.

The worst red tide that I can remember took place in 2005-06. It lasted a little more than a year. We were able to catch fish throughout its stay.

Fish will seek clean area, and you can often have some pretty good days.

When the wind is out of the east, you usually can find decent action along the east side of Sarasota Bay. In addition, others local areas haven't been affected. I expect Little Sarasota Bay to offer strong action as the weather and water cools.

Rick Grassett's tarpon that was caught on a nymph.

I found out about the spot near South Gulf Cover from a friend. It is supposed to contain a healthy population of Mayan cichlid, a non-native species that found its way into Florida's waters in the mid-1980s. It had a whole bunch of cichlids. This is the farthest north I've encountered appreciable numbers of Mayan cichlid.

John Weimer and I visited the lake and did well. We caught more than 50 of the "atomic sunfish" on No.  bead-head nymphs under a strike indicator. The cichlids ranged from hand-sized to 12 inches in length.

These fish are great fun on light fly rods. They can fight about as well as any fish you'll encounter in fresh water.

Next time out, I took local charter guide Rick Grassett. It was his first fly-fishing venture in a NuCanoe Frontier. We caught a bunch of Mayans to 12 inches. But the highlight of the day was a 14-inch tarpon that Grassett caught while casting a nymph along a fallen tree.

Stability? No question in a NuCanoe as Rick Grassett shows.

I told him at the time that he might be the only fly fisher ever to catch a tarpon on a nymph!

Back to Sarasota Bay, I had a couple of decent outings. First time out, I fly fished docks along Longboat Key and landed two of the four snook I hooked. I saw a few tarpon, but didn't hook any.

At daylight, I paddled to a nearby flat where I have experienced good redfish action in the past. A funny thing happened this time out. Couldn't find any redfish, but I caught several snook and spotted seatrout on topwater plugs and MirrOlure MirrOdines. I caught snook to 28 inches and trout to 24.

Next time out, I found good numbers of snook on the same flat, but smaller. I caught and released eight snook to 22 inches. I also landed a couple of decent trout.

Paddling north, I found some decent trout action toward White Key. I caught trout to 25 inches on MirrOlure MirrOdines and the new D.O.A. 2 3/4-inch shrimp.

I fished southern Tampa Bay and caught six trout, a jack crevalle and a lookdown on topwater plugs and MirrOlure MirrOdines.

Tampa Bay lookdown.

Two trips to Naples proved enjoyable. First time out, I landed three peacock bass to 3 pounds on nymphs. Now, I would never have expected to catch decent-sized peacocks on nymphs! John Weimer and I also caught jumbo bluegill, Mayan cichlid, large shellcracker and largemouth bass on nymphs, Clouser Deep Minnows and popping bugs.

Another trip to Naples resulted in a variety of peacock bass, bluegill, Mayan cichlid, shellcracker and largemouth bass. Largest peacock went 3 pounds and was caught on a Clouser Deep Minnow. Nymphs accounted for most of the other fish.

I spent a day on the Myakka River just below the dam at Upper Myakka Lake. I caught good numbers of hand-sized bluegill, a large shellcracker and small bass on nymphs. I also found several rolling baby tarpon, but didn't hook up.

I bought an annual pass, so I can now get into Myakka quite early. I can be on the water and catching fish by the time the park opens at 8 a.m.

OCTOBER FORECAST:  I look for the best bets to be spotted seatrout and snook. Trout will hit jigs, MirrOdines, D.O.A. Deadly Combinations and D.O.A. shrimp over deep grass along the east and west sides of the Sarasota Bay. Snook will be around dock lights and on the flats at dawn. Shark fishing should be good in Tampa Bay. I also expect decent trout, snook and redfish on the flats around Joe Bay. In fresh water, I anticipate strong action on peacock bass, bluegill, Mayan cichlid, largemouth bass and shellcracker south of Sarasota. Closer to home, Upper Myakka Lake, the Myakka River and Lake Manatee should produce decent bluegill, shellcracker and largemouth bass.

The "season" is beginning to book up. I anticipate a good year based on the interest I've received . If you know when you're going to be in the area, please give me a call or email me to book your trip.

And remember, the best time to go fishing is any time you can!

Steve Gibson

Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing

www.kayakfishingsarsasota.com

941-284-3406

March resulted in great action for spotted seatrout

Drei Stroman of Fort Myers battles a feisty Palma Sola Bay pompano on fly rod.

How good has the fishing for spotted seatrout been?

Well, I set my goal for the year at 500 seatrout on fly. I've now totaled more than 500 trout (514 to be exact).  Guess I'll have to adjust that goal!

This fly-rod pompano put a big smile on Stroman's face.

But that illustrates just how good the seatrout fishing has been. We've done well on virtually every trip.

Palma Sola Bay has been the hot spot -- as it usually is this time of year. Fish drop into channels and sand holes during colder weather where they're easy targets for fly anglers and spin fishers alike.

During March, we averaged 42 trout per trip. And that included a 10-trout day in Sarasota Bay. On two occasions this year, I caught and released more than 100 trout in a day.

These fish have run the gamut of sizes. We caught plenty of them less than the minimum size limit (15 inches), but also have caught them up to 23 inches. Biggest trout of the month was a 25-incher that I caught in Little Sarasota Bay off Vamo. I found a bunch of trout over deep grass in that area.

John Weimer of Sarasota joined me for an outing on Palma Sola Bay and had a good time. We combined to catch and release 50 trout to 21 inches on Super Hair Clousers and Popovics Jiggy flies. In addition, we caught loads of ladyfish and a couple of sugar trout.

Jay Karol of New York struggles to subdue a pompano.

Drei Stroman and Katrina Hillard of Fort Myers joined me on Palma Sola Bay and had a good outing. We landed more than 50 trout, plus ladyfish, five sugar trout and a feisty pompano.

On a solo trip to Palma Sola, I caught 27 trout on Clousers and Jiggies, plus two sugar trout.

I fished Sarasota Bay for the first time since Nov. 6 and had a slow outing. I caught six trout and a few ladyfish out in the bay. I added another dozen trout from the basin near the launch. Largest fish was 16 inches.

We also did quite a bit of freshwater fishing at Lake Manatee during the month. Most trips were very good, but a couple were slow.

First outing resulted in 20 hand-sized copperheaded bluegill, six speckled perch and a half-dozen largemouth bass on No. 12 nymphs under a strike indicator.

The author with his largest tilapia on fly.

Denton Kent of Sarasota and I combined to land 15 bluegill, one bass and three specks on popers and nymphs. We fished hard on this outing, but found the going a little slow.

The next day saw improved action when John Weimer accompanied me. We caught 25 big bluegill, a bass, seven speckled perch and a 4-pound tilapia. It was the largest tilapia I've ever caught on fly rod. Most of the fish came on nymphs under a strike indicator.

On a solo outing a few days late, I caught 10 bluegill, seven speckled perch and four bass on nymphs. The specks were spawning in shallow water. if you caught one, you could expect more from that area.

John Kis and Jay Karol of New York had a good day in Palma Sola Bay. They totaled 50 trout to 19 inches, loads of ladyfish, a pompano, sugar trout, three Spanish mackerel to 5 pounds and a flounder. 

Most of the fish were caught on VuDu Shrimp. I also caught fish on a MirrOlure MirrOdine mini.

Majestic visitor on a Palma Sola Bay outing.

Ken Babineau, president of the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers, joined me for a trip to Lake Manatee. Despite low wind and overcast, we struggled to land only five bluegill and one bass. it was the slowed day I've experienced on Lake Manatee in years.

I fished Little Sarasota Bay around Vamo and caught 19 trout to 5 pounds, a 25-inch snook, flounder, jack crevalle and loads of big ladyfish on MirreOlure Lil Johns, topwater plugs and MirrOlure Mini MirrOdines.

The month was on the windy side. I'm hoping the wind calms down just a little for April!

APRIL FORECAST: I anticipate continue strong spotted seatrout action over deep grass. Night snook should come on strong around lighted docks. There also could be some decent tarpon action around docks, too!  Redfish are anyone's guess (as always). In fresh water, I look for bluegill, speckled perch, largemouth bass and channel catfish in Lake Manatee and the Manatee River.

Bookings are coming in for April, so available days are getting fewer. Give me a call (941-284-3406) or email me (steve@kayakfishingsarasota) to make sure you get the day(s) you want.

Steve Gibson

Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing

www.kayakfishingsarasota.com

941-284-3406

February produced the best trout action in years

Eric Porter of Colorado battles a Palma Sola Bay seatrout on fly rod.

It's  easy to sum up February's action here at Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing:

Trout.

No doubt February was the month of trout. In fact, the month proved to be the finest month of spotted seatrout action we've experienced in quite a while.

John Kis of New York brings another seatrout to the kayak.

The reason is fairly simple. Cooling water temperatures pushed the trout into deeper water which congregated them and made them easy to find -- and catch.

All of the success took place in Palma Sola Bay at a spot that I found several years ago during cold weather. It's a spot that you wouldn't normally associate with trout. In fact, in years past I might have paddled right by the location without giving it much of a thought.

However,  when I first started fishing there, I made a few casts and was surprised by some decent trout. It didn't take long for the proverbial light bulb to go on in my head. In the years since, my clients and I have caught several thousand trout there.

Repeat client John Kis of New York joined me on a beautiful day where the fishing matched the weather. We managed 40 trout to 22 inches and 10 flounder on VuDu Shrimp. Fish of the day was a 3-pound sheepshead that John caught. Sheepshead are common catches for those using artificial lures. They're most often caught on live bait.

I fished the area alone on a couple of occasions and did well on fly rod. Using Super Hair Clousers (chartreuse and white, olive and white) and Popovics' Jiggy, I caught a load of trout to 23 inches.

Veteran fly fisher John Garcia of California and I combined for 35 trout and a flounder on Clousers and Jiggys. The largest trout went 22 inches.

Another trip produced 85 trout to 21 inches and a load of ladyfish. Despite strong wind, another outing yielded 51 trout to 22 inches and a bunch of ladyfish.

Vinny Caruso and his grandson, Robbie Holland (both of Bradenton) had a great outing, combing for 140 trout to 22 inches, lots of ladyfish and a fine pompano. Robbie caught the pompano on a VuDu Shrimp. They also used MirrOlure Lil Johns on light jigs.

Repeat clients Eric Porter of Colorado and Jeff Porter of Oklahoma picked one of the windiest days of the year. We had to shorten the outing to 4 hours, but still landed 29 trout and a bunch of ladyfish on Clousers and Jiggys. The largest trout went 19 inches.

When fishing deep water, the trout bite has been extremely light. In fact, those waiting for an aggressive strike might not hook up often. I advise clients to "set" the hook if they sense anything different. It could feel like a slight drag on the line. The fly line might simply straighten out.

The hits have been very subtle and light when using fly rods.

For this action, we're using sinktip lines and 6-foot leaders. I have used a floating line, but because of the depth of water, I've lengthened my leader to 12 feet to get to the desired depth.

We've also been finding lots of trout and ladyfish in sand holes out on the flats of Palma Sola Bay. Because we usually encounter strong wind, we've been anchoring up  on grass patches in the holes and doing well. We remain anchored as long as we're catching fish. When the action slows, we move to another grass patch.

This strong trout action should continue through March.

MARCH FORECAST:  We expect excellent action on spotted seatrout throughout the upcoming month. The fish should stack up in channels and sand holes. They will be available for those fly fishing or using spinning rods. Redfish activity could crank up on the flats -- if the weather cooperates. We look for decent snook action around dock lights. Over deep grass, we look for spotted seatrout, ladyfish, jack crevalle, bluefish , Spanish mackerel and maybe a few pompano. In fresh water , Lake Manatee and the Manatee River should yield bluegill, speckled perch, channel catfish and largemouth bass.

I did a presentation on Freshwater Fly Fishing Opportunities in Florida at the February meeting of the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers. If you live in the area or are on an extended visit, you might want to check out this dedicated group of fly anglers. They meet on the fourth Wednesday of every month at the Sarasota  Garden Club, 1131 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota. Check out the MCFF website at www.mcff.club. 

March is typically a good month for fishing. Please book your trips early.

Steve Gibson

Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing

www.kayakfishingsarasota.com

941-284-3406

The wind blew, but the fly-fishing bite was stronger

The wind didn't prevent large spotted seatrout from taking a fly.

It was windy today.

Real windy.

Spotted seatrout are among salt water's prettiest fish.

So windy I was the only moron out fishing.

Most had sense enough to stay out of the wind.

To make things even worse, I was fly fishing. I took two fly rods out with me. I left the spinning gear at home.

Didn't make much sense since the wind was blowing out of the southeast at 22 miles per  hour, with gusts to 30.

But I launched my NuCanoe Pursuit and paddled almost directly into a stiff headwind. It took me a little longer than usual to reach my destination. Once there, I lowered the anchor, pulled it back to the stern and let the wind turn my kayak to the preferred direction.

First stop resulted in only one small ladyfish.

The Clouser Deep Minnow accounted for all fish.

I contemplated just calling it day, but decided to try one last spot before heading in. I paddled 100 yards south and anchored.

This time, I found spotted seatrout. I caught six in short order, and all were either in the slot (15 to 20 inches) or over. Largest trout of the outing was a plump 23-incher.

Not bad in such windy conditions.

I also added a small sugar trout before giving in to the conditions.

When it's windy, I find anchoring is the only way to go. You simply cannot present a fly and work it properly when you're on a wind-blown drift.

With my anchor trolley system, I can always face the desired direction simply by positioning my anchor properly.

It was tough working the fly even when anchored. The current was strong, and I was having to "mend" the line uptide in order to create a decent drift. That allowed me to work the fly slowly.

For this outing, I was using a 7-weight TFO TICRX fly rod with a sinktip line. Fly of choice was a chartreuse-and-white Clouser Deep Minnow, perhaps the best fly ever created for saltwater trout.

I landed six trout, but I'll bet I missed another half dozen. Plus, I had trout get off halfway back to the kayak.

Considering the conditions, I was quite pleased.

Quality ruled out over quantity on a day that simply was two windy except for mad dogs and me.

November produced good action in fresh and salt water

Dean Gillispie of Fairborn, Ohio battles a feisty Spanish mackerel, one of several fish he caught on the day.

November action started out very good in Sarasota Bay, with snook dominating the picture. Over a four-day period early in the month, we caught more than 50 snook to 27 inches on a variety of lures. Best producer was the mini MirrOlure MirrOdine (http://www.shopmirrolure.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=mirrodine&x=0&y=0 ).

A healthy Sarasota Bay pompano taken on a MirrOdine.

Fishing the flats around Buttonwood Harbor, we also caught a variety of fish, including spotted seatrout, redfish, flounder, mangrove snapper, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and pompano. Most of the fish were taken on MirrOdines, but we also caught them on Zara Spooks and MirrOlure Lil Johns on light jig heads.

My brother, Scott, and his friend Dean Gillispie of Fairborn, Ohio joined me for a day and had a great time. They had delivered a motor home to Bowling Green, Fla.,  and had a free day before flying north. The action wasn't great, but we tallied snook, redfish, spotted seatrout, mangrove snapper, flounder, Spanish mackerel and pompano.

Blake Young of Belingham, Wash., fished Buttonwood Harbor with me on a slow day. We noticed a lot of floating dead fish, some dying fish and fresh dead fish on the bottom. That can only mean the dreaded red tide, a pesky algae bloom that robs fish of their oxygen supply. We fished hard and caught spotted seatrout, flounder, mangrove snapper, ladyfish, jack crevalle and bluefish.

Blake is the owner of NuCanoe (www.nucanoe.com). I use both the NuCanoe Frontier and NuCanoe Pursuit, both great fishing boats and fantastic fly-fishing vessels.

Since that time, red tide has invaded the bay, virtually shutting fishing down along the west side.

Latest report is that the tide is gone, but I don't know what an effect it has had on fishing. I will get a closer look this week.

There are still plenty of fish around. We just switch areas and move to locations that don't have red tide.

November is usually a great month for freshwater fishing. We tested Lake Manatee on several days and did very well. Using light fly rods, we caught a variety of fish, including hand-sized bluegill, largemouth bass, shellcracker, stumpknocker, speckled perch and feisty channel catfish.

I usually start the day casting No. 10 popping bugs. I'll fish poppers until the action slows, then switch to No. 12 nymphs and No. 14 scuds. I've found that when the surface action slows, it's just beginning sub-surface.

I fish the nymphs and scuds under a strike indicator. I have used the "Thingamabobber" by WestWater Products (http://westwaterproducts.com/thingamabobber.html) for my strike indicator for several years and have found it works well. It's easy to attached, stays in place and will signal the lightest strike. I usually use the half-inch Thingamabobber. They come in assorted colors. I usually opt for the pink or orange because they're easy to see.

I was fortunate to be invited to fish Lake X with the NuCanoe Pro Staff and Blake Young. The lake is a former quarry that is no longer being worked. It's located east of Fort Myers. To get there, head east. When you come to a fork in the road, take it.

We all fly fished and caught plenty of bass. I totaled 20 on bass poppers, my Gibby's Bunny Worm and a pink-and-chartreuse Clouser. Most of my fish were small/

NuCanoe Pro Staffer Drei Stroman landed a four-pounder to take big fish honors.

It was a slow day, according to the fellas. Typically, they catch upward of 50 fish per person up to 6-7 pounds.

DECEMBER FORECAST: I look for improved redfish, snook and spotted seatrout action. Snook will be best after dark around lighted docks. Redfish will be on the flats. Trout will cooperate over deep grass. In addition, December usually is very good for pompano, bluefish and Spanish mackerel in 4 to 8 feet of water over grass. We usually begin heading to The Everglades in late December to fly fish for oscar, Mayan cichlid and native freshwater species. The action usually heats up about the third week of the month.

Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing offers gift certificates. They're great for Christmas. Let us know and we can get them to you in plenty of time to place under the tree.

December kicks off the busy season. If you're planning a trip, please let us know as early as possible so that we can assure you a date.

Happy Holidays!

Steve Gibson

Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing

www.kayakfishingsarasota.com

941-284-3406

Night fishing produced snook, tarpon, seatrout and beat the July heat

If July wasn't the hottest month I've experienced in Florida, it certainly had to be among the warmest.

Snook hang out around dock lights and often are easy fly-rod targets.

With that in mind, we switched gears a little and got out on many occasions a couple of hours before sunrise in order to avoid the heat and get in on some fine fly fishing.

We've got launches on both sides of Sarasota Bay near lighted docks. That's where snook, tarpon, spotted seatrout, lookdown and occasionally redfish like to hang out.

Dock lights attract small baitfish and shrimp. Those critters attract predator fish.

For this type of fishing, I've found the best action usually takes place on the stronger outgoing tides. If that's not possible, then I'm satisfied as long as the tide is moving decently.

I take a couple of 7- or 8-weight fly rods, loaded with full floating lines and 9- to 10-foot fluorocarbon leaders (20-pound test). My fly of choice is my Gibby's Snook Shrimp, a pattern that has proven to be very effective for night action.

One of the neat things about fishing from a kayak is that you can get pretty close to the fish. That, in effect, eliminates the need for long casts.

When I get to a dock that I want to fish, I'll figure out which way I'm going to drift and position the kayak. I prefer my kayak to drift with the bow pointing toward the target.

I recently obtained my first NuCanoe Pursuit, a kayak that perfectly suited for night fly fishing. The cockpit is open and uncluttered. In addition, the Pursuit drifts true and isn't affected by wind as much as other brands of kayaks.

As I'm getting ready to fish, I'll pull 10-12 strips of line off the reel, placing them in the cockpit in front of my feet. That's plenty of line if you position your kayak no more than 20-25 feet from your target.

When I'm drifting, I place the paddle across my lap. That makes it easy to make a bow adjustment if needed. I can simply dip the left or right blade in the water to fine tune my bow.

With only 20 feet or line out and being so close to my target, false casting is virtually eliminated. All I have to do is pick my line up on the back cast and lay it down on the forward. I see too many anglers false casting four, five and six times.

The speed of retrieve varies. I've found the best technique is to simply let the fish tell you. Begin with  medium speed and adjust accordingly.

Another key is to watch your fly. Sometimes, snook, tarpon and other species will follow it almost to the kayak. I've had fish take the fly within five feet of the boat. I've seen anglers lift their fly from the water to make another cast while a fish was frantically trying to eat it!

Most lights -- whether above or below the water -- light up the area in a circle. While you'll see many fish in the light, it's not wise to cast right in the middle. I begin by working the edges and into the shadow line. You can work your way toward the middle as you go. If you chance a cast to the middle early on, you risk spooking a majority of the fish.

It's good if you have multiple docks. When you hook a fish or the action slows, you can move to another. You can always return to a hot dock. Things usually will return to normal in about 10 minutes.

The biggest problem I've found is keeping a determined snook from taking you under a dock or around pilings. When I hook a fish, the first thing I do is try to prevent it from running under the dock or around a piling. And, if I'm able, I will hold the rod with one hand and paddle backwards away from the structure. I'm way ahead of the game if I can get the fish out into open water.

I've perfected a method of one-handed paddling. It takes some getting used to, but is very helpful in these situations. I'll usually hold the rod in my right hand and paddle with my left. The method consists of putting the paddle shaft through a triangle created by placing my right elbow on my right knee.  It takes practice, but it works beautifully.

We've done pretty well on tarpon this summer. These are smaller fish, averaging about 10-12 pounds. They put on quite an aerial show. Luckily, tarpon prefer to do their battle away from the docks.

Snook are another matter. Their first move usually is to get back under the dock or around pilings.

You've got to prevent them from doing so if you don't want to lose your fly or leader. Put the pressure on them! What do you have to lose?

I've been successful in landing snook to slightly more than 30 inches. I've seen snook which I'd estimate at 35 inches or longer.

A fly-fishing Super Slam (snook, tarpon, seatrout, redfish) is possible. It's pretty rare, but can be done. It's fairly common to get the snook, tarpon and seatrout around the docks. On occasion we'll get reds in the dock lights, too. I've had a couple of clients fall one species short this year.

Most often, however, you'll have to get one or more species after the sun comes up. I'll usually paddle to nearby flats.

I got a Super Slam on a recent trip, but my redfish and trout came on spinning tackle.

I spent a few days in July fishing local fresh water. I fished Lake Manatee one day and did fair. I caught and released several bluegill and one hefty channel catfish on my Myakka Minnow.

I also fished Webb Lake south of Punta Gorda and caught a number of bedding bluegill on Myakka Minnows.

Pro fly-fisher Joe Mahler of Fort Myers joined my for a day on the Manatee River. Our goal was to target channel catfish on fly. It was slow, but we each landed channel cats.

Matt Sheffer of Muskegon, Mich., and his son, Noel, joined me for a morning off Stephens Point in Sarasota Bay. They were in town for the annual AAU National Baseball Tournament. The action was fair and we caught spotted seatrout, ladyfish, mangrove snapper, flounder and a snook on D.O.A. CAL Jigs with paddle tails, MirrOlure MirrOdines and D.O.A. Deadly Combinations.

I spent three days in Orlando at ICAST, the sportfishing industry's annual trade show. I worked the NuCanoe booth. NuCanoe was showing its newest kayak -- the Pursuit. It's a great fishing kayak and especially a great platform for fly fishing. Check it out at http://www.nucanoe.com/pursuit-fishing-kayak/.

I expect August to be a carbon copy of July. One difference, however, is we'll find schools of redfish on the flats. They school up in late summer in preparation for their  spawning run into the Gulf of Mexico. If you can find a school, you're almost guaranteed a hookup! Trout action will be fair over the deeper grass, along with ladyfish, jack crevalle and mangrove snapper. The best action be snook and tarpon around lighted docks at night. Of course, beach snook fishing is expected to be good was the weather settles and we get easterly wind.

If you want to book a trip or have any questions, please call me at 941-284-3406 or email me at steve@kayakfishingsarasota.com.

Steve Gibson

Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing

www.kayakfishingsarasota.com

941-284-3406

February was gator trout month around Sarasota Bay

Dick Combs of Bartow, Fla., shows off one of the many 'gator' trout caught by Southern Drawl clients in February.

February was gator trout month around Sarasota Bay. Southern Drawl Kayak

Fishing clients caught a number of spotted seatrout to 25 inches or more.

Steve Coates had a good outing on Sarasota Bay. We totaled 30 trout to 5 pounds, 2 flounder and a pompano on MirrOlure MirrOdines and D.O.A. CAL Jigs with gold and copper crush paddle tails. Most of the fish came just south of Whale Key on the edge of a grass flat.

Fly fisher Dick Badman of Pennsylvania did well in the same area. We caught and released 30 trout from 2 to 5 pounds on Clouser Deep Minnows, MirrOlure MirrOdines and CAL Jigs. We also managed flounder and ladyfish.

Bill Koenemann of Fort Wayne, Ind., fished the same area with good results. We totaled 30 spotted seatrout to 6 pounds on MirrOdines worked along grass edges.

Jon Freyer of Ludington, Mich., had a fine trip. He landed four redfish to 28 inches, trout to 5 pounds and flounder. In addition, we caught pompano and ladyfish. Most of the fish came on D.O.A. 4-inch jerk worms on 1/16-ounce jigs head and CAL Jigs with gold or copper crush paddle tails.

Dick Badman joined me again and did fair. The action slowed down somewhat. Dick landed a number of spotted seatrout on Clouser Deep Minnows.

Daulton Roberts of Enid, Okla., a fly-fishing guide in Arkansas, had a good day, catching trout to 17 inches, flounder and pompano on Clouser Deep Minnows.

Wade Collier of Longboat Key had a monumental day, catching his largest seatrout (5 pounds) and largest flounder (22 inches) on MirrOdines and CAL Jigs.

Dick Combs of Bartow, Fla., landed five trout of more than 24 inches on MirrOdines, plus a plethora of smaller fish.

We also had a couple of trips to the Peace River. Dave Robinson of Sarasota caught snook to 26 inches, bass and gar on topwater plugs and jigs. On another trip, we landed snook to 30 inches, bass, gar and small redfish on topwater plugs and jigs.

We anticipate the large trout continuing to cooperate and will target them over the next month. In addition, we look for bluefish and Spanish mackerel to show up.

Beach snook season is fast approaching. The action should heat up in May and continue through August as snook to more than 20 pounds can be found in the surf.

The folks from Native Watercraft were in town and accompanied me on a trip on Sarasota Bay. They videoed the outing and produced a short clip on kayak fishing. Take a look at http://www.nativewatercraft.com/video.cfm?id=78

We’re happy to announce that we’ve been added to the Pro Staff at Aqua-Bound Paddles. We really appreciate Aqua-Bound’s support.

Please visit www.aquabound.com to view their selection of great kayak paddles. For those who reside in Sarasota, you may purchase Aqua-Bound Paddles at Economy Tackle, 5018 S. Tamiami Trail.

As always, we would like to thank our sponsors: Native Watercraft, D.O.A. Lures, Peak Fishing, Aqua-Bound Paddles and Go Fish! Sportsmans Sunscreen.

Steve Gibson


Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing

www.kayakfishingsarasota.com

(941) 284-3406