Sarasota fishing report Capt Jim Klopfer 1/29/2012

Fishing was steady, though not spectacular, before the front that passed through on Friday. The deep flats from Big Pass north; Marker # 5, Radio Tower, Middlegrounds, Moorings, and Stephen's Pt., were the best spots. Speckled trout and ladyfish were caught in decent numbers on gold D.O.A. jigs and live shrimp along with the occasional pompano and Spanish mackerel. I fished on Saturday with fly angler Steve Dow from Boston, MA and his father-in-law Todd Stitzer. Post front conditions (15-20 knot winds out of the NW and dirty water near the passes) dictated that we stay in Little Sarasota Bay. We caught speckled trout to 16" and ladyfish on chartreuse/white Clouser Minnows and jigs at Spanish Pt. and Hidden Harbor. Unseasonably warm weather has the water temperatures higher than normal. Snook fishing in the creeks and rivers has been a tad slow, but bass and bream action has been quite good. The Myakka River is producing bass to 3 pounds and bluegill to 10" on black Beetlespins, D.O.A. jerk baits, and Rapala X-Raps.{%image_id=24536%}