Sarasota Bay?

[trout slim]

I'll be in the Tampa area in March and have access to a skiff on Sarasota Bay. I'm itching to break in the new 9wt and was looking for the low down on fly fishing the Bay. Spots to fish, flies to use, tide & time. Any advice greatly appreciated!:rotfl:

[Jah Live!]

Snook, trout and reds should be plentiful in the intercoastals and canals. Target snook early morning or evening around lighted boat docks and bridges. You should find reds and trout in the dropoffs and potholes of grass flats on moving tides. The colder it is, the deeper the fish...usually.

Watch for birds dive bombing schools of minnows and chase them if you can. A trolling motor would serve you well. Try and sight fish slowly, and keep the blind casting to a minimum...you won't wear yourself out in an hour casting. I'd take a medium spinning rig as a backup, in case the winds are up.

If you have a cast net and live well, chum up some greenbacks or pilchards with an oatleal textured mixture of wet catfood and dried bread. Every so often, grab a handfull of minnows, squeeze them to injure them, and throw them along the docks and mangrove edges. As the minnows flutter around, they attract fish. When a fish eats the minnow, throw your fly to it and hold on. Any greenback imitation fly should work, size #2.


Good Luck!

Jah Live!