# Fishing in Sarasota and Bradenton area



## bentley faulkner (May 6, 2016)

okay so next week I will be in the Sarasota/Bradenton area for 4 days and hopefully I can fish some. I won't have a boat so is there any beach fishing in that area. Also if anyone knows where I could do some peacock bass fishing that would be awesome.


----------



## bananabob (Jun 3, 2015)

Well, I wish I could answer your questions but I too will be in AMI next week boatless. Snook in the surf are likely with small white baitfish flies. Early before beach goers get there. And of course find a bait and tackle shop of course for local knowledge.


----------



## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

I was at the south end of St. Pete beach last weekend. There were tons of snook cruising the beach in knee deep water. They were chasing small bait, which was everywhere. Walk the beaches early in the morning and look for them in the trough.


----------



## bentley faulkner (May 6, 2016)

Defiantly will try fishing st. Pete beach thanks DBStoots


----------



## bentley faulkner (May 6, 2016)

Actually hotel just got moved anyone know about fishing siesta key??


----------



## bw510 (Sep 1, 2011)

bentley faulkner said:


> Actually hotel just got moved anyone know about fishing siesta key??


Any beach in the area will be your best bet on foot


----------



## duppyzafari (Jul 9, 2015)

Point of Rocks on Siesta always has fish - the beach should have snook in decent numbers. Don't drive up to St Pete - Nokomis public beach just south of Sarasota will give you more fish with a far shorter drive. 

Steve Gibson's beach snook blog post can be found easily with a Google search and tell you everything you need to know about targeting them. 

The best fly shop in SRQ is a very short drive from Siesta - it's called "The Compound". They're having a Free Fly Tying night this Thursday from 7-9 focusing on Beach Snook Patterns, so check it out if you're here, by then. All materials provided, just show up!


----------



## Blue Zone (Oct 22, 2011)

bentley faulkner said:


> okay so next week I will be in the Sarasota/Bradenton area for 4 days and hopefully I can fish some. I won't have a boat so is there any beach fishing in that area. Also if anyone knows where I could do some peacock bass fishing that would be awesome.


Sent you a pm on where to go...


----------



## bentley faulkner (May 6, 2016)

Duppyzafari I might have to come to that if I'm available then sounds pretty cool. I fish fished the south end of turtle beach, saw a bunch of snook they were all extremely skidish and just wouldn't take a fly


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Anyone walking the beaches around Sand Key lately? I have some friends with a condo down there and have thought about making the trek down very early in the AM to creep on some snook...


----------



## duppyzafari (Jul 9, 2015)

bentley faulkner said:


> Duppyzafari I might have to come to that if I'm available then sounds pretty cool. I fish fished the south end of turtle beach, saw a bunch of snook they were all extremely skidish and just wouldn't take a fly


Snook can be so RUDE!!!!

Definitely come out to Compound tomorrow. It should be tremendous fun.


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

duppyzafari said:


> Snook can be so RUDE!!!!


Tarpon seem more likely to eat a fly placed in their face than snook are...at least in my brief experience.


----------



## bentley faulkner (May 6, 2016)

Zach, fly tying night at the compound was awesome and I got to meet a lot of cool people. Thanks for the invite and the stickers


----------



## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

crboggs said:


> *my brief experience*.


That is the key phrase! To over come that obstacle, it takes more "experience" going out and trying for them until you get it all dialed in. That's what us guys had to do back in the day to be successful at it. Trust me when I say it's worth it (even if you're just out there and not catching anything) and the payoff is good. I've caught waaay more snook on fly this year than I deserve!

Also, you can't compare tarpon to snook, especially Keys tarpon to the tarpon we have up here around here. Know this, It's about 10 to 20 times harder to get a tarpon to eat a fly up here in West Central Florida than it is in the Keys and believe me when I say those flies down in the Keys don't work up here, only just a select few, which are not the best of options here. That's been my experience! 

Juvenal tarpon is another thing tho.....


----------



## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

duppyzafari said:


> Snook can be so RUDE!!!!
> 
> Definitely come out to Compound tomorrow. It should be tremendous fun.


You just gotta know how to work it! 


Pssst... Duppyfly.... look what I got early yesterday morning !


----------



## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Backwater said:


> That is the key phrase! To over come that obstacle, it takes more "experience" going out and trying for them until you get it all dialed in. That's what us guys had to do back in the day to be successful at it.


Absolutely. I've only been fly fishing for a few years, so I'm still learning how the seasons affect the different species.

But trust me...I'm paying my dues. I have the burns, callouses, and muscle pains to prove it. *lol*

I went out looking for juvi poons on the SUP last weekend with the 6wt and light leader, small flies.

Of course THAT is when the snook come out to play...


----------



## bananabob (Jun 3, 2015)

After three days and many different small white flies I finally caught a small one right before packing up to come home. Strange thing was I didn't see any snook early the first two mornings but they were all over place after 11:00 when the beach was loaded with swimmers. Only had four or five follows and two hits casting to more than 50 fish and multiple casts to some after switching flies while following them down the beach. Watched one well over slot swim 6 feet from a swimmer only 25 ft from shore.
But that's snook fishing.


----------



## duppyzafari (Jul 9, 2015)

Backwater said:


> You just gotta know how to work it!
> 
> 
> Pssst... Duppyfly.... look what I got early yesterday morning !


Niiiiiice! I got one from the yak, this morning. 

I fought a big red on the lights for about 15 minutes - the Juvy poon was done in about 15 seconds. 

Wild


----------



## duppyzafari (Jul 9, 2015)

bentley faulkner said:


> Zach, fly tying night at the compound was awesome and I got to meet a lot of cool people. Thanks for the invite and the stickers


Thanks for coming out buddy! So nice to meet you!


----------



## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

duppyzafari said:


> Niiiiiice! I got one from the yak, this morning.
> 
> I fought a big red on the lights for about 15 minutes - the Juvy poon was done in about 15 seconds.
> 
> Wild


Cool. Once you find a light that you catch a red off of, for some reason, they will keep going to that one light. The micro tarpon can give up quick. This one was not caught on a light but in the dark on a bridge in deep water. It went about 15lbs (pics didn't do it any justice) and it thought it was older! So it was a good fight on an 8wt. It took a snook fly!

Btw, I went with SLewis Rods! He also caught some good snook on fly. That was his Nautilus and Sage One 8wt that I caught that poonette on. He's got a sweet side console BT with a 60 Zuke that we ran hard in big open water in search of big poons. Very nice ride indeed! The big fish are definitely scattering out by now.


----------



## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

bananabob said:


> After three days and many different small white flies I finally caught a small one right before packing up to come home. Strange thing was I didn't see any snook early the first two mornings but they were all over place after 11:00 when the beach was loaded with swimmers. Only had four or five follows and two hits casting to more than 50 fish and multiple casts to some after switching flies while following them down the beach. Watched one well over slot swim 6 feet from a swimmer only 25 ft from shore.
> But that's snook fishing.





duppyzafari said:


> Snook can be so RUDE!!!!


The trick is to find them first thing in the morning. That's when they are more likely to eat. By the time the swimmers are out around 11:00, they are done, tho you see them everywhere. Heck I've went in with a mask during that time when they are in and around the swimmers and have literally pet some of the big breeder females up to in the 20lb class (I have a warped obsession for snook, Ha!). The "however" is you happen to be there during a major bite cycle during a peak solunar period, coupled with some moving water (tide) and they get turned on, especially is bait schools are sweeping down the beach. Then you may have a window during the mid day where they will eat. But everything has to be aligned before that happens. 

Otherwise, stick to mornings where you have peak bite tables/ solunar tables during the early morning near some moving water on beaches closer to the passes within a mile or two. If the moon hasn't set yet in the morning, that's prime, as well as tides being on the higher side but moving. You can almost pick your days to go before even going, just by watching how everything aligns. Same thing in the evenings, when those things align up and after a hard afternoon rain when things calm back down and slicks off, lots of color in the sky, they will turn on.

Ted Haas


----------



## Guest (Jul 25, 2016)

duppyzafari said:


> Snook can be so RUDE!!!!
> 
> Definitely come out to Compound tomorrow. It should be tremendous fun.


Where is this Compound fly shop located. Up till now hadn't heard of it in the area.


----------



## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

trailblazerEXT said:


> Where is this Compound fly shop located. Up till now hadn't heard of it in the area.


Up in Sarasota from you (Clark Rd.).


----------



## duppyzafari (Jul 9, 2015)

trailblazerEXT said:


> Where is this Compound fly shop located. Up till now hadn't heard of it in the area.


Ted's correct - it's on Clark between 41 and 75. 

Best fly shop in the area, bar none. The owner, Jacob, is a passionate and accomplished fly angler, and the entire staff is warm and friendly. The vibe of the shop is so positive, and they really do a lot to support the fly fishing community. Regular FREE Fly Tying nights, comprehensively stocked with a full range of quality gear, large material selection, and again - A1 tip top customer service.


----------



## Guest (Jul 27, 2016)

Backwater said:


> Up in Sarasota from you (Clark Rd.).


Last fly shop up off Clark Road was Angler's Image. Haven't seen any signs last few times driving into Sarasota nor any local advertising for an address.


----------



## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

trailblazerEXT said:


> Last fly shop up off Clark Road was Angler's Image. Haven't seen any signs last few times driving into Sarasota nor any local advertising for an address.


It's a different world these days advertising with intsagram, facebook and the like. Lord knows how we even traveled without GPS's, especially places not on the beaten trail and off the radar! 

http://www.compoundboardshop.com/


----------



## Jfack (Nov 2, 2014)

I'll third everyone else and say I highly recommend going there. great customer service! I go out of my way to spend my money there rather than ordering online.


----------



## Guest (Aug 3, 2016)

Backwater said:


> It's a different world these days advertising with intsagram, facebook and the like. Lord knows how we even traveled without GPS's, especially places not on the beaten trail and off the radar!
> 
> http://www.compoundboardshop.com/


Thanks for the media link but had Binged it & then realized have driven by that strip mall hundreds of times over the years. Too busy watching the road while thinking it was just a surf shop.


----------

