Tampa Bay to Sarasota, FLORIDA

      Well, I hate to claim that I'm a fortuneteller but I said in my last report that things are fixing to explode. I think it would be fair to say they have. Snook season has opened with a bang, just in time for them too really go on the feed. Unseasonable water temps have given us a stable water temp on the flats above 70 degrees and this has really set-up a good bite. Snook have been my main target and I have little reason to look for much else. We have been consistently catching between 20 and 40 per day with a few nice size ones up to fifteen pounds. This of course does not include the few that broke the line and we never got to see. My light tackle fisherman have been having a ball watching the snook explode on the surface in the shallow clear water, running, darting and jumping in water that at times may only be a foot and a half deep. The fly guys have also faired well this week, the largest fish boated on the fly was about 9 pounds, not a monster but a nice fish from a skinny flat. Though the fly fisherman are working harder for their fish a descent caster has a near hundred percent chance of doing battle with a snook. On a good day with conditions like they are a decent fly caster may do battle with 10 or more fish. This will only get better as the month progresses. Although we did have a good winter this year I'm glad to see an early spring, it makes my job as a fishing guide so much easier when the fish are willing to cooperate.

As for other fish we have been catching a few redfish as well as quite a few trout. Most of the redfish are 20 to 24 inches, which makes for good eating size if you would like some meat to take home. The trout have been very consistent as well. Most of them are keeper size ranging form 16 to 20 inches, no real monsters but they're easy to catch and great to eat.

I know one of the big questions on everybody's mind is, "have I caught a tarpon yet". I know I mentioned in my last report I was fixing to give them a try. It's not that I don't think they're out there, I'm not positive that they will feed with any consistency yet. Give it another couple weeks. We just had this cold snap move in and that may delay them a bit. I don't think it is going to slow the flats fishing down, it seemed to stabilize it. The water temp is no longer teetering on not quite warm enough. It would take several days of cold weather to slow down what we have going on now. You never know though it is the beginning of February.

Overall I am looking forward to some good February fishing. This is a great time for someone who really enjoys classic flats fishing in shallow clear water.

Good luck on the water! Captain Matt Ercoli

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