04-23-2001, 03:50 PM
Capt. Kevin Chamberlain<br> <br>The cold front that pushed through last week was a shocker for area anglers. If it's the last one of the season, I'm fairly positive you'll here no complaints. While we arrived at the docks in winter gear, anglers from the northeast, midwest and beyond were sporting shorts and sunscreen, just happy to be here and looking forward to time on the water.<br> <br>Slow tides and high winds made for a few tough days, but there was plenty of action. Redfish to 25 inches, snook to 24 inches and trout to 22 were all landed and released on Sarasota area flats. The deeper grass flats from Sarasota to Terra Ceia Bay have also been holding good numbers and variety. The trout there have been monsters, even the smaller ones have been feeding up. Silver trout, flounder, jack cravalle and ladyfish have been everywhere.<br> <br>Charlie Mahoney and Bob Cronin from Eastham, MA, joined me in Sarasota for a windy morning of trout fishing. Along with speckled trout, they caught silver trout, ladyfish and a 2 pound gag grouper. On the last cast of the morning, Bob found himself attached to an 18 pound cobia, on 8 pound gear, that finally conceded after a 40 minute battle. Look for them, their grins, and other catches on the photo pages of the website in the next week or two. <br> <br>The big news though, is tarpon. They're showing up as far north as Tampa Bay. There have even been a few jumped in Sarasota Bay, and Pine Island Sound was reportedly thick with them last week. The front may have pushed them out for a while, but it won't be long before they're here in big numbers, for their annual rituals. Stay tuned!<br> <br>Thanks,<br>Capt. Kevin<br> <br>To see photos from recent trips, click on http://www.flatsangler.com below.<br><br><br>