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Sarasota
    Well here we are the first day of July and it seems like summer has been here for a solid month now, with temps. in the 90's just about every day unless it is raining, and the first hurricane of the season. However, the fishing is still good. As for the inshore there are reds around in different places and the trips that I have stayed inshore on have produced limits of trout and red fish just about every time. The reds are spotty and some days we get on a really good bite and end up catching 20 or 30 and other days we get our limit and that is about it. As for the snook, they are on the beaches, as well as, around the passes and all the fish are there so you don't know if the next one will be 20" or 40". The tarpon have been all over the place and with this last full moon along with the weather they have vanished on us but should show back up as soon as they are done with their spawn. This usually only takes a few days and when they show back up they usually bite with a vengeance to say the least. It really can be the best bite of the season, it is just hard to predict when they will show back up.
The off shore and near shore fishing has been where it is at. For what ever reason the gag grouper never went deep this year and for the most part all the gags I have been catching have been within 7 miles from the beach. It is strange to say the least, but what has been normal this year? When we head out to deep water the bite is almost unstoppable with limits of nice red snapper and some really nice size red grouper. While we are out there I have been hitting a few different spots for those big AJ's and have been catching as many as my guy's have wanted and we usually get at least one in the 50 to 60 lb. range. Dolphin have also been pretty consistent and we have seen them on just about every trip out. The weird thing is one day we will kill them and the next can't get one to bite to save our lives. I have tried everything under the sun on these days but it doesn't seem to make a difference. The other big thing is the mangrove snapper have been nuts now that the small bait is big enough to catch and chum them up with. It is hard to get these fish going good on big baits even if you cut the shiners into the smallest pieces you can they still get full before we get our limit. We don't have this problem with the small bait and they love it. It is like snapper candy and they can't turn it down. We have also been getting some cobia randomly when sitting on snapper around wrecks and structure. As I chum the water for the snapper it also brings other fish to the dinner table and a lot of times it is cobia. We have had them from 25" all the way up to 50 lb. and all sizes in between. It has been almost impossible to get out to far though over the past week with this crazy weather we have been having. But we are still catching the gags and mangrove snapper in close and that makes it nice for the days we can't get out deep or when I have guy's that don't want to go out that far. I have also been seeing school after school of Spanish mackerel out there as well. On the calm days it seems like you run for miles heading out deep and it is one school after another. The Spanish are all different sizes so if you stop at one school and they are small then just move to another one and chances are they will be bigger ones. To be honest there is a lot going on out there right now and it almost seems like a lot of the fish are still here as if they are staying away from the oil to the north. Speaking of that, I have had email after phone call asking about the oil and if it has made it here. All I can say is that I have been out 38 miles and haven't seen any signs of it. We should be safe here at least for a while as the loop current is out about 180 miles off shore from here. As you all well know we can't believe what the media is saying because BP seems to be lying about the whole thing to begin with. It is really a shame that our own government hasn't stepped in more to stop this. As of now the well has been gushing oil into the Gulf for 72 days and it seems like everything they are trying to do is months away. I don't understand it any more than anyone else but I do know that our fishing hasn't been affected by this at all. If anything it has kept fish here that should have already been gone to the north. Remember that red snapper will close soon so if you were wanting to get out to catch some of the best tasting fish in the ocean then give me a call or shoot me an email and lets get your day set up. I hope you have enjoyed this report and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Until next time.

Sincerely,

Capt. Shawn Crawford
941-747-3856
www.captainshawn.com

Boat Name: Andros 26' Tarpon
Boat Equipment: Capt. Shawn has been in the buisness long enough to have some top name promoters so you can rest knowing you will be using the best equipment available like Shimano, Power Pro, Suzuki, Costa Del Mar, and many more.

About Us!
Capt. Shawn Crawford is a fifth generation native and has been guideing in these waters for over 15 years full time. Capt. Shawn offers everything from nearshore to back country trips for just about everything that swims. Make sure to only book with a 100% full time guide for your next fishing adventure. We can fish 1-4 people per boat and can set up multipul boats if needed. We can provide accomadations for one person to as many as you have in your party. We also have gift certificates for that special someone for their birthday, Christmas, or for whatever reason. Check out photos and compare for yourself.