Being sick and tired of catching nothing at the jetty, I did the kayak thing 3 days in a row. Thurs. and Sat. were early days on Sarasota Bay.
Harry, Jacques and I started our day on the water at 5:45 am, both days.
Friday, I went to Lemon Bay for a change. { shoulda got a pizza! } NO FISH to bring home. A dozen or so short trout was all I could muster.
Thursday , Jacques and Harry each collected a 3 foot shark. I wasn't close enough to see what kind.
Harry landed the 25 incher before daylight and my 23 incher came aboard the kayyak just after daylight.
In between and afterward, we both boated a total of 6 trout, all about 18"-20". I managed a small flounder and 2 sea bass on Thurs.
Saturday, I kept one 23 incher and between Harry and I, we ended up with 6 keeper trout and I also kept a flounder and 5 sea bass, and released 2- 12" jacks..
Boy, were they delicious tonight !

Next Friday, we have plans to return to try for sea bass.
Oh, in case y'all are wondering what lure we all used, it was a red 1/4 oz. jig head with a watermelon super fluke Zoom bait for me and Harry used some form of Gulp bait.

Bill

Dang those are some thick trout! I've never eaten black sea bass...they're tasty?

Great job Bill! I hear great things about that fluke lure.

Seabass is probably one of the tastiest fish. They're small....so cook it whole. The skin fries up real nice...and the meat is a moist white flesh. They're related to grouper I think.
DavidT wrote:

It's too bad they're so small. A 12 inch one is big. But, BOY, are they good.
Man, I'd like to get some about 18"!
They really put up a good fight , too, for a smaller fish.