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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 16
Registered: 8-2003
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 01, 2003 - 1:59 pm: | |
Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 11/24 through 12/1/2003
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action with reds, trout, snook, flounder and Spanish mackerel early last week. We scored with both fly and spin tackle. Trout accounted for most of the action, but several nice reds and snook were also caught and released.
Fly angler, Mike Delaney from Sammamish, WA, fished Sarasota Bay with me last Monday. With a negative low tide, we waded the flats and cast Clousers into potholes for reds, trout and snook. It wasn’t going on for us in shallow water, so we dropped out to deeper water in the boat where Mike caught and released numerous trout and several Spanish mackerel on Clouser flies. We were also cut off several times by bluefish or Spanish mackerel. The best action was on deep grass flats off Buttonwood Harbor, Bishop Point and near Longboat Key Moorings.
Dave and Carol Polmon, from Southbury, CT, joined me for a Sarasota Bay trip on Tuesday. They started strong with several reds to 24”, a 24” snook, several trout and a flounder on CAL jigs with shad tails near Tidy Island. During the afternoon, we fished deeper grass flats from Buttonwood Harbor to south of Bishop Point where they caught and released numerous trout to 21” on the same lures.
I spent the rest of the week visiting family in Delaware for the Thanksgiving holiday. A planned trip to fly fish for stripers in the Chesapeake Bay had to be cancelled due to a front, which made it windy and then cold. Next week’s tides should be favorable for flats fishing or snook at night.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 15
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 23, 2003 - 4:49 am: | |
Southwest Florida Fishing Report for 11/17 through 11/23/2003
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released snook, redfish and trout during the past week. The best action was on the flats of north Sarasota Bay with reds and trout.
Randy Goodis and his dad, Bobby Goodis, both from the Miami area, joined me for a snook trip near Venice on Monday evening. The tide was slow and the bite was also slow. There were plenty of snook in most dock lights and around the bridges, but they were not feeding very aggressively. They connected with several snook to 24” on DOA shrimp from the Venice Inlet to Blackburn Point.
I went on a scouting mission with a friend in lower Tampa Bay on Tuesday to check the area out for a trip later in the week. We waded sand bars from the mouth of the Manatee River to north of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge with the goal of sight casting to redfish. We only had a few shots at redfish. However, I did catch and release a 6-pound red on a pink/white Clouser fly, blind casting to a grass/sand seam on a sand bar. I also caught and released a jack crevalle out of a school of mullet.
A front passed through our area on Wednesday with brisk winds and dropped our water temperatures into the high 60’s.Steve Heisler, from Bradenton, FL and Andrew Stiles, from Richmond, VA, fished with me on Friday. We fished from Tidy Island in north Sarasota Bay to the Terra Ceia Bay area. The best action was near Tidy Island, where we caught and released 6 reds and missed a couple of others on CAL jigs with Cotee Chubby Grubs. They also caught and released numerous trout to 18” on the same lures near Terra Ceia Bay.
We held another successful fly casting school on Saturday morning at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters. If you’ve ever considered getting involved with the sport, this is a great way to start. We provide the use of Orvis fly tackle in the all day course. We have recently been approved as an Orvis Endorsed fly casting school. Our next school is scheduled for January 17, 2004. Our next school is scheduled for January 17, 2004 and we will have a school each month through April. You can contact me or CB's Saltwater Outfitters for details or to sign up.
Next week’s negative low tides should be great for reds, snook and trout in potholes. Also, the recent cold front, which dropped water temperatures below 70 degrees, should fire up the coastal gulf fishing for little tunny.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 14
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 17, 2003 - 7:45 am: | |
Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 11/9 through 11/17/2003
Spin and fly anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past week. Snook, redfish, trout, bluefish and Spanish mackerel were caught and released in Sarasota Bay and the coastal gulf waters. Strong north winds as fronts approached forced me to cancel a couple of days
Fly angler, John Dorazio from Princeton, NJ, fished a pre dawn trip in Sarasota Bay with me last Sunday. We fished lighted docks near Big Pass before daylight to catch several snook to 24” and a redfish on Grassett’s Grass Minnow and Enrico Puglisi Bay Anchovy flies. After daylight, we fished docks in Roberts Bay where John landed 2 more snook on Clouser flies. We spent the rest of our trip fishing deep grass flats near Marina Jack and at the Radio Tower flat, where John caught and released more than a dozen trout to 18” on Clouser flies.
Cliff Ondercin and Brie Willet, both from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday and had a good day. We searched the coastal gulf waters off Longboat Pass early in the morning and found breaking little tunny just outside the pass, however they were moving so fast we couldn’t get a good shot at them. We moved to the flats near Cortez where they caught and released 3 snook to 28”, 3 reds to 24” and a couple of flounder on CAL jigs with Exude slugs and a chartreuse/white Clouser fly.
Will Booth, from Los Angeles, CA, and his brother, Dan Booth from Cockeysville, MD, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. We fished deep grass flats near Big Pass where they caught and released more than 20 trout to 17” on CAL jigs with shad tails. We briefly fished an artificial reef in the gulf off Lido Beach and caught 1 ½ Spanish mackerel. A large mackerel was cut in half by a ‘cuda or a shark. Since there wasn’t much surface activity, so we opted to head back into Sarasota Bay where they caught and released a small red and 6 bluefish to 4-pounds on CAL jigs and MirrOlure top water plugs near Buttonwood Harbor.
Steve Meyer, from Sarasota, FL, and Ron Ciani, from Cape Coral, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday. It was a beautiful morning with a light east wind, but fish were not feeding early in the day. We fished a couple of deep grass flats near New Pass and caught only a few trout. We decided to take a look for Spanish mackerel and little tunny in the coastal gulf waters, but there wasn’t any surface activity for them to cast their lures or flies to so we headed back into Sarasota Bay. With a rapidly falling tide, I decided to work potholes near Tidy Island looking for reds and snook. They finished strong with 3 reds to 24”, a 25” snook, a 23” Spanish mackerel and a flounder. Ron caught his first red on a fly, a chartreuse/white Clouser. Most of the other fish were caught on CAL jigs with Cotee Chubby Grubs.
Next week’s tides are favorable for fishing the flats or night snook fishing. Hopefully, the coastal gulf waters will explode with activity since the water temperature is now in the low 70’s.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
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Capt. Bob Smith (Capt_bob_smith)
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Username: Capt_bob_smith
Post Number: 2
Registered: 10-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 09, 2003 - 5:54 am: | |
November 8, 2003
Sarasota Fla. Fishing Report
By Capt. Bob Smith
This has been a good Fall run for the Sarasota area. Kingfish, cobia, redfish, Spanish mackerel, blacktip shark, spinner shark, barracuda, seatrout and pompano are just some of the fish coming in. Some have complained the kings could be thicker and larger. They are if you use live bait. This year the kings are only three miles off the beach and we have plenty of baitfish in the same area that can be easily caught.
When rigging for the toothy critters, I use 6" of light wire with 4' of forty-pound test mono leader and a 5/0 hook. I would kick it up a notch if looking for the larger sharks but most of the sharks' hookups are on already hooked fish.
The "I" artificial reefs are hot but you would need to move further offshore the "M" reefs and beyond for better grouper and snapper fishing.
Remember that artificial reefs are good focal points but you could find fish at the same depth on any good bottom. This is good to remember if you find the artificial reefs overcrowded with boats. My first question is always "What was the depth of the water where you found fish"? Then I may ask " North or South"? This will give me a chance to try one of my spots at the same depth and not crowd nor advertise the giver's exact location.
Enjoy and Protect
For more information on Sarasota's Sportfishing, please visit my Website: http://www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 13
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, November 08, 2003 - 8:25 am: | |
Southwest Florida Fishing Report for 11/2 through 11/8/2003
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released a variety of fish during the past week. Snook, trout, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and ladyfish were caught and released on a variety of lures and flies in Sarasota Bay, Charlotte Harbor and “snook alley” in Venice. Most fish were caught with fly tackle, although some were caught with spinning tackle.
Fly angler Cliff Boylston, from Conyers, GA, fished Sarasota Bay with me last Sunday. The action was steady with numerous trout to 18” and ladyfish caught and released on Clouser flies on deep grass flats in Sarasota Bay. The best action was inside Big Pass and near Long Bar.
Dave Lincul, from Sewell, NJ, fished Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor with me on Tuesday. Since the winds were light out of the east, we decided to check out the coastal gulf waters for Spanish mackerel and little tunny. It proved to be a good choice as we located breaking fish just outside the sandbar of Gasparilla Pass. We caught and released numerous Spanish mackerel and bluefish to 2-pounds and large ladyfish on Diamond Jigs and Chug Bug topwater plugs. Before the tide slowed and the frenzy ended, a group of dolphins and even a tarpon showed up for their share of the meal.
We moved to the backcountry of Gasparilla Sound where Dave caught and released a pair of snook to 27” on CAL jigs with shad tails. He lost a bruiser that we couldn’t turn before it made it to the mangroves and also caught and released numerous trout to 18”.
Sarasota winter residents, Norm and Francie Boardman, joined me for a trip in Sarasota Bay on Thursday morning. Since conditions were near perfect for fishing the coastal gulf waters, we headed out New Pass and worked south to Point of Rocks. Although there was nothing showing on the surface, we marked some bait and blind cast Cotee jigs with grubs and Clouser flies on an intermediate fly line into the area. They were rewarded with several Spanish mackerel to 2-pounds and bluefish. They also caught and released numerous trout and ladyfish on the same lures and flies on deep grass flats inside Big Pass before heavy thundershowers forced us off the water.
Fly anglers, Larry Ford from Longboat Key, FL, and Pete Molinari, from Sarasota, FL, joined me for an evening snook trip near Venice that evening. The action was steady and they caught and released about 10 snook to 23” on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies.
Larry Ford's Fly Night snook
Next week’s tides are favorable for fishing the flats. With the coastal gulf waters still in the high 70’s, we need a good front or two to cool the waters and get things fired up. Cooler water should mean more breaking Spanish mackerel and little tunny making them easier targets for fly anglers.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 12
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, November 08, 2003 - 7:54 am: | |
Southwest Florida Fishing Report for 11/2 through 11/8/2003
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released a variety of fish during the past week. Snook, trout, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and ladyfish were caught and released on a variety of lures and flies in Sarasota Bay, Charlotte Harbor and “snook alley” in Venice. Most fish were caught with fly tackle, although some were caught with spinning tackle.
Fly angler Cliff Boylston, from Conyers, GA, fished Sarasota Bay with me last Sunday. The action was steady with numerous trout to 18” and ladyfish caught and released on Clouser flies on deep grass flats in Sarasota Bay. The best action was inside Big Pass and near Long Bar.
Dave Lincul, from Sewell, NJ, fished Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor with me on Tuesday. Since the winds were light out of the east, we decided to check out the coastal gulf waters for Spanish mackerel and little tunny. It proved to be a good choice as we located breaking fish just outside the sandbar of Gasparilla Pass. We caught and released numerous Spanish mackerel and bluefish to 2-pounds and large ladyfish on Diamond Jigs and Chug Bug topwater plugs. Before the tide slowed and the frenzy ended, a group of dolphins and even a tarpon showed up for their share of the meal.
We moved to the backcountry of Gasparilla Sound where Dave caught and released a pair of snook to 27” on CAL jigs with shad tails. He lost a bruiser that we couldn’t turn before it made it to the mangroves and also caught and released numerous trout to 18”.
Sarasota winter residents, Norm and Francie Boardman, joined me for a trip in Sarasota Bay on Thursday morning. Since conditions were near perfect for fishing the coastal gulf waters, we headed out New Pass and worked south to Point of Rocks. Although there was nothing showing on the surface, we marked some bait and blind cast Cotee jigs with grubs and Clouser flies on an intermediate fly line into the area. They were rewarded with several Spanish mackerel to 2-pounds and bluefish. They also caught and released numerous trout and ladyfish on the same lures and flies on deep grass flats inside Big Pass before heavy thundershowers forced us off the water.
Fly anglers, Larry Ford from Longboat Key, FL, and Pete Molinari, from Sarasota, FL, joined me for an evening snook trip near Venice that evening. The action was steady and they caught and released about 10 snook to 23” on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies.
Larry Ford's Fly Night snook
Next week’s tides are favorable for fishing the flats. With the coastal gulf waters still in the high 70’s, we need a good front or two to cool the waters and get things fired up. Cooler water should mean more breaking Spanish mackerel and little tunny making them easier targets for fly anglers.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 11
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, November 01, 2003 - 11:19 am: | |
Sarasota & Charlotte Harbor, FL Fishing Report for 10/26 through 11/1/2003
Spin and fly anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released snook, redfish, trout and Spanish mackerel in Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor during the past week. Although the action wasn’t fast, it was steady. Windy conditions during the week ahead of and following a front on Tuesday made fishing challenging. High winds combined with a negative low tide made fishing in Charlotte Harbor on Thursday particularly tough.
Bob Denny and George Van Tuyl, both from Warwick, NY, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday and Tuesday. They managed 3 reds to 29” and numerous trout on CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms near Buttonwood Harbor on Monday. We opted for a pre dawn start on Tuesday to snook fish around lighted docks. We fished Siesta Key docks near Big Pass to land a couple of snook and trout on DOA Tiny TerrorEyz and DOA shrimp before heading for the flats. Winds were increasing as a front bore down on us and forced us off the water by noon. Bob and George caught and released numerous trout to 18” and a small red on weedless rigged CAL jerk worms and Exude R/T Slugs fishing the same flats that we fished Monday.
Capt. Marcia Foosaner, from Stuart, FL, gave a very interesting slide presentation on fly fishing for giant trout, snook and redfish on the east coast of Florida and on her recent trip to Montauk, NY for stripers, bluefish and false albacore at the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishing Club on Tuesday evening. Capt. Marcia joined me for a Sarasota Bay fly trip on Wednesday along with fellow club director, Roger Williams from Bradenton, FL. We waded and fished the flats near Long Bar and caught and released a pair of reds to 23”, a pair of snook to 25”, numerous trout, a flounder and a Spanish mackerel. While the action wasn’t fast, it improved as the day went by and the tide started to flood. The beast action was with bendback flies, which could be fished more effectively in the very shallow water.
Sarasota winter residents, Tom Lamb and Lee Williams, fished Charlotte harbor with me on Thursday. It was a tough day with 20+ mph winds and a negative low tide. The flats in the backcountry were dry, so we were forced to fish the deeper waters of Gasparilla Sound, which made hiding from the wind difficult. They managed several trout to 18”, ladyfish, a flounder and Spanish mackerel on weedless rigged CAL jerk worms, Exude R/T Slugs and DOA Deadly Combinations.
Next weeks tides should be favorable for flats fishing or snook at night. Each passing front should also stimulate the coastal gulf fishing for Spanish and king mackerel and little tunny.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 10
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, October 26, 2003 - 7:33 am: | |
Sarasota & Charlotte Harbor, FL Fishing Report for 10/19 through 10/26/2003
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released snook, reds, trout, flounder, bluefish and Spanish mackerel during the past week. We fished deep flats in Sarasota Bay for several days and anglers caught a variety of fish including trout to 18”, bluefish to 18”and Spanish mackerel to 24”. The most productive areas were near Big Pass, the Middleground flat, Stephen’s Point and near Buttonwood Harbor. Reds were hard to come by on the flats of Sarasota Bay, but evening and pre dawn snook were more cooperative.
Sarasota winter residents, Dale Spore and Roger Webster, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday morning. Small trout were plentiful, so they had to work hard to get a couple of legal ones. Things got interesting when an estimated 40 to 50-pound blacktip shark ate one of Roger’s trout at the side of the boat near Big Pass. We had the shark on for about 5 minutes before he bit through the 30-pound fluorocarbon leader. It was fun while it lasted!
Jim Festa, from Sarasota, FL, and Bob Moore, from Bradenton, FL, fished an evening trip at “snook alley” near Venice on Tuesday evening. They caught and released about 6 snook to 22” and several mangrove snapper on live shrimp.
Capt. Bruce Burkhart, from Sarasota, FL, fished Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor with me on Friday. Bruce caught a slam on CAL jigs with rootbeer and pearl shad tails which included snook to 24”, reds to 24” and trout to 18”. Sight-casting the outside sandbars accounted for most of the fish. Bruce hooked a big snook that ate a CAL jig 15 feet from the boat, but unfortunately it quickly went through his fluorocarbon leader.
Fly angler, John Wolfstaetter, and his dad, Paul Wolfstaetter, both from NY, fished a predawn snook/flats trip with me on Saturday morning. They caught and released 6 snook to 24”, a couple of trout and a nice mangrove snapper on Grassett’s Grass Minnow and Enrico Puglisi Bay Anchovy flies and DOA shrimp and Tiny TerrorEyz near Big Pass. After daylight we moved to the flats where they caught and released trout, ladyfish and Spanish mackerel on Clouser and Enrico Puglisi flies and Cotee jigs with grubs.
A significant front is expected to push through our area on Monday evening, which should really kick off the coastal gulf fishing. I look for Spanish mackerel and little tunny to come on strong as the water cools. Also, flats fishing should be good for reds, snook and trout. There is still space available in our Nov. 8 fly casting school if you are interested in learning to fly fish. You can call me for reservations or more information.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 9
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, October 19, 2003 - 8:39 am: | |
Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 10/15 through 10/19/2003
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released trout, redfish and Spanish mackerel during the past several days. The best action was with Spanish mackerel in the coastal gulf waters and redfish on the flats of north Sarasota Bay. In addition, cobia are showing up in the inshore waters and anglers had several shots at cobia, but didn’t connect.
970 WFLA’s Capt. Mel Berman, from Tampa, FL, joined me for a trip in Sarasota Bay on Thursday. We caught and released numerous trout on a variety of lures and were cut off several times by bluefish. We fished from Roberts Bay to north of Long Bar and found trout scattered on deep grass flats at the Middleground flat and near the Sister Keys.
The best trip of the week was with Austin and Clark Wright, of Venice, FL, on Friday. We started the day at the Middleground flat and had good action with trout on DOA Deadly Combos. We ventured into the coastal gulf waters off New Pass and found a feeding frenzy of Spanish mackerel and little tunny. The little tunny were moving fast and impossible to get on, but the Spanish mackerel were more cooperative. They caught numerous mackerel on Diamond Jigs, Cotee Jigs with grubs and a DT Special fly. During the afternoon, we fished several sand bars along Longboat Key near Buttonwood Harbor, where they caught and released 5 reds to 27” on weedless-rigged CAL Jerk Worms.
Austin and Clark Wright with Austin's Sarasota Bay Red
John and Barb Freeman, from MN, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning. The best action was with trout at the Middleground flat first thing in the morning. John and Barb caught numerous trout, ladyfish, small gag grouper and gaftop sail cats on Cotee Jigs with grubs ands DOA Deadly Combos. We fished along Longboat Key up to the Buttonwood Harbor area later in the morning where they picked up an 18” trout and several jacks on Cotee jigs with grubs.
The fall bite should really turn on in the next week or so. The water temperature has fallen to the mid to high 70’s and bait is schooling heavily on the flats and in the coastal gulf waters. I expect good action with snook, redfish and trout on the flats and Spanish mackerel and little tunny in the coastal gulf waters. In addition, cobia could be found either place, so it could pay off to have a spinning or fly rod ready at all times.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
*Check out the new photo gallery on both of my web sites, which contains current and archived photos from past weeks. |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 8
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 15, 2003 - 8:24 am: | |
Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 10/5 through 10/15/2003
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released snook, trout and redfish during the past 10 days. Fish were caught on flies and lures and in addition anglers also connected with a couple of tarpon.
Fly angler, Jim Roat from Shreveport, LA, fished Sarasota Bay with me last Thursday. On his first saltwater fly fishing excursion he caught and released his first redfish near Ringling on an Enrico Puglisi Reds Critter fly. We then moved to the gulf where Jim sight-cast to snook at the north end of Longboat Key. Although they were plentiful, we only had a couple of follows and no strikes. Back in the bay during the afternoon, Jim connected with bluefish, ladyfish and trout on Clouser flies near Whale Key and Bishop Point.
Fly anglers, Sandy Lawrence from Sarasota, FL, and Merritt Carlton, from Amelia Island, FL, fished upper Charlotte Harbor canals for tarpon with me on Monday. We located a couple of nice concentrations of tarpon but they were being very finicky, as they can be sometimes. We tried several different fly patterns and color combinations before hooking up with a chartreuse/white bunny fly. Sandy hooked a couple of fish, but they both came off. Merritt also got a strike after I switched him to a similar fly. We used 350-grain Orvis Depth Charge fly lines and a short leader to get the flies into the strike zone quickly in the 10 to 12-foot deep water.
Mark Hughes and Terry Crews, both from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. Mark hooked up right away with a weedless-rigged CAL shad tail and landed a 26+” snook near Buttonwood Harbor. Although the water we fished after that was very fishy and we saw numerous snook, they didn’t bite. We switched to deeper grass flats near Whale Key and Buttonwood Harbor where they caught and released numerous trout with CAL jigs and DOA Deadly Combinations with a glow shrimp.
Flats fishing should turn on when a front is scheduled to pass through our area later in the week. I also look for cobia to become more plentiful and action in the coastal gulf waters with Spanish mackerel and little tunny to take off.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 7
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, October 05, 2003 - 10:38 am: | |
Southwest Florida Fishing Report for 9/28 through 10/5/2003
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released reds, trout, snook, pompano, flounder and jumped tarpon during the past week. The best action was with reds and snook in Sarasota Bay.
Scott and Sissy Daniels, from San Antonio, TX, collected their trip with me that they purchased at the CCA-Texas banquet in San Antonio on Tuesday. They opted to tarpon fish, so we fished canals in upper Charlotte Harbor. Tarpon were fairly plentiful, but finicky. We jumped a pair of tarpon on root beer DOA TerrorEyz, one of them about 30-pounds, but didn’t land either. They also caught and released a couple of snook to 26” casting the same lure under docks.
Fly angler, John LaManna from Bradenton, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. Being fairly new to the area, he wanted to get a feel for Sarasota Bay and hopefully catch a few fish with a fly. He had a good day catching and releasing several trout to 21”, a 24” red and a nice pompano. The pompano and a few of the trout were caught on a small yellow Ultra Hair Clouser near Big Pass. The largest trout and the red were caught on an Enrico Puglisi Reds Critter while wading a sand bar on the east side of the bay.
Mike Plaia and his brother, Pete Plaia, both from Bradenton, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. They had a great day catching and releasing 5 reds to 30”, 4 or 5 snook to 23”, several trout and flounder. We fished Roberts Bay with DOA Tiny TerrorEyz and CAL jigs, where they caught and released the trout and flounder. A couple of snook were also caught on DOA Deadly Combinations and a larger snook cut through 30-pound fluorocarbon with a single headshake! We headed north in the afternoon where they finished strong with the reds and another snook or two on the east side of the bay. At the end of the day we bumped into a large school of reds, had several hookups and landed a pair of big reds on DOA Deadly Combinations with glow shrimp and a Cotee Flats Spoon. It was exciting watching reds fight over the Cajun Thunder float while a fish was already hooked with the DOA shrimp!
Erwin Edelman, from Sarasota, FL, fished the Mote Marine Laboratory/Snook Foundation Snook Shindig Tournament with me on Friday evening and Saturday morning. A couple of goals for the tournament were to gather data for research and to raise money for the Snook Foundation. Anglers who chose to fish in the research division were issued permits by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, so that any snook could be held in a live well before being turned over to tournament officials to scan them for implanted tags and record data. Erwin caught and released several snook to 22” on an Enrico Puglisi Bay Anchovy fly (none were tagged) near the Venice Inlet on Friday evening. On Saturday morning, he caught his first pompano ever on fly with a small yellow Ultra Hair Clouser near Big Pass.
Reds are still schooling and snook are beginning to stage on the flats as they move toward the backcountry. Next weeks tides will be favorable for flats fishing and snook fishing at night around lighted docks and bridge fenders.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 6
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, September 28, 2003 - 12:37 pm: | |
Crane Meadow Lodge, MT Fishing Report for 9/20 through 9/27/2003
I hosted a group of fly anglers at Crane Meadow Lodge near Twin Bridges, MT last week. Nick Reding, Bob Reynolds and Bob Harness, all from St. Louis, MO, young Nick Reding from New York City, Jim Breckenridge, from Greenwich, CT, Dennis Kinley, from Lebanon, NJ, Dick Walden, from Sahuarita, AZ, Rich Walden, from Silverthorne, CO and David Ralls, from Tempe, AZ joined me for a great week of fly fishing on some of Montana’s best trout streams.
We fished the Big Hole, Beaverhead, Ruby, Jefferson and Madison Rivers, several spring creeks and mountain lakes. The weather couldn’t have been better with crisp mornings, lows in the 30’s and frost a couple of mornings and high’s in the 70’s. We had bright blue Montana skies and brilliant fall colors.
The wildlife was unbelievable. One morning a pair of bull moose locked horns in the meadow right behind the lodge. Whitetail deer were so thick you had to be careful when walking the riverbanks, particularly on the Ruby River. We also spotted mule deer, antelope, big horn sheep and elk. Waterfowl and pheasants were also thick and were being flushed constantly.
Anglers caught brown trout to 24”, rainbows to 22”, grayling, cutthroats and brook trout on 4 through 6-weight fly rods. It was technical fly fishing that sometimes required reach casts; roll casts and mending to get the proper presentation to fool the fish, but the anglers were up to the challenge. Jim Breckenridge, who had never fly fished before this trip, did very well. After receiving some casting instruction from guide, Gary Avis, Jim moved on to fish some still water on Miller’s Pond, where he caught a dozen or so rainbow and brown trout to 17”. He nymph fished on the Jefferson River on his last day where he finished with an 18” trout! That may not sound big to seasoned saltwater anglers, but put that fish on a 4 or 5-weight fly rod in a fast river and you’ve got you hands full!
Other highlights from the week were when Dennis Kinley and Bob Reynolds fished a high mountain lake at 7400’ on the Meine summer ranch with guide, Jerry Meine. They caught about 100 trout, mostly cutthroats and a few rainbows. As they drove up to the high country they put a few beers in a mountain stream to cool down and enjoyed them as their reward on the way back down. The Ruby River also fished very well. Nick Reding and I had a great day on the Ruby with many trout in the 18”-22” class. Other anglers caught brown trout to 22”, with many fish in the 14”-16” class. Mill Creek, which empties into the Ruby, produced browns and rainbows averaging 16” and as big as 21”. The upper Ruby River was hot for grayling, rainbows and browns, although not as large as on the lower portion. Anglers also had great fishing for brookies on the upper Big Hole and caught browns and rainbows to 24” on the Madison near Ennis. See the photo gallery of my web site for photos from the trip.
We fished a variety of flies and techniques during the week. Some of the most exciting fishing was with dry flies, such as a Parachute Adams, hoppers or Chernobyl Ants. We also fished with nymphs and streamers, usually in tandem or sometimes a pair of streamers. Pepperonis, Yuks and Woolly Buggers worked the best. Proprietor, Cody Meine, does a great job. The variety of fishing on private water, the option to float or wade and the level of accommodations sets Crane Meadow apart from other lodges.
Although the trip couldn’t have been better, it was bittersweet for me. We lost a family member, Bear, our almost 14-year old Brittany on Tuesday. Even though he was elderly, his death was unexpected. He was diagnosed with cancer and had to be put down within 48 hours. He was my shadow at home, following close behind me while I prepared for my fishing trips in the morning, waiting for a piece of cheese or lunch meat as a reward. Every day when I returned his face was in our picture window waiting for me to come home. We’ll miss him terribly, but we’ll meet again.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
Bear Grassett 1989-2003 |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 5
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 19, 2003 - 4:48 pm: | |
Sarasota & Charlotte Harbor, FL Fishing Report for 9/14 through 9/19/2003
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released snook, trout, tarpon and Spanish mackerel during the past week. The best action was with tarpon in upper Charlotte Harbor and trout in Charlotte Harbor and Sarasota Bay.
Sarasota Herald-Tribune outdoor writer, Steve Gibson, fished upper Charlotte Harbor with me on Monday to film a tarpon fishing segment for his “Fishing Paradise” TV spot on Comcast’s SNN Channel 6. They were plentiful, but being finicky. We had several bites, but only jumped one tarpon. Unfortunately, they didn’t cooperate like I hoped they would.
That all changed on Wednesday when Keith McClintock, from Lake forest, IL, joined me for a trip to the same area. He jumped a total of 6 tarpon, landing a pair of them to 15-pounds on DOA Shrimp and TerrorEyz. They were aggressive at first and when the bite slowed we hooked a couple more fish by changing colors and switching to the DOA shrimp.
Bill Roth, from Longboat Key, FL, and Bruce St. Dennis, from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday morning. The trout bite was strong as they caught and released more than 15 trout to 18” on DOA Deadly Combinations with a DOA shrimp near Long Bar. In addition, a large area of breaking fish that we encountered while heading north in the bay was thick with ladyfish and had Spanish mackerel mixed with them. They caught several on CAL jigs.
Keith McClintock fished Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor with me on Thursday and also had a good trout bite. He caught and released more than 20 trout to 23”, including about 10 slot size fish between 18”-23” near Three Sisters and in Turtle Bay. In addition, Keith caught and released a 29” snook on a DOA Deadly Combination. His best snook ever!
Keith McClintock's Charlotte Harbor Snook
Next week’s tides should be favorable for snook on the outgoing tide late in the day. In addition, reds will continue to school on the flats and should also be a good option.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 4
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, September 14, 2003 - 9:14 am: | |
Sarasota & Charlotte Harbor, FL Fishing Report for 9/9 through 9/14/2003
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict did very well during the past week with redfish, trout and bluefish. Reds are schooling in Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor. In Sarasota we also found hungry big bluefish schooling with the reds.
Tom and Jamie Minnick, from Cincinnati, OH, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. After fishing in the gulf on a head boat the day before and catching small snapper and grouper, they weren’t sure what to expect on the bay trip. Fortunately the trip far exceeded their expectations. We started slowly, catching a small snook on a MirrOlure She Dog and had another one jump off near Big Pass. With a rapidly falling tide that was lower than I had anticipated, I decided to head north to hunt reds.
I poled a bar near Buttonwood Harbor and we began to catch small reds on CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms and DOA Deadly combinations. I bumped into a large school of big reds, up to 9-pounds, with bluefish in the 4 to 5-pound class mixed with them. We lost count after about 15 reds and a dozen big bluefish. The fish would rarely show themselves, choosing to stay in deeper water. We would occasionally lose them and then locate them again by probing the deep outside edge of the bar by casting MirrOlure She Dogs or DOA Deadly Combinations out deep to cause the school to show themselves. When the reds and bluefish finally moved on we began to catch trout to 18”, so Tom got his Sarasota Bay slam. A great day!
Jamie Minnick's Sarasota Bay Bluefish
On Thursday evening, I joined Capt. Bill Miller in the studio for his “Hooked On Fishing” TV show, which airs in Pinellas, Hillsborough and Manatee counties. He showed video clips from our trip last Monday and we fielded questions from the audience. It is a very well done TV show with good instructional segments.
Dale Vollrath, from Sarasota, FL, and Tim Graham, from Nokomis, FL, joined me to fish Charlotte Harbor on Saturday. Since we arrived in the dark to avoid the rush at the boat ramp, we fished a couple of docks along Little Gasparilla Island for snook with lures and flies just before daylight. Tim caught and released a small snook on a DOA Tiny TerrorEyz.
Next I headed for an area on the west side of Gasparilla Sound searching for a school of reds that a friend had located the day before. Although we didn’t find them (and they didn’t find us), we caught lots of trout to 18” on DOA Deadly Combinations, MirrOlure She Dogs and fly poppers. Our best action was on outside sand bars near Turtle Bay, where they caught 4 reds to 5-pounds on CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms. We got back to the boat ramp just ahead of the afternoon monsoon.
Next weeks tides should be favorable for juvenile tarpon in upper Charlotte Harbor and reds on the flats.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 3
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, September 08, 2003 - 5:53 pm: | |
Florida Keys & Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 9/1 through 9/8/2003
I spent most of the past week in Islamorada in the Florida Keys participating in the Islamorada-Sarasota Shootout Fishing Tournament. The tournament is a fun, family type fishing tournament that pits members of the Sarasota Sportfishing Anglers Club against Islamorada anglers. Although Sarasota anglers fished hard and won or placed in several categories, Islamorada won the tournament this year.
Aledia Tush, owner of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters in Sarasota, FL, and I fished with Capt. Duane Baker, an Orvis-Endorsed guide in Tavernier, FL. We fished the ocean side flats near Tavernier on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and experienced some of the best fishing I’ve had in the Keys. Capt. Duane expertly put us on fish after fish and they cooperated very well. Aledia caught and released 6 bonefish, a permit and jumped a tarpon fishing with live shrimp. I also caught and released 6 bonefish on Gotcha flies and had several shots at permit.
Aledia Tush's Islamorada Bonefish
Although they weren’t weighed, some of the larger bonefish were in the 6 to 7-pound class. Not huge for Keys bonefish, but very nice fish to catch! Aledia took second place and I won the bonefish category. It was my best bonefish outing ever in the Keys!
On Monday, Capt. Bill Miller from Tampa, FL, joined me to film a segment for his “Hooked on Fishing” TV show which airs on Thursday evenings on Brighthouse Cable (formerly Time Warner) in Pinellas, Hillsborough and Manatee counties. I hadn’t fished Sarasota Bay for more than a week and with all the rain that Tropical Storm Henri dumped, I knew it would be a challenge. We managed to catch about a dozen trout to 18” and a pair of reds to 22” on CAL jigs with jerkworms and shad tails, DOA Tiny TerrorEyz and Exude slugs at Stephen’s Point and near Buttonwood Harbor.
This week’s strong outgoing tides in the afternoon should be good for snook. Flats fishing should be best early in the day as the tide is rising.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 2
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, September 01, 2003 - 10:16 am: | |
Sarasota & Terra Ceia Bay, FL Fishing Report for 8/24 through 9/1/2003
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past week in Sarasota Bay. Anglers caught reds along sand bars and mangrove shorelines and trout on deeper grass flats.
Last Saturday, I participated in the “Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing” seminar in Sarasota. I manned a skill station to teach spin casting and my first two students of the day were the ladies that had signed up to fish with me the following day. They were enthusiastic and were casting 100’ in no time, as most of the ladies did.
The following morning, Barbara Voyles from Springhill, FL, and Robin Springstead from Brooksville, FL, met me at the Sarasota Yacht Club dock for a day of fishing. They had a great day catching a pair of reds to 26” and several trout to 18” on a MirrOlure She Dog and the DOA Deadly Combination with a nightglow shrimp. The best action was near Buttonwood Harbor with trout on the deeper grass and redfish along the mangroves at the top of the tide.
Since it’s late August, business was a little slower this week. I spent a day scouting Sarasota Bay and the coastal gulf waters to stay dialed in to the fish. My next trip was on Friday with, John Deck from St. Louis, MO. John caught and released a pair of reds to 4-pounds near Big Pass and another similar size red and several trout near Buttonwood Harbor and Stephen’s Point. He fished the DOA Deadly Combination all day.
Brian and Joanne Shenstone, from Grosse Pointe Woods, MI, fished lower Tampa Bay with me on Sunday. We located a nice school of reds at first light and Brian cast a Skitterbug fly in front of them. He had an immediate hook up and we were surprised when he landed a jack! The school managed to say just out of casting range before disappearing. It was a tough day of fishing with a strong east breeze and lots of boat traffic plying the waters on the holiday weekend. They caught and released a couple of trout to 18” and a 4-pound redfish on CAL jigs and the DOA Deadly Combination near Terra Ceia Bay before we called it a day.
Next weeks tides with midday lows are favorable for locating reds on the flats. Juvenile tarpon in upper Charlotte Harbor should continue to be a good option.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 1
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 25, 2003 - 8:10 am: | |
Southwest Florida Fishing Report for 8/17 through 8/23/2003
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught a variety of fish during the past week. Snook, redfish, tarpon and trout were caught and released on a variety of lures in lower Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay and the Peace River. The hottest action was with tarpon in the 10 to 20-pound class.
Anglers on Monday and Tuesday caught numerous trout to 19” on CAL jigs and DOA Deadly Combinations with glow shrimp. The best action was at Stephen’s Point early in the day when trout fed in and around bait schools over shallow grass.
The best trip of the week was on Wednesday when Rusty Driver and Dave Robinson, both from Sarasota, FL, joined me for a trip in upper Charlotte Harbor. The action was red hot at first light when tarpon fed on baitfish in the Peace River. They jumped 7 tarpon and landed 2 to 18-pounds. The tarpon ate DOA TerrorEyz worked slowly along the bottom.
Reese Bernate, from Bradenton, FL, and Will Evans, from Geneva, IL, fished lower Tampa Bay with me on Thursday. They caught a few trout and a bluefish on Skitterbug and Clouser flies, MirrOlure She Dogs and DOA Deadly combinations. Despite a good tide and plentiful baitfish, fish didn’t bite well.
Dana Field, from Sarasota, FL, and his son, Jeff Field, from Rochester, NY, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. We focused on reds and snook near Big Pass with top water plugs early in the day. They caught a couple of trout and a snook on a MirrOlure She Dog and the DOA Deadly Combination. We switched to CAL jigs with jerk worms and the action picked up. They finished the day with 2 more snook and a redfish before a rain shower cut our day short.
Next weeks tides are favorable for reds on the flats early in the day and snook on the strong outgoing tides late in the afternoon and early evening.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
 |
Capt. Rick Grassett
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 22, 2003 - 10:55 am: | |
Subject: Sarasota & Terra Ceia Bay, FL Fishing Report
Sarasota & Terra Ceia Bay, FL Fishing Report for 3/16 through 3/22/2003
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released snook, redfish, trout, Spanish mackerel, pompano and ladyfish during the past week. Top water action for snook turned on in Sarasota and Terra Ceia Bays as the flats continue to warm. Fly anglers caught and released snook at night and trout, Spanish mackerel and ladyfish on the flats. Wind and rain plagued the area and made fishing difficult for most of the week.
Joey Schwab, from Sarasota, FL, and Bill Beauchamp, from Bradenton, FL, fished the Terra Ceia Bay area with me on Monday. They action was not fast, but Bill managed a “slam” which included a 4-pound trout caught and released on a CAL jig. Their catch also included several slot-size trout, small snook and a redfish caught on MirrOlure She Dogs and CAL jigs with shad tails.
Nick Reding, from St. Louis, MO, and his son, Nick, from New York City, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. We started the day on a flat in north Sarasota Bay with Nick fly fishing and young Nick throwing a She Dog on spinning tackle. The top water plug was definitely the way to go, as young Nick repeatedly got strikes and several hook ups. He landed one snook and a nice trout but had a large snook take the She Dog away from him. She easily sawed through 30-pound fluorocarbon, which must have been gill-wrapped, with a single head shake. We fished a bar on the west side of the bay where young Nick hooked a red on a fly before we were chased off the water by a downpour.
Bob Kahlor and Al Plejdrup, both from Callawassie Island, SC, fished north Sarasota Bay with me in dense fog on Wednesday morning. Al caught a small red on the She Dog and they landed several trout on CAL jigs and DOA shrimp near Buttonwood Harbor. Fly anglers Bryan Beebe and Ron Burks, both from Sarasota, FL, snook fished near Venice with me on Wednesday evening. Snook were feeding on live shrimp and were very selective with our flies. They caught and released 10 snook to 23” on Grassett’s Grass Minnow, Enrico Puglisi’s shrimp and Skitterbug flies.
Marty Cummings, from Sarasota, FL, and Capt. Bruno Vasta, from Solomons, MD, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. The wind blew hard most of the day making only a few spots fishable. They caught several trout, ladyfish and a pompano on Cotee jigs with grubs near Big Pass and in the lee of Longboat Key.
Bill Misischia, from Schererville, IN, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday morning. A strong thunderstorm pushed through the area before daylight but conditions improved as we took to the water. Bill caught 8 or 10 trout including 6 slot-size fish to 18” and several ladyfish on Cotee jigs with grubs and DOA shrimp near Bishop Point.Conditions deteriorated in the afternoon. Fly anglers, Bill Gamber from Lancaster, PA, and Jim Henly, from Hummelstown, PA, fished with me on Friday afternoon and it poured rain for the first two hours. Although it was very slow, they hung in there and finished the day with a Spanish mackerel and several trout and ladyfish on olive/white Clouser flies caught and released near Bishop Point.
If the weather will give us a break next week, fishing should improve on the flats and at night for snook. Rain and wind from a front that hung just to the north of us affected our fishing for several days, but that should push through the area this weekend.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com or www.flyfishingflorida.net
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Capt. Rick Grassett
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 16, 2003 - 10:53 am: | |
Subject: Sarasota & Venice, FL Fishing Rpt for 3/9 -3/16/03
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released a variety of fish during the past week. Trout, redfish, snook, Spanish mackerel, pompano and ladyfish were caught with lures and flies in north Sarasota Bay and Venice.
Frank Watson, from Canfield, OH, and his grandson, Eric, fished north Sarasota Bay with me on Monday morning. They caught and released trout to 18” and large ladyfish on Cotee jigs with grubs and DOA shrimp. Dick Reece and Jim Van Tassel, both from Dayton, OH, fished “snook alley” in Venice with me on Monday evening. They caught and released 15 snook to 23” and a lookdown on Enrico Puglisi shrimp fly patterns.
Sarasota winter resident, Merrill Zinder, fished Sarasota Bay near Buttonwood Harbor with me on Tuesday. The trout bite was on as he caught numerous trout to 20”, Spanish mackerel and a pompano on Cotee jigs with grubs. Fly angler, Mark Ross, from San Francisco, CA, and Conrad Ross, from Sarasota, FL, fished the same area with me on Tuesday afternoon. Their catch included several Spanish mackerel and nice trout caught on an Enrico Puglisi finger mullet. Conrad also caught and released a redfish on a CAL jig with a shad tail.
Cliff Ondercin and Brie Willett, both from Sarasota, FL, fished with me on Wednesday evening. Snook have started feeding on larger baitfish and shrimp and are more selective than when they were gorging themselves with glass minnows. They scored on about 15 snook with Grassett’s Grass Minnow and Skitterbug flies. Several of the snook were caught on DOA shrimp and white bucktail jigs.
Fly angler, Dan Chudick from Grand Rapids, MI, and his dad, Dick Chudick from Bradenton, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. After spending a couple of hours hunting for cobia in the coastal gulf waters with no success, we returned to the bay. They had fast action with trout, ladyfish, Spanish mackerel and a redfish caught on Enrico Puglisi flies and Cotee jigs with grubs.
Dick Reece, from Dayton, OH, got out for one more trip on Friday before returning home and had a great day. We fished a sand bar at low tide where reds were trailing mullet. Dick caught 5 reds, all about 3-pounds, on CAL jigs with shad tails before the bite slowed. We dropped out into a little deeper water where he caught numerous trout on Cotee jigs with grubs and an Enrico Puglisi finger mullet fly pattern. The largest trout, about 3-pounds, was caught and released on a fly.
I teamed with Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, FL, to instruct a fly casting school at the Longboat Key Recreation Center on Saturday. The students all did well and are well on their way to enjoying the sport of fly fishing. Next week’s tides will be favorable for fishing the flats for reds, snook and trout as we head towards a full moon. Spring has sprung and fishing is really turning on!
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com or www.flyfishingflorida.net
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Capt. Bob Smith
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 15, 2003 - 10:48 pm: | |
Subject: Sarasota Fla, Fishing Report 03/15/03
March 15, 2003
Sarasota Fla. Fishing Report
By Capt. Bob Smith
Where are the kingfish? The offshore boats are looking but only a few have been caught so far. They are overdue or better said; "It is time for them to show."
That out of the way, fishing has been excellent! The "I" reefs, particularly "I-2", the Allen Fisher in 30' of water is hot. Spanish mackerel have been thick for weeks now and some of the macks have gone over five pounds. We have also lost a few to the barracudas. Some snapper and sheepshead are also being caught on the bottom. The mackerel are taking live shrimp or whitebait free-lined while drifting. Most fast moving jigs are also working.
Long offshore trips have been finding plenty of Amberjacks and some nice size snapper.
Bay fishing is the best it has been in years! We have been finding plenty of spotted seatrout on the grass-flats and by yesterday afternoon, we found as many mackerel with them. We are also finding large and small fish mixed together. At times we have found the pompano thick in Big Pass, south of the Twin bridges and along Country Club Shores. They are spread on the flats out and occasionally we hook one. Add hungry ladyfish to this and you can expect a busy day.
Along the beach, tripletail are being found on the crab trap markers and some cobia have also been seen moving along the beach and passes. The cobia are still not thick but possible.
Snook are being caught more frequently now but it takes a dedicated angler.
Enjoy and Protect
For more information on Sarasota's Sportfishing, please visit my Website: http://www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 09, 2003 - 10:50 am: | |
Subject: Sarasota & Charlotte Harbor, FL Fishing Report
Sarasota & Charlotte Harbor, FL Fishing Report for 3/2 through 3/9/2003
Spin and fly anglers connected with nice trout, pompano and ladyfish on the flats of Sarasota Bay during the past week. Trout fishing has been very good with many fish in or above the slot. There are also scattered pompano and bluefish in the same areas.
Mike Sprague, from Hillsborough, NJ, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. He caught and released trout, ladyfish and a redfish on CAL jigs with shad tails, Cotee jigs with grubs and DOA shrimp near Buttonwood Harbor.Fly angler, Dick Stevens from Enfield, CT, fished the same area with me on Tuesday morning and caught and released trout and ladyfish on Clouser flies. Tuesday afternoon was a carbon copy with Jim and Joanne Gustafson, from Geneva, IL, also catching and releasing ladyfish and trout.
Dick Reece, from Dayton, OH, fished Sarasota Bay near Buttonwood Harbor with me on Wednesday and caught trout to 22” and three pompano on DOA Tiny TerrorEyz and jigs. Fly anglers, Erwin Edelman from Sarasota, FL, and Carl Copp, from Dennis, MA, fished north Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday and caught some very nice trout. The largest trout was 21” and ate an Enrico Puglisi olive finger mullet. Carl also caught and released a 4-pound bluefish on an Ultra Hair Clouser at the Middleground flat.
Gene Leverone, from Lynnfield, MA, and his son, Dick Leverone from Rye, NH, fished Sarasota Bay near Buttonwood Harbor with me on Friday and had a banner day! Despite 20 mph + winds, they caught numerous trout to 22”, large ladyfish and a pair of pompano on olive/white Clouser flies.
Harry Davis, from Dalton, GA, and Bruce Burns, from River Falls, WI, fished Charlotte Harbor with me on Saturday. It was a tough day with a lot of space between fish, but they ended the day with a pair of reds to 26”, a small snook and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails. Harry had a large red take an Enrico Puglisi Peanut Butter fly first thing in the morning, but didn’t hook up. Most of our action was in the backcountry of Bull and Turtle Bays.
Next weeks strong outgoing tides during the evening will be favorable for snook at night. Flats fishing is improving daily as the water warms into the mid 70’s. I think it’s going to be an early spring, as it seems that everything is getting ready to bust loose.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com or www.flyfishingflorida.net
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Capt. Bob Smith
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 08, 2003 - 11:18 pm: | |
Subject: Sarasota Fla, Fishing Report 03/08/03
March 8, 2003
Sarasota Fla. Fishing Report
By Capt. Bob Smith
The fishing is still improving. The sizes of the Spanish mackerel that are being caught on the Allen Fisher reef have increased. A few of the mackerel have made five pounds but the average is about two pounds. High barometer readings have affected the bite but it comes back. Live bait, jigs and trolling have all worked.
Mangrove snappers have also moved in to the (I) reefs. Nice size snappers are being caught on large live shrimp fished on the bottom. A quarter ounce split-shot attached six inches above a 3/0 hook works best. Small tipped jigs bounced on the bottom are a killer in the right hands. Don't be surprised if you hook-up with a nice gag or flounder while fishing the Inshore reefs. Cobia is also a good possibility and has been caught, but is still not real dependable. That's history and today could be the day they start strong.
The spotted seatrout is still going strong on the bay. Although we catch plenty of small trout, we have had no problem making our limit with fish between eighteen and twenty inches. Large live shrimp is the price we pay for this, but fly and jig fishermen are also doing well. Pompano, mackerel, ladyfish and bluefish are also scattered around the grass-flats and in with the trout. Most of the grass-flats are holding fish and I let the wind direction and speed dictate which flat I fish.
All of the fish are moving around the flats and sometimes in small pockets. When we find the fish in pockets, I will do short drifts over the pockets, making sure to make wide returns so as not to spook them.
Enjoy and Protect
For more information on Sarasota's Sportfishing, please visit my Website: http://www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com
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Capt. Bob Smith
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 02, 2003 - 3:23 pm: | |
Subject: Sarasota Fla, Fishing Report 03/02/03
March 2, 2003
Sarasota Fla. Fishing Report
By Capt. Bob Smith
The fishing has gone up another notch! The "I" artificial reefs and especially the I-2 Allen Fisher has been run over with Spanish mackerel and bluefish. Cobia and large sheepshead to 5 pounds are also being caught on most of the other "I" reefs. Generally, the mackerel and bluefish have been small but quick to take a Diamond jig. They will take all small artificial lures but paint and skirts have a short life span with these toothy critters.
The cobia have had good days and slow days but well worth looking for. They may be on the top or on the bottom and prefer live bait. Shrimp or small fish will work. Sheepshead is found close to the structure and only eats crustacean or mollusk.
Spotted seatrout are still going strong on the bay grass-flats. You may be catching shorts and then run into a pocket of keepers with a possible of over twenty inches. Live shrimp has been best bait but artificial lures in the right hands have been a killer. Along with the trout, we have caught Spanish mackerel to four pounds and bluefish to three pounds. Pompano have also been scattered over the grass-flats.
Redfish and snook are being caught but the action is slow compared to the other bay action. If you target them, you will find them but my job is to keep the rods bent so I don't have much input for now.
Enjoy and Protect
For more information on Sarasota's Sportfishing, please visit my Website: http://www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 01, 2003 - 9:07 pm: | |
Subject: Sarasota & Venice, FL Fishing Rpt.for 2/23 -3/1/03
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action on the flats particularly with trout during the past week. The best action was at night as snook and bluefish gorged themselves with glass minnows and ate flies just as readily.
Bernie Feinberg, from Sarasota, FL, and David Schofield, from Elmira, NY fished the ICW near Venice with me last Sunday evening. They caught and released 48 snook to 25”, 11 bluefish to 4-pounds and several ladyfish on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies. A total of 63 fish caught on fly, which is their personal best! Also included in the catch was a fat snook, which is species of snook that looks like it’s been on steroids!
Gene Leverone, from Lynnfield, MA, and Dick Reece, from Dayton, OH, fished the same area with me on Thursday evening. It was a rain soaked trip but the fish bit well until the tide slowed. They caught and released about 25 snook also on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies.
Several trips in Sarasota Bay produced trout to 20” and large ladyfish on Cotee jigs with grubs, DOA shrimp and CAL jigs. Bill Roth, from Longboat Key, FL, fished a couple of trips with guests, Tom Klein, Joe Vermeren and Chuck Finlon, catching some nice trout on each trip. Sarasota winter resident, Bill Witt, and his guest, Gary Menna from MD, had a good trip on Tuesday. They caught and released numerous trout to 20”, including 6 slot-size fish, on Cotee jigs with grubs near the Ringling flats and Buttonwood Harbor.
Julian and Betsy Miraglia, from Radnor, PA, also fished Sarasota Bay near Buttonwood Harbor with me on Saturday morning. We were on the water shortly after first light to catch the bottom of the tide. It paid off as Betsy landed a nice trout on an olive/white Closer fly right away. Julian followed up with a pair of 6-pound reds caught on a CAL jig with a shad tail. The action slowed after a short period of time, but they did manage a couple of more nice trout before the day was done.
With the water temperature at 70 degrees on the flats, action should really heat up during March. Next week’s tides are favorable for fishing the flats, particularly early in the day, as we head away from the new moon.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923 –7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com or www.flyfishingflorida.net
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Capt. Bob Smith
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 ( | |
