| Fishing Guide / Author |
Fishing Reports for Local Area - Location |
    
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 271
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 05, 2012 - 4:28 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota Bay & Gasparilla Sound, FL Fishing Report for 1/23 through 2/4/2012
Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, blues, sheepshead, snook and Spanish mackerel on jigs and flies during the past couple of weeks. Nick Reding, from Longboat Key, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 1/23. We waded and fly fished several bars on both sides of the bay. Reds were elusive for us that day, but Nick caught and released a few trout on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly.
Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL and Gary Roberts, from Bradenton, FL fished Gasparilla Sound with me on Tuesday, 1/24. They caught and released more than 40 trout to 17” and a snook on CAL jigs with shad tails, DOA Deadly Combos and DOA Deadly Tandems. With shallow water temperatures reaching close to 70 degrees in backcountry areas, we saw a few snook moving onto the flats to feed in the afternoon.
Tom Newman, from Oakton, VA, fished the coastal gulf and Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday, 1/25. We found a few false albacore (little tunny) working off Siesta Key, but they were up and down very fast. Tom got a fly in them a couple of times, but we couldn’t get right with them before they disappeared. We went back into Sarasota Bay where he caught and released about a dozen trout and a 4-pound Spanish mackerel on my Grassett Deep Flats Bunny fly at Stephens Point and Bishop Point. The biggest trout came out of a pothole in skinny water.
Pete Walocko and Richard Ives, both from MI, fished the same areas with me on Thursday, 1/24. With an approaching front wind was an issue, but they managed to catch and release a few trout and ladyfish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies.
Martin Marlowe, from NY, fished with me on Monday and Friday, 1/30 and 2/3 and it was windy on both trips. Monday was the windiest day, so we fished Little Sarasota Bay to get some protection from it. The action wasn’t fast, but Martin caught and released a few trout and ladyfish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies. We fished the east side of Sarasota Bay on Friday and he caught and released trout, ladyfish and a sharpnose shark on the same flies.
Nick Reding, from Longboat Key, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday and Thursday, 1/31 and 2/2. Nick often invites me to fish along with him, which is a real treat. We waded several bars on both sides of the bay and caught and released a pair of reds and an over slot trout on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly on Tuesday. We caught and released a couple of sheepshead to 5-pounds and several trout, including a 6-pound, 27” trout, on Thursday! The big trout was caught and released on my Flats Minnow fly with a 6-weight rod.
Parrish, FL winter resident, Dave Wahl, fished with me on Wednesday, 2/1. We spent a couple of hours in the coastal gulf hunting for false albacore (little tunny) and tripletail. Despite great conditions, we didn’t find anything so we spent the rest of our trip fishing Sarasota Bay. Dave caught and released several trout, blues and Spanish mackerel on Grassett Deep Flats Bunny flies.
Next week’s negative low tides in the morning should concentrate reds and trout in potholes of Sarasota Bay. Fishing shallow grass flats for reds and trout and deep grass flats for trout, Spanish mackerel, blues and pompano should be good options. Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW should also be a good option.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 270
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 24, 2012 - 5:12 pm: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 1/9 through 1/22/2012
Anglers fishing Sarasota Bay and Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor during the past couple of weeks with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released reds, trout, bluefish, flounder and pompano on jigs and flies. Action was better later in the day due to cool water.
Nick Reding, from Longboat Key, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 1/9. We waded several bars in north Sarasota Bay and Nick caught and released 3 reds and several trout on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly. Longboat Key winter resident, Pat Decastro, fished Sarasota Bay and the coastal gulf with me on Tuesday, 1/10. We spent a couple of hours hunting false albacore (little tunny) and tripletail in the coastal gulf. Despite good conditions and water temperature of 69 degrees we didn’t find anything. We fished several deep grass flats in Sarasota Bay and Pat caught a few trout up to 18” but the action was slow.
Wednesday was windy as a front blew through, but it didn’t change conditions drastically on Thursday. Keith McClintock and Victor Feldman, from IL, fished Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor with me on Thursday, 1/12, and had a good day. They caught 4 reds up to 4-pounds, a 3 ½-pound pompano and numerous trout on CAL jigs with shad and grub tails and DOA Deadly Combos.
Action slowed a little in Sarasota Bay last week as water temperatures dropped into the low 60’s. A high school classmate from Seaford DE, Allen Handy and his wife, Jessye, drove up from Naples to fish Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 1/16. We fished the east side of the bay from Stephens Point to the Marina Jack flat where they caught and released trout to 18” on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos. Marshall Dinerman and his friend, Neil, from Atlanta, GA, fished the Middleground and Radio Tower Flats in Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday afternoon, 1/17. They caught and released trout to 18”, including 4 slot size fish, on CAL jigs with shad tails.
Tom Lamb, from Geneva, Switzerland and John Freeman, from Venice, FL, fished Gasparilla Sound with me on Wednesday, 1/18. They caught and released trout to 18”, bluefish and a pair of reds on CAL jigs with shad tails. Following a front on Wednesday evening, Dave Wahl and his brother-in-law, Don McKenna, from Sterling, IL fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday, 1/19. We fished the east side of the bay from Stephens Point to Long Bar and they had steady action with trout and a 3-pound plus pompano on CAL jigs with shad tails and my Grassett Flats Bunny fly. Dave caught and released the last fish of the day, a 4-pound plus gator trout out of a pothole on my Flats Minnow fly. It was fun to watch the big trout eat in the clear, shallow water!
Nick Reding, from Longboat Key, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 1/20. We waded several bars in north Sarasota Bay and action was slow. Although we didn’t see many mullet that day which is often the key to finding reds, he did catch and release a red and a trout on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly. Pete Pedersen, from MA, visited his dad Norm Pedersen in Sarasota and fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning. They caught trout, pompano, flounder and blues on CAL jigs with grub and shad tails. The best action was at the Middleground flat.
Next week’s negative low tides in the morning should concentrate reds and trout in potholes. In addition to trout, look for pompano, blues and Spanish mackerel on deep grass flats and in passes of Sarasota Bay. Afternoons may fish better than mornings due to cool water.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 269
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, January 10, 2012 - 3:07 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota, FL Fishing Report from 12/25/2011 through 1/8/2012
Action continued in the coastal gulf Christmas week due to the unseasonable warm weather we’ve had during December. A couple of fronts passed through slowing action in Sarasota Bay for a couple of days , but action rebounded during warm ups following fronts. Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released false albacore (little tunny), Spanish mackerel, tripletail, snook, trout, pompano, bluefish, flounder and a small shark during the past couple of weeks.
Denis Clohisy, from WI, and Vic Heckler, from IL, fished the coastal gulf with me on Monday, 12/26. I had to cover a lot of water to locate the false albacore, but once I found them we stayed on them for several hours. They caught and released 7 or 8 “albies” to 8-pounds and Spanish mackerel to 1 ½-pounds on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. We ran some crab trap lines on the way back, had numerous shots at a couple of tripletail and Denis caught a 5 ½-pounder on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly. A great fish!
Chris Shuff, his 14-year old son, Devin and friend, John, all from OH, stopped off in Sarasota to fish with me on Tuesday, 12/27 on their way to the Keys. They caught and released a few trout and ladyfish on the west side of Sarasota Bay from the Middleground flat to Whale Key on CAL jigs with shad tails. We had an approaching front, so we got off the water just ahead of it. Dave Wahl, from IL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday, 12/28. Since it was cool that morning, we started at 9 AM and fished into the middle of the afternoon. He caught and released a few trout on a Clouser fly, but the action was slow.
Sarasota winter resident, Phil Rever, and Eric Dobkin, from NY, fished the ICW near Venice with me on Thursday evening, 12/29. The tide wasn’t great, but action was steady with most spots giving up several fish. They caught and released more than 15 snook and a trout on my Snook Minnow fly. The last fish of the night was a 30”, 7 ½-pound snook that Eric caught and released. It got wrapped in the trolling motor shaft twice, but due to using a heavy tippet we successfully got the fish out each time. A nice fish!
Kent Boulware and son-in-law, Eric Notestine, from IN, and son, Jon Boulware, from NC, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday afternoon, 12/30. They had steady action catching and releasing trout, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, a couple of pompano and a small shark on CAL jigs with shad and grub tails at Stephens Point and near Whale Key.
A strong front passed through our area early last week dropping air temperatures below freezing and plummeting water temperatures by almost 10 degrees. However, after a few days of sun, water temperatures climbed back into the 60’s and action resumed. Keith McClintock and his grandson, Garrett Anderson, from IL, got out with me on Monday morning, 1/2 just as the front passed through. Due to a strong wind forecast, we fished Little Sarasota Bay from Point Crisp to Spanish Point. They caught and released trout to 17” and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails. Longboat Key winter resident, Nick Reding, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday,1/6. We waded a sand bar in north Sarasota Bay and Nick caught and released 5 reds to 24” on my Flats Minnow fly. A great trip!
Tom Lamb, from Geneva, Switzerland, his daughter Diane Muhlfeld, from Sarasota, and Roy Glah, from CT, fished the Middleground flat in Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning, 1/7. They caught some quality fish-3 pompano, 2 flounder, a Spanish mackerel and several trout on CAL jigs with grubs.
Next week’s negative low tides in the morning should concentrate reds and trout in potholes of north Sarasota Bay. With Spanish mackerel still present in Sarasota Bay, it may be worth checking the coastal gulf for Spanish mackerel, false albacore (little tunny) and tripletail when conditions are good.
Happy New Year and a special thanks to all the customers that fished with me during the past year! After almost 22 years in business, many of you have become good friends and I’ve gotten to know and fish with your families as well. I appreciate your business and look forward to fishing with you again soon.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 268
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 24, 2011 - 9:39 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota Fishing Report for 12/11 through 12/24/2011
Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released snook, reds, trout, Spanish mackerel, pompano, blues, flounder, tripletail and albies (little tunny) during the past couple of weeks. We have had great fall weather this year, causing water temperature to fall slowly keeping migratory species around longer.
I spent a couple of days in the coastal gulf fly fishing for albies and tripletail. Steve Gibson, of Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing, and I went on a scouting mission on Monday, 12/12. Since I had a trip later in the week, I wanted to check conditions and see if the albies were still there. The water was still a little dirty from last week’s front, but the bait and predators were there. We found lots of Spanish mackerel and they were easily caught with a fly. We only found one school of albies and Gibby caught one on his Albie Duster fly. We ran some crab trap lines hunting tripletail, found a couple and he caught one on the same fly.
Larry and Maritta Levenberg and their grandson Nati, from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday, 12/14. They caught and released pompano, flounder, ladyfish and trout on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos at Stephens Point.
Conditions were good on Friday, 12/16 when Doug Suddaby, from Sarasota, FL and Cary Ward, from Bradenton, FL, fished the coastal gulf with me. There were fewer mackerel and a lot more albies than earlier in the week. They were being picky, as they sometimes can be, but we were on fish most of the time. They caught and released 3 albies to 10-pounds on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly and they had a shot at a tripletail on the way back. Tripletail are a good option this time of year. It’s a great sight fishing opportunity, but it will require covering some water to locate them. They are usually aggressive, pull hard and jump too!
Catch and release night snook fishing was on fire early last week! The best action was fly fishing for snook at night in the ICW near Venice. Snook gorged themselves on glass minnows around lighted docks and ate my Snook Minnow fly just as well. In addition, we also caught trout and reds around docks on the same fly.
Bruce McLean, from Sarasota and his son, Gray McLean, from Charlottesville, VA, fished the ICW near Venice with me on Monday evening, 12/19. They caught and released more than 15 snook to 23”, 6 trout to 18” and 4 reds to 22” on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. Not only did Gray catch his first snook on a fly, he also caught and released several slams!
The action got even better on Wednesday evening, 12/21, when Bill Rhodes from Hernando Beach, FL, fished the same area with me. The bite was so good at quitting time that we decided to turn it into a 6-hour trip. Bill also had a fly rod slam catching and releasing more than 40 snook to 23”, 6 trout to 19” and a 22” red on my Snook Minnow fly! Exercise caution when snook fishing this time of year. I always using tackle and leaders heavy enough to land them quickly with minimal handling. If water temperatures plummet following a strong front, I won’t fish for them at all until conditions stabilize.
Bill fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday morning, 12/22. The action was slow, but he managed to catch and release a couple of trout and a bluefish on a Hansen Glass Minnow fly near Whale Key. He fished a tandem fly rig with a smaller fly about 24” ahead of a larger fly on an intermediate shooting head fly line creating the illusion of schooling bait fish.
Jerry Roth, from Longwood, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday morning, 12/23. Despite beautiful conditions it was slow to start. We had a negative low tide with good sunlight and mullet so thick you could walk on them, but we covered a lot of water before we scored. Jerry finished the day with 4 reds to 24” caught and released on a CAL jig with a shad tail near Buttonwood Harbor.
Negative low tides early next week as we head away from a new moon should concentrate reds and trout in potholes. Fish deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay for trout, blues, Spanish mackerel, pompano and flounder. As long as it stays mild, we should also have action with false albacore, Spanish mackerel and tripletail in the coastal gulf when conditions are good. Have a Merry Christmas!
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 267
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 10, 2011 - 7:57 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota, FL Fishing Report 11/27 through 12/10/2011
Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and flounder on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay during the past couple of weeks. My boat was in the shop for several days during the week of 11/27 for scheduled maintenance and waiting for parts to correct a problem with the outboard’s lower unit. However, I was able to get out on Thursday, 12/1, following a front with a friend to do some scouting. We cast lightly weighted flies on sink tip fly lines to reds and trout that were along an edge where a shallow flat dropped off to deeper water in north Sarasota Bay.
Tom Lamb, from Geneva, Switzerland, and Roy Glah, from CT, fished Stephens Point, Long Bar and near Whale Key in Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday, 12/6. They had steady action with trout and a flounder on CAL jigs with shad and grub tails. Walt Poxon, from MN, and Bill and Sue Poxon, from Sarasota, fished the west side of the bay from the Middleground flat to Whale Key with me on Wednesday, 12/7. They caught and released numerous trout, flounder and Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos. A front came through on Wednesday evening and the wind was blowing more than 20 mph on Thursday morning, so we rescheduled that trip.
Conditions were good when John Damico and Bryan Beebe, both from Sarasota, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 12/9. They had good action with trout and Spanish mackerel to 2-1/2 lbs and blues to 3 -1/2 lbs on CAL jigs with shad tails and Ultra Hair Clouser flies at Stephens Point and near Whale Key.
Negative low tides early next week should be good for reds, trout and flounder in potholes in shallow water. Look for trout, blues, Spanish mackerel, pompano and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Action with Spanish mackerel and albies (little tunny) in the coastal gulf should resume when sea conditions improve.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 266
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, November 26, 2011 - 10:56 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 11/12 through 11/26/011
Action was good in Sarasota Bay and in the coastal gulf during the past couple of weeks. Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, reds, flounder, bluefish, pompano and Spanish mackerel on DOA and CAL lures and flies. Fly anglers had great action with albies (little tunny) in the coastal gulf.
“What is an albie?” a couple of people have asked recently. They are little tunny, known as false albacore or albies to anglers from the Carolinas to New England and called bonito in Florida. There is a pilgrimage of fly anglers every fall to Harker’s Island, NC (Cape Lookout) where hundreds of anglers gather to fly fish for false albacore or albies, which is where I was introduced to fly fishing for them. They are one of my favorite fish to catch on a fly and we also have a great fishery for them here in the fall and spring. Unlike some other areas, we also have good options for bay and flats fishing if sea conditions in the coastal gulf are rough.
Tony Ryan, from Osprey, FL, and Rich Carroll, from North Port, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday, 11/12. Following a front the day before, it was cool to start but it warmed up quickly. They caught and released trout, blues, flounder and a nice red on CAL jig with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos at Stephens Point and near Buttonwood Harbor. Bill Moore and his son Mark Moore, from the Chicago area, fished the same areas with me on Sunday, 11/13. They had good action with trout, blues and Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs and DOA Deadly Combos.
Wes Demmon, also from the Chicago area, fished Sarasota Bay with me on a foggy morning on Tuesday, 11/15. We caught and released trout on CAL: jigs with shad tails near Bird Key while we waited for heavy fog to lift enough so we could go into the coastal gulf. He caught and released a few mackerel on flies and Diamond jigs and had some shots at albies. Wes also had a shot at a big tripletail as we ran a crab trap line on our way back.
Denis Clohisy, from WI, and Pat DeCastro, from OH, fished several days with me from Thursday through Saturday. With an approaching front, we were still able to get out into the coastal gulf on Thursday, 11/17. They had good action with Spanish mackerel and ladyfish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies in Big Pass and then we went and hunted albies in the coastal gulf. We located some feeding fish but they were still being picky like they were earlier in the week. We stuck with them and they had 3 hookups, one on a Clouser, one on a Crease fly and one on my Snook Minnow fly and landed one that day. The action ended that day with 2 or 3 big bait balls being crashed by mackerel, albies and sharks. An awesome sight!
Friday, 11/18 was very windy and we weren’t able to fish the gulf that day so we fished the east side of Sarasota Bay. Despite winds gusting more than 20 mph they still had decent action. They caught and released numerous trout, 4 reds and a couple of flounder on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad and grub tails. Conditions improved on Saturday, 11/19 and we were able to get back into the coastal gulf. Albies were plentiful and in a better mood that day, staying up longer and giving us a chance to get a fly in front of them. They hooked 6 fish and landed 4, all on a tan Grassett Snook Minnow. The fish were mostly in the 10-lb class and went deep into their backing. A good day!
Albies were picky at first on Monday, 11/21 but as the day went by they stayed up longer and got more aggressive. We hooked 7 or 8 and landed 5 or 6 up to 10-lbs on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. Norm and Francie Boardman, from Sarasota, fished with me on Tuesday, 11/22. Macks and albies churned the water to a froth yet were very picky due to the size of the glass minnows they were feeding on. They hooked a couple and landed an albie and several Spanish mackerel on my Snook Minnow fly and CAL jigs with shad tails.
Everything came together on Weds, 11/23 when Everette Howell, from Nashville, TN and his son, Kirk Howell from NYC, fished the coastal gulf with me. An approaching front had macks and albies on a feeding binge and they ate our flies almost as well as the glass minnows they were feeding on. They hooked 14 or 15 albies and landed 10 or 11 up to 12-pounds on my Snook Minnow fly. A great day!
Bill Beauchamp, from Bradenton, FL, and his guests, son-in-law, Brian and Dakota, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 11/25. Conditions were good although the wind came up in the afternoon. We fished the east side of the bay and near Buttonwood Harbor where they caught and released numerous trout to 4-lbs, several flounder, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, pompano and a red on CAL jigs with a variety of plastic tails and DOA Deadly Combos.
Next week’s negative low tides in the morning should concentrate reds and trout in potholes of Sarasota Bay. Fishing the coastal gulf should continue to be hot until there are significant changes in conditions.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 265
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 14, 2011 - 5:54 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 11/1 through 11/11/2011
There was good action on both shallow and deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay during the past couple of weeks. Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout to 4-pounds, reds to 9-pounds, flounder to 3-pounds, blues, Spanish mackerel, sheepshead and pompano on jigs and flies.
Bonita Springs, FL winter resident, Jay Sandza and his friend Ed, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday, 11/2. They caught and released trout, a couple of reds and a Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails at Stephens Point and near Bayshore Gardens. Nick Reding, from Longboat Key, FL, and Mike Perez, from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday, 11/3. We waded and fly fished all day and caught a variety of species including a few quality fish. They caught and released trout to 4-pounds, a pompano, a sheepshead and a nice flounder on weighted flies.
Bill and Scott Moore came down from Chicago to fish with me on Friday, 11/4. It was rainy and windy as a front pushed through that morning and we were limited as to where we could fish. I used a drift anchor, which is invaluable when fishing in the conditions we had that day, to slow our drift to a manageable speed. With a strong northwest wind we fished the west side of the bay near Bishop Point where they caught and released trout on DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs.
It was cool on Saturday morning, 11/5 and the wind wasn’t too bad when John Freeman, from Venice, FL and his daughter Chris Ryan, from Osprey, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me. They caught and released trout, bluefish and a couple of flounder along the east side of the bay on CAL jigs with a variety of plastic tails and DOA Deadly Combos. Jon Grimes, from Longboat Key, and his dad, Jim Grimes from VA, fished the same areas with me in the afternoon. They caught and released trout on Ultra Hair Clouser flies, CAL jigs and DOA Deadly Combos.
Action slowed in shallow water as we approached a full moon this week. Dean Hannemann, from Sarasota, FL, fished the coastal gulf with me on Monday, 11/7. There were plenty of Spanish mackerel, but we only saw a couple of schools of albies and they were up and down very briefly. He caught and released several mackerel on Ultra Hair Clouser flies.
Nick Reding, from Sarasota, fished a couple of days on 11/8 and 11/10 with me in Sarasota Bay. We waded and fly fished several bars and flats on both sides of the bay. He caught and released trout, a pompano and a sheepshead on my Grassett Flats Minnow and crab fly patterns. We sight fished reds on a bar one afternoon, had several eats and Nick connected with one on my Flats Minnow fly.
Next week’s negative low tides in the morning should concentrate reds and trout in potholes. Action with Spanish mackerel and albies in the coastal gulf should be good once the gulf settles down.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 264
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, November 01, 2011 - 3:49 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota Fishing Report for 10/17 through 10/31/2011
Action in the coastal gulf shut down due to dirty and rough water following the first strong front of the season. However Sarasota Bay action turned on, particularly in shallow water. Action with albies also returned to the coastal gulf after conditions settled. Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released reds, trout, snook, blues, Spanish mackerel and albies on lures and flies during the past couple of weeks.
John Evans, from the UK, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 10/17. It was breezy and the action wasn’t fast, but he caught and released trout on Clouser flies along the east side of the bay and near Long Bar. We had windy and rainy conditions on Tuesday and Wednesday,
10/ 18 and 19, as the first strong front of the season pushed through, so those trips had to be rescheduled. I attended a continuing education seminar for fly casting instructors at the annual FFF-Florida Council Conclave in Kissimmee, FL on Thursday, 10/20. It was time well spent covering various topics related to teaching fly casting.
After weather conditions settled a little, Tim Graham, from Nokomis, FL, and Dale Vollrath, from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 10/21. They had a great day catching and releasing trout and more than 10 reds on CAL jigs with shad and grub tails. They sight fished some of the reds in potholes in north Sarasota Bay at the bottom of the tide. A great day!
Fly angler Richard Gilliam, from CA, fished the same areas with me on Saturday, 10/22. He was weathered out on Tuesday and this was our only chance to make the trip up. He caught and released numerous trout, several Spanish mackerel and connected with a red. He used an Ultra Hair Clouser fly on deep grass flats for the trout and mackerel and my Grassett Flats Minnow fly for the red. Orvis representative Robert Bryant, from Greensboro, NC, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Sunday, 10/23. We caught a few trout and a Spanish mackerel on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on sink tip fly lines along the east side of the bay before heading for shallow water. Robert had several eats, connected with a couple of reds and landed one on my Flat Minnow fly. The reds got more aggressive as the water warmed and the tide rose. He had numerous sight fishing opportunities and we worked hard to get the bites, but it was very rewarding!
Mark Eddy and his son-in-law, Andy Sherman, both from CO, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 10/24. They had good action on deep grass flats near Buttonwood Harbor with trout and blues on Ultra Hair Clouser flies. Jon Yenari and Kyle Ruffing, both from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday, 10/25. We had planned to fish Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor, but due to reports of red tide along the coast in that area, we opted to fish Sarasota Bay instead. We spent some time in skinny water sight casting to reds, but they didn’t cooperate. We fished a couple of deep grass flats along the east side of the bay in the afternoon and caught and released trout on Ultra Hair Clouser flies.
Jerry Roth, from Longwood, FL, fished a couple of days in Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday and Friday, 10/26 and 28. We fished the west side of the bay near Buttonwood Harbor where he had good action both days with a slam on Wednesday, including a couple of snook to 27”, several reds and nice trout on CAL: jigs with grub tails. Action was a little slower on Friday, but he caught and released a 5-pound blue on a top water plug. What an explosion!
Patrice Camillieri, from France, fished a couple of days with me. We fished the coastal gulf on Thursday, 10/27. False albacore returned after disappearing for a week or so following the first strong front of the season about 10 days ago. He caught and released 7 albies to 10-pounds on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. They were very tough at first, not staying up long and moving fast, but as the day went by they got more aggressive. What a great fish to catch on a fly!
Patrice also fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 10/31. It was cool, rainy and windy that morning, but we decided to give it a shot. We waded on the east side of the bay, which was the best way to deal with the wind. Patrice caught and released several trout on my flats Minnow and Clouser flies, including a couple in the 2-1/2 to 3-pound class and he ended the day with an over slot 9-pound red!
I fished the 7th annual MCFF/CCA “Fall Fly Fishing Challenge” with my son-in-law, Capt. Andy Cotton and Jeremiah Acevedo, both from Sarasota on Saturday, 10/29. It was a good event with 36 anglers targeting reds, trout, snook and more in a CPR format (catch, photo, release). Since we had 3 anglers and it was a windy day, we waded a couple of spots to best deal with the conditions. We had a great day, although not good enough to win any awards. Andy and I each had a pair of reds and several nice trout to 23” on my Flats Minnow and Clouser flies. I also caught and released a 4-lb blue while wading in 2’ of water. Jeremiah had a good day with several nice trout on Clouser flies.
Next week’s tides will improve towards the end of the week. Action should be good in skinny water in Sarasota Bay for reds, trout and snook and for Spanish mackerel and albies in the coastal gulf.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 263
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, October 16, 2011 - 8:43 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 9/30 through 10/16/2011
Anglers fishing Sarasota Bay with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released albies (little tunny), reds, trout, snook, blues and Spanish mackerel during the past couple of weeks. Some of the best action was with albies on flies in the coastal gulf although there was also good action in skinny water with reds, trout and a nice snook. Visibility was good enough in shallow water that we were able to sight cast to some of the reds with jigs and flies.
Ray Miles, from NY, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday morning, 9/30. He caught and released trout and ladyfish at Stephens Point and near Whale Key on CAL jigs with shad tails, DOA Deadly Combos and top water plugs. He also caught a red in skinny water on a weedless rigged CAL shad tail.
Steve Gibson and I fished the coastal gulf off Siesta Key on Tuesday, 10/4 and had a good day with albies. We caught and released 7 or 8 in the 8 to 10-pound class on small white flies. I threw my Snook Minnow fly and Gibby was using a small white fly that he tied. We had to work to stay on the fish, but they would eat when you got a fly into them.
Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers member, Gene Mayberry from Bradenton, FL, went into the gulf with me on Thursday, 10/6. He had a good day catching and releasing 8 or 10 albies on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. Chad McCoy, from Bardstown, KY, his son Hunter and Hunter’s friend, Clay Davis, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 10/7. Chad fly fished while the boys threw CAL jigs, DOA Deadly Combos and plugs. They caught and released a few trout, bluefish and a Spanish mackerel near Bird Key. It was great to see everyone’s enthusiasm!
Randy Powell and Ben Hatcher, both from Sarasota, FL, had a good day fishing skinny water in north Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday, 10/8. We had a terrible weather forecast for high winds and rain, but it never got that bad. We hugged the east shore of Sarasota Bay where they caught and released several trout, 3 reds and a nice snook on CAL jigs with plastic grubs. Ben landed the snook, a 28”, 7-pound plus fish to complete his slam for the day! The forecast was even worse for Sunday, 10/9, but based on Saturday’s trip we decided to give it a shot. Tim Graham, from Nokomis, FL, and his guest, Aaron Way from Okeechobee, FL, fished the same areas with me and caught and released numerous trout, a 4-pound blue and a red that was sight-fished in skinny water on DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs with plastic grubs.
Jon Grimes and Tony Rich, both from Longboat Key, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday, 10/11. They caught and released numerous trout to 18”, blues to 4-lbs and Spanish mackerel on DOA Deadly Combos and Ultra Hair Clouser flies near Whale Key.
Fly anglers Dave Macomber, from MN, and his brother Scott Macomber, from MA, fished with me on Friday and Saturday, 10/14 and 15. They had a good day on Friday catching and releasing 6 or 7 albies to 8 ½ lbs in the coastal gulf off Sarasota on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. We snook fished in the ICW near Venice before dawn on Saturday morning where they caught and released 4 or 5 snook on the same fly. We fished the coastal gulf out of Venice after dawn and found Spanish mackerel, but no albies. We came upon an awesome scene as Spanish mackerel crashed a bait ball and 25 or 30 sharks cruised the bait ball with dorsal fins out of the water eating mackerel!
Next week’s outgoing tides in the morning should be good for fishing the coastal gulf or the flats. Look for reds and snook along sand bars and in potholes at the bottom of the tide.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 262
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 29, 2011 - 11:04 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota Fishing Report for 9/19 through 9/29/2011
Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action in Sarasota Bay and the coastal gulf recently. Spin anglers scored on reds, snook, trout, flounder, blues and Spanish mackerel. Fly anglers had great action with little tunny (false albacore). Some of the best action was on deep grass flats where blues and trout fed in glass minnow schools. Reds in the low 20” range were scattered on shallow grass flats and along bars.
Tom and Mary Howard, from Bradenton, Fl, fished north Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 9/19. We focused on skinny water and the action wasn’t fast, but they caught and released a slam including a red, a couple of snook and several trout and flounder on CAL jigs with shad tails.
Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, FL, and I scouted the coastal gulf off Siesta and Casey Keys and had great action with little tunny and Spanish mackerel on Tuesday, 9/20. Little tunny were “surfing”, eating tiny baits with their heads and backs out of the water, which made for some exciting top water strikes! We landed 7 or 8 little tunny to 10-lbs and about 6 Spanish mackerel to 2 ½-lbs on my Grassett Snook Minnow, Clouser and Bubblehead fly poppers.
Jerry Roth, from Longwood, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday, 9/22. He also had a slam including 3 reds, a snook and several trout on a Zara Spook, Jr. and CAL jigs with shad tails. Greg and Patty Pratt, from Cincinnati, OH, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 9/23. They had good action with trout, blues and Spanish mackerel on DOA Deadly Combos and Ultra Hair Clouser flies. I spoke at the Florida Sportsman Fishing Show in Tampa and helped out at the DOA Fishing Lures booth on Saturday and Sunday, 9/24 and 25. It was good to have a chance to visit with old friends and talk fishing with some avid anglers.
We were met with lightning and sloppy sea conditions on Monday morning, 9/26, so we rescheduled our trip into the coastal gulf for little tunny and Spanish mackerel. Aledia Tush, owner of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, and Melissa Littlewood, both from Sarasota, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday, 9/27. They caught and released trout to 18” and blues to 3-pounds on CAL jigs with shad tails at Stephens Point. Melissa connected with a nice red in skinny water on a weedless rigged CAL shad tail near Buttonwood Harbor.
Steve Partain, from Atlanta, and his son, Chris Partain from OK, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday, 9/28. The action was slow to start due to a slack tide but as the water started to move the action got cranked up. They caught and released numerous trout to 19”, blues to 4-pounds and a Spanish mackerel at Stephens Point and near Whale Key on top water plugs, DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs with shad tails. Chris also caught a red on a weedless-rigged CAL shad tail along a bar on the east side of the bay.
Outgoing tides in the morning should be good this weekend. Bay water is still warm enough that mornings are fishing better. Snook are moving onto shallow flats and staging around sand bars in Sarasota Bay. Action in shallow water and the coastal gulf should only get better as water cools.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 261
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, September 18, 2011 - 7:36 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett's Fishing Report for 9/5 through 9/18/2011
Anglers fishing Sarasota Bay with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout to 19" and reds to 22" on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos recently. Bill and Sally Wester, from Cincinnati, fished with me and caught and released trout to 19" on DOA Deadly Combos at Stephens Point, the Marina Jack flats and near ICW markers 5 and 7.
Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, fished skinny water with me along the east side of Sarasota Bay from the Ringling flats to Long Bar. He caught and released a pair of reds to 22" and several trout on a MirrOlure Top Dog, Jr. and a CAL jig with a shad tail.
I spent some time in DE visiting family and had a chance to fish Chesapeake Bay one day with my brothers Kirk and Joey Grassett. We fished out of Hooper’s Island, MD to get below dirty water and debris in the upper bay coming out of the Susquehanna River. We didn’t find any breaking fish but Kirk caught a striper and a blue on a Clouser fly fished on a fast sinking fly line in a deep cut between 2 islands. Very low salinity, due to the recent flooding in that area, probably pushed fish further down the bay.
Back in Sarasota, tides will improve towards the end of next week as we head towards a new moon. We’ll have very high tides in the morning, so look for reds along mangrove shorelines or the top of bars. There are already reports of albies (little tunny) and Spanish mackerel in the coastal gulf so that should also be a good option.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 260
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, September 05, 2011 - 10:41 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota Fishing Report for 9/4/2011
Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, reds, blues and sheepshead in Sarasota Bay and jumped several tarpon in the Peace River during the past week. The best action was with trout on deep grass flats and juvenile tarpon in the Peace River.
Steve Gibson, of Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing, fished the Peace River and residential canals of Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda with me on Tuesday. We found plenty of tarpon in the 15 to 30-pound class and jumped 3 tarpon to 20-pounds on rootbeer DOA TerrorEyz. These mini torpedoes are great fun, jumping higher and more frequently than larger fish. They should continue to be a good option for the next couple of months.
Jerry Roth, from the Orlando, FL area, fished north Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. He connected with a pair of over slot reds, one on a surface walking top water plug and the other, a 9 ½ lb fish, on a weedless-rigged CAL shad tail. Ken Alexander and Steve Johns, from Sarasota, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. The action wasn’t fast but was steady. They caught and released trout to 17” and a bluefish on DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs with shad tails. The best action was near Whale Key.
Fly angler Mark Torkos, from St. Augustine, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday. We checked the coastal gulf for little tunny (false albacore) and Spanish mackerel but didn’t find anything. With plentiful baitfish in the coastal gulf, it is only a matter of time before the albie fishing takes off. We caught a few trout on Clouser flies at the Middleground flat and Stephens Point before moving to shallow water where Mark caught and released a sheepshead on a Clouser fly near Long Bar. Sheepshead are very challenging with flies and lures, since they feed mainly with their nose, and this was the first sheepshead on a fly for Mark.
Next week’s tides will improve towards the end of the week as we approach a full moon on Sept. 12th. Trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay, little tunny and Spanish mackerel in the coastal gulf or juvenile tarpon in the Peace River should all be good options depending on conditions.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 259
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 28, 2011 - 5:46 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Crane Meadow Lodge, MT Fishing Report for 8/27/2011
I hosted a group of fly anglers at Crane Meadow Lodge in Twin Bridges, MT last week. The group consists of clients, who have all become good friends over the past 10 years that we’ve been going to the lodge. Nick Reding, Bob Reynolds, Howard Curtis, Jay Sandza and Bob Virgil, all from the St. Louis, MO area, Mike Perez and Dennis Kinley, from IN and I all met up at the lodge last Saturday and Sunday. We fished the Beaverhead, upper Big Hole and Ruby Rivers, a spring creek and a high mountain lake.
We caught and released brown trout, rainbows, cutthroats and brookies on a variety of dry and wet flies. Some of the best dry fly action was with hoppers and caddis imitations. We also caught fish stripping streamers and nymphing. The Beaverhead River was fishing so well it was hard to do anything else, but we fished various sections of the river from Clark Canyon Reservoir to Barrett’s and on private water north of Dillon. We also waded the river in a few sections. Mike Perez and I each caught and released big browns to 24” (4-lbs) on hoppers in a spring creek. Bob Reynolds and I floated the Beaverhead on Thursday and had good dry fly action with browns to 22” drifting hoppers along grass banks and on current seams.
One of my favorite days was when Dennis Kinley, Jay Sandza and I waded the upper Big Hole River and had great action with brookies on small hoppers. They aren’t large but they are aggressive. They would sometimes launch themselves out of the water to blast our hoppers, providing a great fight on 2 and 4-weight fly rods. We ate lunch at a turn of the century one room log school house where students from the early 1900’s had carved and written their names and the date on the logs inside the building. Nick Reding, Bob Virgil, Howard Curtis and Jay Sandza had great action with cutthroats on a high mountain lake on Thursday.
Weather was great, lows in the high 40’s and highs in the low 80’s with very low humidity, except for a morning and an afternoon of thunderstorms, although the thunderstorms were strong with hail, wind and lightning. The variety is one of the things that bring us back to Crane Meadow Lodge every year. There are usually several different options for any given day from floating a river, wading a smaller tributary or spring creek to fishing dries and hoppers. The food and the accommodations are great and their guides are usually dialed in to the best action. The scenery is outstanding with lots of snow capped mountain peaks around. We saw whitetail and mule deer, elk, and antelope and numerous waterfowl, including the namesake of the lodge, Sandhill Cranes.
Flats action should be good next week in Sarasota Bay early in the day. Look for tarpon rolling on deep grass flats or around bridges. Outgoing tides in the morning will get stronger as we head towards the end of next week, which should mean good flats fishing. Check the coastal gulf for tarpon, albies and tripletail when conditions are good.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 258
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, August 04, 2011 - 8:33 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota Fishing Report for 7/25 through 8/4/2011
Tarpon are thinning out in the coastal gulf off Sarasota although they got aggressive as we approached the new moon on July 30th. Fly anglers fishing the coastal gulf off Sarasota with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, jumped 5 tarpon and landed 2 to 75-lbs recently. However, tarpon action slowed during the past week as tides weakened as we headed away from the new moon, but we still averaged 5 or 6 shots at tarpon per trip. Fish were a little deeper in the water column, requiring quick casts to get the fly deep enough. We had several follows, a couple of bites and one brief hook up during the past week.
My brother, Kirk Grassett from Middletown, DE, and friend Nick Delle Donne, from Lancaster, PA, fished with me from 7/28 through 7/30. Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, joined us to fish in his Hells Bay skiff on Thursday, 7/28 (2 boats). It was rough on Thursday due to a tropical wave that passed through on Wednesday, but despite that Nick jumped and landed a 90-lb tarpon on a fly with Rusty that day.
We fished Sarasota Bay near Whale Key on Friday and Saturday morning,7/29 and 30 where we caught and released trout to 17”, a bluefish and a pompano on Clouser and Nick’s Motion Minnow flies. Tarpon action heated up those days as the numbers of fish increased and they got aggressive. Kirk and Nick each jumped a tarpon on Friday, 7/29 and Nick fought his fish for about 40 minutes before the hook pulled close to the boat. The action reached a peak on Saturday, 7/30 as we jumped 3 fish and landed 2 of them, each about 75-lbs. Kirk jumped and landed a fish late in the day that almost broke us off while he cleared his fly line. The fly line grabbed a zinger pinned to his shirt, almost ripping his shirt off and then wrapped around his foot. After making it past those hurdles, he battled the fish in rough seas. Despite all that, the fish was alongside the boat and DNA sampled within about 30 minutes. A memorable fish!
In addition to tarpon, we also fished Sarasota Bay a couple of days during the past week where we caught and released trout to 17”on DOA Deadly Combos and Grassett Deep Flats Bunny flies. We focused on glass minnow schools at Stephens Point and near Whale Key and Bishop Point to find feeding fish. Due to very warm water in the bay, the best action was early in the day.
Tarpon numbers in the coastal gulf are dwindling as fish move to inside waters. In addition to the coastal gulf off Sarasota you may also catch them around bridges or find them feeding in bait schools in deeper areas of Sarasota Bay, Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor. Action should also be good on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay for trout, blues and more and around lighted docks and bridges close to passes and in the ICW for snook.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 257
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 24, 2011 - 10:21 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota Fishing Report for 7/10 through 7/24/2011
Tarpon fishing in the coastal gulf along Sarasota beaches is still good. Fly anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with tarpon during the past couple of weeks. Although tarpon are thinning out and large schools have given way to singles doubles and small schools, they are aggressive.
Fly anglers fishing with me 4 days during the week of 7/10 had 9 bites and hooked or jumped 4 tarpon. Accuracy is very important when sight fishing for tarpon. The fly must be in the right place for the right fish for it to work. Happy fish are high in the water column and meandering as they travel. Fish that are deep in the water column or moving fast are tougher, but it may work if you get the fly down to them fast enough.
Palmetto, FL winter resident, Jerry Poslusny, and Jay Peck, a fly fishing guide from Spencerport, NY, tarpon fished with me on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 7/10, 11 and 12. They had 8 bites and hooked or jumped 4 of them. Jon Yenari, from Sarasota, FL, fished with me on Friday, 7/15. Sea conditions were rough that day, but the fish were there. He had more than 20 shots at tarpon and had one eat. There are many variables when it comes to fly fishing for tarpon. Even when everything else is right if the fly is in a boney part of the fish’s mouth, it may jump off. The most fun is the bite and the fight!
One of the most exciting scenarios during the week of 7/18 was when tarpon corralled glass minnows into a bait ball and almost devoured the whole thing over a period of time as they repeatedly crashed through it gorging themselves on the fry. We had a couple of bites and jumped one tarpon out of the fray.
Sarasota winter resident, Mike Perez, fished a couple of days with me earlier that week and was joined by Dean Hanneman, from Sarasota, on Wednesday, 7/20. They had 3 bites and jumped 2 tarpon on flies. Dean fought one of the fish for more than 30 minutes and had the fish close to the boat before a knot in the fly line caused a break off.
Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key fished with me on Thursday and the action continued. We had 6 bites and jumped 3 fish. Tarpon were very aggressive that day, feeding on glass minnows and porpoising out of the water to eat our flies. Light conditions were poor and fish were deeper in the water column as we approached the end of the week and the action slowed on Friday and Saturday. We saw very few fish those days and didn’t have many decent shots.
Tarpon action should continue next week as we approach the new moon on July 30th. Strong out going tides in the afternoon should be best. As the number of fish in the coastal gulf declines they will move to inside waters of Sarasota Bay, Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor where you may find them around bridges, on deep grass flats or in deep holes. Action should also be good in Sarasota Bay on shallow and deep grass flats for trout, reds, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and more. The best action on the flats will be early in the day before heat affects the action.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 256
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 24, 2011 - 10:14 am: | |
Formatting ErrorThe formatting code topurl requires 2 argument(s); you provided only 1 argument(s). |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 255
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 24, 2011 - 9:34 am: | |
Formatting ErrorThe formatting code topurl requires 2 argument(s); you provided only 1 argument(s). |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 254
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 09, 2011 - 2:55 pm: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota & Stuart, FL Fishing Report for 6/27 through 7/9/2011
Tarpon fishing remains good off Sarasota beaches, although conditions recently have made sight fishing in shallow water challenging. Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, jumped several tarpon and landed two on flies, DOA Baitbusters and live bait. I also spent a couple of days over in Stuart, FL at the annual DOA Guide/Outdoor Writer Festival, where we caught and released snook, trout, flounder, black drum and jacks.
The DOA event is held out of River Palm Cottages and Fish Camp, “A Cool Place to Stay”, on the banks of the Indian River in Jensen Beach, FL. It is the perfect spot for a weekend getaway. Not only is it right on the Indian River, it has a Florida Keys atmosphere with a nice Tiki Hut, dockage for boats and they’re pet friendly. Outdoor writers, sponsors and guides were matched up daily to fish the fertile waters of the Indian and St. Lucie Rivers. Tarpon to 100-lbs, snook to 30-lbs, trout to more than 10-lbs, reds and permit were caught and released on DOA baits by anglers participating in the event.
Capt. John Irwin, from Charleston, SC, fished the Indian and St. Lucie Rivers with me on Monday, 6/27. The action wasn’t fast, but we caught a variety of species including snook, trout, flounder and black drum on DOA TerrorEyz, DOA shrimp and CAL jigs with shad tails. Capt. Dave Lear, from Tallahassee, FL and Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, FL, fished with me on Tuesday, 6/28. We caught and released a couple of snook on DOA shrimp in the St. Lucie Inlet and a couple of nice trout on a sandbar in the Indian River near River Palm Cottages.
Back in Sarasota conditions weren’t great for tarpon fishing, although fish were aggressive; free jumping, tail slapping and eating baits off the surface. Overcast skies, thunderstorms and rough water caused fish to be deep in the water column requiring quick presentations. Despite poor conditions, we had numerous shots at tarpon each day. The issue was seeing a fish soon enough to make a presentation and get your fly deep enough in the water column. An angler on my boat on Wednesday, 6/29, jumped 3 tarpon on Deceiver and Tarpon Rat flies and landed one of about 70-pounds. Two tarpon were hooked with only 20’ of line outside the rod tip.
The Notari family, from Longboat Key, FL and IL, tarpon fished with me on Wednesday and Thursday, 7/6 and 7. Josh Notari, from IL, battled a large tarpon, estimated at 130-lbs, to the boat after a long fight on Thursday. The big fish ate a pinfish and dragged us more than 5 miles into the gulf and 7 or 8 miles from where we hooked the fish. They also jumped a tarpon on a DOA Baitbuster and had a couple of other bites on pinfish. Friday, 7/8, was blown out with the passing of a tropical wave that brought heavy rains and high winds to southwest Florida.
Tarpon preferred pinfish over crabs when using spinning tackle but they were also aggressive on flies, tracking many of the presentations we made to them. Dark flies have accounted for most of the tarpon jumped and caught by fly anglers this season. We are in my favorite part of the season to fly fish for tarpon, lots of singles, doubles and small schools that have already spawned and are excited about feeding!
Tarpon action in the coastal gulf should continue to be good as we approach a full moon next week. Action has been best on afternoon outgoing tides. Flats action in Sarasota Bay for trout, Spanish mackerel, blues and more should be a good option although the best action is usually early in the morning before heat becomes an issue. Catch and release snook fishing around lighted docks and bridge fenders close to passes should also be a good option and is a great way to beat the heat.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 253
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 25, 2011 - 12:36 pm: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota Fishing Report for 6/12 through 6/26/2011
Tarpon action continues to be good in the coastal gulf off Sarasota beaches, although west wind prevented us from tarpon fishing in the coastal gulf a few days. Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, jumped numerous tarpon and brought 3 to the boat recently. We also caught and released trout and bluefish in Sarasota Bay.
A fly angler fishing the coastal gulf on my boat jumped a pair of tarpon on Monday, 6/13. Singles, doubles and small schools of tarpon, rather than large schools, responded best to the fly. The wind shifted to the west for a few days and forced me to fish the protected waters of Sarasota Bay. Jennifer Brady, from Sarasota, and her guests, Sheila and Connie, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday, 6/15. They caught and released more than 15 trout and a bluefish on DOA Deadly Combos along the west side of the bay near Bishop’s Point.
Virl Mullins, from Lakewood Ranch, FL, and Al Coke, from Smithfield, VA, tarpon fished in the coastal gulf off Sarasota with me on Friday and Saturday, 6/17 and 18. They had good action on Friday, jumping 3 tarpon and bringing 1 of them to the boat. One of the fish was on a live crab, one on a DOA Baitbuster and one on a fly. The DOA Baitbuster has been very dependable this season, accounting for numerous hook ups.
Al’s goal was to catch a tarpon on a fly and he was successful. He hooked and jumped the first tarpon that he cast to and successfully fought the fish to the boat after an hour long battle. Virl jumped a pair of tarpon, fought one for quite a while and had it close to the boat before the hook pulled. With big game fish like tarpon, some fish will jump off or break off, hooks will pull loose or there may be missed bites, but it’s all a thrill! When all goes well we will bring them all the way to the boat.
Fly anglers on my boat early on Monday and Tuesday, 6/20 and 21, had numerous shots at tarpon and several bites. They jumped 2 and landed one of them, a 120-lb fish, on a Deceiver fly. Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL and Trent and Lindy DeWald, from Dallas, TX, fished with me on Thursday, 6/23. They had a great day with several bites on live crabs and 2 tarpon to the boat, including a 130-lb fish.
Fly angler Vic Cook, from Columbus, OH, fished with me on Friday and Saturday, 6/24 and 25. The best action was in the afternoon near the bottom of an outgoing tide when he had numerous shots at tarpon and several follows.
Tarpon fishing should be good next week as we approach a new moon on July 1st. Fish the outgoing tides in the afternoon for the best tarpon action. Deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay should have good action with trout, Spanish mackerel and more. Sight fishing for snook in the surf or around lighted docks and bridges in the ICW should also be good options.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 252
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 11, 2011 - 1:38 pm: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota Fishing Report for 5/29 through 6/11/2011
Tarpon action continues to be hot off Sarasota beaches! Anglers fishing the coastal gulf along Sarasota beaches with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with tarpon during the past couple of weeks.
The best action during the week of 5/30 was in the middle of the week when we averaged 4 or 5 bites per day, jumped 7 or 8 tarpon and brought several to the boat. Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, and his group of 6 other anglers fished with Capt. Kelly Stilwell, Capt. Jack Hartman and me from Tuesday through Friday of that week. The rest of the group consisted of Dave Kinnamon, from Milwaukee, Dan Kinnamon, from Miami, Steve Liska, Sean Moore and Ray Van Hoorebecke, all from NJ, and Greg Short, from OH. Tarpon got happy for a couple of days, working slowly and giving us good shots, however some days they were on a “mission”, moving fast and not showing well on the surface. All boats had similar action, jumping numerous fish throughout the week and landing several. Greg had a few shots with a fly and had at least one take and Steve hooked up on a DOA Baitbuster one day, although most of the action was with live crabs.
Dennis Ondercin, from OH, and his son, Cliff Ondercin from Sarasota, fished all week long with me during the week of 6/6. They jumped 13 tarpon and landed 3 of them. We cast live crabs, either free-lined or under floats, and a DOA Baitbuster in the travel lane of the fish. We DNA sampled and measured the 3 fish that we landed. Dennis landed the largest of the fish, which taped out at an estimated 120-pounds (36” girth X 68” length).
Cliff is a good artificial and fly angler and he jumped 3 tarpon on DOA Baitbusters during the week. He also had some good shots with a fly, which was all sight casting to fish in shallow water, on a couple of days. It is exciting to watch a giant tarpon track your fly even when it doesn’t eat!
Tarpon fishing should be strong next week as we approach a full moon on June 15th. The best action for spin anglers should be at first light in the morning while fly anglers will do better with some sunlight for visibility to sight fish. There are many parts of the equation including tide, wind and sea conditions, moon phase and angler experience, which is what makes tarpon fishing both challenging and rewarding.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 251
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 29, 2011 - 2:50 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota Fishing Report for 5/16 through 5/28/2011
Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released tarpon, trout, bluefish, redfish and Spanish mackerel during the past couple of weeks. Tarpon are plentiful and many are in large schools along Sarasota beaches. As is sometimes the case they become finicky and focused on migrating and spawning rather than eating, especially early in the season. We worked everything from singles, doubles and small schools to a couple of massive schools of hundreds of fish during the past couple of weeks.
West winds in the early part of the week of May 16th forced us to fish Sarasota Bay rather than tarpon in the coastal gulf, although action was good. My friends Russell and Annette Johnson, from Clovis, NM, and son Kyle and fiancée, Becky from Oklahoma City, visited Sarasota that week and fished with me on Tuesday and Wednesday. Russell and Kyle had steady action with trout to 3-pounds on CAL jigs with shad tails in Sarasota Bay on Tuesday, 5/17. The best action was on deep grass flats on the west side of the bay. Russell and Annette fished with me on Wednesday, 5/18, and caught and released trout, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and a red on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos. West winds eased up and allowed us to fish the east side of the bay where they had good action at Stephens Point. Later in the week they tarpon fished with my son-in-law, Capt. Andy Cotton. They had a great day, jumping 4 tarpon and leadering 2 of them on live crabs off Siesta Key on Friday, 5/20.
Winds switched back to the east when Bill Moore, from Libertyville, IL and his brother, Chris Moore from Coos Bay, OR, tarpon fished with me later that week from 5/19 through 21. Schools of little tunny (false albacore) blitzed the beach one day off of Longboat Key. Chris connected with one on a CAL jig with a shad tail and the fish made a smoking run! We found tarpon very finicky coming off the full moon and they repeatedly swam through our baits and refused them. They were in a better mood by Saturday, 5/21, when Chris jumped an 80-pounder and fought it to the boat after numerous jumps and an hour long battle. A hammerhead shark stalked our fish right at the boat but never attacked, so the fish swam off unharmed.
Clark Keator and his son, Clark, from Orlando, FL, fished a couple of days with me last week. Young Clark, jumped and landed a 90-lb tarpon on a live crab on Monday, 5/23. We measured both length and girth to get an accurate weight estimate and took a DNA sample of the fish for Mote Marine Laboratory’s tarpon research program. I had a couple of experienced tarpon anglers who have caught and released numerous tarpon with me in the past, on Wednesday and Thursday, 5/25 and 26. We had lots of quality shots with both fly and spin tackle but the tarpon ignored us.
Conditions were great for sight fishing on Friday, 5/27, and tarpon got in a better mood. We jumped a tarpon on a fly and had a couple of hard follows. We also had a tarpon try to eat a CAL shad tail fished at the surface on a weedless hook. A very exciting strike!
Next week’s tides are great, particularly the outgoing tides in the afternoon, as we approach the new moon on June 1st. Fishing tarpon along the beaches, trout, reds and more on both shallow and deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay and snook in the surf or in the ICW at night should all be good options next week.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 250
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 16, 2011 - 9:29 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota & Andros South Fishing Report for 5/1 through 5/15/2011
With water temperatures in the low 80’s, tarpon are plentiful in the coastal gulf off Sarasota. Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, jumped several tarpon and brought one to the boat on flies during the week of 5/1. Although bay fishing was slow, tarpon more than made up for it.
Andy and Drew Hemmert, from Maitland, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Sunday, 5/1. Andy and Drew are experienced fly casters, but we found the action slow that day. We fished both sides of the bay and caught a few trout on flies and CAL jigs. We had some shots at reds in skinny water, but no takes. We also spent about 1 ½-hours in the coastal gulf where Drew had a couple of shots at tarpon.
Carl Bettinger, from Albuquerque, NM, tarpon fished with me in Sarasota on Monday and Tuesday, 5/2 & 3. We had good action, getting numerous shots at fish each day. Carl jumped a pair of fish, both about 80-pounds, on a black Deceiver fly on Monday. We got numerous jumps and runs from the first fish, which jumped off after we had the fish back on the fly line and close to the boat. Another fish broke off when the fly line wrapped around the butt of the rod as he cleared the fly line.
It all came together for Carl on Tuesday. We saw fewer fish and they were deeper in the water column, but he landed his first tarpon. After seeing fish in slightly deeper water, I repositioned the boat, added some lead wire to his fly and he connected on his first cast. After about a 40-minute battle, which included dodging several obstacles, I leadered the fish. We hooked up in the coastal gulf and landed the fish in Sarasota Bay about a mile away!
I hosted a group of friends and customers at Andros South bonefish lodge on South Andros, Bahamas for my annual trip last week (5/7-14). Norm and Francie Boardman, Joe Bursel, Norm Worthington and Marlowe Bowman, all from Sarasota, Les Fulcher from Longboat Key and Tony Johnson from Venice all were along on the trip. Most of us traveled together to Ft. Lauderdale and had an easy, 1-hour plus flight over to Congotown.
Except for windy conditions one afternoon and thunderstorms the following day, weather conditions were very good. We had sunny conditions most of the time which made good conditions for sight fishing. We spent most of our time fishing protected creeks, inside waters and the west side of the island. Some anglers headed south a few days and Les Fulcher and I had great action with big barracudas and sharks in that area one day. We landed a pair of big ‘cudas to 23-lbs. I caught one on a fly popper with an Orvis 9-weight fly rod that I am field testing, which casts very nice and has a lot of backbone. Les caught another one almost as big on a plug. We also caught several smaller ‘cudas and Les hooked up some sharks in the 40 to 50-lb class on flies. It was a nice change to do something different and the action was great!
Les and I fished together most days and had good action with bonefish. He caught and released a 7-pound fish on his first day! There was a slow day or two, but we averaged about 12 bones per day. We also had a shot at an estimated 12-pound bonefish later in the week. Tony Johnson and I fished together one day and caught about a dozen fish. Tony also fished with Joe Bursel for a couple of days and they had good action. They both caught and released numerous bonefish up to about 5-lbs. Norm and Francie Boardman also had good action with flies and jigs. Francie used a spinning rod and cast a light jig that I had tied a shrimp pattern on, which worked well. Fishing became a little more challenging towards the end of the week as tides got higher as we approach a full moon.
We fin clipped more than 15 bonefish for a DNA study for the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, Bonefish Fin Clip Program. Marine biologists will perform DNA analysis on the tiny fin clip samples to establish a data base to study bonefish migration patterns. The tiny sample removed from the fish doesn’t harm them and will grow back. Most fish averaged 2 to 3-lbs and several in the 4 to 5-lb class. Top producing flies were Mantis Shrimp, Peterson Spawning Shrimp and Gotchas.
This was my 5th trip to Andros South. The staff and guides do a great job and the food and fishing are great! One of the best things about the lodge is that it is only just over an hour flight from Ft. Lauderdale, but it seems like you are a world away. Watermakers Air out of Ft. Lauderdale executive airport makes it easy, you park right at the hanger for the easy flight over on a Cessna Caravan. A small customs office at the airport makes the return trip just as easy as the whole group is in and out in about 15-minutes. This is an annual trip for me, usually the first week of May, so if you are interested contact me for more information or look for info on future trips on my website.
We are in a west wind pattern now, so tarpon fishing in the coastal gulf won’t be an option for a few days. However, as we head away from the full moon on Tuesday and the gulf calms down later in the week, tarpon fishing should be hot! Fishing should also be good in Sarasota Bay for trout, Spanish mackerel and more on deep grass flats and reds, trout and snook in skinny water.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 249
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 30, 2011 - 10:21 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota Fishing Report for 4/18 through 4/30/2011
The best action continues to be catch and release night snook fishing and tarpon are becoming plentiful in the coastal gulf. Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released snook, reds, trout, Spanish mackerel, flounder, jacks and a tarpon on jigs and flies during the past couple of weeks.
Alain Dumouchel and Cindy McPherson, both from Montreal, Quebec, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 4/18. They caught and released trout to 2 ½-pounds and a couple of reds on CAL jigs with shad tails and Clouser flies. The biggest trout and the reds were in skinny water on the west side of the bay. Pete Walacko, from MI, fished deep grass flats near Bird Key and at Stephens Point with me on Tuesday morning, 4/19. He caught and released several trout and a Spanish mackerel on Clouser flies fished on an intermediate sink tip fly line.
One of the best trips of the week was when Norm Boardman, from Sarasota, fished the ICW on Tuesday night, 4/19, near Venice with me. He caught and released more than 15 snook to 24” and a couple of trout on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. George Aylesworth, from Englewood, FL, and his brother-in-law, Mike from IN, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday afternoon, 4/20. The action wasn’t fast, but they caught and released trout to 17” and a small red on CAL jigs with grubs and shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos along the west side of the bay.
John Wolfstaetter and his dad, Paul Wolfstaetter, both from NY, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday, 4/21. John is an accomplished fly angler and sight fishing reds was our game plan. He had some shots at fish in potholes and on top of sandbars throughout the day. Even though we showed them numerous flies, he had a few follows but no takes. They caught and released a few trout along the way and Paul caught an 18” flounder on a CAL jig with grub.
Kurt Tenenbaum and his father-in-law, Don McGovern, both from NY, fished Sarasota Bay with me last Saturday, 4/23. We fished deep grass flats at Stephens Point and on the west side of the bay where they caught and released trout on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails. Bill Morrison, from Anna Maria Island, and Gary Marple from Sarasota, snook fished with me on Monday evening, 4/25, in the ICW near Venice. They caught and released more than a dozen snook to 22” on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly.
I scouted the coastal gulf for tarpon on Tuesday, 4/26, and was pleasantly surprised. We saw numerous tarpon, mostly singles, doubles and small schools, moving both north and south. Anglers on my boat had 8 or 10 shots at fish and landed an 80-pounder on a black Deceiver fly.
First fish of the season!
Ed and Louise Martin, from Ontario, fished Charlotte Harbor with me on Wednesday, 4/27. With a south wind gusting to 20-mph, the water in Gasparilla Sound and most of the backcountry was very dirty. It was tough to find a place to fish, but Ed caught and released a couple of trout and jacks on a Clouser fly
Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL and a guest fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday morning, 4/28. It continued to be very windy, but they caught several trout to 18”, a Spanish mackerel and a red on CAL jigs with shad tails on the west side of the bay. Seth Koch, from MD, and Bill Miller, from MS, snook fished with me in the ICW near Venice that evening. The wind dropped a little and with the approaching front, snook fed aggressively. They caught and released more than 20 snook to 23” on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. We were met by rain and wind at the boat ramp the next morning, so after waiting it out for about an hour we cancelled the trip.
Congratulations to CB’s Saltwater Outfitters who was named Orvis Outfitter of the Year at the 25th annual guide & dealer rendezvous in Casper, Wyoming last week. This is a very prestigious award that is earned by providing the high level of quality and service that Orvis is known for. CB’s has been an Orvis dealer and outfitter on Siesta Key in Sarasota for more than 15 years. The winner is chosen from among numerous Orvis-Endorsed Outfitters in destinations around the US.
Tides will be good early next week, particularly the outgoing tide in the evening, as we approach a new moon on May 3rd. Night snook fishing, tarpon in the coastal gulf and trout and Spanish mackerel on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay should all be good options.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 248
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, April 18, 2011 - 4:46 pm: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota Fishing Report for 4/3 through 4/17/2011
Catch and release night snook action has been hot! Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released snook, reds, trout and Spanish mackerel during the past couple of weeks. Fly anglers fishing the ICW at night near Venice averaged more than 20 snook to 27” on several trips. Action slowed a little on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay following recent rains and wind. Anglers fishing Sarasota Bay with me caught and released trout and Spanish mackerel on Clouser flies, CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos.
Tom Allen, from Sarasota, and Jim Madson, from Phoenix, AZ and Bozeman, MT, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Sunday, 4/3. They caught and released numerous trout to 18” and a couple of Spanish mackerel on Ultra Hair Clouser flies along the east side of Sarasota Bay. Anna Maria Island winter resident, Dick Stevens, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 4/4. He also caught and released trout to 18” on Ultra Hair Clouser flies along the east side of the bay. Pierre Fortier and his friend, Alex, both from Quebec, snook fished with me that evening. They caught and released more than 20 snook to 24” on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly in the ICW near Venice.
Denis Clohisy, from Hudson, WI, and Brian McInnis, from Sarasota, also fished a couple of night snook trips with me that week. They caught and released more than 20 snook per trip to 27” on my Grassett Snook Minnow and Gurgler flies. They also fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday where they caught and released numerous trout to 18” on Clouser flies, CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos.
Everette and Sherry Howell, from Nashville, TN, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday afternoon, 4/8. The action wasn’t fast, but they caught some quality trout to 2 ½-pounds in skinny water on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly and CAL jigs with shad tails along the west side of the bay. I was the instructor for a CB’s Saltwater Outfitter’s Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Saturday, 4/9. Due to the busy season ahead of us, this was the last school until fall. If you are interested in learning to fly fish or honing your skills you can contact me for private instruction or info on future schools.
Alain Dumouchel and Cindy McPherson, from Montreal, Quebec, fished 3 days with me last week. They were students of mine in the CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school and they put their skills to test on the water with me during the past week. We fished Sarasota Bay on Monday, 4/11, Little Sarasota Bay and the ICW near Venice on Wednesday, 4/13 and the Terra Ceia Bay area on Friday, 4/15. They caught and released small trout on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails on Monday, snook to 24” and trout to 18” on my Grassett Snook Minnow flies and CAL jigs with shad tails around lighted docks in the ICW near Venice on Wednesday and trout and 3 reds to 5 1/2 -pounds on CAL jigs with grub and shad tails and Clouser flies in the Terra Ceia area on Friday.
Andrew Stiles, from Richmond, VA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday afternoon, 4/14 and caught and released trout on Clouser flies along the west side of the bay. Lewis Hanan and Al Katz, both from Sarasota, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning, 4/16. They caught and released numerous trout to 17” and a Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos at Stephens Point and near Bird Key. The wind came up out of the southwest that afternoon and Wes Demmon, from Chicago, IL, fished the west side of Sarasota Bay with me. We focused on skinny water where Wes caught and released a pair of reds to 8 ½-pounds and several trout to 3 ½-pounds on CAL jigs with shad tails. Despite challenging conditions the largest red was sight fished on top of a bar!
Next week’s tides are good early in the week as we come off a full moon on Monday. There should be good action on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay with trout, Spanish mackerel and more, with reds and trout in skinny water and in the ICW near Venice for snook at night.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 247
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 02, 2011 - 9:34 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 3/21 through 4/2/2011
Action exploded in skinny water during the week of 3/21. Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had great action with reds and trout on shallow grass flats. In addition, we also caught and released Spanish mackerel, blues, trout and pompano on deep grass flats.
Sarasota winter resident, Mike Perez, fished Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor with me on Monday, 3/21 and had a great day! He caught trout on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails in a few spots in the morning. We waded a flat and fished potholes in the afternoon and caught and released 4 reds to 28” on an olive Enrico Puglisi crab pattern and my Grassett Flats Minnow fly.
Bill Moore, from Libertyville, IL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday, 3/22. He had steady action with trout, Spanish mackerel, blues and a pompano on CAL jigs with shad and grub tails. We fished the west side of the bay from the Middleground flat to Buttonwood Harbor.
Scotty Heidler, from Hudson, OH, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday, 3/23, and had a banner day. Scotty is an accomplished angler who has been fishing with me for 11years-since he was 5-years old! We fished skinny water all day long where he caught and released more than 50 trout to 5 ½-pounds, 15 reds and a 4-pound pompano. The action heated up in the afternoon when he caught numerous trout and reds on CAL jigs with grubs, shad tails and jerk worms. Although the reds weren’t big, some of the trout were huge. About a dozen of the trout were more than 3-pounds with several in the 4 to 6-pound class. A great day!
Betsy and Julian Miraglia, from Bryn Mawr, PA, fished Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor with me on Thursday, 3/24. They caught and released a few trout and ladyfish on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with grub tails. We fished potholes in the afternoon and had some shots at reds, but no bites.
The best action last week was with trout on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Anglers fishing with me caught and released trout to 19” and a couple of reds on jigs and flies. Sarasota winter residents, Nick Reding and Mike Perez, waded Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday, 3/29. They caught and released a few trout and a pair of reds on Clouser flies on the west side of the bay. Sarasota winter residents, Tom Schalk and Harry Beaty, fished the same area, only in deeper water, with me on Tuesday, 3/30. They caught and released trout, including 5 or 6 in the slot to 18”, and ladyfish on CAL jigs with grub and shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos.
A strong front with high winds and heavy rain pushed through on Thursday. Fly anglers Bill Morrison, from Holmes Beach, FL and his friend Gary, from Sarasota, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday morning, 4/1. It was breezy out of the northwest in the morning due to Thursday’s front, but fish were feeding. They caught and released about 20 trout to 18” on Ultra Hair Clouser flies near Bird Key. Fly angler George Fitzwater and his wife, Cookie, from Manasota Key, fished with me that afternoon. George was a recent student of mine in a CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school. He caught and released his first saltwater fish, a nice trout, on a fly!
If you are interested in learning to fly fish or improving your skills, I will be the instructor for a CB’s Saltwater Outfitter’s Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on April 9, 2011. This will be the last school until fall. Located at 1249 Stickney Point Rd., on Siesta Key in Sarasota, FL the school will cover fly casting basics, line control, shooting line and the roll cast. I will also cover leader construction, fly selection and saltwater fly fishing techniques. The course, designed for beginning and intermediate fly casters, will focus on basics but also work with intermediate casters on correcting faults and improving casting skills. Cost for the school, which will run from 9 AM to 3 PM, is $150 per person and includes the use of premium Orvis fly tackle, a text book and lunch. Contact me or CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 or cbsoutfitters@verizon.net to make reservations.
Next week’s tides are good early in the week for fishing the flats and in the evening later in the week for night snook fishing, as we head away from a new moon on April 3rd. Fish flies and jigs on deep grass flats for trout, Spanish mackerel and more or in skinny water for reds and big trout. Small white flies, like my Grassett Snook Minnow and Gurglers, CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA shrimp should work well for snook at night.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 246
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 20, 2011 - 7:09 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 3/6 through 3/20/2011
Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released snook, trout, reds, Spanish mackerel, blues, pompano and flounder during the past couple of weeks.
Dave Reinhart, from Richmond, VA and his son, Daniel, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday, 3/8. The morning was slow and windy, but the wind laid down in the afternoon and they had good action with trout and Spanish mackerel to 2-pounds and an 18” flounder at Stephens Point. Daniel ended the day with an 8-pound red near Buttonwood Harbor. All fish were caught on CAL jigs with shad tails.
My clients fished skinny water for reds and trout with flies and jigs in both Sarasota and the Terra Ceia Bay areas on a couple of other trips that week. We had some shots at reds, had some follows on a fly and caught one on a CAL jig with a shad tail. We also caught a few trout along the way. A front pushed through on Thursday with rain and wind, forcing the cancellation of Thursday’s trip. Ron Hagemeyer and Gary Paulson, both from MN, fished Gasparilla Sound with me on Friday, 3/11. It was a very windy, especially in the afternoon, but they had good action in the morning with trout to 18” on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails.
My brother, Kirk Grassett from Middletown, DE, came down for a short visit on Saturday, 3/12. We fished deep grass flats on the east and west sides of Sarasota Bay and had steady action with trout, Spanish mackerel and ladyfish on Grassett Flats Bunny and Clouser flies. We also fished the ICW that evening near Venice and found snook feeding aggressively, despite cooler water. We caught and released more than 25 snook to 24” and 10 trout to 18” on my Grassett Snook Minnow and Gurgler flies.
Mike Sprague and Ralph Primavera, both from NJ, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 3/14. They had good action with trout, ladyfish and bluefish on CAL jigs at Stephens Point and near Buttonwood Harbor. Fly angler Matt Tilley, from ME, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday, 3/15. We started the day at the Middleground flat with about an acre of breaking fish. Matt caught and released numerous ladyfish and Spanish mackerel on Ultra Hair Clouser flies. He also caught and released trout, ladyfish, blues and Spanish mackerel along the west side of the bay.
Dick Reece, from Dayton, OH, and John Freeman, Jr., from Venice, FL, fished the same areas with me on Wednesday, 3/16. They had steady action with trout to 18”, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and a pompano on CAL jigs with shad and grub tails and DOA Deadly Combos. Flats action slowed a little towards the end of the week as we approached the full moon. Ernie Gray and sons, Bob and Doug, all from Canada, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday morning, 3/17. They caught and released trout, ladyfish, bluefish and Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with grub and shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos at Stephens Point and the Middleground and Marina Jack flats.
One of the best trips of the week was when Martin Marlowe, from NY, fished the ICW near Venice for snook with me on Thursday evening, 3/17. He had fast action, catching and releasing more than 25 snook to 26” on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. He also fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 3/18, where he caught and released trout to 3-lbs and 3 reds on CAL jigs with shad tails along the west side of the bay.
Tides are good early next week as we had away from Saturday’s full moon. Look for action to continue with trout, Spanish mackerel, blues and pompano in Sarasota Bay. Catch and release fishing for snook at night in the ICW near Venice should also be a good option. Check the beaches when conditions are good for Spanish mackerel, little tunny, tripletail, cobia and more.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 245
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 05, 2011 - 5:03 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota Fishing Report for 2/20 through 4/5/2011
Action continues to improve in Sarasota Bay as water temperatures have warmed to the high 60’s. Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released big trout, redfish, Spanish mackerel, blues and pompano during the past couple of weeks. The best action was with big “gator” trout in skinny water.
Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, and his son, Steve McClintock from Pittsburgh, PA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Sunday, 2/20. They had good action at Stephens Point and on the west side of the bay near Buttonwood Harbor with trout, Spanish mackerel and a couple of reds on CAL jigs with shad tails. Fly anglers Reagan Whitlock, mom Amy Whitlock and Reagan’s friend Lewis Steele, all from GA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 2/21. They had good action with trout, including a 26”, almost 6-lb “gator” that Lewis caught and released, and Spanish mackerel on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad and grub tails.
One of the best trips of the week was when Longboat Key winter resident, Nick Reding and I, waded a couple of sand bars in Sarasota Bay on Tuesday, 2/22. He caught and released a redfish and about 20 trout, most over the slot, including several in the 4 to 6-pound class on a crab Clouser fly (olive, tan and white). It is some of the best fly fishing action for “gator” trout that I have seen in quite a while!
Tides shifted to 2 tides towards the end of the week and action slowed a little. Sarasota winter resident, Harry Beaty, and his grandson Ryan, from Ontario, Canada, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday, 2/23. They had steady action with trout and Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails on deep grass flats on both sides of the bay.
Bill Cody and sons, Will and Ned, from Syracuse, NY, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday, 2/24. They caught trout to 18”, Spanish mackerel, and pompano on CAL jigs with shad tails fishing deep grass flats on both sides of Sarasota Bay. Fly anglers John and Linda Baker, from Anchorage, AK, fished the Terra Ceia area with me on Friday, 2/25. We were on a redfish mission and although we saw a few, we didn’t get them to eat our flies. They caught and released trout and ladyfish on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly and a CAL jig with a shad tail.
Martin Marlowe, from NY, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 2/28. We fished an area that held big trout the week before, but the big girls had moved on. However, he caught and released several small trout on a Clouser fly. We also fished a shallow flat on the west side of the bay where Martin caught and released 3 reds on a CAL jig with a shad tail.
I spent another day scouting from Longboat Pass to the mouth of the Manatee River. We found a few Spanish mackerel in Longboat Pass and got them to eat a fly popper. We also found a few reds and trout in skinny water mixed with mullet schools. Wind cranked up to the mid 20 mph range on Thursday, 3/3, forcing the cancellation of an afternoon fly fishing trip.
I was at the Tampa Tribune Outdoors Expo at the Florida State Fairgrounds on Friday, 3/4, speaking on “Saltwater Fly Fishing” at 4:30 PM on the casting pond. I will also be speaking on “Fly Fishing for Tarpon” on the “Wear It Florida” Safe Boating stage on Sunday, 3/6, at 1:30 PM.
If you are interested in learning to fly fish or improving your skills, Capt. Ed Hurst or I will be the instructors for another CB’s Saltwater Outfitter’s Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Sat, Mar. 19, 2011. Located at 1249 Stickney Point Rd., on Siesta Key in Sarasota, FL the school will cover fly casting basics, line control, shooting line and the roll cast. I will also cover leader construction, fly selection and saltwater fly fishing techniques. The course, designed for beginning and intermediate fly casters, will focus on basics but also work with intermediate casters on correcting faults and improving casting skills. Cost for the school, which will run from 9 AM to 3 PM, is $150 per person and includes the use of premium Orvis fly tackle, a text book and lunch. Contact me or CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 or cbsoutfitters@verizon.net to make reservations.
Action with trout, Spanish mackerel, blues and pompano on deep grass flats, reds and snook in skinny water and snook at night in the ICW should continue to improve as days get longer and water continues to warm. Also, check the coastal gulf when conditions are good for Spanish mackerel, little tunny, tripletail and more. Tides will still be good early next week as head away from last week’s new moon.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 244
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 23, 2011 - 4:26 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 2/6 through 2/19/2011
Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released snook, trout, pompano, blues and Spanish mackerel on jigs and flies during the past couple of weeks. Action improved as water temperatures rose to the mid 60’s and then slowed a little towards the end of last week as we approached a full moon.
Carter Fox and his guest Gary, both from VA, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday morning, 2/8. They caught more than a dozen trout, including several in the slot up to 18”, a flounder and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails near Spanish Point. Fly angler Everette Howell, from Nashville, TN, fished the same area with me that afternoon. He had good action catching and releasing large ladyfish on my Grassett Deep Flats Bunny fly.
Fly angler Tom Newman, from VA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday morning, 2/9. He caught and released numerous trout along the east side of Sarasota Bay on the same fly fished on an intermediate sink tip fly line. Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, and Mike Plaia, from Bradenton, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me that afternoon. With the wind down a little, we fished both sides of the bay where they caught and released numerous trout, including several in the slot, and a red on CAL jigs with shad tails. Keith caught and released a 25”, 5-lb trout, one of the larger trout that we’ve caught lately, on a CAL jig with a shad tail near Buttonwood Harbor.
One of the best trips was on Sunday evening, 2/13, when Sarasota winter resident, Mike Perez, fished with me. We fished the ICW at night near Venice and snook went on a binge! He caught and released more than 40 snook to 29”, including several in the 24”-27” class on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. Fish were deep in the water column due to water that is still cool, but they fed aggressively. Martin Marlowe, from NY, fished the west side of Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday afternoon, 2/15. We spent most of our time on shallow flats. Action wasn’t fast but he caught and released 6 or 8 trout on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly including an over slot trout that was about 3-pounds.
Keith McClintock and Hal D’Orazio, both from IL, fished Gasparilla Sound with me on Wednesday, 2/16. They caught and released trout to 18” on CAL jigs with shad tails. Action picked up in Sarasota Bay on Thursday, 2/17, when Bill Moore, from Libertyville, IL, fished with me. He caught numerous trout, several Spanish mackerel, blues and a 3-pound pompano on CAL jigs with a gold grub from Stephens Point to Long Bar. Bob Harness, from St. Louis, MO, fished Little Sarasota Bay and Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 2/18. We found the action slow in Little Sarasota Bay so we headed north to near Big Pass where he caught and released trout, Spanish mackerel and ladyfish on my Grassett Deep Flats bunny fly.
I was the instructor for a CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Saturday, 2/19. If you are interested in learning to fly fish or improving your skills, Capt. Ed Hurst or I will be the instructors for another CB’s Saltwater Outfitter’s Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Mar. 5, 2011. Located at 1249 Stickney Point Rd., on Siesta Key in Sarasota, FL the school will cover fly casting basics, line control, shooting line and the roll cast. I will also cover leader construction, fly selection and saltwater fly fishing techniques. The course, designed for beginning and intermediate fly casters, will focus on basics but also work with intermediate casters on correcting faults and improving casting skills. Cost for the school, which will run from 9 AM to 3 PM, is $150 per person and includes the use of premium Orvis fly tackle, a text book and lunch. Contact me or CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 or cbsoutfitters@verizon.net to make reservations.
Action with Spanish mackerel, blues and pompano on deep grass flats and reds and snook in skinny water should continue to improve as days get longer and water continues to warm. Tides will be better early next week, although two tide days towards the end of next week are still strong.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 243
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 05, 2011 - 6:18 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota Bay & Gasparilla Sound, FL Fishing Report for 1/24 through 2/5/2011
Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with trout and reds during the past couple of weeks. A couple of fronts moved through during that time frame forcing the cancellation of a couple of days due to winds in the mid 20 mph range. A warming trend followed as sunny afternoons warmed water into the 60’s.
Tom Wright, from Sarasota, FL, and his brother, Frank Wright, from Columbus, OH, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Monday afternoon, 1/24. They had steady action with trout, catching and releasing more than 30 trout to 17” on CAL jigs with shad tails. We fished a trough along a spoil bar to catch most of the fish. The next couple of days were blown out as 20 to 25-mph winds whipped the water. On Thursday, 1/27, the water looked like coffee with cream in Gasparilla Sound when Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, and his cousin, Jack McCulloch from Englewood, FL fished with me. Although the water was churned up in open areas, it was very clear in the backcountry. They caught and released more than 20 trout to 18”, with about half of them in the slot, and five small reds on CAL jigs with shad tails.
Sarasota winter residents Nick Reding and Mike Perez fished north Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 1/28. We waded all day, fishing potholes and drop offs and it was slow due to cold water. However, they did catch and release a few quality trout on my Grassett Flats Minnow and Clouser flies.
Sarasota winter resident, Harry Beaty and his guest, Paul Rotz from Canada, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 1/31. They caught and released trout to 17”, a couple of reds to 23” and numerous large ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails. Fly angler Dave Kremer, from Louisville, KY, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday, 2/3. We fished deep and shallow grass where he caught and released a few trout on my Grassett Flats Bunny fly. Despite a good tide and warmer water, fish weren’t that aggressive that day. Longboat Key winter resident, Nick Reding, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 2/4 and we found similar action. We waded bars on both sides of the bay and Nick caught and released several trout, including one over the slot, on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly.
If you are interested in learning to fly fish or improving your skills, I will be the instructor for a CB’s Saltwater Outfitter’s Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Feb. 19, 2011. Located at 1249 Stickney Point Rd., on Siesta Key in Sarasota, FL the school will cover fly casting basics, line control, shooting line and the roll cast. I will also cover leader construction, fly selection and saltwater fly fishing techniques. The course, designed for beginning and intermediate fly casters, will focus on basics but also work with intermediate casters on correcting faults and improving casting skills. Cost for the school, which will run from 9 AM to 3 PM, is $150 per person and includes the use of premium Orvis fly tackle, a text book and lunch. Contact me or CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 or cbsoutfitters@verizon.net to make reservations.
Next week’s four tide days are favorable early in the week. Since we have had some warm, sunny days recently which has warmed bay waters into the mid 60’s, there should be good action with trout, blues, ladyfish and more on deep grass flats. Look for reds and big trout in skinny water on sunny afternoons.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 242
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 23, 2011 - 3:45 pm: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 1/9 through 1/23/2011
Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released reds, snook and trout during the past couple of weeks. Action picked up early in the week of 1/9 with water temperatures up to 60 degrees. Another blast of cold air by mid week dropped water temperatures back to the mid 50’s, although it didn’t affect the trout and redfish bite that much. Action was good with trout in Gasparilla Sound and Little Sarasota Bay during the week of 1/16. In addition, we also caught and released several reds and ladyfish in the same areas.
Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, and Ted West, also from IL, fished the backcountry of Gasparilla Sound with me on Monday, 1/10. They caught more than 25 trout to 19” and several reds to 31” on CAL jigs with shad tails. Most of the trout were in the slot and the 31” red, which weighed 11-pounds, was one of the larger reds we have caught recently. Keith and Victor Feldman, from Champagne, IL, also fished the same area with me on Friday, 1/14. With water considerably colder following a couple of cold nights, they still had good action. Although the action wasn’t as fast as on Monday, they caught 15 to 20 trout to 19”, with all of the fish in the slot, and a couple of reds on CAL jigs with shad tails.
Fly angler Chris Cunis, from CO, and his uncle, Venice winter resident Lynn Stuhldreher, fished the ICW near Venice with me on Tuesday evening, 1/11. I monitored water temperature for several days before deciding to move forward with this trip. I am cautious to not target snook during cold snaps when water temperatures plummet. However, during warm ups between fronts, snook may feed aggressively. This was the case on Tuesday evening, with water temperature up to 60 degrees, we caught and released more than 25 snook on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly and a CAL jig with a glow shad tail.
Isaac Humphrey, from Dayton, OH, and his brother-in-law, Jason, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday, 1/18. They caught and released more than 25 trout to 18”, several ladyfish and a red on CAL jigs with shad tails. However, a trip on Wednesday in Sarasota Bay near the downtown area was slow. We caught and released only a few trout on Clouser and Grassett Flats Bunny flies.
The action picked up on Thursday, 1/20, when Tom Lamb, from Geneva, Switzerland and John Freeman, Jr., from Venice, FL, fished Gasparilla Sound with me. They caught and released numerous trout to 19”, with almost all trout in the slot, and 4 reds to 20” on CAL jigs with shad tails. A front pushed through on Friday and cold air rushed in behind it on Saturday morning, 1/22, but that didn’t stop Sarasota winter resident, Nick Reding, and his guest, Greg Geoffroy, from Ames, Iowa, from catching fish. Conditions were challenging that day with winds whipping up into the mid 20 mph range and air temperature dropping throughout the afternoon. We waded a flat in north Sarasota Bay where they caught and released 6 or 8 nice trout to 20” and a small red on Grassett Flats Minnow flies.
This time of the year you can be successful if you fish smart. Fish the windows of good weather between fronts or fish afternoons following fronts for the best action. Low tides should concentrate reds and trout in potholes and along bars. Afternoons may fish better when it is cold due to warmer water.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 241
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 09, 2011 - 3:25 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota & Gasparilla Sound, FL Fishing Report for 12/26/2010 through 1/8/2011
Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, reds and flounder on jigs and flies during the past couple of weeks. A strong front with high winds came roaring through Sunday morning, 12/26, dropping water temperatures back into the low 50’s and forcing the cancellation of a couple of trips. Cold water kept fish concentrated in channels, creeks and deep edges of flats. By the end of the week, conditions improved and water warmed back to the mid to high 50’s.
Brian Glock, from Portland, OR, and his dad, Tim Glock from Cincinnati, OH, fished Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor with me on Wednesday, 12/29. We fished the edges of bars, creeks and potholes and they caught and released more than 15 trout to 18” on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails.
Everette Howell, from Nashville, TN, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday morning, 12/30. Action was slow to start, but he caught and released about 6 trout on Clouser flies near Long Bar. Action improved that afternoon when Greg Smith and his son, Alex, from MI, fished the same areas with me and caught and released about 15 trout on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails.
Andy Rotherham, from Alexandria, VA, caught and released about 15 trout to 18” near Cortez with me on Friday, New Years Eve day. He fished a channel with a 300-grain Orvis Depth Charge fly line and a heavily weighted olive Clouser fly to stay in the strike zone.
Action improved last week as Sarasota Bay waters warmed to near 60 degrees. Trout moved into shallow water and fed more aggressively due to warmer water. Keith McClintock, Rick Andersen and Victor Feldman, all from IL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 1/3. We fished both shallow and deep areas and found the best action in 2’ to 3’ of water. Fishing shallow grass and potholes along sand bars on the east side of the bay from Stephens Point up to Long Bar, they caught and released more than 25 trout to 19”, 3 small reds and several flounder on CAL jigs with grub and shad tails. We used 1/16 ounce CAL jig heads to work our plastic baits over the shallow grass. We caught and released the flounder and a few ladyfish in deep channels.
I was the guest of my friend, Capt. Rick DePaiva (www.saltwaterflyfishing.org), on Tuesday, 12/4, to fish the fertile waters of Pine Island Sound. The lush grass flats, sand and oyster bars and mangrove shorelines are breathtaking, much like Gasparilla Sound to the north only vaster. The only thing better is the amount of shots we had at tailing, cruising and laid up reds. An amazing fishery! If you are in the Ft. Myers, Sanibel or Captiva area give Capt. Rick a call at 239-246-8726 or e-mail flynutt@aol.com .
If you are interested in learning to fly fish or improving your skills, I will be the instructor for a CB’s Saltwater Outfitter’s Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Jan. 15, 2011. Located at 1249 Stickney Point Rd., on Siesta Key in Sarasota, FL the school will cover fly casting basics, line control, shooting line and the roll cast. I will also cover leader construction, fly selection and saltwater fly fishing techniques. The course, designed for beginning and intermediate fly casters, will focus on basics but also work with intermediate casters on correcting faults and improving casting skills. Cost for the school, which will run from 9 AM to 3 PM, is $150 per person and includes the use of premium Orvis fly tackle, a text book and lunch. Contact me or CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 or cbsoutfitters@verizon.net to make reservations.
Trout season is now open in the south region after a 2-month closure. Look for reds and trout in potholes and on shallow grass along sand bars, especially on sunny afternoons. Following a front, look for fish in deeper water such as creeks and channels. Happy New Year and special thanks to all of my customers that fished with me during the past year!
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 240
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 25, 2010 - 4:46 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 12/13 through 12/25/2010
A blast of cold air settled in on southwest Florida recently, dropping water temperatures into the low 50’s in the morning. Afternoon water temperatures were close to 60 degrees last week following some sunny afternoons. Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, snook, flounder and redfish on flies and jigs on several trips in the last couple of weeks. I also had fast action with trout in Palma Sola Bay when I fished a day with my friend Steve Gibson.
Gary Reed, from WV, and his son, Jonathon Reed from Bradenton, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday, 12/16. The trip was originally scheduled for Monday, but due to strong winds and cold temperatures we bumped it back to later in the week. Action was slow, but they caught and released a couple of flounder to 18” and a small red near Long Bar on Clouser flies and a CAL jig with a grub. Vic Cook, from Columbus, OH, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday afternoon, 12/18. He caught and released 10 or 12 trout to 18” on Grassett Flats Bunny and Ultra Hair Clouser flies along the east side of the bay from Stephens Point to Long Bar.
Longtime friend and customer, David Schofield from Sarasota, FL, and his son Mike, from New York City, fished an evening in the ICW with me on Wednesday, 12/22. I was monitoring water temperature all week and was cautiously optimistic. Sunny afternoons warmed the water a few degrees and fish responded favorably. They caught and released 5 snook to 22” and an 18” trout on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. Although there weren’t a lot of snook in the lights, we found them actively feeding in a couple of spots.
On Thursday, 12/23, I was the guest of Steve Gibson, of Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing, to do some kayak fishing. We fished Palma Sola Bay and had fast action with numerous trout to 21” and a few small reds and flounder on CAL jigs with grubs and shad tails. Gibby can be reached at www.kayakfishingsarasota.com .
Fish jigs and flies slow, close to the bottom and focus on potholes, channel edges and drop offs for reds and trout for the best action. Next week’s tides and weather should improve towards the end of next week. With a strong front pushing through this weekend, conditions may be windy and cool for a couple of days. Afternoons may fish better due to warmer water. Happy Holidays to everyone!
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 239
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, December 12, 2010 - 3:01 pm: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota Fishing Report for 11/29 through 12/12/2010
Anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, blues, flounder and redfish in skinny water along the east side of Sarasota Bay and in Gasparilla Sound on several trips during the past couple of weeks. Several fronts pushed through our area recently plummeting water temperatures into the high 50’s and limiting daytime temperatures to 50’ and 60’s.
Mark Nichols, owner of DOA Fishing Lures, and Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, joined me for a trip on Thursday afternoon, 12/2. With temperatures in the low 40’s and wind howling at 15 to 20-mph out of the north that morning, we took a civilized approach and waited for the sun to warm the water and the wind to subside a little. We worked potholes and deep edges of flats and bars along the east side of Sarasota Bay near Long Bar in the afternoon. We caught and released a pair of flounder, several trout, including an over-slot fish and a couple of reds on CAL jigs with grubs and shad tails. A Key Lime Pie CAL shad tail with a CAL jig head produced most of the fish. I fished a 1/16 oz jig head which allowed a slower presentation in the skinny water.
Joe Brinkmeyer, from Cincinnati, OH, and his friend, Bob, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday afternoon, 12/9. They caught and released a blue, redfish, flounder and a few trout on CAL jigs with shad tails and grubs along the east side of the bay and at the Middleground flat. Fly angler Carl Bettinger, from Albuquerque, NM, fished Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor with me on Friday, 12/10. He caught and released about 10 trout, all of which were in the 2 to 2 ½-lb class on Clouser flies fished on an intermediate fly line. He caught the trout in deep, dark bottom areas of the ICW and in Bull Bay by fishing slow, near the bottom.
Sarasota winter resident, Jim Strouth, claimed his ½ day trip that I donated to the Sarasota Sportfishing Anglers Club on Saturday morning, 12/11. We fished deep grass flats along the east side of Sarasota Bay and caught and released several trout and a bluefish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies.
I was on the air waves recently with Allen Wyatt, of Andy Thornal Co. in Winterhaven, FL, and Capt. Keiland Smith on their “Awesome Fishing” radio program. You can hear the segment, “Nearshore and More with Capt. Rick Grassett”, where we discuss rigging and fishing DOA baits, Rat-L-Trap plugs, fly fishing and view photos at www.AwesomeFishingRadio.com.
Until the water warms back up, afternoons may fish better due to warmer water. Fish jigs and flies slow, close to the bottom and focus on potholes, channel edges and drop offs for the best action.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 238
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 28, 2010 - 12:22 pm: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 11/14 through 11/28/2010
Anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action in Sarasota Bay with catch and release trout and blues on CAL jigs with a variety of plastic tails and DOA Deadly Combos and little tunny in the coastal gulf on flies during the past couple of weeks. In addition, we also caught scattered Spanish mackerel and pompano in Sarasota Bay.
A former high school classmate of mine, Tom Clark from VA, and a couple of guests fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 11/15. They caught and released numerous trout and blues on CAL jigs with shad tails on deep grass flats at Stephens and Bishop Point. Bill Moore, from Libertyville, IL, fished with me on Tuesday, 11/16 and Sarasota winter resident, Tom Lamb, and John Freeman, Jr., from Venice, FL fished with me on Wednesday, 11/17 and had similar action in the same areas with the same lures.
The action picked up a little on Thursday, 11/18 when Sarasota winter residents, Dennis Kolarik and Tom Mulder, fished Sarasota Bay with me. In addition to numerous trout, they caught and released blues, Spanish mackerel and connected with a nice pompano along the east side of Sarasota Bay on CAL jigs with shad tails, DOA Deadly Combos and flies.
One of the best trips of the week was on Friday, 11/19 with Stephanie Kieselewski, from Sarasota, FL, who collected her trip, which I donated to Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers. We had tried to take the trip a couple of other times and had to cancel due to poor conditions, but the third time was a charm. We fly fished the coastal gulf off Siesta and Casey Keys where Stephanie caught and released 5 little tunny on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly.
Don and Linda Tase, from NH, fished the coastal gulf off Siesta and Casey Keys on Monday, 11/22. They caught and released 7 or 8 little tunny on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly and a CAL jig with a shad tail. Pete Walocko, from MI, got in on the action on Tuesday, 11/23 as he landed several on flies. Everette Howell, Jr. from Nashville, TN also had a great day on Wednesday, 11/24, landing 7 or 8 little tunny on my snook fly. Most fish averaged about 7-pounds but several were more than 10-pounds. The action was awesome as schools of little tunny turned the surface into white water as they fed on glass minnows!
A front pushed through on Friday afternoon slowing action in Sarasota Bay and making it too rough to fish the coastal gulf. Bill Beauchamp, from Bradenton, FL, and his friend Mark, from Sarasota, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 11/26. A strong south breeze made fishing tough but they caught and released trout to 18” and bluefish on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos. Norm Worthington and his son, Addison, from Siesta Key, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday, 11/27. The action was slow as another round of rain pushed through that morning. They caught a few trout, a blue and some large ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos.
If you are interested in learning to fly fish or if you already have some experience but want to improve your skills or correct problems, Capt. Ed Hurst or I will be the instructors for a CB’s Saltwater Outfitter’s Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010. The school will cover fly casting basics, line control, shooting line and the roll cast. I will also cover leader construction, fly selection and saltwater fly fishing techniques. Cost for the school, which will run from 9 AM to 4 PM, is $150 per person and includes the use of premium Orvis fly tackle, a text book and lunch. Contact me or CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 or cbsoutfitters@verizon.net to make reservations.
Next week’s tides will improve towards the end of the week as we head towards a new moon on Dec. 5th. Negative low tides in the morning should concentrate reds, snook and trout in potholes in skinny water. Action in the coastal gulf should also continue until water temperature drops significantly.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 237
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 14, 2010 - 7:14 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 11/1 through 11/13/2010
Anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released snook, reds, trout, blues, little tunny, Spanish mackerel and flounder on DOA baits and flies during the past couple of weeks. The best action was in the coastal gulf off Sarasota and on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay with a variety of species.
Sarasota winter residents, Norm and Francie Boardman, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday afternoon, 11/1. They caught a couple of blues to 4-pounds and several trout on CAL jigs with shad tails and Ultra Hair Clouser flies near Buttonwood Harbor. A high school classmate of mine from Seaford, DE, Allen Handy and his wife, Jessye, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday, 11/2. They caught and released numerous trout, several blues and a Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos at Stephens Point.
Outdoor writer and guide, Capt. Dave Lear from Tallahassee, FL, fished with me on Tuesday evening and Wednesday, 11/2 and 3. We were on a snook mission, so we fished the ICW near Venice on Tuesday evening and caught and released a few snook to 22” on Grassett Snook Minnow flies. We fished Sarasota Bay on Wednesday and caught and released snook and a flounder on CAL jigs with shad tails near Long Bar. A strong front moved through on Thursday forcing the cancellation of fishing that day. Bill and Scott Moore, from Libertyville, IL, fished the east side of Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 11/5. Despite cool and windy conditions, they had steady action with trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and a flounder on DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs.
I fished the 6th annual MCFF/CCA “Fall Fly Fishing Challenge” on Saturday, 11/6. Even though it was about 50 degrees with a north wind of about 15 mph, lots of fish were caught. Roger Williams, from Bradenton, FL fished with me and we had fast action with reds in north Sarasota Bay. We waded a sand bar and caught and released 6 reds to 23 ½”. Dusty Sprague, from North Port, FL, was the winner of the Open division and Robert Fischer, from Tampa, FL was the winner of the Fly Angler division. This is a fun, low stakes fly fishing tournament designed to promote the sport and raise a little money for conservation.
Longboat Key winter resident, Nick Reding, wade fished in north Sarasota Bay with me a couple of days last week. He caught and released several reds and a sheepshead on one trip and a couple of blues and a snook on another trip on a baitfish fly pattern. Jon Yenari and Kyle Ruffing, both from Sarasota, FL, fished with me in the coastal gulf off Siesta Key on Tuesday, 11/9, and caught and released 6 little tunny to 12-pounds on glass minnow fly patterns. Later in the day, they caught and released a nice trout and a 4-lb bluefish on Clouser flies at Stephens Point. Bill Moore and his son, Mark, both from Libertyville, IL fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 11/12. They caught and released numerous trout to 22”, a couple of reds, several blues and a Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos along the east side of Sarasota Bay.
Action should continue to be good in both Sarasota Bay and the coastal gulf. Next week’s tides will improve towards the end of the week as we head towards a full moon. If you are interested in learning to fly fish or if you already have some experience but want to improve your skills or correct problems, Capt. Ed Hurst and I will be the instructors for a CB’s Saltwater Outfitter’s Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010. The school will cover fly casting basics, line control, shooting line and the roll cast. We will also cover leader construction, fly selection and saltwater fly fishing techniques. Cost for the school, which will run from 9 AM to 4 PM, is $150 per person and includes the use of premium Orvis fly tackle, a text book and lunch. Contact me or CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 or cbsoutfitters@verizon.net to make reservations.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 236
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, October 30, 2010 - 4:44 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 10/18 through 10/31/2010
Anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, snook, flounder, blues, little tunny, Spanish mackerel and reds during the past couple of weeks. The fastest action continues to be in the coastal gulf with little tunny. Spanish mackerel are also plentiful but we actually avoided mackerel schools in lieu of their much stronger cousins.
Tim Graham, from Nokomis, FL, and Dale Vollrath, from Sarasota, FL, fished Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor with me on Mon, 10/18. They caught and released trout, snook and a nice flounder and red on CAL jigs with shad tails. Jon Roberson, from Cortez, FL, his brother and dad fished Sarasota Bay with me on Weds, 10/20. They had fast action at Stephens Point and near Buttonwood Harbor with numerous trout and about 6 bluefish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies. Jamie Grow, from the Washington, DC area, night snook fished with me in the ICW near Venice on Friday evening, 10/22. He caught and released 10 or 12 snook to 22” on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly.
Capt. John Hand, of Redfish Landing Guide Service in Ruskin, FL, and Dr. Ben Estes, from Augusta, GA, fished the coastal gulf off Siesta Key with me on Monday, 10/25. John was the successful bidder on the trip, which was donated to the Florida Council of Federation of Fly Fishers. They caught and released 4 little tunny in the 8 to 10-pound class and had a couple of other hook ups on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. We fished the west side of Sarasota Bay in the afternoon and caught and released a few trout on Ultra Hair Clouser flies.
David and Linda Kornreich, from Orlando, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday and Thursday. David caught and released numerous trout to 18” and small gag grouper on Ultra Hair Clouser flies at Stephens Point. He also connected with a nice red on a spoon fly and after a couple of short, head shaking runs had the fish alongside the boat.
Good tides as we approach a new moon and this weekend’s front should make fishing good next week. Action should continue to be good in both the coastal gulf for little tunny, Spanish and king mackerel and in Sarasota Bay for trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and more. As the water cools, fish will be on the move and feeding.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Bob Smith (Capt_bob_smith)
New member
Username: Capt_bob_smith
Post Number: 33
Registered: 10-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 27, 2010 - 12:55 pm: | |
October 27, 2010
Sarasota Florida Fishing Report
By Capt. Bob Smith
It has been excellent fishing along the coast for the past week. We found plenty of large Spanish mackerel and a few King mackerel along with some keeper size cobia and flounder on the bottom. Fishing the “I” reefs in 25 to 30 feet of water using live bait like shrimp, pilchards and pinfish, we found fish on the bottom and the top. Fishing was also good on the bay grass flats with sea trout leading the way. Although most of are bay and coastal fishing can be handled with 12 pound test line, it is a good idea to carry some heavier stuff in the 20 to 50 pound test line when fishing along the coast. During the spring and fall runs, you can often find big fish within 3 miles off the beach. I have caught bull reds to 50 pounds, cobia to 70 pounds, Kingfish, and cuda to 30 pounds, large jewfish, gags and black grouper, sharks and rays too large to hold, and most tarpon are over 100 pounds. Of course you’re not going to find these big fish just sitting and waiting for you with open mouths. They are always possible, but you never know when.
Mark Zisser and family from Missouri were visiting last week. Mark likes to book a few or more trips with me, as he has done for the last 25 years. One of the days I took Mark offshore 6 miles to fish some nice natural hard bottom. The bottom is surrounded by a two foot break that the grouper like to fan out and hide under. It turned out to be a shark day! It was shark after shark, all kinds, all sizes on light tackle; the largest was a nurse shark over 8 feet. Mark was the only one fishing and was using 12, 20, and 50 pound test outfits with different baits. This kept him running from rod to rod all morning and me getting his other rods out of the way when he hooked up. The last fish of the day was the big shark and was around 300 pounds. Nurse sharks are the least acrobatic of any of the sharks that I know of, but they just keep on ticking. Mark caught the shark using a Penn 4/0 reel, 50 pound test mono line, 100 pound test mono leader and a 2oz lead. The bait was a one and half pound live blue runner with a broken tail. By breaking the tail I was able to use less lead to keep it down and in place for grouper. Mark was fishing without a harness and the reel’s drag was set for grouper digging. So by the time he was bringing the shark back to the boat from its third run and I was snapping pictures, Mark hollered out “cut the #@!*% line! I will buy you a new hook”. I knew then that he had a good fight and had caught his largest shark to date.
Enjoy & Protect
My Website: http//www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 235
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, October 17, 2010 - 2:30 pm: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 10/3 through 10/17/2010
Anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released little tunny, Spanish mackerel, snook, trout and reds during the past couple of weeks. The best action was with little tunny in the coastal gulf and near the mouth of Tampa Bay. Ron Foust, from Knoxville, TN, fished with me on Monday, 10/4 and caught and released more than 10 little tunny on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly.
Christian Wolfe, from Wilmington, NC, and his grandfather, Lloyd, fished Siesta Key docks and near Stephens Point in Sarasota Bay with me on Friday morning, 10/8. They caught and released a couple of snook, several trout and Christian nailed a 27” red, all on CAL jigs with shad tails, to complete his slam close to the end of the trip. Everette Wolfe, from Knoxville, TN, and his son, Kirk, from New York City, fished deep grass flats at Stephens Point on the east side of the bay and near Buttonwood Harbor on the west side. They caught and released trout, Spanish mackerel, jacks and ladyfish on Grassett Flats Bunny flies.
John Evans and his son-in-law, Charlie, from the UK, fished deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay at Stephens Point and near Buttonwood Harbor on Monday, 10/11 and caught and released a few trout to 17” and a couple of Spanish mackerel on Ultra Hair Clouser flies. John Lacy, from Kentucky, also fly fished the same areas with me on Tuesday, 10/12 with similar results.
My brother, Kirk Grassett from Middletown, DE, came down for a visit and we fished a few days. Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, FL, joined us on Thursday, 10/14 as we fished the coastal gulf near Longboat Key and Anna Maria Island. We caught and released more than a dozen albies to 10-lbs on small white flies. Sharks and kings also joined the fray, skyrocketing on baits and cutting one of our albies in ½. A front pushed through that evening and on Friday it was much rougher. The rough water scattered bait schools and predators, but they were still actively feeding over a much broader area. Kirk and I caught and released 4 or 5 albies on Friday, 10/15 and almost landed a 25 to 30-pound king mackerel. We found a few tarpon rolling in bait schools so Kirk tied on a big, black Deceiver with a heavy fluorocarbon bite tippet. After only a few casts, the big king skyrocketed on his fly, almost jumping into the boat and screamed off more than 100 yards of backing. We got the fish alongside the boat, only to have it chomp through the leader. An exciting battle!
On Saturday, 10/16 we fished Pine Island Sound with Capt. Rick DePaiva of Flynutt Charters in Ft. Myers, FL. He expertly put us on lots of cruising reds and snook and a few “tailers”. Kirk caught and released a big red and we hooked and lost a couple of others on flies. Capt. Rick is an excellent spin and fly fishing guide in the Pine Island Sound area and can be reached at www.saltwaterflyfishing.org .
Next week’s tides are favorable as we approach a full moon next weekend. In Sarasota Bay, fish docks for snook and deep grass flats for trout and Spanish mackerel for the best action. With water temperatures now in the mid 70’s, fishing should continue to heat up especially in the coastal gulf waters. Little tunny and Spanish mackerel in the coastal gulf should be hot!
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 234
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, October 03, 2010 - 12:18 pm: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett's Fishing Report for 9/20 through 10/3/2010
Hey! Hey! Hey! Fat Albert! It’s the time of year when little tunny, a.k.a. bonito, false albacore, LT’s, albies or fat alberts, are beginning their fall inshore blitz. In addition to little tunny, Spanish mackerel are also plentiful in the coastal gulf. Anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, little tunny and snook during the past couple of weeks.
Marty Cyr, from Orlando, FL, and his brother-in-law, Rob, from Tampa, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 9/20. They caught and released numerous trout to 18" and a couple of blues to 4-pounds near Long Bar on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos. We had numerous shots at reds but they ignored our lures. Steve Cohn, from Castlecrag, New South Wales, Australia, snook fished with me in the ICW near Venice that evening. He caught and released about 6 snook to 24" on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly.
I was in Delaware visiting family from 9/21 through 9/28 and had a chance to fish a day in Chesapeake Bay for stripers and blues while I was there. My brothers, Kirk Grassett from Middletown, DE , Joey Grassett, from Seaford, DE and I fished the middle Chesapeake near Tilghman Island, MD out of Kirk’s Jones Brothers 20’ Light Tackle boat. We had fast action with stripers to 24” and blues to 4-lbs on Clouser and Crease flies and fly poppers.
Back at home, Greg Stepanski from Tampa, FL, claimed the trip that he purchased at the Tampa Bay Fly Fishing Club banquet with me on Friday, 10/1. We fished near the mouth of Tampa Bay and had fast action with little tunny and Spanish mackerel. The action was a little slow to start, but as the sun got higher in the sky, bait schools worked their way to the surface where predators made an easy meal of them. Greg scored with Clouser and Grassett Snook Minnow flies, CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms and Mirrodine plugs. We caught and released 8 or 10 little tunny to 8-lbs and about a dozen or more mackerel to 2-lbs. The action peaked just before the bottom of the tide as predators grabbed a meal before the water stopped moving. A great trip!
I was a guest at Mosquito Creek Outdoors (www.mosquitocreekoutdoors.com) in Apopka, FL on Saturday, 10/2. Their “Discover Fly Fishing” event was very well planned and organized as vendors, fly tiers and fly anglers from around the state displayed their wares and shared their knowledge of fly fishing and fly tying to introduce new anglers to the sport. I was there to help promote a donated fishing trip with me and legendary fly angler and author, Chico Fernandez, which will benefit the Snook Foundation. Look for more info on this trip, which will be offered in a silent auction at a future event at www.snookfoundation.org or contact me if you are interested in bidding.
We are at one of my favorite times of the year. The coastal gulf is coming alive with little tunny, Spanish mackerel and more. Flats fishing is also heating up as the water cools down. Reds and snook should be feeding in skinny water and trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and pompano should be plentiful on deep grass flats.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 233
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, September 19, 2010 - 12:19 pm: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 9/4 through 9/19/2010
Anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, blues and redfish in Sarasota Bay on jigs and flies during the past couple of weeks. Very high tides towards the end of last week, as we approach a full moon on Sept. 23rd, made sight fishing for reds tough.
Scott Miller, from Wheeling, WV, fished a pre dawn snook/flats trip in Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday, 9/7. He caught and released numerous trout, including a 4 ½-pound, 25” fish caught and released near Long Bar on a DOA Deadly Combo. Snook didn’t cooperate that morning but he caught and released numerous trout and a couple of small reds on CAL jigs around lighted docks on Siesta Key. Everette and Sherry Howell, from Nashville, TN, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 9/10. They caught and released numerous trout and a bluefish on CAL jigs with shad tails and Clouser flies at Stephens and Bishop Points in Sarasota Bay.
Steve Cohn, from Castlecrag, New South Wales, Australia, fished a pre dawn snook/flats trip in Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 9/17. The action was slow but he caught and released a snook on Siesta Key docks on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly and several trout on Clousers and a popper/Grassett Flats Bunny combo on deep grass flats on the east side of the bay.
The action picked up the next day when Vic Cook, from Columbus, OH, fished the same areas with me. He caught and released 4 or 5 snook to 23” on my Grassett Snook Minnow and a Gurgler fly. We also fished deep grass flats on the west side of the bay where he caught and released several trout on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly. Both anglers had shots at reds and had a couple of follows but no bites.
There is a hint of fall in the air. Mornings have been cool for the first few hours of the day which means fast action is just around the corner. Look for increased activity with snook around docks, trout and more on deep grass flats and reds and snook in skinny water. Spanish mackerel and little tunny should be good options in the coastal gulf. Tarpon in upper Charlotte Harbor may also be a good option when conditions are right.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 231
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 03, 2010 - 7:12 pm: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 8/17 through 8/26/2010
Anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released snook, trout and Spanish mackerel on flies recently. Jerry Poslusny, from Rochester, NY and his son, Jerry, from NJ, fished a couple of days with me in upper Charlotte Harbor for tarpon. Although we found plenty of tarpon, they were widely scattered and tough to work with a fly. They caught and released Spanish mackerel and ladyfish on a variety of flies while casting to breaking fish feeding in glass minnow schools. Tarpon also occasionally joined the fray blasting a ladyfish!
Paul Haines, from PA, fished a pre dawn flats trip in Sarasota Bay with me on another trip. He caught and released several trout and a snook around Siesta Key docks before dawn on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. We moved to deep grass flats near Bishop Point after dawn and caught and released trout and ladyfish on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly fished on a sink tip fly line.
Snook around lighted docks before dawn and reds, trout and more in Sarasota Bay should be good options in September. This time of year predators will “ball” glass minnows into very tight schools. The action usually starts with ladyfish and then other species including trout, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and tarpon may join the fray. Tarpon of all sizes in upper Charlotte Harbor should also be a good option.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 230
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, August 16, 2010 - 7:01 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 7/18 through 8/16/2010
Anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released tarpon, snook, reds, trout, bluefish and Spanish mackerel during the past several weeks. I traveled to Stuart during week of 7/18 to fish the 11th annual DOA Outdoor Writers Festival. It is a fun filled event that matches guides with outdoor writers from around the country. The area is known for its big snook and trout and this year was no exception.
Snook to 44” were caught and released in the St. Lucie Inlet on DOA shrimp and TerrorEyz. There were also a pair of trout in the 10-lb class caught and released on DOA baits in the Indian River near Ft. Pierce. Anglers fishing with me waded a couple of flats close to the inlet one day and fished the inlet another day. We caught and released several snook to 30” on CAL jigs with shad tails and rootbeer DOA TerrorEyz in the St. Lucie Inlet.
Back in Sarasota, Clark Keator, from Orlando, FL, jumped his first tarpon on a fly and had another bite on a trip in the coastal gulf. Dean Hannemann, from Sarasota, FL, had good action jumping several tarpon and landing one on flies on another trip. Joe and Mitchell White, from Tallahassee, FL, fished a pre dawn/flats trip in Sarasota Bay with me and landed several snook around Siesta Key docks and more than 30 trout to 4-pounds, bluefish and ladyfish near Whale Key on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos. David Hilton, from the UK, also fished a pre dawn/flats trip with me recently and caught and released several snook to 24”, trout to 18”, Spanish mackerel and ladyfish on flies near Bishop Point. Anglers on another trip in the coastal gulf had only a few shots at tarpon but jumped 2 and had another bite on flies.
I was gone again for a family vacation to NC but returned in time to take Vic Cook, from Columbus, OH, out for a morning of fishing on Sunday. We fished a couple docks before dawn on Siesta Key where Vic caught and released several snook, trout and ladyfish on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. We moved to deep grass flats near Bishop Point at dawn and found the action slow. We caught only a few ladyfish and trout on a fly popper/Clouser Combo before moving on. With a flood high tide that was dropping fast, we hunted for reds in skinny water near Long Bar. It wasn’t long before we found them and Vic was hooked up to a big red on an Enrico Puglisi Everglades Special fly. He landed the 28” red and hooked another, to complete his Sarasota Bay slam (red, snook and trout) with a fly!
Tarpon are thinning out in the coastal gulf but they are aggressive and are still worth taking a look. They are moving into Sarasota Bay around bridges and on deep grass flats in many of the same areas where we find trout, blues and mackerel. With the water temperature at 89 degrees in now in Sarasota Bay, there is a narrow window for a few hours in the morning when action is best. Predators have been herding glass minnows into “bait balls” and feeding heavily in them. The action usually starts with ladyfish and the longer it lasts, trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and tarpon will join the frenzy. This happens shortly after the sun rises and only lasts for a couple of hours before the bait and predators go deep.
This time of year I often snook fish for a couple of hours before dawn, which is the coolest time of day, and then move to the flats for fast action with trout, blues, mackerel, tarpon and more.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 229
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 17, 2010 - 8:15 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 7/4 through 7/17/2010
Fishing continues to be good in the coastal gulf for tarpon and in Sarasota Bay for trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and more. Fly anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action towards the end of the week of 7/4. Conditions were poor early that week with rain and overcast skies, however they improved to near perfect at the end of the week and tarpon responded favorably.
Jerry Poslusny, from Rochester, NY and Jay Peck, from Spencerport, NY, tarpon fished with me on Thursday and Friday, 7/8 and 9. Jay is a fly fishing guide for trout, salmon and steelhead in upstate NY and couldn’t wait to pull on a big tarpon! They jumped 3 tarpon off Longboat and Lido Keys and got a couple of them to the boat, including one that Jerry caught and released that was 100-pounds or more. Another fly angler fished the same areas with me on Saturday. We had more than 20 shots at fish and a couple of bites but didn’t hook up.
Gary and Tyler Mintz, from CO, fished several days with me this past week. Tarpon on a fly was our goal, but we fished Sarasota Bay on Monday due to rough conditions in the coastal gulf. They caught and released trout, bluefish and Spanish mackerel near Bishop Point on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on sink tip fly lines and a popper/dropper combo consisting of a Bubblehead popper and a Clouser fished on a floating line.
With a similar forecast for Tuesday, we headed for more protected waters of the Peace River where we had a few shots at tarpon in the 20 to 30-pound class. However, conditions improved so much by 9 AM that we headed back to Sarasota to fish the coastal gulf. We had numerous shots at tarpon in the coastal gulf off Sarasota over the next couple of days and several hard follows, but no bites.
It all came together for them on Thursday when Tyler made “the right cast to the right fish”. He hooked up with an estimated 75-pound tarpon on a black Deceiver and fought the fish for about 45-minutes. The fish broke off on a jump close to the boat, but we’d already had our fun! Another fly angler jumped and landed a similar size fish, also on a black Deceiver, in the same area on Friday.
Although tarpon schools have thinned to more singles, doubles and small schools of fish rather than large schools, they are aggressive now. This should hold up through July or into early August. Tarpon are also beginning to move to inside waters where you may find them on deep grass flats or around bridges. DOA baits on spinning tackle, especially those that land gently such as the DOA shrimp and CAL shad tails, will also work well for tarpon during July. Fish the flats for trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and reds early in the day for the best action.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 228
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 03, 2010 - 10:22 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 6/20 through 7/3/2010
Tarpon continue to be plentiful along Sarasota beaches. Despite tough conditions, anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, jumped and landed several tarpon during the past couple of weeks. Fly anglers also scored on tarpon, snook, trout, blues and jacks.
Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL and his mom, Andrea Lutz from Atlanta, GA, tarpon fished a couple of days with me on 6/23 and 24. Andrea jumped a pair of tarpon on live crabs off Lido and fought one of about 75-pounds to the boat. Hal fly fished and had a bite on a black Deceiver.
Dave Macomber and Ted Kottom, both from MN, tarpon fished several days with me from 6/25-6/27. We fished lighted docks on Siesta Key a couple of mornings before dawn where they caught and released several snook to 24” and numerous trout to 18” on Grassett Snook Minnow flies. Dave jumped his first tarpon on a fly, a 75-pound fish, on a black Deceiver off Lido on Saturday. Despite having a knot come up in his fly line, he successfully cleared the line, got the knot back onto the reel and fought the fish to the boat in about 20-minutes. Ted landed a pair of tarpon, a 70-pounder on Saturday and a huge, 140-pound fish on Sunday on live crabs off Lido and Longboat Keys.
Conditions were not good during the week of 6/28. Fish weren’t showing on the surface due to a big swell and overcast conditions made it tough to see them below the surface. Terry Notari, from Longboat Key, his son Craig Notari, from the Chicago area, and grandsons, Josh and James, fished a couple of days with me on 6/30 and 7/1. We had a small window of improved conditions each day at about noon when we had some visibility and swells laid down a little. They had a great day on Thurs, 7/1, landing 2 out of 4 fish including one on a fly. Both fish, about 75-pounds, were caught on Longboat Key-James got one to the boat on a crab and his dad, Craig, landed the other fish on a fly. His fish ate a black Deceiver only about 15 feet from the boat in one of the coolest bites of the season! Accuracy is often more important than distance when fly fishing. Craig’s fish was caught with only about a 20’ cast.
Fly angler Jon Yenari, from Sarasota, FL, fished with me on Friday, 7/2. Our plan was to tarpon fish and we were surprised that conditions had deteriorated even further due to swells from Hurricane Alex finally reaching us. After spending a couple of hours in the gulf hunting tarpon, we headed into Sarasota Bay where we caught and released trout to 18”, blues to 2-pounds and jacks on Grassett Flats Bunny and Clouser flies. We fished the west side of Sarasota Bay near Bishop Point where we encountered several feeding frenzies of breaking blues and jacks. Jon caught a pair of 2-pound blues at the same time out of one of the frenzies on a popper/dropper combo!
Tarpon should feed more aggressively as we head into July, which is my favorite month to fly fish for tarpon in shallow water. DOA baits on spinning tackle also work well this time of the year. Since many fish have already spawned, tarpon schools will be smaller and more willing to eat.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 227
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 20, 2010 - 5:27 pm: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 6/7 through 6/20/2010
Tarpon fishing continues to be good along Sarasota beaches. Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action the last couple of weeks along Siesta and Longboat Keys. The DOA Baitbuster has been a hot bait!
Dickie Herbst, from Bradenton, FL, fished a couple of days with me during the week of 6/7. Wind was out of the west on Monday, so we chose to fish more protected water in Tampa Bay near Terra Ceia. Rob Brady, from Sarasota, joined Dickie that day and caught and released a 115-pound tarpon on a live crab. Dickie also fished with me on Thursday, 6/10 with a guest. They jumped a pair of fish, one on a DOA Baitbuster and another on a live crab. One fish was fought to the boat after 20 to 30-minutes only to have a hook break.
John Isard and his son, Jesse, from Osprey, FL, tarpon fished with me on Tuesday, 6/8. They fought an estimated 90-pound fish to the boat along Longboat Key after about 45 minutes on a DOA Baitbuster. It was a hot fish, almost spooling us on its initial run! Fly anglers had lots of shots and several hard follows on a couple of trips, but no eats. When fly fishing for tarpon it is a matter of the right presentation to the right fish.
Don Moberg and sons, Dave and Doug, from MN, fished with me on Monday and Tuesday, 6/14 and 15. They had a great day casting live crabs on Monday along Siesta Key. They had 4 bites, jumping and bringing 3 fish to 110-pounds to the boat. The next day had plenty of shots but no bites. Newlyweds Kyle and Sarah Maddox, from Mobile, AL, fished Longboat Key with me on Wednesday, 6/16. They had 3 bites, jumped 2 of them and brought one about 90-pounds to the boat.
Tarpon stayed in deep water towards the end of the week making it tougher for fly anglers to get a fly in front of fish. Action should continue to be good next week as we head towards a full moon on June 26th.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 226
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 06, 2010 - 7:36 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 5/24 through 6/6/2010
Anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with tarpon off Sarasota beaches during the past couple of weeks. We jumped more than 15 fish and fought 4 or 5 to the boat. Anglers scored with live crabs, DOA Baitbusters and baitfish fly patterns along Lido and Longboat Key.
Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, and Andrea Lutz, from Atlanta, GA, fished several days with me during the week of 5/24. One of the best trips of the week was with them on Thursday. Andrea had the hot hand jumping several tarpon on live crabs that day. Hal jumped a pair of fish on Enrico Puglisi Bronze Mullet flies and fought another fish that ate a live crab to the boat. Another angler jumped a tarpon on an Enrico Puglisi Black Mullet fly on Tuesday 5/25.
David Sugar and his son, Max, from Sarasota, FL, had a great trip on Saturday, 5/29. He jumped 4 tarpon on live crabs and had numerous shots on his first ever tarpon trip! Tarpon were schooled tightly and “happy” that day even though it was a holiday weekend.
A group of 6 anglers fished several days with Capt. Kelly Stilwell, Capt. Jack Hartman and me last week. Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, Steve Liska, from NJ, Dave Kinnamon, from Milwaukee, WI and Paul Browring, from the UK, fished various days on my boat. They jumped a total of 7 tarpon and landed 2, to 90-pounds, on live crabs and DOA Baitbusters. Other anglers in the group had similar action, jumping and landing several tarpon to 140-pounds, with a variety of live baits and flies. West wind forced us to fish inside waters of Sarasota Bay with the group on Friday. We had a great trip catching and releasing trout and bluefish to 2 ½-pounds on DOA Deadly Combos near Bishop Point.
Nick Misischia, from Bend, OR, and his dad, Bill Misischia, from Sarasota, fished with me on Saturday. Nick caught and released about 6 trout on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly on a Siesta Key dock before dawn. We tried to fish the gulf for tarpon but Friday’s blow had the water too stirred up to spot fish. Bill caught and released a few trout on a DOA Deadly Combo at the Middleground flat and near Bishop Point in Sarasota Bay.
Tarpon schools have been moving slowly and high in the water column giving us good shots at them. If conditions are rough in the coastal gulf, fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay should produce lots of variety and action. Bay fishing should be best early in the day before heat affects the bite later in the day. Tarpon fishing should continue to be strong as we approach the new moon on June 12th.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 225
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 23, 2010 - 6:32 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 5/9 through5/23/2010
Anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and tarpon during the past couple of weeks. After warming up quickly, more than 10 degrees in a week or so, bay fishing slowed. However, tarpon showed up in force along our beaches.
Fly anglers Lynn Skipper, from Brandon, FL and Robert Fischer, from Tampa, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on 2 different days during the week of 5/10. We spent some time tarpon fishing early both days, but they weren’t showing well enough to give us any decent shots at them. Sarasota winter residents, Norm and Francie Boardman, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday. Action in the bay was slow with a few trout and scattered blues and Spanish mackerel on a variety of flies and DOA Deadly Combos.
I turned my attention to tarpon last week and conditions were great. The pattern has been for a push of tarpon schools at first light in the morning, although they haven’t been showing that well on the surface. Jim Festa and Bob Benson, both from Sarasota, FL, fished with me on Monday. We jumped a pair of tarpon off Siesta Key on live crabs and Jim landed the first tarpon of the season on my boat, an estimated 60-pounder. A couple of other fly tarpon trips had numerous shots at fish but no bites. Accuracy is very important when fly fishing for tarpon. The fly must be in the right place at the right time to be successful.
Fly angler Jamie Grow, from Washington, DC, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday. We had some action for the first couple of hours of the day at Stephens Point, catching and releasing several trout to 18” and getting cut off by a blue or mackerel. Due to the success we’ve been having with the DOA Deadly Combo, we opted for a popper/dropper fly combo with my Grassett Flats Bunny fished behind a Bubblehead popper. Jamie caught the largest trout using this technique as well as had several exciting strikes. All fish were attracted by the popper in the off color water, but ate the bunny fly.
Tarpon should be plentiful next week as we approach a full moon on May 27th. Drift live baits in their travel lane along beaches and cast live baits or DOA Baitbusters, Swimming Mullet and BFL’s to tarpon schools passing by. Fly anglers should do best later in the day when visibility is best. It is usually a matter of the right presentation to the right fish.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Keith Tomlinson (Bulldogfishin)
New member
Username: Bulldogfishin
Post Number: 55
Registered: 5-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 - 5:36 pm: | |
We had another great week of fishing in Hernando Beach. The weather was beautiful. The bite has been great from the skinny waters of the backcountry to the deeper waters offshore. Early in the day seems to be the most consistent bite before the heat of the day sets in. Also, late in the day has worked as the day starts to cool. As summer days approach this theme will prove even more true.
The flats have trout, mackerel, lady fish, blue fish, small cobia, and sharks bending rods but the Tarpon have been the talk of the anglers. The silver kings have arrived in good numbers and are being spotted, jumped, or landed from Aripeka north to Chassahowitzka bay. Remember that stealth is key when hunting these monsters. Tarpon will hit a variety of lures and flies. Be ready to try a number of lures, colors, and tactics. You can never go wrong with live bait like small lady fish or a big pinfish put on a 5/0 circle hook on heavy spinning tackle. Small blue crabs put under a cork on the same rig is also a great offering. Keep the crabs on ice so they won't be to active until they hit the warm gulf water.
As for the trout, the best bite has been on Rapala Twitch N' Raps or white GULP shrimp under a cork. Pop the cork to draw attention to your bait. Drift the grass flats in 4 - 12 foot of water casting to the sand pot holes.
Off shore the bite continues to be hot. Large numbers of keeper grouper are being caught in 15 - 50 feet of water. To say that there are fish everywhere would be an understatement. The many reefs and rock piles in the area are also producing cobia, king fish, snapper, and amberjacks. Live pinfish or frozen sardines seems to be the bait of choice for the bottom fishermen. Trolling large spoons off a planner is bagging good numbers of kings.
Good luck and tight lines!
Capt. Keith Tomlinson
Bulldog Fishin Charters
www.bulldogfishin.com
(352)238-3581 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (352)238-3581 end_of _the_skype_highlighting |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 224
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 11, 2010 - 10:32 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 4/26 through 5/1/2010
Anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with trout to 22” and scattered bluefish to 3-pounds on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay and catch and release snook to 24” in the ICW at night near Venice during the week of 4/26.
Jack Sinton and Dave Duerson, from Bend OR, caught and released more than 15 snook to 24” in the ICW at night near Venice on Monday night. They caught their fish on Grassett Snook Minnow flies fished on sink tip fly lines.
Randy Ruskey, from Peoria, IL, had steady action with trout to more than 2-pounds and bluefish to 3-pounds on Grassett Flats Bunny and Ultra Hair Clouser flies on Tuesday. We fished deep grass flats on the west side of the bay near Bishop Point. Ed Martin, from Shanty Bay, ON, Canada, and his son Mike, also from Canada, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. They had good action with trout to more than 3-pounds, bluefish and a nice flounder on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos.
Kirk Grassett, from Middletown, DE, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. We caught and released trout, jacks and ladyfish on Clouser and Flats Bunny flies at Stephens and Bishops Point.
Next week’s tides will improve towards the end of next week as we get further away from the full moon. Fishing deep grass flats for trout and the ICW for snook at night should continue to be good options. Tarpon should start to show up along our beaches any day now.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
Capt. Rick Grassetts Andros South, Bahamas Fishing Report for 5/1 through 5/8/2010
A group of 4 other anglers and I traveled to Andros South bonefish lodge on south Andros in the Bahamas on Saturday, May 1st for my annual trip. I have been planning, organizing and hosting groups of anglers on trips to various destinations for about 12 years and this was my 5th trip to Andros South lodge. We hit it just right this time as the weather was near perfect and the fishing was hot!
Norm and Francie Boardman and Jon Yenari, all from Sarasota, FL, and my brother, Kirk Grassett from Middletown, DE, all joined me for the trip. We had a great charter flight over and back on Watermakers Air out of Ft. Lauderdale. The Cessna Caravan left early and returned on time with no hassle at all. Once at the lodge, we settled in with hot hors’doerves and cold beverages. We anxiously rigged our tackle for our first day of bonefishing. There was another group of 4 anglers from Atlanta and New York at the lodge the first half of the week. Another solo angler, Craig Black from Jacksonville, FL, paired up with anglers in my group since we were an odd number. Kirk, Jon and I rotated fishing with each other and Craig during the week. John and Paul Gaynor, from the UK, arrived at the lodge on Wednesday. The camaraderie was great!
We caught and released lots of bonefish to more than 7-pounds with many fish in the 2 to 3-pound class. Hot flies were Peterson’s Spawning Shrimp and a Mantis Shrimp pattern. I also caught several bonefish on a bonefish version of my Grassett’s Flats Minnow (white Estaz body, tan fly fur wing and pink thread on a #4 hook). Eric Peterson, creator of the Peterson Spawning Shrimp, was also fishing on south Andros and stopped by the lodge to say hello and leave us with a few “originals”. Eric’s fly has become one of the top flies at Andros South. I can’t wait to try the new tarpon and redfish shrimp patterns that he gave me.
I had a couple of great days with more than 20 bonefish up to 6-pounds, several very good days with 8 to 10 bonefish and only one slow day with a few fish. We waded a good bit of the time which allows both anglers to fish at the same time. Jon Yenari and I had a great day wading a large flat with a blue hole at one end with guide Norman. We caught mangrove snapper to 3-pounds out of the blue hole and hooked a large ‘cuda. With a falling tide, bonefish were leaving the flat and gave us several hours of action while standing in one spot. It was like a shooting gallery! Craig and I fished with guide Torrie on the last day and had a banner day. We did one of Torrie’s famous cross country wading trips and it was well worth the effort. We fished a land locked salt lake and had schools of bonefish bouncing back and forth between us providing nonstop action for several hours!
Norm and Francie also had good action fishing with several different guides. Francie used spinning tackle and was successful casting a jig while Norm had good success with a variety of flies. Their last day with guide Fredlon was the best with about 20 bonefish for the day! Kirk and Jon also both had some very good days with several days in “double digits”!
This was one of my best trips ever at Andros South. The weather and fishing were near perfect, although it was breezy at times. This is typical in the tropics and actually makes fish less spooky than on a calm day. This is a yearly trip for me and I plan to be there again during the first week of May in 2011. Look for more info on my web sites in coming months.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 223
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, April 26, 2010 - 5:36 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 4/10 through 4/25/2010
Anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with snook, big trout, Spanish mackerel and scattered pompano and blues on CAL jigs with shad tails, DOA Deadly Combos and flies during the past couple of weeks. The best action was with big trout on the flats and snook at night.
Fly anglers Pete Kazmier, from Lakeland, FL, and Tracy Baker, from Homestead, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Sat, 4/10. They caught and released numerous trout, including several large trout weighing 3, 3 ½ and 4 ¼ lbs, and several Spanish mackerel on Grassett Deep Flats Bunny and Ultra Hair Clouser flies. One of the big trout was sight-fished in skinny water.
Jack Sinton and Dave Duerson, from Bend, OR, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Mon, 4/12. They had steady action with trout, including several in the slot, and Spanish mackerel on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay on Clouser and Deep Flats Bunny flies.
Denis Clohisy, from Hudson, WI and Brian McInnis, from Sarasota, FL, fished with me the next 3 days. The best trip was when we fished the flats of Blackburn Bay at dusk on Tuesday evening. They caught and released 5 big trout from 2 ½ to 4 ¼-lbs on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails. We moved to lighted docks after dark and the action was fast. They caught and released more than 20 snook to 26” on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. We also caught a nice trout and bluefish out of the lights.
After cancelling several night snook trips in Jan and Feb due to the freeze and subsequent extended cold weather, we were pleasantly surprised to find snook plentiful and feeding aggressively in the lights. We spent the next couple of days fishing both deep and shallow flats of Sarasota Bay where they had steady action with trout and scattered blues, Spanish mackerel and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails and Clouser and Deep Flats Bunny flies.
Keith Peplinski, his wife, Becky and dad, Don, all from MI, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. They had fast action with trout to 3-pounds, blues, Spanish mackerel, pompano and a flounder on CAL jigs with shad tails at the Middleground flat, Stephens Point and near Long Bar. A 30-pound cobia swam up to the boat and gave us a shot, but it didn’t eat. Matt Murray and his son, RJ, from CT, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning. They caught numerous Spanish mackerel, blues and a 2-pound trout on CAL jigs with shad tails and Grassett Flats Bunny and Clouser flies at the Middleground flat and Bishops Point.
John Freedman and Dan Roach, from Venice, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 4/19. They had some action with trout along the east side of the bay on Flats Bunny and Clouser flies fished on intermediate and intermediate sink tip fly lines. Orvis’s Royal Oak, MI store fishing manager, Rich Merlino, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. We checked the coastal gulf off Siesta Key and found beautiful conditions but no action. However, we did find a few snook in the surf along Siesta and north Casey Key. We came back into Big Pass where we had fast action with blues and large ladyfish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies for a couple of hours. With the sea breeze up in the afternoon, we worked the west side of the bay near Bishop’s Point and caught and released trout and ladyfish on Flats Bunnies and a variety of other flies.
Long time friends and customers, Les and Kimball Beery, from North Port, FL and Estes Park, CO, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. They had a great day with large trout on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. They caught a few blues and ladyfish in Big Pass to start the day, but the action wasn’t as fast as Tuesday. We moved to deep grass flats along the east side of Sarasota Bay where they had steady action with trout on CAL jigs with gold shad tails. The action got faster and fish got bigger throughout the day. They finished the day with several slot size trout and 6 trout over the slot. Kimball ended the day with a “gator” trout of over 4-pounds on a DOA Deadly Combo.
My son-in-law, Capt. Andy Cotton, and I fished Sarasota Bay together on Friday to scout for the 15th annual Sarasota CCA Photo All-Release Challenge fishing tournament. We caught several snook, trout to 4-pounds, Spanish mackerel and blues on Clouser and Flats Bunny flies and located some reds to come up with a plan for the next day. On Saturday we fished the tournament and although things didn’t go quite as planned, I won the Fly Fishing division with a snook and a trout. We had 15-20 mph SSE wind by 10 AM, which is straight up Sarasota Bay, causing very rough conditions! More than 120 anglers, in divisions for anglers, youth, fly and ladies fished the tournament. The event is low key and fun for the whole family and also raises money for CCA’s conservation efforts.
Next week’s tides are good as we head towards a full moon on Wednesday, although daytime flats fishing can sometimes be slow as a result. Fishing deep grass flats, snook at night and the coastal gulf for Spanish mackerel, cobia or tripletail should be good options. Keep your eyes open for the first tarpon of the season along the beaches.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 222
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 09, 2010 - 3:21 pm: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 3/29 through 4/9/2010
Anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with trout, Spanish mackerel and pompano during the past couple of weeks. The best action was on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Action improved as weather got better and water temperatures continued to warm.
Mark Torkos, from Jacksonville, FL, fished several days with me in Sarasota Bay during the week of 3/29. The best action was at Stephens Point, Bishops Point and near Buttonwood Harbor where he caught and released trout and Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails and Grassett Deep Flats Bunny flies. Greg Smith and his son, Alex, from the Detroit, MI area, fished the same areas with me on Friday morning of that week. They caught and released more than a dozen trout to 3-pounds on the same lures and flies. Don and Rose Johnson, from Indianapolis, IN, fished with me that afternoon. They also caught trout to 17” and ladyfish on jigs and flies.
Dale Bluman, from PA and Art Dauria, from NY, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning, 4/3. They caught and released numerous trout and a Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails at Stephens Point, Bishops Point and near Bayshore Gardens.
Bill Beauchamp, from Bradenton, FL and Phil Belmore fished Sarasota Bay with me last Monday. They had fast action with trout to 3 1/2-pounds, Spanish mackerel to 7-pounds and pompano to 2-pounds on CAL jigs with shad tails at Stephens Point and along the west side of Sarasota Bay. The Spanish mackerel were some of the largest that I have ever caught. Fly anglers Perry Greene and his son, Dirk, from the Detroit, MI area, had also fast action with trout and Spanish mackerel on Grassett Deep Flats Bunny flies and Ultra Hair Clousers at Stephens Point, Bishops Point and near Buttonwood Harbor.
Pierre Fortier and Alexandre Brassard, both from Quebec, Canada fished the same areas with me on Wednesday. They had similar action with trout, Spanish mackerel and pompano on Grassett Deep Flats Bunnies and CAL jigs with shad tails. Sarasota winter resident Nick Reding and I waded several flats in north Sarasota Bay on Thursday. Reds have been tough on lures and flies lately, but Nick did get one to eat a chartreuse Clouser fly.
Fishing in skinny water for reds and snook and in the coastal gulf for Spanish and king mackerel, cobia and more should improve as the water continues to warm. Action should continue to be good on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 221
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 28, 2010 - 10:36 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 3/13 through 3/28/2010
Anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had steady action during the past couple of weeks with trout and ladyfish on jigs and flies on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay and Gasparilla Sound. Most trips averaged 15 -20 trout and a few ladyfish. Fly anglers scored with Grassett’s Flats Bunnies and Super Hair Clousers on intermediate and intermediate sink tip fly lines while anglers using light spinning tackle caught their fish on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos.
Steve Koerner, from CO, and Peter Widmann, from CA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday, 3/13. They caught and released trout and ladyfish on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails along the west side of the bay. Dick Hume, from MN, and his son-in-law, Chris Leu from TX, caught and released trout to 18” on Grassett’s Flats Bunnies, Super Hair Clousers, CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos in Gasparilla Sound with me on Monday. The best action was over deep grass outside of Bull Bay.
Rick Peregord, from MI, fished Sarasota Bay with me a couple of days that week. He caught and released trout and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails along the west side of Sarasota Bay from Bishops Point to Buttonwood Harbor. Greg Baumeyer, from Chicago, IL, caught and released trout to 17” at Stephens Point and near Buttonwood Harbor on Grassett’s Flats Bunny and Clouser flies on Wednesday, 3/17.
Ladd Weinberg, from CT, and his son-in-law, Dave from MA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 3/19 and caught and released trout and ladyfish on Grassett’s Flats Bunny flies and CAL jigs with shad tails. The best action was near Buttonwood Harbor. Rich Hunter and Tony Booth, both from NJ, caught and released trout to 18” on Grassett’s Flats Bunny flies and CAL jigs with shad tails at Stephens and Bishops Point on Saturday morning, 3/20.
Fly anglers Nick Reding and Jim Ewoldt, both from St. Louis, MO, fished Sarasota Bay with me last Monday, 3/22. They caught several nice trout to 19” on Grassett’s Flats Bunny flies near Buttonwood Harbor. Fly angler Ladd Weinberg, from CT, fished a couple of days in the Terra Ceia Bay area with me last week. We strictly sight fished for reds and he had lots of shots, but they wouldn’t eat our flies.
Stephen Lewis and his sons Danny and Sam, all from New York City, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday afternoon. They had fast action with trout on CAL jigs with shad tails at Stephens Point and near Bishops Point. Denny Parker, from Lake Wales, FL, and his son Jeff, from VA, also had fast action with trout in the same areas on Friday with flies. They caught and released more than 15 trout including a 3-pound and a 2 ½ pound trout on Ultra Hair Clouser and Grassett’s Flats Bunny flies.
It seems as if spring has finally arrived and fishing should only get better. Next week’s tides are favorable as we head towards a full moon on March 30th. Fishing may be better late in the day if fish feed at night.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 220
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, March 12, 2010 - 2:23 pm: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 2/22 through 3/12/2010
Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout and ladyfish on jigs and flies during the past couple of weeks. The best action was on deep grass flats of Gasparilla Sound, Little Sarasota Bay and Sarasota Bay
Martin Marlowe, from NY and his son, Bruce, from RI, fished Little Sarasota Bay near Midnight Pass with me on Weds, 2/24 and had steady action with trout to 18” and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails. Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL and Jack McCulloch, from Englewood, FL, fished Gasparilla Sound with me the following day. We found water temperatures in the low 50’s in skinny water, however it didn’t bother trout. They caught more than a dozen trout to 18”, with most of them in the slot, on CAL jigs with shad tails.
Weather conditions were poor the following week. We had 20 to 30 mph winds on Weds and Thurs, 3/3 and 3/4 which forced me to reschedule trips on those days. I was on the casting pond giving a seminar on “Saltwater Fly Fishing” at the Tampa Tribune’s Frank Sergeant Outdoors Expo on Friday afternoon and Capt. Ed Hurst and I were instructors for a CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Saturday.
I was back on the water on Sunday, 3/7 with Dave Kinnamon and Jim Russ, both from WI. We fished deep grass flats in Gasparilla Sound and near Bull Bay, and caught more than 25 trout to 17” on CAL jigs with shad tails. The action was slow to start but turned on in the afternoon. Ryan Morse, from VA, and his dad, Eric Morse, fished the same area with me on Monday. They had similar results with trout to 21” on CAL jigs with shad tails and Clouser flies.
Martin Marlowe, from NY, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday afternoon. He caught and released a dozen or more trout and a couple of blues on Clouser flies near Buttonwood Harbor. We found lots of reds near Long Bar, but they ignored our flies and jigs. Harry Beaty, from Canada, and Tom Schalk, from MI, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. They had steady action with trout to 20” on CAL jigs with shad tails, including 4 slot-size fish. Mike Sprague, from NJ, fished a few hours with me on Thursday morning before high winds, associated with an approaching front, forced us off the water. He caught and released more than 20 trout and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails near Stephens Point.
Next week’s tides are good as we approach the new moon on March 15th. Water temperatures have finally warmed to about 60 degrees, so action should continue to improve. The best action should be with trout on deep grass flats, although reds should also become more active as the water warms.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 219
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 21, 2010 - 12:07 pm: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 2/8 through 2/21/2010
Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had action with trout, ladyfish and redfish on deep grass flats of Little Sarasota Bay and Gasparilla Sound during the past couple of weeks. The bigger trout have been coming from the edges of bars, channels and troughs.
Mike Sprague and Kep Philips, both from NJ, fished Little Sarasota Bay near Midnight Pass with me on Monday, Feb. 8th. They caught and released a dozen or more trout to 18” and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails. Keith McClintock and Hal D’Orazio, both from Lake Forest, IL, fished Gasparilla Sound with me on Tuesday, Feb. 9th with similar results. We caught and released about a dozen trout to more than 20”and a redfish also on CAL jigs with shad tails. A trip on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 14th, in Little Sarasota Bay produced several trout and ladyfish on the same lures.
On a couple of trips in Little Sarasota Bay last week, with water temperatures persisting in the low 50’s, we caught and released trout and ladyfish in the ICW channel, on channel edges or on deep grass flats close to channel edges. One of the best trips of the week was on Tuesday with Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, and John Freeman, Jr., from Venice, FL. They had good action catching and releasing about 10 trout and numerous ladyfish on deep grass near Spanish Point.
Next week’s tides will improve towards the end of the week as we head towards a full moon on Feb. 28th. With water temperatures still in the low to mid 50’s, afternoons should continue to fish better than mornings due to warmer water. Trout on deep flats or in channels and reds or sheepshead around docks should continue to be the best options. When the water warms a few degrees it should make a big difference. There are still some spots available for CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on March 6th. Contact CB’s at (941) 349-4400 to sign up.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 218
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 07, 2010 - 10:48 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 1/24 through 2/7/2010
Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released mostly trout and ladyfish during the past couple of weeks. Action wasn’t too fast but was steady. However, there were a couple of great trips. In addition, we also caught a few ladyfish, a snook, flounder and redfish. The water has warmed to the low 60’s and fishing has been improving as a result.
Gary and Robbyn Hehe, from IN, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, Jan. 25th. They caught and released several ladyfish and trout on CAL jigs with shad tails. My sister, Michelle Mumford and her boyfriend, Bill Walterhoefer, both from DE, fished the same area with me on Wednesday with similar results. Michelle and Bill also fished with me on Friday and caught and released about 20 trout to 18” in Zwick’s Channel and a red and a snook in Roberts Bay all on CAL jigs with shad tails.
Fly angler Josh Fine, from CT, fished a couple of days with me in Sarasota and Terra Ceia Bays. He caught and released trout and ladyfish on Clouser and a bend back style rattle fly. We found some reds cruising a shallow grass flat but couldn’t get them to eat our flies.
The action heated up last week as we headed away from the full moon. Harry Beaty and Paul Rotz, both from Ontario, Canada, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, Feb. 1st. They caught more than 20 trout, including 8 slot-size trout on CAL jigs with shad tails. We also released a 23” trout that weighed over 3-pounds. We fished the east side of the bay from Stephens Point to Long Bar. We found the biggest trout in skinny water.
Keith McClintock and Larry Stillman, both from IL, fished the same area with me the next day. The trout were smaller than the previous day but we had one slot size trout and a nice flounder on CAL jigs with shad tails. Fly anglers Ron Cordes, from ID, and Dusty Sprague, from North Port, FL fished Blackburn and Little Sarasota Bays with me on Wednesday afternoon. They caught and released a few trout and ladyfish on Clouser flies fished on an intermediate fly line. It was a pleasure to have a couple of great fly casters like Ron and Dusty on board.
Fly angler Jerry Poslusny, from Rochester, NY, fished the Terra Ceia Bay area with me on Thursday. Jerry is the new owner of my previous Action Craft, so we were on a fishing trip and a shakedown “cruise”. We caught a dozen or more trout to 17” on a Clouser fly and had a few shots at reds in Terra Ceia.
Jim Cox, from IL, and his sons, Mike and Jason, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning. A front passed through on Friday evening and the forecast was for high winds on Saturday, but that didn’t materialize until late in the trip. They caught and released about 20 trout to 19”, including 7 or 8 nice slot size trout on CAL jigs with shad tails. We also worked some docks in Blackburn Bay and hooked a big red that couldn’t be turned
Sadly, I learned that my friend, Capt. Mel Berman, passed away at the age of 81 on Friday due to complications from heart surgery. He had a radio program on Saturday mornings in the Tampa Bay area for 25 years. He was friend to conservation and an advocate of fishing with artificial baits. I was fortunate to have been a guest on his radio program numerous times over the years. Mel and I fished many days on Sarasota Bay over the years and always ended it with a “shore lunch” at The Old Salty Dog Restaurant on New Pass. He always had a joke or a story to share. He was also an animal lover, so we always enjoyed catching up on our “furry kids”. There will be a big void on Saturday mornings now. He will be missed.
Tides will improve towards the end of next week as we head towards a new moon on Feb. 14th. Unless the water gets colder, fishing should improve. Reds may tail on shallow grass flats of Gasparilla Sound on negative low tides at the end of next week.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 217
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 24, 2010 - 4:44 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 1/10 through 1/23/2010
Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout and reds in Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor recently. Water temperatures have warmed to close to 60 degrees and fish are starting to feed again.
The week of Jan. 10th was still very cold and there wasn’t much action. Dennis Stehlik, from IL, and Ron Mosetich, from RI, fished Charlotte Harbor with me on Friday, Jan. 15th. With the water temperature still in the low 50’s, they managed a few trout on CAL jigs with shad tails.
The action picked up during the week of Jan. 17th. Tom Lamb, from Geneva, Switzerland and John Freeman, Jr., from Venice, FL, fished Charlotte Harbor with me on Monday. They caught and released 10 or 12 trout to 17” and 3 reds to 28” on CAL jigs with shad tails. Fly angler Dave Wahl, from IL, fished north Sarasota Bay near Long Bar with me the next day. He caught and released about 10 trout on Clouser flies, including a 3-pound trout that he sight-fished out of a pothole. He also fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday and caught and released a pair of trout on Clouser flies before wind ran us off the water.
Keith McClintock and Victor Feldman, both from IL, fished north Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. They caught and released about 10 trout, including a 3 ½ and a 5 ½-pounder, and a redfish on CAL jigs with shad tails. The bigger trout and redfish have been in skinny water in the afternoon.
Unfortunately, the recent freeze claimed more fish (snook, jacks, pompano and ladyfish) than we had hoped. Further south in the Keys, bonefish, permit and tarpon were killed. In response, the Florida FWC has instituted and emergency statewide closure on snook, bonefish and tarpon. Snook season will remain closed through the spring and will not reopen until Sept. 1st. Bonefish and tarpon will be closed through March 31st. These measures were necessary to protect species already extremely stressed due to the recent freeze. Catch and release fishing is allowed for these species during the closure, although anglers should use good judgment and handle fish gently. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend targeting snook in the near future. They will need all the help they can get for a while. For more details, go to www.myfwc.com .
Next week’s tides, as we head towards a full moon on Jan. 30th, are favorable for reds and trout in skinny water. Reds may tail on shallow grass flats of lower Tampa Bay or Gasparilla Sound on negative low tides towards the end of the week. Although our recent freeze was the worst in decades many fish survived. We are fortunate to have a variety of species, such as trout reds, bluefish and sheepshead, which can handle the cold water.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 216
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 10, 2010 - 7:41 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 12/26/2009 through 1/9/2010
Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released redfish, Spanish mackerel, blues, flounder, pompano, trout and ladyfish on flies and jigs during the past couple of weeks. We’ve been catching some of the biggest blues (up to 5-pounds) that I’ve seen in years. However, we are also experiencing some of the coldest weather that we have seen in quite a while which has affected fishing lately.
Denis Clohisy, and his son, Denis, from WI, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning, 12/26. The tide was poor, but they still managed to catch several nice blues, a Spanish mackerel and a nice trout on CAL jigs with shad tails and Ultra Hair Clouser flies. Jack McCulloch, from Englewood, FL, and his son, Mike, from St. Louis, MO, fished Gasparilla Sound with me on Monday, 12/28. They caught and released trout and blues around spoil islands in Gasparilla Sound on CAL jigs with shad tails. They also caught several reds, a snook, flounder and numerous trout in skinny water in Bull and Turtle Bays.
With the water temperature hovering in the mid 50”s, we had some action with blues and trout on CAL jigs with shad tails and Clouser flies on several other trips in Sarasota Bay later that week. We also caught and released scattered Spanish mackerel and pompano. The best trip of the week was on New Year’s Eve day with Scott and Scottie Heidler, from Hudson, OH. With a strong front approaching, we fished the Middleground flat for more than 5-hours and had nonstop action catching and releasing blues, Spanish mackerel, trout, pompano and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails. We spent the last couple hours of the day in skinny water catching several nice trout, a pompano and hooked a snook that couldn’t be turned!
I had to cancel several trips from Friday through Monday (1/1 through 1/4) due to wind and cold. However, with the water temperature in the low 50’s I got back on the water later in the week on Thursday with Kevin Graham and his wife, Beverley, from Ontario, Canada. We fished Longboat Key canals looking for warmer water and found more than 20 dead or dying jacks due to cold water. Fortunately, we didn’t see any snook or other species that were being affected by the extreme cold. They caught a pair of trout, one on a fly and the other on a jig, on a deep grass flat near Bayshore Gardens. Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL and Victor Feldman, from Champagne, IL, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 1/9. Despite tough conditions, they managed to catch 3 reds to 30”, including a pair of nice slot-size fish, and a pair of trout to 16” on CAL jigs with shad tails.
With water temperatures now in the low 50’s, subtropical species such as snook and members of the jack family are now in a survival mode. The good news is that due to a series of fronts, the water temperature came down slowly, so fish have been able to move to safer (warmer) areas. However, if it gets much colder they still could be in trouble. In the meantime, you may be successful by changing your tactics or targeting species that are more tolerant of cold water, such as bluefish, sheepshead, trout or reds. Fish protected shorelines on sunny afternoons and you should have more action due to slightly warmer water.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Bob Smith (Capt_bob_smith)
New member
Username: Capt_bob_smith
Post Number: 32
Registered: 10-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, December 27, 2009 - 6:21 am: | |
December 25, 2009
Sarasota Florida Fishing Report
By Capt. Bob Smith
Pompano are getting thicker on the Stephen’s Point grass-flats just a little south and off of the Ringling home. Although the fishing has been improving throughout December, we had a slow start Wednesday afternoon. Due to the wind, I opted to fish the east side of the bay for a slower drift and less chop. We fished with live shrimp on and around the Stephen’s Point grass-flats for two hours and hardly lost any bait. Then the wind slowed just a little and the fish started to chew. Pompano, large Spanish mackerel, 3 to 4 pound bluefish and some nice seatrout made our afternoon. We also caught some large ladyfish in the mix. I am sure that my D.O.A. and Silly Willy jigs would have worked just as well as the live shrimp but I didn’t want to take the time to re-rig or change our luck.
Earlier in the week I found a large school of Spanish mackerel just outside of New Pass by the small red and green markers. The birds were diving and the fish were boiling as they fed on the schools of baitfish. The macks were mostly small but keeper size. We did well with Silly Willy jigs, especially when we tipped them with a small belly strip from the mackerel we kept. Of course live bait was also working. Over the past few weeks, some the biggest mackerel we caught were in Big Pass, some almost 30” long.
There have been reports of some keeper size gag grouper being caught on the bay. I have not targeted them myself lately but I plan to do so soon. My favorite bait for them is fresh caught pinfish, not over night baits from the bait shop. Pinfish will almost always dive to the bottom, so no lead is needed. Most of the water depths you may fish on the bay are only 10 to 20 feet deep. When a pinfish dances on top of the water it is a good sign of predators below. If it is grouper below, you will see your bait simply disappear under the surface, not a surface blast like a bass would do. If your bait disappears, don’t wait more then a few seconds and start cranking like mad until you feel the weight of the fish. Then set the hook hard and keep the fish moving away from the structure. I never like to fish over the structure on the bay. I cast to it so that I don’t run off the larger fish. I may mark a structure by dropping a marker to the side or behind it, out of my way but still giving me a reference point for casting. To have any consistency at bringing keeper size grouper to the boat, you need to use at least 20lb test line, 60lb test mono leader, stout 4/0 to 6/0 hook and lock down your drag. With grouper, you don’t have the option to let them run. Remember, this is for large bay grouper and not deep water offshore grouper. This is a good starter method but not the only method for grouper on the bay.
Enjoy & Protect
My Website: http//www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com
 |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 215
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 25, 2009 - 3:13 pm: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 12/12 through 12/25/2009
Merry Christmas! Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released snook, redfish, Spanish mackerel, blues, flounder, pompano, trout and ladyfish on flies and jigs the past couple of weeks. We’ve been catching some of the biggest blues (up to 5-pounds) that I’ve seen in years. The best action continues to be on deep grass flats along the east side of Sarasota Bay from Stephens Point to Long Bar.
Bob Harness, from St. Louis, MO, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. He caught and released several trout, Spanish mackerel and blues on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on an intermediate sink tip fly line. Great fun on 6 and 7-weight rods! CB’s Saltwater Outfitters manager, Doug Forde, and outdoor writer, David Brown from Tampa, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. With a negative low tide, we focused on potholes and sand bar edges for most of the morning. Doug caught and released a mid 20” snook and we caught numerous trout including several in the 18”-20” class on CAL jigs with shad tails. In the afternoon, we had decent action with Spanish mackerel, blues and pompano on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails on deep grass flats.
Norm and Francie Boardman, from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. With a strong front approaching, I thought fish would be feeding heavily, but they weren’t. It was slow, but they caught several trout, ladyfish, bluefish and a Spanish mackerel on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails.
A front pushed through over the weekend causing cool, windy conditions for a few days. On Monday morning it was 45 degrees with a brisk north wind, but by afternoon conditions were better. Eric Everett and his wife, Julie, from VA, and brother-in-law, Antone, from Ireland, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday afternoon. They caught and released several trout and bluefish on CAL jigs with shad tails on the east side of the bay. Rob Thompson and his dad, Jeff, from the Baltimore area, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday morning. They had fast action with blues, trout and Spanish mackerel on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails at the Middleground flat. John Shoup and his friend Mark, from the Detroit, MI area fished with me in the afternoon. The action slowed, but they managed several trout, ladyfish and a nice pompano on flies near Stephens Point.
John and Susan Weiss, from GA, fished the same areas with me on Wednesday. We found the action slower, but John managed a few blues and Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails. Scott and Scottie Heidler, from Hudson, OH, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Christmas Eve day. The morning was slow, but they finished strong. They caught trout to 18”, blues to 4 ½-pounds, Spanish mackerel, flounder and a nice red on CAL jigs with shad tails along the east side of the bay.
Tides will improve as we head towards a full moon next week. Action may be better later in the day if it is cold in the morning. I’d like to thank all of you who have fished with me this year and over the years. Hope everyone has a happy and prosperous New Year!
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 214
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, December 11, 2009 - 10:36 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 11/30 through 12/11/2009
Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had fast action with pompano and bluefish during the week of 11/30. Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, and I fished the east side of Sarasota Bay on Tuesday, 12/1 and caught and released more than 15 pompano to 3-pounds and several blues to 4-pounds on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on intermediate sink tip fly lines. Wind was an issue on Wednesday as a front moved in, but Jordan Hechtman and Frank Neubauer, both from Longboat Key, managed to catch a pompano, bluefish and several trout on CAL jigs with shad tails before we called it an early day. Jim Festa and Bob Benson, both from Sarasota fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. The action slowed as the front drifted back to the north; however they still caught a pompano, a couple of blues, a nice flounder and several nice trout near Long Bar on CAL jigs with shad tails before a steady rain ran us off the water.
Capt. Ed Hurst and I were instructors at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Sat. Dec. 5th. The school covers fly casting basics, line control, shooting line and the roll cast. Winter/spring 2010 dates have been established and are Jan. 23, Feb. 20, Mar. 6, Mar. 27 and Apr. 17. Capt. Ed Hurst and I will also cover leader construction, fly selection and saltwater fly fishing techniques. The course, designed for beginning and intermediate fly casters, will also cover correcting problems and improving casting skills. Cost for the school, which will run from 9 AM to 4 PM, is $150 per person and includes the use of premium Orvis fly tackle, a text book, instructional DVD and lunch. Contact CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 or cbsoutfitters@verizon.net to make reservations.
Mike Sprague and Kep Phillips, both from NJ, and their friend, Warner, from Naples, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. They caught a couple of pompano and bluefish, numerous trout and a red on CAL jigs with shad tails. The best action was near Long Bar. Walt Poxon, from MN, and Bill and Sue Poxon, from Sarasota, FL, fished the east side of Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. They had fast action with blues to 4-pounds, Spanish mackerel and numerous trout on CAL jigs with shad tails.
A front pushed through late Thursday, but I expect action to pick back up when the weather stabilizes by the weekend. Negative low tides, as we approach the new moon on Weds, Dec. 16th, should concentrate fish in potholes and along sand bars. Snook at night should also be a good option especially towards the end of next week when evening tides improve.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 213
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, November 30, 2009 - 4:23 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 11/23 through 11/29/2009
Anglers fishing Sarasota Bay with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, during the past week had good action with trout, blues and pompano on jigs and flies. A couple of trips in lower Tampa Bay also had action with trout, snook and reds. Deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay have been the best option for variety and action.
George Alberici, from Sarasota, FL, and Sal DeVita, from Valrico, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. They caught numerous trout to 23” (4 ½ lbs), blue fish and pompano on CAL jigs with shad tails from Stephens Point to Long Bar.
Keith Roessler and Kevin Hunter, from Albuquerque, NM fished the same area with me on Tuesday except we also fished the coastal gulf. We spent a couple of hours off Lido Key and found lots of little tunny and Spanish mackerel feeding on tiny baits and being very picky. Keith hooked a nice little tunny on a white Clouser, but the rod broke, due to an equipment malfunction, as the fish made a blistering run, causing the fish to also break off. We came back into Sarasota Bay where they caught and released numerous trout, 4 bluefish (to 4-pounds) and 4 pompano (to 3-pounds) and a bonnethead shark on Clouser flies near Stephens Point.
Nick Frederick, from Lakewood Ranch, FL, and his son, Nick, from Arizona, fished the Terra Ceia Bay area with me on Wednesday morning. It rained hard until early afternoon as a front pushed through our area. It was young Nick’s first venture in saltwater with a fly rod. He caught and released several trout on Clouser flies while his dad did well with a CAL jig and a shad tail. That afternoon I fished the same area with part of a family group along with my friend, Capt. Ray Markham. Justin Barnes, his wife, Meredith (from Atlanta, GA) and her sister, Joy, from Dayton, OH, fished on my boat. We had steady action with trout to 23” (4-pounds), several snook to 22” and a 17”red. All fish were caught on CAL jigs with shad tails. Capt. Ray’s group also did well, catching a slam that included a legal snook, numerous trout, a red and a Spanish mackerel.
Bill Beauchamp, from Bradenton, FL, and his brother-in-law, Chuck Kushto, also from Bradenton, fished the Terra Ceia area with me on Friday. The previous day’s cold front had dropped the water temperature and slowed the action. They worked hard and we caught a few trout, a flounder and a small red on CAL jigs with shad tails. Friday’s trip in Sarasota Bay was similar. Fly angler Paul Stokes, from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning. We took a look in the gulf off Lido and found a big swell and dirty water. We saw a school of mackerel or little tunny, but they were up and gone fast. We came back into Sarasota Bay, where Paul caught and released several Spanish mackerel, a bluefish and several trout on a chartreuse/white Ultra Hair Clouser. Action was slow at first until we found a protected area, which was a couple of degrees warmer than surrounding waters and had some activity.
Next week’s negative low tides should be good for reds, snook and trout in potholes and along sandbars. Deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay should continue to be one of best options for variety and action. When the gulf calms down and the water clears up, action should heat up again for Spanish mackerel and little tunny. Remember that snook season closes on Tuesday, Dec. 1st and trout season remains closed in the south region through December. For details, go to www.myfwc.com.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 212
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, November 26, 2009 - 6:36 pm: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Turneffe Flats Lodge Report for 11/14 through 11/21/2009
I hosted a group at Turneffe Flats Lodge in Belize from Nov. 14-21. This was my second visit to the lodge, which is 30 miles off the coast of Belize City. We had near perfect weather and as a result, fishing was good. Although there was only one permit caught at the lodge while we were there, all of us had shots at permit. Numerous bonefish to 7-pounds were caught and released.
Capt. John Hand and his wife, Leslie, from Ruskin, FL, John and Deb LaManna, from Lakewood Ranch, FL, Les Fulcher, from Longboat Key, Fen and Joann Sartorius, from Santa Fe, NM and Joe Bursel and I from Sarasota all met up at the Tampa Airport on Saturday morning for the flight to Belize City through Miami. Ben and Sue Estes, from SC, flew direct to Belize City from Charlotte and met up with the rest of the group there. My friend, Capt. John Meskauskas, from Stuart, FL, was also at the lodge with a group of 6 anglers, including long time friend Twig Tolle and his wife, Jean.
Turneffe Flats Lodge is a cut above other lodges that I have visited. The guides, staff and accommodations are outstanding; meals are delicious and presented well and there are lots of activities for non anglers. Deb LaManna and Joann Sartorius participated in the Atoll Adventure package and had their own guide, Abel, for daily activities that included shelling, snorkeling, birding and much more. They saw lots of sea life while snorkeling, including a variety stingrays and Moray eels. They collected Mayan pottery and glass bottles discarded by pirates that once roamed the area, including the infamous Blackbeard. They treated us to a slide show one evening that was like a National Geographic special!
Although most bonefish averaged 1 ½ to 2-pounds, there were numerous 3-pounders caught and several in the 6 to 7-pound class. An angler in Capt. John’s group, Rob, caught and released an 8 or 9-pound permit while wading with guide, Elvis, on the last day of the trip. Most anglers had shots at permit ranging from singles and doubles to large schools. Capt. John Hand and his wife, Leslie, fishing with guide, Eddie, had shots at permit every day, landed bonefish of 4 ½ and 6 1/2-pounds and lost an 8-pounder. Ben and Sue Estes, fishing with guide, Michael, caught so many bonefish (to 4 ½-pounds) that they lost count. Joe Bursel also caught and released lots of bonefish (about 100 for the week). He focused on action and had several “double digit” days while fishing with guide, Willie. Joe was also successful with bonefish while wading on his own at the lodge. He even caught one off the sea wall!
Fen Sartorius and I fished together several days with guides, Dubs and Dion. We focused on larger bonefish and permit, staying ready for one species while targeting the other. Fen also scuba dived a couple of days. He hooked up with me and Dion at lunch one day and after a successful dive, he caught 3 nice bonefish in the afternoon! Les Fulcher also had good action with bonefish, including several 3-pounders he caught on his own while wading in front of the lodge. John LaManna had great action with bonefish, landing 7 bones to more than 6-pounds while fishing with guide, Dubs, one day. He was very successful with a fly of his own creation that featured a tuft of rabbit fur as a wing and a small pheasant tail. John and I fished together with Dubs on a rainy day, the only inclement weather day that we had. I caught a “tailer” at the end of the day that was very rewarding given the conditions. The more challenging the conditions the more rewarding the catch!
This is one of the best run fishing lodges that I have visited. I had a chance to visit with the owner of Turneffe Flats, Craig Hayes, while at the lodge. He has done an outstanding job of constantly updating the lodge to make it one of the top destinations not only for fly anglers, but for divers, snorkelers and adventurers. Craig was also instrumental in getting the government of Belize to protect bonefish, permit and tarpon, which is rare in most tropical fishing destinations. This is definitely a place that you can bring your spouse and also experience great fishing!
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 211
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 13, 2009 - 1:40 pm: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 11/7 through 11/13/09
Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, bluefish and pompano on jigs and flies on a couple of trips this week. We fished deep grass flats on both sides of the bay as we dodged wind from Hurricane Ida, which was passing us by in the gulf.
Dick Meeker, from Aspen, CO, and his son-in-law, Jeff, fished Sarasota Bay from Stephens Point to Long Bar with me on Tuesday. They caught and released a dozen or more trout to 22” on CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms. Jeff also hooked a large bluefish, but it was able to bite through our heavy fluorocarbon leader before we put out hands on it.
With the wind clocking around to the west, Norm and Francie Boardman, from Sarasota, fished the west side of the bay with me on Wednesday. The afternoon was better than the morning, but they caught and released 12 or 15 trout to 22” and a 4-pound pompano on CAL jigs with shad tails and Clouser flies.
Next week’s negative low tides in the morning should be good for reds, snook and catch and release trout in potholes of Sarasota Bay. Look for action with little tunny and Spanish mackerel to get hot off the beaches when the coastal gulf calms. CB’s Saltwater Outfitters will be holding their Fishing Extravaganza on Saturday, November 21st from 9 AM to 4 PM. The event will feature seminars, including Mark Nichols of DOA Fishing Lures, fly casting, fly tying, fishing boats on display and clothing and fishing tackle on sale. Contact CB’s at (941) 349-4400 for more info.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 210
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, November 06, 2009 - 10:12 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 10/26 through 11/6/2009
Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had great action with little tunny, Spanish mackerel, jacks, trout, bluefish and pompano during the past couple of weeks. The best action was in the coastal gulf with little tunny, Spanish mackerel and jacks on flies.
Jason Rhind and Ryan Bellittera, both from Bradenton, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, Oct. 26th. They caught and released trout to 18”, bluefish to 3-pounds and jacks on CAL jigs with shad tails and grubs on the east side of Sarasota Bay from Stephens Point to Long Bar.
My brother Kirk Grassett, from Middletown, DE, and a friend, Nick DelleDonne from Lancaster, PA, visited and fished with me the rest of the week. Nick owns The Evening Rise fly shop in Lancaster, PA (www.theeveningrise.com). Nick, Kirk and I fished albies together in the fall with a group of guys at Harker’s Island, NC for several years. Since that area is much more prone to bad weather in November than we are here in Sarasota, this trip was planned as an alternative to fishing there and it didn’t disappoint!
We fished several days in the coastal gulf off Sarasota, Boca Grande and Tampa Bay. The best action was off Lido and Longboat Keys and at the mouth of Tampa Bay near Egmont Key. They caught and released numerous little tunny to more than 10-pounds, Spanish mackerel to 5-pounds and jacks to 4-pounds on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on intermediate fly lines. They caught more than a dozen little tunny on one of their best trips of the week off Lido. A couple of trips in Sarasota Bay produced trout to more than 20”, blues to 4-pounds, Spanish mackerel and pompano to 3-pounds on Clouser flies fished on intermediate and intermediate sink tip fly lines.
I fished the 5th annual MCFF/CCA “Fall Fly Fishing Challenge” on Saturday, Oct. 31st. A total of 33 fly anglers competed in 2 divisions in the catch-photo-release format tournament. The event, which promotes the sport of fly fishing and benefits MCFF”s scholarship fund and CCA’s conservation efforts, was sponsored by Orvis, CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, Economy Tackle, Discount Tackle Outlet, Cook’s Sportland, Fisherman’s Edge, New Pass Grill and Bait Shop, Tampa Angler and Simms. It’s a great day of fly fishing fun and friendly competition.
Larry Jamieson, from Sarasota, FL, took a fly casting lesson with me and then fished a ½ day in Sarasota Bay on Thursday, Nov. 5th. We worked on casting different types of fly lines from floating to intermediate sink tip and full sinking intermediate. We fished the east side of the bay from Stephens Point to Long Bar, where he caught and released trout, bluefish, catfish and ladyfish on Clouser flies. Action should continue in the coastal gulf and deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay through November. In addition, shallow water action should pick up as the water cools.
I will be the instructor at an Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Saturday, November 7th. Cost for the school, which includes the use of premium Orvis fly tackle, a text book, instructional DVD and lunch is $150 per angler. Contact me for more info or CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 to sign up. CB’s Saltwater Outfitters will also be holding their Fishing Extravaganza on Saturday, November 21st from 9 AM to 4 PM. The event will feature seminars, including Mark Nichols of DOA Fishing Lures, fly casting, fly tying, fishing boats on display and clothing and fishing tackle on sale. Contact CB’s for more info.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 209
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, October 25, 2009 - 10:25 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 10/10 through 10/25/2009
Hey! Hey! Hey! Fat Albert! Anglers fishing with me recently on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released snook, trout, reds, Spanish mackerel and little tunny. The best action was with Spanish mackerel and little tunny in the coastal gulf off Sarasota and Boca Grande.
Bob Cole and a friend, from Venice, FL, and Bob’s son, Neal, from Boston, MA, fished Little Sarasota Bay and Blackburn Bay with me on Saturday, Oct. 10th. They caught and released trout and a couple of snook on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos. Chad Allen, from the Detroit area, and his brother Brett and daughter, Lauren, from Bradenton fished with me on Sunday, Oct. 11. We fished the coastal gulf off Siesta Key where they caught and released several Spanish mackerel to 4-pounds on top water plugs. Numerous sharks, mixed with the mackerel, attacked our hooked fish making for some exciting action!
Mike Sprague, from NJ, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. He caught and released several trout to 21” on CAL jigs with shad tails and a nice red on a gold spoon near Bishops Point. Peter Varga, from Sarasota, FL and a guest, Joshua Miller, fished Sarasota Bay with me the next day. We found very little surface activity in the coastal gulf with Spanish mackerel, so we fished Sarasota Bay. The action was slow, but they caught a few trout on CAL jigs with shad tails and flies. Fly angler Alex Ericsen, from CT, fished Blackburn Bay with me before dawn on Friday morning. He caught and released 8 or 10 snook to 23” and a redfish on Grassett’s Snook Minnow and Skitterbug flies. The Skitterbug is similar to a Gartside Gurgler, but tied to resemble a shrimp. A front blew through late Friday causing windy conditions for a few days, forcing me to cancel a couple of fly fishing trips.
Fly angler Nick Reding, from Sarasota, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. We mainly waded and targeted reds, but the action was slow. However, Nick caught and released a slam near Long Bar consisting of a red, a snook and several trout on my Grassett’s Flats Minnow and Clouser flies.
The best trips of the week were with little tunny (a.k.a. bonito, false albacore or fat Albert). One trip was in the Boca Grande area with Jon Yenari and Kyle Ruffing, both from Sarasota, FL. We fished the coastal gulf outside of Gasparilla Pass on Wednesday and found lots of little tunny. They were moving fast and were hard to get on, but once we got dialed into them we had fast action. They caught and released numerous little tunny to more than 10-pounds on Enrico Puglisi style and Crease flies. We headed into Gasparilla Sound for the last couple of hours of the day and waded a sand bar where Jon caught and released a nice red on a black crab fly pattern that was swimming on the back of a large ray. Sweet!
Ed Chiles and Skip Raddick, from Anna Maria Island, got in on the action with me on Friday. This was a trip that I donated to a silent auction for the “Slaw Dog” fishing tournament to benefit Mote Marine Laboratory and Ed was the successful bidder. We fished the coastal gulf off Anna Maria Island and had fast action with little tunny and Spanish mackerel on Clouser flies. Friends Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, and Jim Knowles, from Bradenton, FL, fished along with us in Rusty’s boat and also had fast action. We are in one of my favorite times of the year for fishing the coastal gulf, flats and snook at night. Water temperatures have cooled into the mid 70’s and many species of fish are on the move.
There are a few upcoming events that you may be interested in. I will be hosting a group of fly anglers at Andros South bonefish lodge from May 1-8, 2010. Please contact me if you are interested in joining the group or for more info. I will also be the instructor at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Nov. 7th. Cost for the school, which includes the use of premium Orvis fly tackle, a text book, instructional DVD and lunch is $150 per angler. Contact me for more info or CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 to sign up.
If you are looking for something fun to do, the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers/Coastal Conservation Association’s “Fall Fly Fishing Challenge” is Saturday, Oct. 31st. Anglers will fish for snook, reds, trout and more in a digital photo-release format. Cost for the event is $50 per angler and includes an awards BBQ. Contact me for more info.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Bob Smith (Capt_bob_smith)
New member
Username: Capt_bob_smith
Post Number: 31
Registered: 10-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 - 12:17 pm: | |
October 20, 2009
Sarasota Florida Fishing Report
By Capt. Bob Smith
Finally some cooler weather is coming our way! As we see the Gulf water temperature drop, we should see the fishing improve. When the water temperature is in the low seventies, I think that is the best for all around fishing. For now, we have some seatrout, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, Jacks, ladyfish, and an occasional flounder in the shallow water on the Middle Ground grass flats. Live pilchards, shrimp and the DOA artificial 3” shrimp are some of the baits that have been working well.
The best methods of fishing the grass have been free-line or popping cork and drifting or anchoring or a little of both. I like the Eagle Claw 202, Size 4/0, Gold Aberdeen hook for fishing with live bait on the flats. About 3 or 4 feet of 30 pound test clear mono leader on 10 to 12 pound test line and you have a very good grass-flats rig. Of course ultra-light and fly also will work well, but you may need to upgrade your skill level.
We have had some slow days fishing lately, but on the whole, the summer was good inshore and offshore. More than I can say for the economy.
We should see the King mackerel start offshore this month and the pompano and blue action should pickup on the bay. Things start to happen when the weather starts to change.
Enjoy & Protect
My Website: http//www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 208
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, October 09, 2009 - 9:47 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 9/23 through 10/9/2009
Anglers fishing with me on the Snook fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released Spanish mackerel and trout on a couple of trips recently. The best action was with Spanish mackerel in the coastal gulf. I also spent some time in Delaware visiting family and had an opportunity to fish the Chesapeake Bay for stripers.
My brother, Kirk Grassett from Middletown, DE, and I fished the mouth of the Choptank River out of Tilghman Island, MD in his new 18’ Jones Brothers Cape Fisherman, which is a great boat for light tackle and fly fishing in bigger bodies of water such as Chesapeake Bay. We were on “breaking” stripers and blues most of the day. Although they weren’t large, they were plentiful and great fun on 6 and 7-weight fly rods. We caught them on Crease flies, Clouser Floating Minnows and Clouser Deep Minnow flies. A great day!
After returning to Florida, fly angler Ladd Weinberg from CT, fished with me on Sunday, Oct. 4th. He caught a Spanish mackerel and several trout on Ultra Hair Clouser flies. We were feeling the effects of the full moon, which sometimes causes fish to feed at night rather than during the day. The action picked up later in the week when Greg French and Justin Stewart, from Newfoundland, Canada, fished with me. We found Spanish mackerel plentiful in the coastal gulf off Siesta Key. There were also lots of sharks mixed in with them. They caught and released more than 20 Spanish mackerel to 4-pounds on Crease flies, poppers and surface walking top water plugs. Justin had a big Spanish mackerel eaten by a large shark and had it on for a few minutes until it chewed the mackerel off his fly. Great action!
Fishing flats and the coastal gulf should improve as we get further away from the full moon. Fish the coastal gulf for Spanish mackerel, little tunny, cobia and more or Sarasota Bay for trout, blues, Spanish mackerel, snook and reds. I will be the instructor at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters first Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school of the season on Nov. 7th. The school will cover fly casting basics, line control, shooting line and roll casting. Hours of the school are from 8:30 AM to 4 PM and will also cover leader construction, fly selection and saltwater fly fishing techniques. Cost is $150 per angler and includes the use of premium Orvis fly tackle, a text book, instructional DVD and lunch. Contact CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 to sign up.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 207
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 - 12:18 pm: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 9/14 through 9/22/2009
Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had action with a variety of species during the past 10 days. Fly anglers caught and released snook, trout, bluefish, little tunny (false albacore), Spanish mackerel, jacks and ladyfish. Spin anglers also got in on the action catching and releasing snook.
Frank Angelona, from Oak Hill, WV, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tues, Sept. 15th. He caught and released trout, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, jacks and ladyfish on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly fished on an intermediate sink tip fly line near Buttonwood Harbor.
Jeff Bell, from Sarasota, FL and his son, Tom Bell, just back from a tour of duty in Iraq, snook fished with me in “snook alley” near Venice before dawn on Saturday morning. We found snook feeding selectively on glass minnows and small shrimp. They caught and released 5 or 6 snook to 23” on DOA Tiny TerrorEyz and CAL jigs with jerk worms. Jim and Angela Labauve, from Tuscaloosa, AL, fished the same area with me on Sunday morning. Snook were even pickier than the day before, but they caught and released 2 or 3 snook on my Grassett’s Snook Minnow fly.
Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, FL, and I fished Tampa Bay on Monday, 9/21. We fished Tampa Bay near Egmont Key and found schools of Spanish mackerel and little tunny (false albacore) marauding bait schools. We caught and released 8 or 10 little tunny and about a dozen Spanish mackerel on Grassett’s Snook Minnow, Ultra Hair Clousers, Crease flies and Bubblehead poppers. Fish fed throughout the entire incoming tide and we left them biting after 3 PM. A great day!
Action should improve on both flats and in the coastal gulf as days continue to get shorter and the water cools. Snook usually feed more aggressively as we head into fall and deep flats should have plenty of action with trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and more.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 206
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, September 13, 2009 - 7:07 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 9/4 through 9/13/2009
Anglers fishing with me recently on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, snook, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, mangrove snapper, ladyfish and jacks on jigs and flies. The best action and variety continues to be on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Ladyfish will begin feeding in glass minnow schools and if they stay on the surface long enough other predators will join the fray. Out of these feeding frenzies, we have caught ladyfish, jacks, trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and even had shots at tarpon. Look for diving terns, clustered low to the surface of the water to find the action. Best conditions are after the sun gets bright when there isn’t much wind. Anglers fishing with me have also caught a few snook on the flats and around lighted docks. We have also had shots at tarpon feeding on shadow lines before dawn, but they have been very finicky.
Jack Satterfield, from St. Petersburg, FL, fished the Terra Ceia Bay area with me on Friday, Sept. 4th. He caught and released trout to 18” and a 23” snook on CAL jigs with shad tails. One of the best trips was on Sunday, Sept. 6th with fly angler Gary Mintz, from CO. Gary fished Sarasota Bay with me and caught and released snook before dawn on Siesta Key docks with my Grassett’s Snook Minnow fly. We moved to the flats near Buttonwood Harbor where he caught and released numerous trout to 23”, bluefish to 3-pounds, ladyfish, jacks and mangrove snapper on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly.
Pete Walacko and Richard Ives, both from MI, fished the same area with me the next day. We found the action a little slower than the day before. Windy and overcast conditions kept the bait down and the feeding action never got started.
This is a great time of the year to fish. Even though there aren’t a lot of people around now, fishing can be very good. Generally speaking you need to fish early in the day for the best action. Some of the best action will be before dawn around lighted docks and bridges for snook and tarpon.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 204
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 23, 2009 - 7:36 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 8/13 through 8/23/2009
Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released snook, trout, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and jumped a tarpon on several trips recently. The best action continues to be with trout on deep grass flats. We are also catching ladyfish and the occasional bluefish or Spanish mackerel on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Tarpon are feeding in glass minnow schools in the same areas. Snook and tarpon before dawn around lighted docks and bridge fenders are also a good option when there is a good tide.
Fen Sartorius and Steve Machen, both from NM, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 8/14. They caught and released a few trout on flies deep grass flats near Buttonwood Harbor. Mark Desimone and his son Aaron, from Florida’s east coast, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday, 8/15. We worked some tarpon for a couple of hours in the morning, but didn’t get them to bite. We moved to deep grass flats near Buttonwood Harbor where ladyfish schools had glass minnows “balled up”. They caught and released trout and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails. Tarpon also joined the fray as they gorged themselves on glass minnows.
I attended the annual DOA Fishing Lures Writer’s Festival (www.doalures.com) in Stuart, FL from Aug. 16-18. The event pairs DOA Pro Staffers with outdoor writers from around the country for a couple of fun days of fishing and socializing. There were many noteworthy catches including snook of 25 and 30-pounds and numerous tarpon. The new 5 ½” BFL (Big Fish Lure) accounted for many of the big fish. We had a good bite on Tuesday morning when Capt. Pat Dineen, from Destin, FL, and outdoor writer, Pete Barrett, from Jupiter, FL fished with me. We caught and released numerous trout to 3-pounds and a couple of snook on CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms while wading a flat in the Indian River near River Palm Cottages and Fish Camp. If you’ve never stayed at River Palm Cottages and Fish Camp (www.riverpalmcottages.com) you should check it out. It is “a cool place to stay”!
Justin Mills, from Bradenton, FL and his dad, Mike Mills from Pittsburgh, PA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Weds, Aug. 19. They caught and released trout on CAL jigs with shad tails near Buttonwood Harbor and Bayshore Gardens. I was the guest of my friend, Steve Gibson (www.kayakfishingsarasota.com), on a beach snook fishing trip near Englewood, FL on Friday, 8/21. Gibby is a master at beach snook fishing and kayak fishing in both fresh and saltwater. He had the hot hand that day catching and releasing 5 snook to 27” on DT Special flies.
Fly angler Dave Barger, from NY, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday, 8/22 and had a good trip. Dave was a student in my April ’09 Orvis Endorsed Fly Casting School at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters. We started our day at 4:30 AM and jumped a tarpon on my Grassett’s Snook Minnow fly around a bridge. Although this fly was designed for snook, it will catch whatever is feeding on glass minnows (tarpon, little tunny, trout, Spanish mackerel, etc). I tie the fly on a 1/0 Owner AKI hook when targeting larger fish.
We moved to lighted docks on Siesta Key where Dave hooked up a couple of times and landed a snook on a smaller version of the same fly. After dawn we hit the flats, where we caught a released trout, ladyfish, jacks and mangrove snapper with an Ultra Hair Clouser fly.
This is a great time of the year for variety (tarpon, snook, reds, trout and more). The best action is early in the day so you can have great action and be home for lunch.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 203
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, August 12, 2009 - 7:47 am: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 7/31 through 8/12/2009
Anglers fishing with me the past couple of weeks on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught reds and had a few shots at tarpon. Although I was gone on a family vacation for most of this time frame, fly anglers continue to have anywhere from a few to more than a dozen shots at tarpon in the coastal gulf off Sarasota and Manatee counties per trip. Not bad for the middle of August!
In addition, Sarasota Bay is still producing great action on deep flats for trout, Spanish mackerel and bluefish with jigs and flies. Snook fishing before dawn around lighted docks and bridge fenders with flies has also been a good option. Reds, mixed with large blues and jacks, are beginning to school in Sarasota Bay but have been tough for anglers to get on.
Capt. Tom Stephens, Sr. from Bradenton, FL, and his son-in-law, Brian, from Riverview, FL, fished Charlotte Harbor and Gasparilla Sound with me on Tuesday, 8/11. We worked some juvenile tarpon from 10 to 30-pounds for a couple of hours first thing in the morning. Although we had a couple of “bumps” on DOA TerrorEyz and DOA shrimp, we didn’t hook up. We moved to skinny water, where they caught and released a pair of reds on CAL jigs with shad tails. This was a trip that I donated to the Sarasota chapter of Coastal Conservation Association’s fund raising banquet last fall, which raises money for their conservation efforts.
Tarpon numbers are diminishing along the beaches, but anglers are still seeing as many as 20 tarpon per trip and getting shots at many of them, which I feel is still worth the effort. They are also starting to show in areas of Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor, so anglers fishing those areas should be prepared for big fish. A good option this time of the year is to fly fish for snook before dawn, hit shallow or deep flats at first light for reds, trout, blues, pompano and more. Since tarpon are least affected by warm water, you could spend some time tarpon fishing at mid day when the light and visibility are best. This is a time of the year when you might get a “super slam”-tarpon reds, snook and trout on the same trip.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 202
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 30, 2009 - 3:12 pm: | |
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 7/18 through 7/30/2009
Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with tarpon, trout and snook recently. Tarpon are still fairly plentiful and are a good option; particularly fly fishing for them in shallow water. In addition, we also caught a few bluefish and Spanish mackerel while fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay.
Justin and Melissa Jones, from TX, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Sunday, July 19th. We fished deep grass flats near Buttonwood Harbor where they caught and released trout on DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs with shad tails. My friend Capt. Bryon Chamberlin, from Land O’Lakes, FL, tarpon fished with me on Monday, July 20th. We fished shallow water near Siesta and Lido Keys and had excellent action. Tarpon were plentiful and we probably had more than 30 shots at fish, 6 bites, 4 jumped and one of them landed. A great day!
My friend, Steve Gibson from Sarasota, FL, tarpon fished with me the next day but the tarpon weren’t as aggressive. We had almost as many shots with a fly but no bites. Nick Coote and his son, George, both from near London, England fished with me on Tuesday. We spent half of our trip fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay near Buttonwood Harbor where they caught and released trout to 22”, bluefish and a Spanish mackerel on Clouser flies, DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs. Once we had good sunlight, we headed for the gulf to try our hand at tarpon. They had a couple of shots, but no takers.
The action continued on Thursday when my son-in-law, Capt. Andy Cotton joined me to tarpon fish. Andy put a fish in the air with a traditional style tarpon fly (chartreuse grizzly with an olive collar) and we had more than 20 shots. Alfredo Hernandez and his friend, Santiago, both from Miami, FL, tarpon fished with me on Friday. We snook fished around lighted docks on Siesta Key for an hour or so before dawn and they caught and released 4 or 5 snook before we headed for the gulf. Alfredo jumped a tarpon on a threadfin off Siesta Key, but that was the only action we had. Fly angler, Al Cuneo from Ellenton, FL, tarpon fished with me on Saturday. We had more than a dozen good shots but no bites. We had a hard follow but the fish ran out of water and spooked off the boat before he had a chance to eat.
The action continued into this week. I was off on Monday and planned to do some errands and office work but conditions were too good for me stay home. With an afternoon appointment to work around, I only had a couple of hours to spare but it was worth it. I had more than 20 shots at tarpon off Siesta, Lido and Longboat Keys and landed one on a black Deceiver. My friends Capt. Rick Depaiva and David McCleaf, both from Ft. Myers, joined me to fish on Tuesday. We had great conditions and more than 30 shots at tarpon with a fly in shallow water. David had the hot hand that day with 2 hook ups, one on a black Deceiver and the other on a black and red Tarpon Rat fly. One came unbuttoned right away, but the other fish gave us 5 jumps and a 10 minute battle before the leader somehow broke with the fish close to the boat.
I was the guest of friend and client Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, on Wednesday. The day started off great with good conditions and we had 6 or 8 good shots. Then the clouds rolled in and ruined our visibility. We stuck it out, even though the shots we were getting were not good ones. I got lucky when I jumped a fish that showed up right at our transom and flared off the boat. I made a cast to where the fish was headed with a black and red Tarpon Rat fly and hooked up. A knot came up and snagged a finger as I was clearing line and broke the fish off on a jump. Oh well!
Tarpon are starting to thin a little, but this action should continue for another week or two, possibly longer. After that, tarpon will move to inside waters where you may get a shot at them around bridges or on deep grass flats. Snook before dawn and reds, trout and more on shallow grass flats early in the day will also be good options.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Capt. Bob Smith (Capt_bob_smith)
New member
Username: Capt_bob_smith
Post Number: 30
Registered: 10-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 29, 2009 - 1:10 pm: | |
Sarasota Florida Fishing Report
By Capt. Bob Smith
First light Sea trout on DOA artificial shrimp! Scott Gifford and his son tied into trout on the Middle Ground grass-flats first thing in the morning. Scott’s fish was 22”. The bay flats and bridges have been producing some nice fish but you may need to cover some ground to find them. Spotted sea trout, bluefish, Gray snapper, flounder and pompano are just some of the fish coming in. Large schools of jacks, ladyfish, and bluefish may start the water boiling at any time. The fish keep moving so you need to keep moving. I find most of my fish along the edge of the deep grass and repeat my drift until they move off. The 3” DOA shrimp are working best for me while holding the pinfish at bay. Pinfish are good for the bay but not good for your live bait.
During the summer, first and last light are best for fishing and night is better than day. None of this is carved in stone and the fish could bite at any time. I am just talking about the probability. I like to start just before daybreak and quit by 10:30am. At night, I like to fish starting just before dusk, an hour before, and an hour after the tide change. This all looks good on paper, but the truth is that those of us who have been bitten by the fishing bug will spend all our free time fishing regardless of what the fish are doing.
Enjoy & Protect
My Website: http//www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com
 |
|
Closed: New threads not accepted on this page