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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 82
Registered: 8-2003
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 02, 2005 - 8:34 am: | |
Southwest FL Fishing Report for 6/12 through 6/26/2005
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict connected with several tarpon during the past couple of weeks. A persistent red tide bloom in the coastal gulf and inshore waters of Sarasota and Longboat Key has had me fishing further south to find clean water. I’ve been fishing primarily out of Placida (near Boca Grande), where the water quality is great. I’ve also fished a couple of days south of Venice and in the Peace River. We’ve had plentiful tarpon in these areas, even though they haven’t been very aggressive.
J.C. Leverage, from Kure Beach, NC, fished a couple of days with me during the week of June 12th. We opted to fish the backcountry of Gasparilla Sound one day and the Peace River at Punta Gorda on another day. He connected with snook and a 15-pound tarpon on CAL jigs and DOA TerrorEyz. Anglers during the rest of the week had shots with flies and live bait, but no hook-ups. We did have a couple of bites, but with limited opportunities it is tougher to convert that into jumped and landed fish.
Dennis Ondercin from Middleburg Heights, OH, and his son, Cliff Ondercin from Sarasota, FL, tarpon fished with me near Gasparilla Pass the following week. They had lots of shots, a couple of bites and landed an estimated 110-pound tarpon on Thursday. Thursday was the best day with tarpon daisy chaining in the trough next to the beach only 20 feet from the sand in some instances. Cliff had a fly in several schools, but they didn’t bite. He finally hooked up by suspending a live crab under a float next to a daisy chaining school. Even then, it took a while to get a bite.
Cliff Ondercin, from Sarasota, FL, caught and released this estimated 110-pound tarpon on a live crab near Gasparilla Pass.
One other tarpon was jumped on Saturday, also on a live crab suspended under a float. Although this isn’t a technique that I use a lot, it’s made a difference by keeping bait in front of tarpon for a longer period of time.
Tarpon seem to be behaving a little more normally for the last several days. As we head toward the first quarter of the moon next week, hopefully we’ll get a good bite. We are still in a prime part of the season and things could turn on at any time.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
BobSmith (Unregistered Guest)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 12, 2005 - 6:06 am: | |
June 11, 2005
Sarasota Florida Fishing Report
By Capt. Bob Smith
Mangrove snapper and barracuda have been hot this past week on the “M” reefs. We were able to limit out on the snapper using live shrimp on the bottom. The cuda are taking live fish on a free-line or by skipping fresh caught mackerel on the top. Chris Bengele from Indiana caught a nice barracuda on light tackle while fishing for snapper. Mark Zisser from Missouri with friend limited out and released plenty of snapper plus some nice mackerel.
On Wednesday, we found plenty of Spanish mackerel and bluefish on and around the (I) reefs just offshore. D.O.A. shrimp and live shrimp worked very well. We would find schools of nice fish and then schools of very small fish. We saw sharks feeding in the schools of fish and bait early in the morning, but we didn’t hook any. Now is a good time to get that First-light bite at 6:30 in the morning.
Bay fishing has been slow but workable. Redfish, Snook, Mackerel, and Seatrout are all being caught, but you need to move around and find Redtide free water.
Enjoy & Protect
My Website: http//www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 81
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 11, 2005 - 5:12 am: | |
Sarasota & Charlotte Harbor, FL Fishing Report for 5/30 through 6/11/2005
Rain, rain, go away! We’ve been plagued with rain for the last couple of weeks in southwest Florida, first with a persistent upper level low that dumped rain for 5 straight days beginning on May 31st. Most recently, the passing of Tropical Storm Arlene on Friday dumped another several inches. Rain combined with varying degrees of red tide, from Siesta Key to Venice, has made tarpon fishing tough. We’ve found them far offshore in the Sarasota/Venice area and not giving us many opportunities.
John Leverage, from Seaford, DE, and his son, J.C. Leverage from Kure Beach, NC, fished with me for 5 days this past week. We fished near Siesta and Casey Keys on Monday, where they had a couple of bites and jumped one tarpon on live crabs. The following day we headed south where we fished the rest of the week. They jumped a pair of fish on Tuesday, landing an estimated 110-pounder, both with live crabs. The rest of the week was a bust. We had lots of tarpon schools that were behaving how we hope they do, except for the not biting part. We tried a variety of live baits, DOA Baitbusters, DOA Swimming Mullet and MirrOlure Top Dogs, but had no takers.
Although tarpon are known to act like this occasionally, it is usually only temporary. They’ve got to eat sometime! With the late spring that we had this year, maybe July tarpon fishing is going to be strong this season? If weather and red tide will give us a break, hopefully they’ll bite better as we head toward the quarter phase of the moon next week.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(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: 80
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 29, 2005 - 8:30 am: | |
Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 5/22 through 5/29/2005
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had a great start early last week with tarpon and then as the wind shifted to the west, we had good action with trout, redfish and snook on the flats. When the wind finally shifted back to the east on Thursday, we found tarpon had moved out to 25 feet of water, were staying deep and moving fast. Whether it was the effects of Monday’s full moon, the wind or a hint of red tide that also showed up following the front, tarpon didn’t give us many shots and didn’t bite very well toward the end of the week.
Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, and his group consisting of 5 other anglers made their annual trek to Sarasota to tarpon fish. Keith and Bill Graham, also from Lake Forest, IL and Dave Kinnamon, from Milwaukee, WI fished with me over the course of 4 days from Monday through Thursday. Other anglers in the group, Frank Priebe, Barry Slee and Hal D’Orazio, all from Lake Forest, IL, fished on 2 other guide boats to round out the group.
Monday was hot! Keith and Bill landed 3 fish from 70 to 100-pounds with live crabs on spinning tackle while fishing the coastal gulf waters off Sarasota with me. The rest of the group did equally well. The totals for Monday were 7 fish landed out of 11 jumped including one jumped on a fly. A late season front pushed through on Monday night and the wind shifted to the west at about 15 mph wrecking our tarpon fishing for the next 2 days.
Bill Graham, from Lake Forest, IL, with one of a pair of tarpon he caught and released while fishing the coastal gulf waters off Sarasota with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Not to worry, although everyone was dreaming of giant tarpon, there were plenty of other fish to be caught. Over the course of the next 2 days the group caught snook, redfish, trout, bluefish and ladyfish on lures and flies. Anglers fishing with me caught snook to 26” and trout on flies before daylight and then shifted to the flats where they caught trout to 2-pounds, redfish to 5-pounds and a 4-pound bluefish on CAL jigs with a variety of plastic tails and DOA Deadly Combos. Other anglers in the group did equally well catching snook, reds and trout while fishing docks and the flats.
My friend, Russell Johnson and his sons, Kyle and Patrick, all from Clovis, NM, joined me to tarpon fish on Friday and Saturday. Conditions improved in the gulf, but tarpon were not cooperating. Although they have done well with me in past years, it wasn’t in the cards this time. There is a low to moderate level of red tide present in the gulf off Manatee and Sarasota counties but I don’t think it is affecting tarpon fishing. Baitfish are plentiful and the fish are there, but just not biting very well. They have been exhibiting the type of behavior that they sometimes do following a full or new moon, which is moving fast and not staying up very well. In addition they have moved out to deep water, which makes fishing for them more difficult.
Next week’s weather forecast is good, so tarpon should return to their normal patterns. I look for fishing to improve as we head into the week and away from the full moon. Hopefully we’ll have some east winds to push the red tide away from our coast.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 79
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 22, 2005 - 9:43 am: | |
Sarasota & Charlotte Harbor, FL Fishing Report for 5/9 through 5/22/2005
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past couple of weeks with trout and reds on the flats and tarpon in the coastal gulf waters. We scored on trout, reds and snook in skinny water with flies, CAL jigs, MirrOlure She Dogs and DOA Deadly Combos. Tarpon were slow to start due to cool water in the gulf but have shown up strong within the last week. Tarpon anglers connected with tarpon on flies and live crabs. Several cobia and tripletail were also encountered and gave anglers shots with flies and DOA Deadly combos.
Roger and Joanna Williams, from Bradenton, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, May 9th. We spent a couple of hours in the coastal gulf waters hunting tarpon and Roger got a shot at a school with a fly, but they didn’t bite. They only showed briefly and we couldn’t locate them again, so we came back into the bay to fish the flats. Roger caught and released several trout, ladyfish and a bluefish near Big Pass and Bishop Point on Clouser flies. He also had a couple of shots at reds in skinny water, but they didn’t bite either.
Mike Carducci, from Putnam Valley, NY, fished Sarasota Bay the next day with me. We had the same game plan to hunt tarpon early and then fish the bay. We saw one school of tarpon briefly and never got a shot at them. The bay was slow at first, but we got on a good trout bite near Buttonwood Harbor around noon. Mike caught and released more than 15 trout to 21” on MirrOlure She Dogs and DOA Deadly Combos. About ½ of the fish were 18” or larger.
John Leutner, from Herndon, VBA, fished the Terra Ceia Bay area with me on Wednesday, May 11th. We focused on reds and snook in skinny water and it was a slow day, however John did catch and release a pair of reds to 28” on CAL jigs with shad tails. The following day, I fished Sarasota Bay with Dave Lincul and Rick Fletcher, both from NJ. We hunted for tarpon in the coastal gulf early and didn’t see anything, but the bay fishing was good. They caught and released numerous trout to 21”, bluefish, ladyfish, a Spanish mackerel and a redfish on CAL jigs with a variety of plastic tails, DOA Deadly Combos and MirrOlure She Dogs. The fastest action was at the Middleground flat and near Buttonwood Harbor.
John Leutner, from Herndon, VA, caught and released this oversized red on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing Tampa Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Dave Lincul and Rick Fletcher, both from NJ, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. The action was slow to start we finished the day with numerous trout, ladyfish, and a redfish. The best action was in the middle of the day on a flood tide with DOA Deadly Combos and MirrOlure She Dogs near Buttonwood Harbor. Many of the trout were in the 18” to 20” class.
Pat Bennett, from the Ft. Lauderdale, FL area and Cathy Allchin, from MI, fished with me last Saturday and Sunday. Our goal was tarpon, but it just wasn’t going on yet. We fished the coastal gulf waters off Gasparilla and Cayo Costa Islands on Saturday, May 14th, with hopes of finding more fish than I had been seeing in the Sarasota area, but only saw one school of tarpon.
On Sunday, we fished off Sarasota and had a beautiful school of tarpon pop up first thing. Pat and Cathy each jumped one with a live crab and then the action abruptly stopped. We moved to the bay just to bend a rod with trout, reds or snook. They had plenty of action with mostly small trout on CAL jigs, DOA Deadly Combos, MirrOlure She Dogs and flies. They also caught a nice snook. The best action was near Buttonwood Harbor.
Tarpon action picked up this past week as numbers of schools increased. Sarasota Herald-Tribune Outdoor Editor, Steve Gibson and I traveled to Pine Island on Monday to fish with John Kumiski. Tarpon reports were good in that area, but we saw almost nothing from Blind Pass to Boca Grande Pass. We did get some shots at tripletail and connected with a pair of them on flies. Aledia Tush, from Sarasota, FL and her son, Mason, tarpon fished with me on Tuesday. We saw several schools of tarpon and Mason jumped about a 90-pounder with a live crab. We also spotted a cobia swimming on a sandbar as we headed in and hooked it with a DOA Deadly Combo.
Fly anglers fished with me Wednesday through Friday and although we got some shots with a fly on all days, Thursday was the day that they we were successful. We jumped a pair of tarpon on flies, landing a 90-pounder on a black and rust fly and jumped a big female estimated at 130-pounds on a chartreuse fly. We also had another bite on the chartreuse fly. On Saturday we saw very few tarpon until almost noon, when we had a few fish moving north. We got one bite on a crab, but didn’t hook up.
Early season tarpon fishing can be inconsistent. The water temperature has been unseasonably cool and is just now approaching 80 degrees, a key temperature for successful tarpon fishing. As we head away from the full moon this week and the water continues to warm, I expect tarpon fishing to really turn on.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
bobsmith (Unregistered Guest)
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Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 22, 2005 - 8:32 am: | |
May 21, 2005
Sarasota Florida Fishing Report
By Capt. Bob Smith
King mackerel are still hot on the artificial “M” reefs. King, Spanish, and barracuda have been plentiful using live bait. We have also been able to find plenty of sardines around New Pass and on the reefs. In the same area, a few nice grouper and snapper have been caught on the bottom with live shrimp and pilchards.
The bay has also been producing although the runs have been cold and hot throughout the day. Large trout, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and some pompano are being caught on the grass flats but you need to move around. The DOA shrimp and large live shrimp have both worked well. You can find small snapper, black seabass and small grouper around most of the under water structures. Snook and redfish will be getting thick around the docks and boats. You can net plenty of whitebait at first-light just south of the New Pass sailboats, halfway between the sailboats and Bird Key Park.
Tarpon have started to chew and are being jumped but it could be better. Live crabs are good bait and can be found at most of the bait shops.
Enjoy & Protect
My Website: http//www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com |
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 78
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 08, 2005 - 10:32 am: | |
Sarasota, FL & South Andros, Bahamas Fishing Report for 4/25 through 5/9/2005
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action with bluefish, trout and ladyfish on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay during the last week of April. Sarasota Herald-Tribune outdoor editor, Steve Gibson, and “Guide To Fishing” TV host, Capt. Mel Berman, joined me for a trip in Sarasota Bay on Monday, April 25th. We had fast action with bluefish at the Middleground flat and trout near Buttonwood Harbor on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos.
The following day, Pat Campbell from Toronto, OH, and Aledia Tush, from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on a windy day. We fished the Middleground flat and deep grass flats near Big Pass where they caught numerous bluefish and trout to 22” on CAL jigs with shad tails.
Later in the week, John Wolfstaetter from New York City, and Norm Worthington, from Siesta Key, FL, fly fished the shallow flats of north Sarasota Bay with me on two separate trips. Although we had many opportunities to sight cast to reds in shallow water with a fly, we weren’t able to catch any. John had a couple of strikes on Clousers and my Flats Minnow fly near Buttonwood Harbor, but didn’t hook either fish. We did catch a few trout, bluefish and ladyfish on Clouser flies fished on an intermediate fly line, just to bend the rod with something.
On Saturday morning, April 30th, Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, FL, Ed Chiles, from Anna Maria Island, FL, Jim Knowles, from Bradenton, FL, Bill King, from Osprey, FL, Pat Campbell, from Toronto, OH and I traveled to Bonefish Bay Club at South Andros Island, Bahamas for a week of fly fishing for bonefish.
We had a great week catching numerous bonefish, which averaged 2 to 3-pounds. Jim and Ed had a particularly good day fishing the west side of the island one day when Ed caught and released a 9-pound bonefish. Some anglers caught as many as 7 or 8 bonefish per day with 3 or 4 fish per person being about average. I caught and released 5 one day and 3 or 4 on several other days. A #4 Gotcha was, by far, the most popular fly. A couple of cudas were also caught or hooked during the week on fly and spinning tackle.
Pat Campbell, from Toronto, OH, caught and released this bonefish on a Gotcha fly while fishing South Andros with Bonefish Bay Club guide, Norman.
We had a great time swapping stories at the end of the day over a cold Kalik while we dined on fresh Bahamian seafood. We were treated to snapper, grouper, lobster and conch prepared several different ways. Even more interesting than our own stories, were some of the stories our guides told during the week.
Several other anglers at the lodge, mostly from the Lakeland and Orlando, FL area also had good action during the week. A couple of them caught more than 20 fish per angler on a couple of days.
If you are looking for a quality bonefishing experience with good numbers of fish and the chance to catch a double digit bonefish, I recommend that you check out Bonefish Bay Club. Their location on South Andros gives them easy access to the south and west coasts of Andros Island where the fishing pressure is lighter than other areas of the island. They can be reached at www.bonefishbayclub.com or 1-800-766-9137.
Next week’s tides are favorable for reds, snook and trout on the flats, particularly early in the week. Tarpon should become plentiful any day now. The water temperature is still a little on the cool side, but with a few warm days it will warm quickly.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(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: 77
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 24, 2005 - 11:51 am: | |
Sarasota and Venice, FL Fishing Report for 4/17 through 4/24/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past week. The best action was on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay where fly and spin anglers had fast action with bluefish and ladyfish. Trout, reds, Spanish mackerel and pompano rounded out the catch.
Judy Bronstein and Beryl Chaby, both from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday morning. The action was not fast, but was steady, with ladyfish and trout. We fished deep grass flats inside Big Pass and near New Pass with CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos.
Fly angler, Carl Borromeo from Needham, MA, fished a couple of trips with me last week. We fished Sarasota Bay on Tuesday morning, where he caught and released numerous bluefish to 2-pounds, large ladyfish, trout to 17”, a nice Spanish mackerel and a pompano on Clouser flies. The best action was at the Middleground flat. Carl also had several sight-fishing opportunities at reds cruising a sandbar.
The following evening Carl fished Blackburn Bay with me for trout and snook. We drifted deep grass flats near Blackburn Point before dark, where he caught and released several ladyfish and trout on Clouser flies. After dark we switched flies to my Grass Minnow fly and fished lighted docks where Carl caught and released several snook and ladyfish.
Mark Hannah, from Old Forge, NY, his 10-year old daughter, Jessica and 11-year old son, Ben, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday morning. Jessica and Ben are fly fishers and they both caught and released trout and ladyfish on Clouser flies. Ben also caught several bluefish. They switched to spinning tackle toward the end of the trip and continued to catch ladyfish, bluefish and trout on CAL jigs with shad tails. The best action was at the Middleground flat.
11-year old fly fisher, Ben Hannah from Old Forge, NY, caught and released this nice bluefish on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly while fishing the Middleground flat in Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Fly fishers, John Kirk from ME, and Brian Harrington, from CO, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday afternoon. We were scheduled to fish an afternoon/evening snook trip, but since the action has been slower than normal at night we opted to fish the flats on a day trip. They had a fast action with bluefish, ladyfish and trout. A nice Spanish mackerel and a pompano, all caught with Ultra Hair Clouser flies at the Middleground flat, rounded out the catch.
Friday was spent preparing for our 10th annual CCA Photo All-Release Challenge Fishing Tournament. We had our most successful tournament ever with 150 anglers competing. Keith Pratt, from Bradenton, FL, won the top prize in the angler division of the tournament, the Grand Slam, for the 2nd year in a row. The Fly Fishing Division champion, also for the 2nd year in a row was Frank Lanzisera, from Bradenton, FL. My wife, Karen Grassett, won the ladies division for redfish. Complete tournament results will be available in the near future on www.fishorshutup.com.
Next week’s tides are favorable for reds, snook and trout on the flats. Afternoon and evening tides are also favorable for snook on the flats and around lighted docks and bridge fenders.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com |
Bob Smith (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 14, 2005 - 3:33 am: | |
April 13, 2005
Sarasota Florida Fishing Report
By Capt. Bob Smith
This past week it was Kings on the right! As you head out into the gulf via New Pass, turn right at the last green marker and start fishing. King mackerel have been plentiful and twenty pounds a common size. Live herring has been the best bait and easily caught in the same area using Sabiki or any gold hook bait rigs.
The best method has been to free-line live herring while drifting and slow troll it back to your starting point up wind. Use a short light wire leader and a 4/0 or 5/0 hook. Number 3 or 5 coffee mono leader no more six inches long and black swivel is all you need. Some anglers do add a stinger hook for more hook-ups.
I like to make plenty of leaders up before hand. To save time and possibly fingers, I like to leave the leader with a hot fish and retie a new leader on the line. You can retrieve the good un-kinked leaders later when the fish is dead. It is very important to have a straight leader.
Plenty of twelve to twenty pound test line is a good match for the kings. Kings like to make about three long runs when using a fee-line with live bait. We found Spanish mackerel, an occasional shark and sometimes a grouper in with the kings. It is also a good time to keep an eye open for cobia.
The fishing along the beach was good enough on some days to bring the bigger charter boats back in from offshore.
Bay action has been fast and with a good variety of fish. Keeper fish for the table has been harder to find although some good catches have been made. Trout, reds, snook, mackerel, ladyfish, jacks and flounder are just some of the species being caught 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: 76
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 09, 2005 - 6:35 am: | |
Sarasota & Terra Ceia Bay, FL Fishing Report for 4/3 through 4/9/2005
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past week with snook, trout and ladyfish with most fish caught on flies. Fly anglers also scored on Spanish mackerel and redfish. The best action was on deep grass flats with trout to 3-pound caught on Clouser flies fished on intermediate and intermediate sink-tip fly lines.
Bruce Maguire, from East Lansing, MI, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. He caught and released trout, ladyfish and a nice Spanish mackerel on Unique Hair Clouser flies on the deep grass flats near the Ringling Mansion and near Long Bar. We spent some time casting to reds in skinny water on the west side of the bay but didn’t get them to bite. We found them to be extremely spooky in the crystal clear water.
Mike Perez, from Richmond, IN, fished a couple of days with me. We fished Sarasota Bay on Tuesday where he did well with trout to 3-pounds on Clouser flies. Mike also connected with a red with the long stick while casting to potholes. Mike’s daughter, Kelsey, joined her Dad during the afternoon along with her friend, Alisha McPherson, for some more trout action with CAL jigs.
Mike Perez, from Richmond, IN, caught and released this nice trout on a Clouser fly while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Paulino Gutierrez, from Sarasota, FL, joined me for a Sarasota Bay trip on Wednesday morning. Paulino recently participated in one of CB’s Saltwater Outfitter’s Fly fishing Schools with me as the instructor and has been honing his casting skills since then. We fished deep grass flats at the Radio Tower, Middleground and Stephen’s Point where he caught and released ladyfish and trout on Unique Hair Clouser flies.
That afternoon, Jim Stawniak from Atlanta, GA, fished skinny water with me in Sarasota Bay in search of his first redfish on a fly. Jim has fly fishing experience on western rivers and some saltwater experience, but was still trying to conquer a redfish with a fly. We spent our time probing potholes and the edges of sandbars as I showed Jim the proper techniques for fishing skinny water with a fly. It all paid off as Jim spotted and cast to a red in a pothole with a chartreuse Clouser and caught his first redfish with a fly!
Pat Campbell, from Toronto, OH, joined Mike Perez on Thursday for a trip with me in the Terra Ceia Bay area. A strong front was approaching which caused winds to whip into the 25 mph range with stronger gusts. I chose to fish where we did since it offered some protection from the wind. It was a tough day of fishing, but I had tough anglers on board. Mike and Pat caught and released 5 snook, a red and several trout and ladyfish on flies and jigs. Most fish were caught with flies on a day when most anglers wouldn’t have left the dock fishing with any type of tackle!
Charlie Alexander, from Osprey, FL, and his friend, Linda, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. Since the faster action and most variety had been on deep grass flats, we chose to focus our efforts there. Charlie and Linda caught more than 20 trout to 18”, including 3 slot-size fish, on rootbeer DOA shrimp, DOA Deadly combos and Clouser flies. A productive day!
Next week’s tides are favorable for reds, snook and trout in skinny water and snook at night around lighted docks and bridge fenders. With the water temperature in the mid 70’s flats fishing will continue to improve during April. Anglers should also keep their eyes peeled for cobia cruising deep grass flats or sand bars and Spanish mackerel in the coastal gulf waters, passes and deep grass flats close to passes.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(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: 75
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 03, 2005 - 12:48 pm: | |
Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 3/27 through 4/2/2005
Fly and spin anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action with trout to 4-pounds, with many fish in the slot, in Sarasota Bay during the past week. Snook, reds, flounder and Spanish mackerel rounded out the catch.
Sarasota Herald-Tribune Outdoor Editor, Steve Gibson, joined me for a Sarasota Bay trip on Monday. As has been the case the last several times we fished, the weather was not in our favor. With a northwest wind at 15 to 25-mph, there weren’t many places to fish. Because we had a very high tide, wading was not a good option, so we chose to stay in the boat and fish docks and protected flats around Lido Key and Siesta Key with spinning tackle. Steve caught and released a 28” redfish, several trout from 18” to 22” and a pair of jacks. Both jacks were caught at the same time on a Rapala suspending plug, as were the other fish.
Fly fisher, Bill Crelin from Waukesh, WI, and his dad, Bill Crelin from Venice, FL, snook fished with me near Venice on Tuesday evening. The bite was good and they caught and released more than 20 snook to 26” and a 24” redfish on Grassett’s Grass Minnow and Skitterbug flies. The redfish and some of the snook were caught with live shrimp.
Several other trips during the week with fly and spinning tackle produced numerous trout to 4-pounds, ladyfish and scattered Spanish mackerel and flounder. Fly anglers, Josh and Heather Kochin, from Vineyard Haven, MA caught ladyfish and trout to 20” near the Ringling Mansion and Buttonwood Harbor with me on Wednesday. The largest trout, a 20” fish, was sight fished out of a pothole with a Grassett’s Flats Minnow fly.
Josh Kochin, from Vineyard Haven, MA, sight-fished this nice trout in a pothole with a Grassett's Flats Minnow fly while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Sarasota winter residents, Harry Beaty and Tom Schalk, had a great day on Thursday. They caught more than 25 trout, including a 23”, 4-pound trout, which was released. We fished near the Ringling Mansion on the east side of Sarasota Bay and near Buttonwood Harbor on the west side.
Fly fisher, Perry Greene from Bloomfield Hills, MI, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday along with his 3 sons from 9 to 18-years old. Capt. Ed Hurst and I teamed up to fish the group. They had more than 2-hours of non-stop action with breaking fish near the Ringling mansion first thing in the morning. The action included mostly trout and ladyfish, but Spanish mackerel and bluefish also joined the frenzy. We fished Ultra Hair Clousers on intermediate fly lines.
Andrew Stiles, from Richmond, VA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on a “redfish mission” on Friday afternoon. With a very high tide, not much visibility and windy conditions, our only option was to fish the mangroves. Andrew dropped a Clouser fly into pockets and in shadow lines along mangrove shorelines to try to get a hungry red to chase his fly out from under the bushes. He connected with a red and a jack and had another red chase his fly. Not bad given the conditions we had to work with.
Springtime action is getting ready to bust loose. With the water temperature finally reaching the low 70’s, Spanish mackerel and cobia should show up in good numbers very soon. Next week’s low tides in the morning are favorable for reds, trout and snook on the flats as we head toward a new moon next Friday.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Bob Smith (Unregistered Guest)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 03, 2005 - 6:29 am: | |
April 2, 2005
Sarasota Florida Fishing Report
By Capt. Bob Smith
The magic numbers are here! As the Gulf’s temperature rises to over seventy degrees, the fishing is starting to percolate. King mackerel are starting to be caught in thirty to seventy feet of water by trolling or live bait. They are not in thick schools yet, but are being caught frequently. Large schools of blacktip sharks seemed to be everywhere on Thursday. Spanish mackerel have been hot along the beaches and the artificial (I) reefs in twenty to thirty feet of water. The Spanish mackerel have also been spotty on the bay. Large schools of baitfish started moving into the bay and the action started to pick up on Friday.
Also on Friday, some boats found large grouper and snapper chewing very good in eighty feet of water. They also stopped at the “M” reefs on the way out for some kings. Take plenty of live pinfish and shrimp and don’t forget the Sabiki rigs.
Cobias are also in the mix along the beaches but they are just starting. Sheepshead, grouper, snapper, flounder and sharks are some of the others hanging out around the (I) reefs in 20 to 30 feet of water.
We had plenty of light tackle action on the bay. Most of the action has been ladyfish but some anglers have been able to limit out on 18” plus trout. Pompano, mackerel, redfish, snook, snapper, sheepshead, bluefish and even a few keeper size grouper have been part of the mix.
It all sounds good but it is no free lunch, you still need to work at it to get the keeper fish. DOA shrimp and live shrimp have been working will for me.
The high winds have been a problem but the Red tide seems to be gone, for now.
Enjoy & Protect
My Website: http//www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 27, 2005 - 5:52 am: | |
Sarasota & Venice, FL Fishing Report for 3/14 through 3/27/2005
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action with snook and trout during the past couple of weeks. The best action was fly fishing for snook at night near Venice with trout and ladyfish on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay close behind.
Fly fishers, Bill and Gerrie Gramm from Bozeman, MT, fished several trips with me last week. A pair of night snook trips in the ICW near Venice yielded more than 50 snook to 25”. All fish were caught on my Grass Minnow night snook fly fished on an intermediate fly line.
Fly angler, Bill Gramm from Bozeman, MT, caught and released this nice snook, one of more than 50 caught over two evenings, on a Grassett's Grass Minnow fly while fishing the ICW near Venice, FL with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Bill and Gerrie also spent a day on the flats of Sarasota Bay in search of redfish with a fly. We fished sandbars and shallow flats on the west side of the bay to get some protection from a strong southwest wind. Gerrie connected with a red in a pothole on a Clouser but the hook pulled before she could get a good hook set. However, they did catch and release a sheepshead and a couple of trout also on Clouser flies before our day was done. It was a tough day of fishing due to the conditions, but like I always say “you don’t know until you go”.
I had several other ½ day trips in Sarasota Bay that week with spin and fly anglers. Some days were better than others but we mostly caught and released trout and ladyfish. The larger trout were between 18” and 22”. Fly anglers, Greg Baumeyer, from Chicago, IL and brothers, Sandy and Pack Lawrence from Sarasota, FL and Stevensville, MD had a couple of good trips last Sunday catching and releasing numerous trout to 20” and ladyfish.
This past week was similar to the previous week with most of the action coming from deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. A couple of the best trips were with Pat Campbell, from Toronto, OH and Gene Leverone, from Lynnfield, MA and Paulino and Jose Gutierrez, from Sarasota, FL. Pat and Gene caught numerous trout, including several in the 18” class on Clouser flies. Gene also scored with a pompano caught on a chartreuse/white Clouser. Paulino and Jose also did well on trout with the largest being a 22”, 3-pound trout caught and released with a DOA Deadly Combo.
I was the instructor for an Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school held out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters last Saturday. The students now have a solid foundation on which to build and hopefully will enjoy a lifetime of fly fishing. The next school is scheduled for April 9th. Anyone interested in participating can contact either me directly or CB’s Saltwater Outfitters to sign up. If you just need a tune up or are working on correcting a fault or improving your casting, I also offer private fly casting instruction.
Next week’s tides are favorable for fly fishing for snook at night. Flats fishing for reds and snook should improve as the water continues to warm and baitfish become more plentiful. The water temperature on the flats is now at 72 degrees, which is an ideal temperature for many species. In addition to improving flats action, Spanish mackerel and pompano should also turn on as the water continues to warm.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Post Number: 73
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 13, 2005 - 7:26 am: | |
Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 3/4 through 3/13/2005
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past week with big trout and reds in skinny water. There was faster action on deeper grass flats for mostly small trout and ladyfish, but “gator” trout moved onto shallow flats along with reds and snook toward the end of the week.
I was off the water last weekend, speaking at the Frank Sargeant Outdoor Expo in Tampa on Friday and conducting an Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Saturday. It was a good couple of days top be off the water as hundreds of redfish tournament anglers swarmed Sarasota Bay. I fished Sarasota Bay with a couple of fly anglers last Sunday and found almost no reds in shallow water where they were plentiful only a few days before. We caught and released trout and ladyfish on Clouser flies fished on intermediate fly lines on deep grass flats of north Sarasota Bay.
The following day fly angler, Herb Ramerman from Cleveland, OH, fished Sarasota Bay with me. Again we covered lots of skinny water in search of reds and found only a few. Herb caught and released several trout and ladyfish on deep grass flats with a Clouser fly fished on an intermediate fly line.
I lost Tuesday and Wednesday as a front pushed through the area and then lingered an extra day. When we hit the water on Thursday, the couple of days rest had done wonders for the shallow water fishing. Fly anglers Nick Reding and Jim Ewoldt, both from St. Louis, MO, fished north Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. Conditions were ideal for sight-fishing, with crystal clear water and sun most of the day. We waded and fished my Flats Minnow fly early and then switched to the old standby, a chartreuse Clouser, as the tide rose. Nick and Jim caught and released 4 reds and 15 or 20 trout from 18” to 23”. A great day with a fly!
Jim Ewoldt, from St. Louis, MO, waded a Sarasota Bay sand bar with Capt. Rick Grassett and caught and released this "gator" trout on a Grassett Flats Minnow fly.
Trent Robinson and his son-in-law, Paul, both from the Toronto, Canada area fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. They were more concerned with quantity rather than quality, so we fished the deep grass flats where they had plenty of action with trout to 18” and ladyfish on CAL jigs. I fished the new CAL Chug Head, which is a concave plastic head that fits over the end of their (and many other) plastic tails and turns them into top water bait. The larger trout were all caught on this combo. What a great addition this is going to be!
Gary Lasky and his friend, Tom, both from Milwaukee, WI, fished with me on Saturday. The action slowed somewhat, probably due to a high pressure that settled in on us after a reinforcing front came through on Friday. However, the big trout and reds were still in the skinny water and although they were finicky, they managed a few quality fish. Although the action wasn’t fast, they caught and released trout to 21”. They connected with the biggest trout and a red in shallow water. Again the largest trout was caught and released on a CAL Chug Head with a 5 ½” jerk worm tail combo.
Next week’s tides are favorable for night snook fishing, particularly for fly fishers. Flats action should continue to improve as the water warms and fronts become less frequent. There are still a few spots available for the Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school to be held next Saturday on Longboat Key in conjunction with CB’s Saltwater Outfitters. Federation of Fly Fishers certified casting instructors, Rusty Chinnis and I will be the instructors for the course. Cost is $150, which includes an instructional video, a textbook and the use of premium Orvis fly tackle. Contact me to sign up.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, March 03, 2005 - 6:24 pm: | |
Sarasota & Venice, FL Fishing Report for 2/20 through 3/3/2005
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past couple of weeks with snook at night in the Venice area, reds in skinny water and trout on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Anglers scored with reds to 27” on flies and CAL jigs with plastic tails. The biggest trout were also found in skinny water. Snook are making their move from creeks, rivers and canals toward the flats and are staging along sand bars.
Fly anglers Gary Bartell, from Westernville, NY and Sarasota winter resident, Sandy Lawrence, fished a night snook trip near Venice with me at the beginning of last week. Although there was a hint of red tide in the air and in isolated pockets, they caught and released more than 15 snook to 24” on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies.
The following day fly angler, Bob Mincarelli from Glastonbury, CT, fished Sarasota Bay with me. Bob is a good fly caster with experience in New England and the Florida Keys. Bob caught and released a pair of reds to 24”, a 25” snook and numerous trout to complete his flats slam with a fly. Congratulations Bob!
Fly fisher, Bob Mincarelli from Glastonbury, CT, caught and released this nice red on a Clouser fly (part of a Slam) while fishing a Sarasota Bay sand bar with Capt. Rick Grassett.
On Tuesday, Dick Reece from Dayton, OH, and his grandson Daniel Rhinehart, from Lennox, MA, fished Sarasota Bay with me. Daniel had caught his first redfish with me last year and was hoping to up the number this year. They were successful- catching 5 reds to 26” and more than 20 trout to 17” on CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms. The best action was along the east side of Sarasota Bay and near Buttonwood Harbor.
Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, and Jack Walker, from Madison, WI, fished the same areas with me the next day. The action got hotter as they connected with 6 reds to 27” and about 15 trout, including a 4-pound “gator”, caught and released on CAL jigs with shad tails.
Fly fishers Nick Reding and Bob Harness, both from St. Louis, MO, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. The action was slower, but conditions were worse with an overcast sky and wind, which made fly fishing challenging. They caught and released a small red, a flounder and about a dozen trout on Clouser flies.
A big front blew through last Sunday, dumping 5” of rain. When fly angler Steve Marsden, from Waunakee, WI, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday, I think the fish were still feeling the effects of the front. We covered a lot of water, but reds and snook refused to eat a fly. Steve caught and released several trout and ladyfish on a Clouser fly fished on an intermediate fly line near Long Bar.
Dick Reece, from Dayton, OH, and Nat Saltonstall, from Scarborough, ME, also fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. They caught and released a 26” snook, a 2-pound pompano and a few trout to 17” on CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms. We saw lots of reds and snook, but most refused to eat.
Next week’s negative low tides are favorable for reds, trout and snook on the flats. Snook are becoming plentiful on the flats and are staging along sand and oyster bars. Unless the water temperature drops drastically, their numbers should continue to increase.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Registered: 8-2003
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Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 20, 2005 - 8:12 am: | |
Sarasota & Venice, FL Fishing Report for 2/11 through 2/20/2005
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past week with reds and trout on the flats and snook at night. While the fastest action was with trout on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay, the larger fish have been in skinny water along with redfish. Fly and spin anglers scored with reds to 27” and trout to 22” in potholes and fly fishing for snook at night was steady.
Sarasota Herald-Tribune Outdoor Editor, Steve Gibson, and Yong Choe, both from Sarasota, FL, waded a shallow flat in north Sarasota Bay with me last Friday. The wind was howling out of the north at 20 mph following a front and it was cold! With the water at 58 degrees and wind chills in the 40’s, wading was really the only way to handle the wind while fly fishing. Yong had the hot stick that day, catching and releasing a pair of nice reds and a quality trout on a bendback fly.
Yong Choe, from Sarasota, FL, waded a Sarasota Bay flat with Capt. Rick Grassett and caught and released this nice trout and a pair of reds on a bendback fly.
The following evening fly fishers, Dick Reece from Dayton, OH, and Gene Leverone from Gloucester, MA, fished the ICW near Venice with me. The action was slow to start, but ended strong. Dick and Gene finished the evening with about 15 snook to 23” and a pair of bluefish on my Grass Minnow flies.
On Tuesday fellow Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers members, Erwin Edelman and Joe Polidoro, both from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on a quest for their first redfish with a fly. Although reds on a fly are probably one of the most challenging species in our area, they both succeeded in catching their first reds with a fly! In addition, Joe caught and released a nice trout. All fish were caught out of potholes near Buttonwood Harbor on Crab Clousers (olive, tan and white).
The following day, Sarasota winter residents Harry Beaty and Tom Schalk, fished the same area with me on a full day trip. Harry had been snake bitten lately with reds, but they turned it around this trip. After a slow start they finished the day with more than 30 trout to 20”, including 10 slot-size fish, and 8 reds to 27”. Most fish were caught on CAL jigs with shad tails, although some of the trout ate the DOA Deadly Combo.
Sarasota winter residents, Norm and Francie Boardman, were joined by their son, Doug from Richmond, VA, for an afternoon trip on Sarasota Bay on Thursday. We hunted reds for an hour or so and they had disappeared from the flat where they were plentiful the day before. We dropped out to deeper water where father and son scored with a number of trout to 18” on CAL jigs with shad tails and Clouser flies. That evening, fly anglers Nick Reding and Bob Harness, both from St. Louis, MO, joined me for a night snook trip. The action was slower than it was on Monday evening, but they still managed to catch and release 8 snook and a bluefish.
Fly angler, Marshall Dinerman from Atlanta, GA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday afternoon. Marshall is an old friend of Islamorada’s Sandy Moret and has fly fished in many places but a stiff northeast breeze made fishing the shallow flats tough from my Action Craft flats skiff. We dropped out to deeper water, deployed my Wave Tamer drift bag and proceeded to catch trout and ladyfish on Clouser flies fished on an intermediate fly line. The drift bag saved the day and made what would have been a frustrating trip a successful one!
Rusty Chinnis and I were the instructors at a CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Longboat Key on Saturday. All of the students did great and with some practice are well on their way to enjoying a lifetime of saltwater fly fishing. The dates for the next several schools are March 5th, 19th and April 9th. Anyone interested in participating can contact me for more info or to sign up.
Next week’s negative low tides are favorable for reds and trout on the flats. In addition, we are starting to find a few snook on the flats particularly on sunny afternoons.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Bob Smith (Unregistered Guest)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 9:44 am: | |
February 18, 2005
Sarasota Florida Fishing Report
By Capt. Bob Smith
The Red Tide has backed off some in the last few days and the fishing has picked up. The artificial “I” reefs off Lido beach in 25 to 30 feet of water are packed with large sheepshead and small schools of bluefish. You may also hook an occasional keeper size gag grouper, snapper or flounder. Large live shrimp fished on the bottom has been working well.
Longer offshore trips have been finding plenty of snapper and a mixed bag of reef fish in 50’ plus depths on natural and artificial bottom. Live shrimp is still the bait to have if you want a lot of action. I would still take some pinfish along.
We found the action on the bay very good in some spots and null in others. Fishing the grass flats at Country Club Shores and using the DOA ¼ ounce shrimp, we had trout on every cast for most of the trip. We used both the float and the free line method. Most all of the trout were under size but an occasional a keeper was caught along with some bluefish and flounder. Some nice trout and redfish were also taken north of Longbar and the Buttonwood Harbor area.
We have not had a major fish kill on the bay due to the red tide this year, but I do feel it is causing the fish to move around to avoid the bad spots. You may need to do the same to find the fish this weekend.
Enjoy & Protect
My Website: http//www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, February 10, 2005 - 6:35 pm: | |
Sarasota, Fl Fishing Report for 2/3 through 2/10/2005
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had plenty of action during the past week. Fly fishing for snook at night was one of the best options, while anglers fishing the flats had good action with trout. Reds on shallow flats also cooperated, but as always, they were tougher to catch but worth the effort.
Fly angler, Al Rudnickas from Millbury, MA, snook fished with me last Thursday evening. Without a doubt, Al has to be the most experienced angler that has fished with me. He has been fly fishing and tying flies for 75 years! We fished “snook alley” in Venice where Al caught and released 8 or 10 snook to 23” and a 26” redfish on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies.
The following day, fly fisher Gerry Davis, from Williston, VT, and Pat Campbell, from Toronto, OH, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me. The action wasn’t fast but was steady with ladyfish and trout. They caught and released numerous trout and ladyfish on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails.
We had another successful Orvis-Endorsed Fly Fishing School on Saturday at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters. Eight students received instruction on the basic fly cast, shooting line and roll casting. We focus on the basics but work with each student at their own level. Some students also received instruction in double hauling and wind casting techniques. Leader construction, fly selection and terminology were also a part of the course. The next school is scheduled for February 19th.
Longtime customers, Mike Sprague from Hillsborough, NJ and Kep Phillips, from Harrison, NJ, fished north Sarasota Bay with me on Super Bowl Sunday. We targeted reds on shallow flats and sand bars. They caught and released 3 quality reds in the 26” to 28” class on CAL jigs with shad tails and lost a couple of others.
MIke Sprague, from Hillsborough, NJ, caught and released this nice red on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing a Sarasota Bay flat with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Norm and Francie Boardman, from Sarasota, FL, who have also been fishing with me for many years, snook fished with me on Monday evening. We ran into the unexpected in the form of red tide in and around the Venice Inlet. The lighted docks in that immediate area, which are normally packed with snook, were barren. We headed north into Blackburn Bay where we found snook that were feeding. They caught and released 12 or 15 snook to 24” on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies and DOA Tiny TerrorEyz.
Kevin and Amy McCann, from Taunton, MA, fished Sarasota Bay with me the next day. Kevin is fairly new to the sport of fly fishing and wanted to try his hand at saltwater fly fishing for the first time. He did great, catching and releasing numerous trout and a ladyfish on Clouser flies fished on an intermediate fly line.
On Wednesday morning, my high school cross country coach from back in Seaford, DE, Joe Neilson and his wife, Marge, fished Sarasota Bay with me. Marge was the school nurse when I was in junior high school. It was great reminiscing about old times. They had plenty of action with trout, although all were small, and a bluefish caught on CAL jigs with shad tails. That afternoon, Keith Ashmus and Steve Millard, both from Cleveland, OH, fished the same area with me. They came straight from their flight to my boat, leaving freezing conditions and ice behind them. It was a welcome relief to them to be in their shirt sleeves and soaking up sun the same day. They had good action with trout, including two that went 20” and 21”, a pair of flounder and a redfish. Most fish were caught on CAL jigs with shad tails although Keith caught several trout and a flounder on Clouser flies, his first saltwater fish caught with a fly!
A front blew through on Thursday morning and the wind cranked up to 25 mph and gusting higher by early afternoon forcing the cancellation of my afternoon fly fishing trip. It looked as if it wasn’t going to be any fun even if we could find a place to fish.
Next week’s tides will be favorable for fly fishing for snook at night and reds and trout on the flats. Red tide has been present just offshore from St. Petersburg to Englewood for several weeks, but hasn’t caused any problems with fishing in Sarasota Bay or Charlotte Harbor. The closest it has come is right around the passes but is not affecting fishing in any of these areas.
Friday and Saturday are forecast to be cool, windy days, so it might be a good opportunity to visit Steve Gibson’s 2005 Go Fish! Fishing Extravaganza at Robarts Arena, 3000 Ringling Blvd. in Sarasota. There will be seminars on a variety of fishing topics both days, including one by me on Fly Fishing Southwest Florida at 3:30 PM on Saturday. There will also be lots of fishing and boating vendors, including CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, DOA Fishing Lures, Keith’s Marine (Action Craft dealer), Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers and Coastal Conservation Association. I’ll be there all day on Saturday, so stop by and say hello. We still have a few spots left in the Orvis-Endorsed Fly Fishing Schools on Feb. 19th, Mar. 5th, Mar. 19th and April 9th. Contact me for details or to sign up.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Post Number: 69
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, February 03, 2005 - 12:47 pm: | |
Southwest Florida Fishing Report for 1/23 through 2/3/2005
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict have had good action with reds and trout on the flats and snook at night despite a couple of fronts within the past 10 days. The fastest action has been on deep grass flats with trout, ladyfish and the occasional bluefish.
Tom Lamb, from Geneva, Switzerland, fished north Sarasota Bay with me early last week. Despite water in the mid 50’s, Tom caught a pair of reds and several trout on CAL jigs with shad tails.
Fly fishers Dan Lagace and Dennis Aust, both from Tampa, FL, fished Charlotte Harbor with me last Wednesday. Dan and Dennis, members of the Tampa Bay Fly Fishing Club, are both accomplished casters. Dan is a fly casting instructor known nationally for teaching anglers to cast with their non-dominant hand. The action was not fast, but they caught and released several trout and a redfish on a variety of flies in Gasparilla Sound.
The following day, Keith McClintock and Larry Stillman, both from Lake Forest, IL, fished the same area with me. We saw more reds and the action was faster that day. They caught and released 6 reds to 26” and about 20 trout to 19” on weedless-rigged CAL shad tails.
I was back down there again on Monday with Scott Heidler, from Hudson, OH, and Joel DeMarais, from Minneapolis, MN and the action heated up even more. We started the day in a heavy fog and Scott and Larry caught several reds and nice snook right away on CAL jigs with shad tails. We moved to a flat in Gasparilla Sound, where they caught 15 or more trout in the 18’’ class and Joel already had a slam by 10 AM. They finished the day with 7 or 8 reds to 27”, a 24” snook and more than 25 trout to18”. Nice day!
Joel DeMarais, from Minneapolis, MN, caught and released this nice snook on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing a Charlotte Harbor flat with Capt. Rick Grassett.
A trip the next morning in north Sarasota Bay was slow. Despite the water warming to the mid 60’s, we only caught a few trout, ladyfish and a bluefish.
Fly fishers, Don and Barbara Ecker from Ft. Lee, NJ, fished the ICW in Venice for snook with me that evening. The action was steady and we had a good evening. They caught and released more than 15 snook to 23” and a fat bluefish on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies.
Since north Sarasota Bay was slow on Tuesday morning, longtime friends and customers, Norm and Francie Boardman from Sarasota, FL, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday afternoon. We had plenty of action with trout in the 16’-17’ class and big ladyfish on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails.
Next week’s negative low tides in the morning are favorable for reds and trout. Fly fishing for snook at night also remains a good option.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(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: 68
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 22, 2005 - 2:43 pm: | |
Southwest Florida Fishing Report for 1/17 through 1/22/2005
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past week with snook, trout and bluefish. Reds, jacks and ladyfish rounded out the catch. The best action was fly fishing for snook and bluefish at night and trout on the flats of Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor.
My friend, Capt. Rick De Paiva from Ft. Myers, FL, joined me for an afternoon/evening trip on Monday. Yes, even fishing guides go fishing for fun. That’s why we’re in this business! We caught a few ladyfish and a trout or two on Clouser flies in Little Sarasota Bay just before dusk and then stopped by the Casey Key Fish House Restaurant for a “shore lunch” of fresh grouper sandwiches and seafood gumbo.
By the time we finished dinner, the tide was moving out good and snook were “popping” under the lights. We had non-stop catch and release action with snook and bluefish on a variety of flies for the next 3 hours. We weren’t counting, but I would guess we caught and released more than 30 fish including snook to 24” and a dozen bluefish to 3-pounds. DOA Fly Shrimp and Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies were the most productive.
The next afternoon, Steve Demarsh from Nokomis, FL, and Howard Davis, from Newton, MA, joined me for a trip in Little Sarasota Bay. They caught and released numerous ladyfish and a 19” trout on CAL jigs with shad tails. We also happened upon a big school of 4-pound jacks and caught and released several on jigs and a MirrOlure Top Dog, Jr. plug. Great action!
Sarasota winter resident, Harry Beaty, and his friend from back in Ontario, Canada, Paul Rotz, fished north Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. The water was cold at 55 degrees to start, but finally warmed to a toasty 57 degrees. Needless to say, the action was slow to start, too. They caught and released ladyfish, trout and a bluefish on CAL jigs with shad tails. Included in their catch were 3 slot-size trout from 17”- 20”. The best action was on the flats near Big Pass and Bishop’s Point.
Sarasota winter resident, Harry Beaty, caught this 20" trout on a weedless-rigged CAL shad tail while fishing a Sarasota Bay flat with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, and Dave Kinnamon, from Milwaukee, WI, fished Charlotte Harbor with me on Friday. The weather and water conditions were absolutely beautiful, although the water was still cold early in the day. They caught and released more than 20 trout to 23”, with 1/3 of the fish in the slot. They also connected with 3 reds to 24’ and a shark in skinny water. All fish were caught on weedless-rigged CAL shad tails with the best action being outside of Bull and Turtle Bays on trout and in Gasparilla Sound on the reds.
Fishing is largely dependent on weather this time of the year and we are expecting another front on Sunday. Fishing afternoons may be a better option following a front. Next week’s tides are favorable for reds and trout on the flats and snook at night.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grasset
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 67
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 16, 2005 - 6:01 am: | |
SW Florida Fishing Report for 1/9 through 1/16/2005
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released a variety of fish during the past week. Fly anglers scored with snook and a bluefish while spin anglers connected with trout and ladyfish.
Fly anglers, David Schofield from Elmira, NY, and Rob Klein, from Boca Raton, FL, snook fished in the ICW near Venice, FL on Saturday evening. There were plenty of snook around the dock lights, but they were very finicky. They caught and released 3 snook to 22” and a 3-pound bluefish on my Grass Minnow fly. Rob scored with his first fish ever, a snook, on a fly!
Longboat Key, FL residents Merrill Zinder and Irwin Pastor fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday morning. We had fast action with trout to 19” and big ladyfish on CAL jigs with grubs and shad tails. The best action was at the Marina Jack flat and near Bishop Point.
Capt. Ed Hurst and I, along with Aledia Tush, owner of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, and several other CB’s staff members traveled to Crystal River on Tuesday afternoon for the annual Orvis Southeastern Guide Rendezvous and dealer meeting. We were treated to a Cuban Pork Roast on Tuesday evening where Orvis-Endorsed guides from Florida, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama swapped fishing stories over a cold beer. We reviewed new products for the current year and received pointers on fly casting instruction and guiding techniques.
Orvis Southeastern Regional Business Manager, Robert Bryant, and the Western Director of ELOG (Endorsed Lodges, Outfitters and Guides), Tom Evanson, joined me for a fly fishing trip in Sarasota Bay on Thursday. We were faced with 15 to 20-mph winds as a front approached but their casting skills were up to the challenge. They caught and released a pair of snook to 24” on my Flats Minnow fly near Buttonwood Harbor.
Orvis Western Elog Director, Tom Evenson, caught and released this snook on a Flats Minnow fly while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Friday morning was a wash out. I awoke to a downpour and 20 mph winds as the front pushed through our area. We rescheduled our trip planned for Charlotte Harbor until Saturday morning. Tom Lamb, from Sarasota, FL, fished Charlotte Harbor with me and although it wasn’t raining, we were faced with 15 mph + north winds and an overcast sky. The wind blew the water off the flats making it difficult to get to potholes or find a protected place to fish. Despite that, Tom did very well on trout near Cape Haze, catching more than 15 trout to 23” on CAL jigs with shad tails. The catch included 6 slot size fish with the biggest trout weighing in at more than 4-pounds.
Next week’s tides will be more favorable toward the end of the week as they become lower in the morning. Night snook fishing around lighted docks and bridge fenders should also be a good option.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Bob Smith (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 16, 2005 - 1:34 am: | |
January 15, 2005
Sarasota Florida Fishing Report
By Capt. Bob Smith
It looks like this coming week will be a blowout! A few days ago, I was able to get on to some keeper gags just three miles off of Lido Key. I had not been out for a few days and the captains that had, told me that the gags had gotten hard to find.
We left the dock a little late that day but we passed the other boats by the bell buoy still catching bait for a long run offshore. We had plenty of large live shrimp on board and I had planned to fish closer in with light tackle. I went to a small two foot high ledge in about thirty feet of water that I call the grunt hole. The ledge runs about 200 feet parallel with the beach and then dog legs towards the beach at the north end. Close to the dog leg is my favorite spot.
I was glad I had my old X-16 paper recorder on board. My color sonar was in for repairs. Lowrance stopped making the X-16 paper recorder, so I baby it. My first pass over the ledge was one digit off of my GPS and the bottom was clear. I came back over on zero and saw the beautiful sharp inverted “V’s”. By their size, they tell me that we have a few large fish on the bottom with plenty of small dashes all around for the smaller grunts, etc.
I threw a marker buoy on the spot and started with a drift. The drift was slow and the water calm. I put two ¼ ounce split-shots on, just above the 3/0 hook. This was enough to take the twelve pound test lines with the live shrimp down to the bottom. You also need to lock the drags down when fishing grouper. We did not catch a keeper gag on the drift but found the fish hitting only close to the marker. I anchored the boat and fished that small spot. We soon had our first keeper gag. We spent the morning catching plenty of husky short grouper, numerous reef fish and one more keeper gag. We also lost some good ones. I checked via VHF with the boats fishing the “M” reefs further offshore and found that no keeper grouper had been caught that morning. I did see one six pound flounder come from that area. It wasn’t a great day anywhere that morning, but my group of four went home with enough grouper for one big fish fry that night.
The bay grass flats have been producing plenty of sea trout but most are small. Black seabass are one of the perks while fishing the artificial reefs in the bay. Black seabass are at the top of my menu for frying. We are also finding sheepshead, snapper, and gag grouper in the same areas. Live shrimp or DOA works for all.
Enjoy & Protect
My Website: http//www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 66
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 08, 2005 - 10:07 am: | |
SW Florida Fishing Report for 1/3 through 1/8/2005
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released a variety of fish during the past week. As is often the case at this time of the year, the best action was fly fishing for snook at night. Fly and spin anglers also scored with trout on the flats of lower Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor. We also caught a couple of reds on flies, one at night and another on the flats.
Phil Reever, from Sarasota, FL, and his friend, Eric Dobkin from Pound Ridge, NY, fly fished for snook with me near Venice on Sunday evening. The action was not fast, but was steady. They caught and released about a dozen snook and a redfish on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies.
Fly anglers, Alan and John Zablocki from Springfield, MO, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday afternoon. We spent a couple of hours targeting reds on a shallow flat on the east side of the bay before hitting a deeper grass flat where they caught and released a few trout to 19”on Clouser and Flats Minnow flies. That evening, Ferman Schlabaugh from Sarasota, FL, snook fished with me. We found the action much slower than the night before. Ferman caught and released several snook on DOA Tiny TerrorEyz near Venice.
Alan Zablocki, from Springfield, MO, caught this nice trout in Sarasota Bay while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Steve and Taylor Canfield, from Louisville, KY, fished the Terra Ceia Bay area with me on Wednesday and Thursday. Although the weather was beautiful and the water getting warmer every day, fishing wasn’t that hot. They caught and released trout to 17” on each day on CAL jigs with shad tails and weedless-rigged CAL shad tails.
Fly angler, Bill King from Osprey, FL, fished Charlotte Harbor with me on Friday. Reds were tailing on a shallow grass flat first thing in the morning, but were very spooky. Bill had a take, but didn’t hook up and then the tails disappeared. However, he did land several trout and a redfish on Clouser and Flats Minnow flies fishing potholes in Gasparilla sound later in the day.
Next week’s tides are favorable for reds and trout early in the day. Negative low tides will concentrate fish as we come off the new moon on Monday. The weather has been gorgeous and the water on the flats is near 70 degrees. Not bad for the middle of January!
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 65
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 02, 2005 - 8:47 am: | |
SW Florida Fishing Report for 12/26/2004 through 1/2/2005
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action with reds in Sarasota Bay, lower Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor during the past week. The action was slow at the beginning of the week due to extremely cold water, but picked up later in the week as the water warmed slightly.
Fly angler, Tom Pokornik from Chicago, IL, and his dad, Rich Pokornik from Venice, FL, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Monday morning. It was cold! With the air temperature in the 40’s and the water only in the mid 50’s, fishing was challenging. The only place we could find fish was in the ICW channel, where Tom and Rich caught and released large ladyfish on Clouser flies and jigs. Tom also caught and released an almost legal gag grouper on a fly in the ICW channel!
Conditions were almost the same on Tuesday morning as Denis Clohisy and his young son, Deny, both from Hudson, WI, fished with me. The water was still in the mid 50’s and we found large ladyfish schooled in the ICW channel of Roberts Bay. We had to go to a class 5 sink tip fly line to get the fly down to the bottom of the channel. Once we went to the faster sinking tip, the action picked up. Denis and Deny caught and released numerous large ladyfish on Clouser flies and jigs.
That afternoon, Keith McClintock from Lake Forest, IL, his son-in-law Rick Anderson, also from IL, and his son, Steve McClintock, from Pittsburgh, PA joined me for a trip. We headed north and fished the east side of Sarasota Bay, which offered some protection from the wind. The sun had warmed the shallows enough that reds were hungry. They had a great day catching 6 nice reds to 24” and several nice trout on weedless-rigged CAL shad tails.
Bill Beauchamp, from Bradenton, FL, and a guest fished the Terra Ceia Bay area with me on Wednesday. We found reds and trout concentrated in potholes on the negative low tide that we had in the morning. They caught 4 or 5 reds to 24” and more than 40 trout to 18” on weedless-rigged CAL shad tails. Although it warmed up nicely in the afternoon, the action was slow later in the day.
Keith McClintock and Barry Slee, also from Lake Forest, IL, fished Charlotte Harbor with me on Thursday. They had a banner day fishing shallow grass flats, sand bars and potholes in Gasparilla Sound. They caught and released a dozen big reds to 26”, 10 trout to 22” and a snook on weedless-rigged CAL jigs. Keith and Barry fish Charlotte Harbor with me often in the winter and this is one of their best trips ever with reds!
Barry Slee, from Lake Forest, IL, caught and released this nice trout on a weedless-rigged CAL shad tail while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
The action came to a screeching halt on Friday. The forecast was partly cloudy, 78 degrees with east winds at 5 to 10 mph by afternoon. Wrong! It was overcast, windy, and rained several times during the day. Fly anglers, Phil Rever from Sarasota, FL, and Eric Dobkin, from New York City, fished with me and it was tough. We didn’t catch the reds we hoped we would, but did catch and release several trout on crab colored (olive, tan and white) Clousers.
Next week’s tides are favorable for flats fishing, particularly toward the end of the week as we get back into negative low tides. Catch and release fly fishing for snook at night should also be a good option as long the water temperature remains at 60 degrees or higher.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(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: 64
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 02, 2005 - 8:46 am: | |
SW Florida Fishing Report for 12/26/2004 through 1/2/2005
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action with reds in Sarasota Bay, lower Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor during the past week. The action was slow at the beginning of the week due to extremely cold water, but picked up later in the week as the water warmed slightly.
Fly angler, Tom Pokornik from Chicago, IL, and his dad, Rich Pokornik from Venice, FL, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Monday morning. It was cold! With the air temperature in the 40’s and the water only in the mid 50’s, fishing was challenging. The only place we could find fish was in the ICW channel, where Tom and Rich caught and released large ladyfish on Clouser flies and jigs. Tom also caught and released an almost legal gag grouper on a fly in the ICW channel!
Conditions were almost the same on Tuesday morning as Denis Clohisy and his young son, Deny, both from Hudson, WI, fished with me. The water was still in the mid 50’s and we found large ladyfish schooled in the ICW channel of Roberts Bay. We had to go to a class 5 sink tip fly line to get the fly down to the bottom of the channel. Once we went to the faster sinking tip, the action picked up. Denis and Deny caught and released numerous large ladyfish on Clouser flies and jigs.
That afternoon, Keith McClintock from Lake Forest, IL, his son-in-law Rick Anderson, also from IL, and his son, Steve McClintock, from Pittsburgh, PA joined me for a trip. We headed north and fished the east side of Sarasota Bay, which offered some protection from the wind. The sun had warmed the shallows enough that reds were hungry. They had a great day catching 6 nice reds to 24” and several nice trout on weedless-rigged CAL shad tails.
Bill Beauchamp, from Bradenton, FL, and a guest fished the Terra Ceia Bay area with me on Wednesday. We found reds and trout concentrated in potholes on the negative low tide that we had in the morning. They caught 4 or 5 reds to 24” and more than 40 trout to 18” on weedless-rigged CAL shad tails. Although it warmed up nicely in the afternoon, the action was slow later in the day.
Keith McClintock and Barry Slee, also from Lake Forest, IL, fished Charlotte Harbor with me on Thursday. They had a banner day fishing shallow grass flats, sand bars and potholes in Gasparilla Sound. They caught and released a dozen big reds to 26”, 10 trout to 22” and a snook on weedless-rigged CAL jigs. Keith and Barry fish Charlotte Harbor with me often in the winter and this is one of their best trips ever with reds!
Barry Slee, from Lake Forest, IL, caught and released this nice trout on a weedless-rigged CAL shad tail while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
The action came to a screeching halt on Friday. The forecast was partly cloudy, 78 degrees with east winds at 5 to 10 mph by afternoon. Wrong! It was overcast, windy, and rained several times during the day. Fly anglers, Phil Rever from Sarasota, FL, and Eric Dobkin, from New York City, fished with me and it was tough. We didn’t catch the reds we hoped we would, but did catch and release several trout on crab colored (olive, tan and white) Clousers.
Next week’s tides are favorable for flats fishing, particularly toward the end of the week as we get back into negative low tides. Catch and release fly fishing for snook at night should also be a good option as long the water temperature remains at 60 degrees or higher.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(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: 63
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, December 26, 2004 - 11:59 am: | |
Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 12/19 through 12/26/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released snook, trout, ladyfish and bluefish during the past week. The best action was fly fishing for snook at night. Deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay produced mostly large ladyfish with scattered bluefish and trout. Conditions were challenging most of the week with water temperatures hovering around 60 degrees and breezy towards the end of the week.
Tom Lamb and Lee Williams, both from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. Danny and Carey Broughton, from the UK, fished with me on Wednesday and fly anglers, Bill Hitchcock from Sarasota, FL, and Bill DeHaven, from Sewickley, PA, fished the same area with me on Friday. The best action was on the deep grass flats just inside of Big Pass, where they caught and released large ladyfish and several bluefish and trout.
Brian and Joann Shenstone, from Gross Point Woods, MI, snook fished with me on Tuesday evening. We fished “snook alley” in the ICW near Venice, FL. They had great action catching and releasing more than 25 snook to 25” on an epoxy shrimp fly and DOA Tiny TerrorEyz.
Brian Shenstone, from Gross Point Woods, MI, caught and released this 25" snook on a shrimp fly pattern while on a night trip with Capt. Rick Grassett. The snook was one of 25 caught and released on the trip by Brian and his wife, Joann Shenstone.
The following evening fly anglers, Keith McClintock from Lake Forest, IL, and his son-in-law, Rick Anderson, also from IL, fished the same area with me. The tide slowed about the middle of our trip and the action slowed, too. Despite the fact that the last ½ of the trip didn’t produce many fish, they still caught and released about 15 snook to 23” on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies.
Next week’s negative low tides should concentrate reds and trout in potholes and along drop-offs. In addition, there should be some tailing activity with reds on the flats of Charlotte Harbor.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 62
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 18, 2004 - 10:14 am: | |
Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 12/12 through 12/18/2004
A strong front pushed through our area on Monday evening forcing the postponement of Tuesday’s flats and night snook trips. Strong winds and lows in the low 40’s dropped water temperatures from 70 degrees to the high 50’s, so fishing shut down for a couple of days. By the end of the week, temperatures moderated to a normal range of lows in the 50’s and a high around 70 degrees.
I got out for the only trip of the week on Friday in Sarasota Bay with Erich Zeh, from Sarasota, FL. With the water temperature at 57 degrees, we found the action slow to start. We caught and released a couple of ladyfish and trout on deep grass flats near the passes and a flounder in Big Pass, all on Cotee Jigs with grubs.
With a -.2 tide at noon, we headed for the east side of the bay where we found reds along the drop-off of a sandbar. Erich landed 3 reds and a trout on a CAL jig with a shad tail. The sun that was forecast never materialized, so the water temperature struggled to make 59 degrees.
Erich Zeh, from Sarasota FL, caught and released this red on a weedless-rigged CAL shad tail while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Another front is forecast for our area late Sunday, so fishing will continue to be challenging for a couple of days beyond that. We have quickly moved into a winter fishing pattern, however if you are able to choose when to fish you can still be successful. Immediately following a front fishing may be better in the afternoon as the sun warms the shallow flats. Negative low tides will concentrate reds and trout in potholes, which are still in their comfort zone in 60-degree water. It is the drastic changes in water temperature that cause fish to become inactive until they acclimate to the lower temperature. Next week’s tides will improve toward the end of the week as we head toward a full moon next weekend.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 61
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 11, 2004 - 8:12 am: | |
Sarasota & Charlotte Harbor, FL Fishing Report for 12/5 through 12/11/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past week on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay with bluefish and catch and release trout. The shallow grass flats of Charlotte Harbor also provided lots of catch and release action with reds and trout later in the week.
Last Sunday, I fished with my friends Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, FL, and Capt. Bryon Chamberlin, from Tampa, FL, in upper Tampa Bay. Cobia on a fly was our target and although we had a couple of shots, we didn’t connect. Conditions were ideal but the fish just didn’t think so. We ran into a bonus in the form of a school of large crevalle jacks in the 10-pound class on our way in and we each got to bend a fly rod with the big bruisers. We connected with the jacks on Clousers and poppers. The school of a couple hundred fish was fining on the surface with their sickle tails sticking out of the water. What a sight!
Les and Kim Beery and their friend, outdoor writer Paul Downing, all from Estes Park, CO, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. They had steady action with trout to 18”, ladyfish, bluefish and a Spanish mackerel on jigs and DOA Deadly Combos at the Middleground flat. They also caught and released a redfish and a couple of flounder near Long Bar. Kim caught several ladyfish with a fly before the day was done-her first saltwater fish on the long rod!
970 WFLA radio and “Your Guide to Fishing” TV host, Capt. Mel Berman, joined me for a Sarasota Bay trip on Tuesday to film a segment of his popular TV show. We had fast catch and release action with bluefish and trout at the Middleground flat and near Bishop Point on Clouser flies and jigs. We also caught and released a nice red on a CAL jig with a shad tail on the east side of the bay.
I spent the rest of the week fishing Gasparilla Sound and Bull and Turtle Bays in Charlotte Harbor. Larry Ford, from Longboat Key, FL and his friend, Pete Molinari from Sarasota, FL, piloted Larry’s 40’ cabin cruiser, the “Silver Whisper”, from Longboat Key to Uncle Henry’s Marina on Gasparilla Island, which became our home away from home from Wednesday through Friday.
We fished the backcountry out of my Action Craft flats skiff where Larry and Pete caught and released a total of 9 reds to 23” and numerous trout to 18” on CAL jigs with shad tails and Clouser and Flats Minnow flies. We found reds scattered on shallow flats and nice trout in potholes. We also had shots at several reds that were tailing and cruising on shallow grass flats. The best day for reds was on Thursday when they caught and released 5 reds, including one on a fly. Friday was hot for trout with Larry and Pete catching and releasing about 25 trout to 18” on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails.
Larry Ford, from Longboat Key, FL, and Pete Molinari, from Sarasota, FL, fished Charlotte Harbor with Capt. Rick Grassett where Pete caught and released this nice red on a CAL jig with a shad tail.
Next week’s tides should be good for reds in potholes on the negative low tides that we’ll have. In addition, night snook fishing should be good on the strong incoming tides early in the week.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Bob Smith (Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, December 05, 2004 - 3:34 am: | |
December 4, 2004
Sarasota Florida Fishing Report
By Capt. Bob Smith
Grouper on the bay! Yes, this is the time of year that small boaters have a chance to limit out on keeper size gag grouper and the occasional black grouper. They are hard to tell apart but are equal in table fair and have to be a minimum size of 22”. You are allowed five grouper total per day. Harts Reef has been one hot spot, but they can be found on any structure, deep channel, docks, or artificial reef around the bay. I need to note that I could not get any to bite yesterday but this was probably due to the weather.
A popular method of fishing for them is trolling large deep diving plugs slowly. I prefer live, fresh caught, medium size pinfish or grunts. I like to cast free-line baitfish to the structure because if he sees the grouper he won’t swim to it. When the grouper are at their best, the pinfish will dance on the surface and as soon he sinks you will have a fish on. You should not anchor over a structure like you would offshore because the water is too shallow on the bay and you will spook the larger fish. Use no less then twenty pound test line and forty to sixty pound mono leader. Lock the drag down! You can’t let grouper take any line or they will put into the rocks or cut you off.
The other hot fish on the bay has been pompano. Pompano are being caught consistently in the afternoon on the Middle Ground grass flats with some good runs in Big Pass during the morning. Tipped pompano jigs, small live shrimp, DOA shrimp, and on fly have all been working well.
The fish are here but the weather will turn them on and off. You do have hope and that is all we can ask for when we go fishing.
Enjoy & Protect
My Website: http//www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 60
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 04, 2004 - 9:45 am: | |
Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 11/28 through 12/4/2004
Fly anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released snook, redfish, trout, bluefish and ladyfish during the past week. Anglers using spinning tackle had a great day with bluefish and pompano later in the week. Although negative low tides concentrated reds and snook in clear water they were tough to catch, particularly with flies. The fastest action was on the deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay.
Fly angler Phil Berenger, from Avon Lake, OH, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. Phil caught and released several trout to 18”, ladyfish and a bluefish on Clouser flies near Stephens Point and Whale Key.
I spent a couple of days scouting from north Sarasota Bay to lower Tampa Bay. I covered a lot of water and found some reds and snook, but didn’t get a lot of them to bite. I scored a nice red on my Flats Minnow fly on Monday. I fished with Rusty Chinnis on Wednesday and he caught and released a nice snook on a bendback fly. All of our efforts were directed towards either poling or wading shallow flats and sight fishing for reds and snook.
Mark Huber, from Longboat Key, FL and his son, Mark, who is shipping out this weekend for Navy Seal training, joined me for a trip in Sarasota Bay on Thursday. The action was fast all morning at the Middleground flat as they caught a dozen bluefish to 3-pounds, 6 pompano to 2 ½-pounds and numerous large ladyfish on Cotee jigs with grubs. We moved to shallow water in the afternoon where they caught a pair of reds, a snook and several trout on DOA Deadly Combos and weedless-rigged CAL shad tails. The younger Mark had a slam, which included a multi spotted red with 7 or 8 spots on each side.
Fly angler Bill King, from Osprey, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. We were on a mission to catch a redfish with a fly, so we waded the flats and sandbars of north Sarasota Bay. Bill fished hard and caught and released several ladyfish and a couple of trout, including a 3-pound “gator”, on my Flats Minnow fly. We found that the effects of the previous days front and the full moon had cooled the action.
Bill King, from Osprey, FL, caught and released this nice trout on a Grassett's Flats Minnow fly while wading a Sarasota Bay flat with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Next week’s tides are favorable for reds and trout on the flats, particularly on the negative low tides at the end of the week. The water temperature has dropped into the upper 60’s on the flats, which should move snook up rivers and creeks. However, there should still be snook on the flats particularly on sunny afternoons as the tide rises.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 59
Registered: 8-2003
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, November 27, 2004 - 5:35 am: | |
Southwest FL Fishing Report for 11/15 through 11/27/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had steady action on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay during the past couple of weeks. Fly anglers scored with Clouser flies and spin anglers connected with jigs and DOA Deadly combos on trout, ladyfish, bluefish and Spanish mackerel. Fly anglers also connected with reds, snook and trout on Grassett’s Flats Minnow flies in skinny water.
Sarasota Herald-Tribune outdoor writer and SNN 6 “Fishing Paradise” TV host, Steve Gibson, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Nov. 15. We were also joined by Phil Rever, from Sarasota, FL, who was the successful bidder for a spot on the TV show at last year’s Sarasota CCA banquet. Our plan was to wade the shallow flats of north Sarasota Bay and fly fish for reds and snook. On the way there we ran across breaking fish at Stevens Point in Sarasota Bay, which turned out to be Spanish mackerel, bluefish, trout and ladyfish. We caught and released several on DT Special flies and jigs.
We then headed north where we waded the east side of Sarasota Bay on a negative low tide. Although the action wasn’t fast, we finished the day with snook of 28” and 27”, a pair of small reds and about 18 trout to 2-pounds Clousers and my Flats Minnow fly.
Later in the week, fly and spin anglers fished deep grass flats in Sarasota Bay where we caught trout, ladyfish, bluefish and Spanish mackerel on jigs and Ultra Hair Clouser flies. My brother, Kirk Grassett, from Bear, DE, and a friend, Capt. Scott Hopkins from West Grove, PA, joined me for a few days of fishing at the end of the week.
We were the guests of my friend, Capt. Rick DePaiva from Ft. Myers, FL, to fly fish for tailing reds near Pine Island on Thursday. They tailed good near the bottom of the tide and again as the tide rose before sunset. Four anglers caught and released 6 reds to 28” on my Flats Minnow fly. Kirk had the hot rod, landing 4 of the fish! If you are interested in fishing that area, Capt. Rick is one of the best and can be reached at 239-246-8726. Kirk, Scott and I also fished Sarasota Bay and the coastal gulf waters last Saturday where we caught and released several Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and bluefish on Clouser flies.
Kirk Grassett, from Bear, DE, waded a Pine Island flat and caught this tailing red on a Grassett's Flats Minnow fly.
Fly angler Jim Schwarzbach, from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. Jim was in search of his first saltwater fish on a fly and he was successful! He caught and released several ladyfish, trout and a bluefish on a Clouser fly at the Middleground flat before moving to the shallow flats to hunt for reds and snook. Jim did a great job covering the shallow water where he caught a couple of more trout but reds and snook remain on his list of fish to be caught with a fly!
Fly anglers, Mike Penny from Duluth, GA, and his son, Jared, snook fished with me near Venice on Tuesday evening. Jared was in search of his first saltwater fish with a fly and he was successful! They caught and released a dozen snook off of one light before a dolphin moved in to end our action. Jared caught and released the largest fish, a chunky 24” snook.
Charlie Alexander, from Osprey, FL, and his grandson, Max Helmetag from New York City, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday morning. With the wind blowing 15 to 20-mph as a front approached, fishing was challenging. The good news is that fish went on a binge and they had non-stop action with big ladyfish on Cotee jigs with grubs. Max also caught a nice bluefish and a trout.
Fly angler, Ray Hutchinson from Chelsea, MI, and his brother-in-law, Craig, from Bradenton, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday morning. Following Thanksgiving Day’s front, the water temperature plummeted from 73 degrees to 65 degrees, which slowed fishing. They caught and released several trout and ladyfish at Stevens Point on Cotee jigs with grubs and Clouser flies. Craig also caught and released a small red on a weedless-rigged CAL shad tail on the edge of a sand bar.
Next week’s negative low tides should concentrate reds and snook in potholes. Flats fishing should turn on after fish have acclimated to the cooler water for a few days. Maybe the coastal gulf blitz of little tunny that many fly anglers have been anxiously awaiting will also get started with the drop in water temperature?
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Bob Smith (Unregistered Guest)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 21, 2004 - 11:08 am: | |
November 21, 2004
Sarasota Florida Fishing Report
By Capt. Bob Smith
The Middle Ground grass flats are holding some nice pompano, cobia, and bluefish. Towards the end of last week, we found that the large mackerel and kings had moved off the beach and we were inundated by small Spanish mackerel and large ladyfish. They were feeding on large schools of glass minnows in about twenty feet of water. We used ¼ ounce Diamond jigs to catch the mackerel. You need to move them as fast as you can for the macks. Other boats told me that the kingfish action was only moderate out on “M” reefs but the groupers are chewing well further off shore.
Moving on to the middle ground grass flats, we would see an occasional pompano skipping the water and that is when starts to get good for pompano. We found a good variety of fish on the grass but the bite was on and off. The off could last for some time but was worth the wait. We caught small cobia but another boat caught a 26 pound fish on 8 pound test line that took about 45 minutes to land. We caught pompano over three pounds, bluefish around three pounds. In the mix were flounder, mackerel, trout, whiting, jacks, and ladyfish. We also found pompano on the south side of the twin bridges. Live shrimp, DOA shrimp, pompano jigs all worked well. White bait also worked but not well for the pompano.
Enjoy & Protect
My Website: http//www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 58
Registered: 8-2003
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, November 14, 2004 - 8:04 am: | |
Sarasota & Charlotte Harbor, FL Fishing Report for 11/7 through 11/14/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action with reds, snook and trout during the past week, particularly early in the week. Fly anglers scored with reds and snook on the flats of Charlotte Harbor. Reds and snook were also caught on Sarasota Bay flats early in the week. A couple of anglers had slams on flies and lures.
Fly angler, Charlie Alexander from Osprey, FL, fished Charlotte Harbor with me on Monday. We found reds cruising and tailing on a shallow flat near Placida and Charlie caught a nice pair of reds in the 4 to 5-pound class on a white Grassett’s Flats Minnow fly. Another red was caught and released on a weedless-rigged CAL jerk worm.
Tom Meyers and David Fields, both from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. The action was slow to start, but we finished strong. They caught 3 reds to 24”, a couple of snook to 25”, trout to 17”, flounder and sheepshead on CAL plastic tails fished either on a 1/16 oz CAL jig head or rigged weedless near Buttonwood Harbor.
Tom Meyers, from Sarasota, FL, caught and released this nice snook in Sarasota Bay on a weedles-rigged CAL shad tail while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Mac and Sandy McGee, from Gloucester, VA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday and Friday morning. They caught and released trout to 17”, ladyfish, bluefish and a Spanish mackerel at the Middleground flat, Stevens Point and near Buttonwood Harbor. John Klopp, from Winterhaven, FL, and his young son, Michael joined me for a trip in Sarasota Bay on Wednesday afternoon. Michael was celebrating his 8th birthday and he did it in style, catching and releasing trout, ladyfish, big sailcats and a bluefish on Cotee jigs with grubs near Big Pass.
Fly angler, Nick Reding from Longboat Key, FL, fished Charlotte Harbor with me on Thursday. We waded and sight-fished to tailing and cruising reds in the same area that I fished on Monday. They were tough, but Nick slammed with a small red, 4 snook to 24” and a few trout on white and brown Grassett’s Flats Minnow flies. The tide was high in the afternoon, so we fished from the boat where we had numerous shots at cruising reds on a sand bar, but no takers.
The action slowed at the end of the week. Friday afternoon’s trip produced only a few trout caught and released on jigs near Buttonwood Harbor. Fly angler, Jeff Barnum from Stratham, NH, fished Charlotte Harbor with me on Saturday. We fished hard all day with not much action. The reds that had been working well earlier in the week were not as plentiful or aggressive. Jeff had a couple of follows from reds but no takers. He caught and released several trout to 18”, including one that was cut in ½ by a large bluefish on a silverside fly near Sandfly Key.
Next week’s negative low tides will be favorable for reds in potholes or tailing on shallow grass flats. Coastal gulf action with breaking Spanish mackerel and little tunny has been disappointing so far, probably due to warm water. That could take off at any time when the water temperature drops a few degrees.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Bob Smith (Unregistered Guest)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, November 13, 2004 - 11:43 am: | |
November 13, 2004
Sarasota Florida Fishing Report
By Capt. Bob Smith
A full house is the way I would describe the fishing around the Sarasota area this past week. From the bay to the deep Gulf, it has been an overlapping of summer and winter species.
Long offshore trips have produced some large dolphin, kingfish, grouper, snapper, and amberjack. Inshore and coastal trips have produced redfish, snook, trout, cobia, flounder, mackerel, bluefish, tripletail, etc.
I would like to point out that the above does not mean that you need to make room in your home freezer if you plan to go fishing. The bite is not 24/7 and you still need to work at it. It does mean however, that you have a chance at a large variety of fish and getting on a good bite.
Many methods are being used and are working at this time but if you would like to kick it up a notch, here are a few tips. If you are going to use live pinfish and grunts for grouper, I like to catch them just before I go offshore. Pinfish kept overnight will definitely catch fish but fresh caught via hook and line will double the bite. This becomes more apparent if you fish closer to the coast. Taking live shrimp and small crabs along for permit, tripletail, snapper, and cobia is also a good idea. Being able to net your own white-bait is always a plus for bay or gulf fishing. Two things I always have on board are plenty of gold hook bait rigs, “Sabiki rigs” for offshore and D.O.A. 3” shrimp for bay and coastal.
Enjoy & Protect
My Website: http//www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 57
Registered: 8-2003
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, November 06, 2004 - 9:32 am: | |
Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 11/1 through 11/6/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past week with a variety of fish. Redfish, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, catch and release trout, pompano and sheepshead were all caught in Sarasota Bay. Fly anglers also scored with trout, Spanish mackerel and ladyfish on deep grass flats. The best fish of the week was a 4 ½-pound trout caught and released on a fly.
“Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing” member, Jeanne Olkosky and her husband, Tom, both from Bradenton, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. They caught and released trout, ladyfish and bluefish on CAL jigs, DOA Deadly Combos and MirrOlure She Dogs near the Ringling Museum and Buttonwood Harbor. In addition, Jeanne caught and released 3 reds to 24” on weedless-rigged CAL shad tails and grubs.
Fly angler, Norm Boardman, and his wife Francie, both from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. The best action was on the deep grass flats where they caught and released trout and ladyfish on flies and jigs. Norm caught and released the 4 ½-pound trout on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly out of a mud created by feeding manatees near Bishop Point.
Norm Boardman, from Sarasota, FL, caught and released this 4 1/2-pound trout on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Fly anglers, Charlie Alexander, from Osprey, FL, and his son, Jamie Alexander, from Venice, FL, fished the same area with me on Wednesday where they caught and released trout to 18”, Spanish mackerel, and ladyfish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies.
Jeff Henson, from Zephyrhills, FL, and his 8-year old son, Andrew, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. The action wasn’t fast, but was steady. Variety was the name of the game for Jeff and Andrew. They caught 3 pompano, numerous trout and ladyfish and a bluefish on jigs at the Middleground flat. They also caught a nice sheepshead and a small red on a weedless-rigged CAL shad tail near Buttonwood Harbor.
Friday mornings pre dawn snook/flats fly trip was cancelled when I awoke to 20 mph northwest wind as a front pushed through our area. Although we might have found a place to fish, I think we would’ve violated the fun rule, “if it’s not fun, don’t do it!”
Next week’s tides are favorable for fishing the flats and snook at night as we head toward a new moon at the end of the week. Friday’s front should drop the water temperature and fire up the coastal gulf fishing for Spanish mackerel and little tunny.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Bob Smith (Unregistered Guest)
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, November 06, 2004 - 7:29 am: | |
November 5, 2004
Sarasota Florida Fishing Report
By Capt. Bob Smith
The fall run is working and everyone is finding fish. From the back waters on Sarasota Bay to the sixty foot depths offshore, anglers are finding the species they want. Some days are better than others and none of the fish have been stacked up for very long, but all in all it has been a good fall run.
Most of the grouper and snapper are being caught out deep but the kings and Spanish have been hitting from the beach out to the sixty foot depth. The Spanish are also on the bay grass flats and in the passes. Snook and redfish are in the back water. Cobia although sparse, has been caught on the bay and Gulf.
Pompano are starting to show and I am hoping to see a good run this year. Pompano action has been slow for the last several years but the South East coast had an exceptionally good spring run this year.
Pompano only feed on crustaceans or mollusks and will take a small round jig, ¼ to ½ oz. bounced on the bottom. The best colors are chartreuse, yellow, and sometimes white. The jig needs to have short hair no longer than the bend of the hook. Tipping the jig with a small piece of shrimp or a live sand flea will work wonders. Sand fleas are the best bait you can have for pompano but they are hard to find on this coast and hard work when you do find them. Sand fleas are found in the surf along the coastal beaches. For the hard core pompano angler, there is no other bait and well worth the work and time. If you do find some fleas, don’t put them in a bucket of water, they will drown. Keep sand fleas in damp sand, paper or cloth but not too damp. I never had any good results with frozen or fresh dead fleas. Small live shrimp would be a better choice if not using a jig.
Enjoy & Protect
My Website: http//www.sarasota-fla-fishing.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 56
Registered: 8-2003
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Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, October 31, 2004 - 2:31 am: | |
Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 10/18 through 10/31/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict have had good action on the flats of Sarasota Bay during the past couple of weeks. Both fly and spin anglers have scored with reds and snook on the shallow flats while the deep flats have yielded Spanish mackerel, bluefish, trout and ladyfish. We’ve also caught several nice flounder in potholes and along sandbars on jigs and flies.
Jerry and Cindy Mangum, from Bradenton, FL, collected on the tarpon trip that I donated to Manatee-Sarasota Fish and Game Club on Monday, October 18th. Jerry was the successful bidder on my trip at the club’s annual banquet last spring. We had to reschedule the trip, which is in the Port Charlotte/Punta Gorda area, following the devastation of Hurricane Charley. Although tarpon have started to move back into their normal areas for this time of the year, I have found the fishing to still be off due to the effects of the hurricanes that we had during August and September. Jerry and Cindy jumped a pair of tarpon on a DOA TerrorEyz and a CAL jig with a nightglow grub.
Mote Marine laboratory scientist, Carole Neidig, from Bradenton, FL, her dad, Walt, and brother, Walter, both from Arizona, joined me for a trip on Tuesday, October 19th. We fished Sarasota Bay and had a great day. The group caught about 20 trout to 18”, which included about 50% slot size fish near Stephens Point. The deep grass flats also produced Spanish mackerel and bluefish. We moved to the shallow flats of north Sarasota Bay as the tide fell, where they caught several nice reds and snook on CAL jigs with plastic tails. Bill Roth and his guest, Jeff Porterfield, both from Longboat Key, FL joined me for a trip on Wednesday. We fished the deep grass flats where they had fast action with trout, bluefish Spanish mackerel and ladyfish.
George Hambos and his son, Charlie, both from Valrico, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Oct. 21. Conditions were near perfect for reds and snook on the flats with a very low tide late in the afternoon. We began the day with numerous Spanish mackerel and bluefish on deep grass flats and shifted to the shallow flats as the tide fell. They caught 7 or 8 reds, several snook and a flounder on CAL jigs with grubs, shad tails and jerk worms. Fly anglers, Kyle Ruffing and Jon Yenari, both from Sarasota, fished Sarasota Bay with me the following day. The best action was on the deep grass flats where they caught Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and trout on Ultra Hair Clouser flies.
Last week, the Florida Outdoor Writers Association (FOWA) had their annual meeting in Venice. I was part of a group of guides that fished outdoor writers in Sarasota Bay on Wednesday. I had fly anglers, Phil and Debbie Chapman, from Lakeland, FL on my boat. Phil is an excellent tarpon fly fishing guide, professional fishery biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and an International Fishing Hall of Fame member. Debbie is also an excellent fly caster. They caught and released a pair of reds, a couple of snook and several trout on Clouser and Grassett’s Flats Minnow flies.
The following day, Mark Nichols, owner of DOA Fishing Lures, and outdoor writer Tommy Thompson, from Gainesville, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me. We worked hard for our fish, probably due to the effects of the full moon, but had a good day. We caught and released about 15 snook to 25”, several reds to 24”, trout and flounder on CAL jigs with a variety of plastic tails and DOA shrimp.
Capt. Mark Nichols, owner of DOA Fishing Lures, caught and released this nice flounder on a CAL jig with a grub while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers members, Joe Polidoro and Erwin Edelman, both from Sarasota, FL, fished the same areas with me on Friday. It proved to be a much tougher day. After fishing hard in shallow water and not catching much, we retreated to the deep grass flats where we caught numerous trout to 19” and ladyfish on olive over white Clouser flies. We had several hook ups and subsequent cut offs from Spanish mackerel and bluefish. Outdoor writer, John Kumiski, from Chuluota, FL, snook fished with me near Venice before daylight on Saturday morning. We caught and released 15 or more snook to 23” on my Grassett’s Grass Minnow and John’s “Cousin It” flies.
Next week’s tides are favorable for reds and snook on the flats, particularly at the bottom of the tide, which should concentrate fish in potholes. In addition the deep grass flats should have lots of action with trout, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and ladyfish. Remember that trout season is closed during November and December in our area; so all trout must be released. Handle them gently and pinch down your barbs to help insure their survival. If the coastal gulf waters will cool a few degrees, action should really take off for little tunny.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 55
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, October 19, 2004 - 5:08 pm: | |
Southwest FL Fishing Report for 10/4 through 10/17/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action with reds, snook, trout, Spanish mackerel and bluefish during the past couple of weeks. In addition, a couple of tarpon were jumped. The coastal gulf waters were very active the week of 10/3 with lots of breaking Spanish mackerel, bluefish and ladyfish. Blacktip sharks also moved into the frenzy. The mackerel and bluefish moved into the bay the following week and action heated up on the flats with reds, snook and trout.
My sister, Michelle Mumford, and my nephew and niece, Eli and Hannah Mumford, all from Dagsboro, DE, visited for a few days the week of 10/3. We fished the coastal gulf waters off New Pass on Monday and had non-stop action with large Spanish mackerel, bluefish and ladyfish on jigs. The highlight of the day was when a 60-pound blacktip shark ate a bluefish next to the boat and was landed by Michelle after a 20-minute battle.
Fly angler, Bill King from Osprey, FL, got in on the action on Wednesday with large ladyfish and bluefish on Crease flies off Lido Key. Nick Milburn, from Sarasota, FL, and Dave Pietrangelo, from Firestone, CO, fished a couple of days with me and had good action on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay with trout.
John Leverage, from Seaford, DE and J.C. Leverage, from Curry Beach, NC, fished a couple of days with me last weekend. We tarpon fished in the canal system of Port Charlotte, where John jumped a pair of tarpon in the 15 to 20-pound class on a DOA TerrorEyz. The following day, we fished Sarasota Bay where J.C. had a slam. They finished the day with 3 reds, a snook and several trout caught on CAL jigs. Doug McMillin, from Emory, TX, and a friend fished in a group along with us with Capt. Ed Hurst. They had a great day with 6 or 7 reds and several snook.
Outdoor writer, Keith Kaufman, and his 2 sons, Cody and Ross, all from Willow Street, PA, also fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday and Tuesday last week. We had fast action on Monday catching and releasing 7 or 8 reds, 3 or 4 snook and numerous trout on CAL jigs with a variety of plastic tails in north Sarasota Bay. On Tuesday, we focused on deep grass flats where they caught and released numerous Spanish mackerel, bluefish, trout and ladyfish on jigs and flies. Cody caught and released several nice mackerel and bluefish on flies-his first saltwater fish on a fly rod!
Keith Kaufman, from Willow Street, PA, caught and released this nice snook on a weedless-rigged CAL jerk worm while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Sarasota Sportfishing Anglers Club president, Terry Argue, from Bradenton, FL and club vice president, Jim Gillespie, from Sarasota, FL, fished north Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. They had a great day catching 3 reds, a snook and several trout on CAL jigs with shad tails. Terry had a huge snook on near the end of our trip that made a couple of nice runs and jumped several times before the hook pulled close to the boat. Terry was the successful bidder on my trip at the club’s annual awards banquet this year.
Fly anglers, Brice Belyea, from Canada and a couple of friends, Dave and Bill, joined me to fish Sarasota Bay on Thursday and Friday. It was their first time fly fishing in saltwater and they did well. We caught and released numerous trout, ladyfish and bluefish on Clouser flies on Thursday. Some of the blues were as large as 4-pounds, which is a big bluefish for our waters. On Friday, the wind cranked up to 15 to 20-mph as a front approached. They caught and released numerous trout and ladyfish on jigs before a squall line ahead of the front chased us off the water.
The Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers hosted the Tampa Bay Fly Fishing Club on Saturday to fish Sarasota Bay. We had a great outing with perfect weather, good fishing and a nice BBQ meal at the end of the day. Capt. Frank Rhoades and Capt. Bryon Chamberlin, both members of the Tampa Bay Fly Fishing Club, joined Capt. Andy Cotton, from Sarasota, FL and me on my boat to fish north Sarasota Bay. It was slow to start, but got good before we were done. We waded a flat and cast bendbacks and Clousers into potholes and worked mullet schools. Frank had a pair of reds to 27” and several trout, Bryon had several trout and a pair of snook, Andy had a 24” snook, a nice flounder and several trout and I had a pair of reds, 3 trout and a nice flounder. A total of about 40 fly anglers from both clubs participated in the outing. There were some other noteworthy catches, including one angler catching and releasing 6 reds to 30”. A great day!
The weather is perfect now and the coastal gulf waters should explode with action over the next several weeks. Next weeks tides will be good for reds and snook on the flats at midday and snook at night.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 53
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, October 19, 2004 - 5:08 pm: | |
Southwest FL Fishing Report for 10/4 through 10/17/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action with reds, snook, trout, Spanish mackerel and bluefish during the past couple of weeks. In addition, a couple of tarpon were jumped. The coastal gulf waters were very active the week of 10/3 with lots of breaking Spanish mackerel, bluefish and ladyfish. Blacktip sharks also moved into the frenzy. The mackerel and bluefish moved into the bay the following week and action heated up on the flats with reds, snook and trout.
My sister, Michelle Mumford, and my nephew and niece, Eli and Hannah Mumford, all from Dagsboro, DE, visited for a few days the week of 10/3. We fished the coastal gulf waters off New Pass on Monday and had non-stop action with large Spanish mackerel, bluefish and ladyfish on jigs. The highlight of the day was when a 60-pound blacktip shark ate a bluefish next to the boat and was landed by Michelle after a 20-minute battle.
Fly angler, Bill King from Osprey, FL, got in on the action on Wednesday with large ladyfish and bluefish on Crease flies off Lido Key. Nick Milburn, from Sarasota, FL, and Dave Pietrangelo, from Firestone, CO, fished a couple of days with me and had good action on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay with trout.
John Leverage, from Seaford, DE and J.C. Leverage, from Curry Beach, NC, fished a couple of days with me last weekend. We tarpon fished in the canal system of Port Charlotte, where John jumped a pair of tarpon in the 15 to 20-pound class on a DOA TerrorEyz. The following day, we fished Sarasota Bay where J.C. had a slam. They finished the day with 3 reds, a snook and several trout caught on CAL jigs. Doug McMillin, from Emory, TX, and a friend fished in a group along with us with Capt. Ed Hurst. They had a great day with 6 or 7 reds and several snook.
Outdoor writer, Keith Kaufman, and his 2 sons, Cody and Ross, all from Willow Street, PA, also fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday and Tuesday last week. We had fast action on Monday catching and releasing 7 or 8 reds, 3 or 4 snook and numerous trout on CAL jigs with a variety of plastic tails in north Sarasota Bay. On Tuesday, we focused on deep grass flats where they caught and released numerous Spanish mackerel, bluefish, trout and ladyfish on jigs and flies. Cody caught and released several nice mackerel and bluefish on flies-his first saltwater fish on a fly rod!
Keith Kaufman, from Willow Street, PA, caught and released this nice snook on a weedless-rigged CAL jerk worm while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Sarasota Sportfishing Anglers Club president, Terry Argue, from Bradenton, FL and club vice president, Jim Gillespie, from Sarasota, FL, fished north Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. They had a great day catching 3 reds, a snook and several trout on CAL jigs with shad tails. Terry had a huge snook on near the end of our trip that made a couple of nice runs and jumped several times before the hook pulled close to the boat. Terry was the successful bidder on my trip at the club’s annual awards banquet this year.
Fly anglers, Brice Belyea, from Canada and a couple of friends, Dave and Bill, joined me to fish Sarasota Bay on Thursday and Friday. It was their first time fly fishing in saltwater and they did well. We caught and released numerous trout, ladyfish and bluefish on Clouser flies on Thursday. Some of the blues were as large as 4-pounds, which is a big bluefish for our waters. On Friday, the wind cranked up to 15 to 20-mph as a front approached. They caught and released numerous trout and ladyfish on jigs before a squall line ahead of the front chased us off the water.
The Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers hosted the Tampa Bay Fly Fishing Club on Saturday to fish Sarasota Bay. We had a great outing with perfect weather, good fishing and a nice BBQ meal at the end of the day. Capt. Frank Rhoades and Capt. Bryon Chamberlin, both members of the Tampa Bay Fly Fishing Club, joined Capt. Andy Cotton, from Sarasota, FL and me on my boat to fish north Sarasota Bay. It was slow to start, but got good before we were done. We waded a flat and cast bendbacks and Clousers into potholes and worked mullet schools. Frank had a pair of reds to 27” and several trout, Bryon had several trout and a pair of snook, Andy had a 24” snook, a nice flounder and several trout and I had a pair of reds, 3 trout and a nice flounder. A total of about 40 fly anglers from both clubs participated in the outing. There were some other noteworthy catches, including one angler catching and releasing 6 reds to 30”. A great day!
The weather is perfect now and the coastal gulf waters should explode with action over the next several weeks. Next weeks tides will be good for reds and snook on the flats at midday and snook at night.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 52
Registered: 8-2003
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, October 05, 2004 - 2:04 pm: | |
Sarasota & Venice, FL Fishing Report for 9/26 through 10/3/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had decent action with reds and trout in Sarasota Bay. The best action was with snook at night on an incoming tide in the ICW near Venice. The water quality in Sarasota Bay is not bad considering all the rain and wind that we’ve had. It is dark in color but fairly clear, which is often the case this time of the year anyway. Sarasota Bay had lots of baitfish and mullet with a water temperature around 80 degrees.
Dan Kennedy, from Punta Gorda, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. Dan went through Hurricane Charley in Punta Gorda and had to delay his vacation in Sarasota to let Jeanne pass by. Enough already! We had good action with trout and redfish on DOA Deadly Combos and MirrOlure She Dogs. Dan caught several trout including a couple in the slot at the Middleground flat and near Buttonwood Harbor. He also caught a nice pair of reds and a jack on a MirrOlure She Dog also near Buttonwood Harbor.
Dan Kennedy, from Punta Gorda, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett and caught and released this nice red on a MirrOlure She Dog.
J.C. Leverage, from Curry Beach, NC and Doug McMillin, from Emory, TX, fished Sarasota Bay near Buttonwood Harbor with me on Saturday morning. J.C. and Doug are State Farm Insurance employees that respond to catastrophes. They are currently stationed in southwest Florida helping victims of Hurricane Charley in Charlotte County. You can only do so much of that and then you’ve got to go fish! The action was slow but J.C. managed to catch a slam, which included reds and snook of about 23” and trout to 18” on DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs with a variety of plastic tails.
Fly anglers, Bernie Feinberg, from Sarasota, FL, and David Schofield, from Elmira, NY, snook fished with me in the ICW near Venice that evening. The bite was slow to start due a slow outgoing tide. However, when the tide started to pour in the fish began to eat. They caught and released 18 snook to 23” on a variety of small white flies. Shrimp patterns were the most productive, followed by Grassett’s Grass Minnow and Enrico Puglisi’s Bay Anchovy.
We are in a good weather pattern, so I expect fishing to improve next week. Tides are not great, but the water should continue to clear and flats fishing should get better.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 51
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: 
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, September 12, 2004 - 8:22 am: | |
Florida Keys and Venice, FL Fishing Report for 9/4 through 9/12/2004
Blame it on Ivan! Lost days of fishing that is. Even though he’s not even here yet, Ivan has already caused me to lose a day of fishing. We’ve all got our fingers crossed that he’ll stay away.
I spent a couple of days fishing in the Florida Keys last week before we were thrown out of the Keys by a mandatory evacuation on Friday. I traveled down to Islamorada with my wife, Karen, on Tuesday to fish the Islamorada-Sarasota Shootout, an informal, family fun, fishing tournament organized by anglers from Islamorada and the Sarasota Sportfishing Anglers Club.
I fly fished with Capt. Duane Baker on the ocean side flats of the upper Keys on Wednesday and Thursday. Wednesday was a tough day with several shots at bonefish in the morning and only one hook up. I lost that fish due to a knot in my fly line that didn’t clear all the guides of the rod and caused the hook to pull.
Thursday was a better day, with lots of shots and more aggressive fish. I caught and released 3 bonefish, the largest a 7-pounder, that day on a crab pattern. That fish was large enough to win 2nd place in the bonefish category of the tournament. We also had a shot at permit each day. Capt. Duane is an experienced Keys flats guide and he did a great job putting me on fish repeatedly. If you are in the upper Keys and want to catch bonefish, permit or tarpon with a fly, I would strongly recommend fishing with Capt. Duane. He can be reached at 305-852-0102 or www.keysflatsguide.com.
When we returned to the dock on Thursday, we could see the panic as people were starting to pull their boats from the water to flee from Ivan. We learned that there was a mandatory evacuation, so the tournament had to be cut short by a day. Final score: Islamorada 20, Sarasota 8. Sarasota had fewer anglers this year than in past years due to the threat of Hurricane Ivan, which affected the outcome of the tournament. Lookout for Sarasota next year- Islamorada!
I made the trip back to Sarasota on Friday morning with my neighbor and friend, Capt. Rob Roberts, in his 31’ Tiara Sportfishing boat. It was an 11-hour trip across Florida Bay and up the west coast. We saw the destruction caused by Hurricane Charley on Sanibel and Captiva Islands as we passed by them. In some place it looked like a giant weed eater had passed through the area chewing up trees and stripping them of their vegetation.
Fly angler, Pat Bennett from Ft. Lauderdale, FL, sneaked in an evening snook trip ahead of Ivan with me on Saturday. The action was slow to start due to a turning tide, but once the incoming tide built up some speed the bite began. Pat caught and released about 10 snook to 23” and a 22” redfish on Grassett’s Grass Minnow, a larger profile baitfish fly and several shrimp patterns. We fished lighted docks in the ICW near Venice.
Pat Bennett, from Ft. Lauderdale, FL, with one of 10 snook he caught and released on flies while fishing the the ICW near Venice, FL with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Next week’s tides are favorable for fishing the flats, snook at night and juvenile tarpon as we head toward a new moon. Hopefully, Hurricane Ivan will leave Florida alone. After Charley and Frances, we don’t need any more.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 50
Registered: 8-2003
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, September 04, 2004 - 10:54 am: | |
Sarasota & Charlotte Harbor, FL Fishing Report for 8/29 through 9/4/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past week with trout and bluefish on deep grass flats, snook around lighted docks and tarpon on the beach. Fly anglers connected with snook, tarpon and trout while the best action for spin anglers was with tarpon, trout and bluefish.
Gary Witkin, from Nashville, TN, and Tom Lind, from Dallas, TX, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday morning. We found fast action with trout to 17” and ladyfish on DOA Deadly Combos at the Middleground flat and near Buttonwood Harbor.
Fly angler, Bill King from Osprey, FL, fished a pre dawn snook/flats trip with me in Sarasota Bay on Tuesday morning. Bill is new to fly fishing and is taking the sport seriously. He fished with me a couple of weeks ago and caught his first fish with a fly. His casting has improved tremendously since our last trip. He caught and released 4 or 5 snook to 24” on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies near Big Pass and several trout and ladyfish on an olive Clouser at the Middleground flat and near Bishop Point.
Fly angler, Harry Davis from Dalton. GA, fished with me on Wednesday. Our original plan was to fish upper Charlotte Harbor for tarpon, but with reports still sketchy from that area we made a change in plans. Harry had fished the beach on Tuesday and spotted some tarpon, so we headed in that direction. We found a broad area of tarpon feeding on glass minnows and ladyfish near Gasparilla Pass. Harry connected with 4 tarpon, landing two of them. Two of the fish were on an orange and brown Enrico Puglisi fly and 2 were on DOA Baitbusters on spinning tackle. Both fish were in the 80 to 90-pound class.
The following day, Ed O’Hair from Glen Burnie, MD, and his dad, Brian O’Hair from Tampa, FL, fished the same area with me. We found more boats and less tarpon and they weren’t on the bite that they’d been on the day before. Eventually most of the other boats left and we opted to stick with it. With not many tarpon showing, we worked diving birds and found a few tarpon feeding on the baitfish. Ed and Brian each connected with a tarpon and Ed landed one of them, an 80-pounder. Both fish were on DOA Baitbusters.
Ed O'Hair, from Glen Burnie, MD, caught and released this 80-pound tarpon on a DOA Baitbuster in the coastal gulf near Gasparilla Pass while fishing with Capt. Rick.
Lance Miller, from Wheeling, WV, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday just ahead of Hurricane Frances. With a northeast wind gusting 15 mph, we fished the east side of the bay. We found fast action with breaking bluefish to 3-pounds, ladyfish, trout and crevalle jacks on deep grass flats. CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms and MirrOlure She Dogs accounted for most of the fish. We also caught numerous trout and a snook on DOA Deadly Combos.
Hurricane Frances is bearing down on the east coast of Florida as I write this report. It seems to have weakened, but it is slow moving, which is likely to cause flooding. Fishing will more than likely be impacted here due to the expected rainfall. However, Sarasota Bay usually rebounds quicker than Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor due to better flushing by its 3 passes and no rivers emptying into it. Next week’s fishing should be good toward the end of the week as tides and the water quality improve.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 49
Registered: 8-2003
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, August 29, 2004 - 2:32 pm: | |
Crane Meadow Lodge, MT Fishing Report for 8/21 through 8/28/2004
The temperature was 39 degrees on Friday morning. Southwest Florida? Not hardly! We were beginning a float on the Beaverhead River at the base of the Clark Canyon Reservoir Dam. With long johns, waders, winter jackets, gloves and stocking hats it didn’t seem like an August morning, but it felt good. A sign along the road above us said “You are at the 45th parallel-Halfway between the equator and the north pole”. It was cool for August. We had some rain during the week and the mountains surrounding the Ruby Valley were capped with snow!
I traveled to Crane Meadow Lodge in Southwest Montana last week and met up with a group of 9 other fly anglers from across the country. It was the third trip that I had arranged to this location and like the other trips-a wonderful mix of good fishing, breath taking scenery, wildlife and mountain air!
We fished the Beaverhead, Ruby, Jefferson, Madison and Big Hole rivers. We also fished several spring creeks and sloughs that connect to the Ruby River on the Kennedy Ranch, where Crane Meadow Lodge, an Orvis-Endorsed operation, is located. Nick Reding, Bob Harness and Bob Reynolds made the trip from St. Louis, Dick and Rich Walden flew Dick’s new twin engine Cessna airplane from Arizona, Jim Breckenridge came from Connecticut, John Hayes from Boulder, CO and Mike Perez from Richmond, IN. Young Nick Reding, from New York City, spent the previous week fishing other areas of Montana with a couple of friends and rendezvoused with us at the lodge.
We caught mostly brown and rainbow trout on streamers, nymphs and a few dry flies. Popular flies were Zonkers, Muddlers, Wooly Buggers and Pepperoni streamers with a bead head or Copper John nymph as a trailer. We did some nymphing with a pair of nymphs or a streamer and a nymph under a strike indicator. There was also some fishing with hoppers or ants with a nymph dropper. There were a few good days and a couple of slower days for most of the anglers.
Mike Perez and I were fishing partners for the week. We had a great day on Thursday fishing sloughs of the Ruby River on the Kennedy Ranch. We caught and released more than 25 trout. All were rainbows except for two big browns, a 21” fish that I caught and a 27” pig that Mike caught, which was the largest fish of the trip. Probably ½ the fish were between 18” and 23”.
Capt. Rick and Mike Perez, from Richmond, IN, doubled on this pair of nice Ruby River rainbows caught on Zonker and Muddler Minnow flies.
Other anglers in the group also caught trout to 21” or 22” on various rivers. These fish might not sound big to seasoned saltwater anglers, but on a 4 or 5-weight fly rod in fast water, they are great fun! As in previous years, the Ruby River fished the best. Bob Reynolds and Bob Harness spent a day on the upper Big Hole River catching brookies on 2 and 3-weight fly rods. They also fished the upper Ruby with Nick Reding one day and they all caught grayling.
I look forward to this trip every year. The wildlife that we see on this trip is incredible-whitetail and mule deer, moose, coyotes, sandhill cranes, Canadian geese eagles and hawks. Ever wonder where the white pelicans that winter in Florida come from? They were there, too. Good friends, good fishing, good food and cool mountain air-it doesn’t get any better!
Next week’s tides are favorable for reds and snook on the flats and snook at night. Snook season will reopen on Wednesday Sept. 1st. Tarpon continue to be an option in Sarasota Bay and upper Charlotte Harbor. Hopefully, Hurricane Frances will stay away.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 48
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, August 19, 2004 - 6:20 am: | |
Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 8/13 through 8/19/2004
We dodged a big bullet in Sarasota last Friday as Hurricane Charley took a last minute jog to the east and came ashore at Charlotte Harbor rather than Sarasota. The storm, which was originally forecast to make landfall somewhere between Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay, appeared to be headed further north. It increased in intensity from a category 1 to a category 4 storm in a matter of a few hours. I walked my dogs, Bailey and Shelby, around my neighborhood at 1 PM on Friday afternoon and people were busy picking up items that might become flying projectiles and taping or boarding windows. It was the calm before the storm.
The area where I had hot tarpon fishing last week was ground zero for Charley as it turned east and went right up Charlotte Harbor, devastating Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte before cutting diagonally across the state leaving a swath of major destruction in its wake. I know many people that were affected by Charley ranging from minor damage and no power to losing everything they had. After seeing the destruction that Charley caused, I have a new respect for hurricanes. The next time that a hurricane threatens, I think I’ll be leaving town.
I fished Sarasota Bay on Sunday with my son, Bryan, and future son-in-law, Andy Cotton, on Sunday. I wanted to do some scouting since I hadn’t been on the water for a few days. We located scattered reds in several areas, mainly near Buttonwood Harbor, and caught and released 5 reds to 26” on CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms. One red was caught on a MirrOlure She Dog.
Bryan Gibson, from Sarasota, FL, caught this red on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing Sarasota Bay with his dad, Capt. Rick Grassett.
The following day, Sarasota Herald-Tribune outdoor editor Steve Gibson, fished Sarasota Bay with me. Our plan was to try to catch a super slam (tarpon, snook, redfish and trout). Easier said than done! We started before daylight and fly fished around lighted docks and bridge fenders near Big Pass for snook. After losing a couple of slot-size snook, we landed a fat 26” fish on a Grassett’s Grass Minnow fly. I checked out an area for tarpon at dawn, but they weren’t home. We moved on to redfish and the areas I had found fish the day before had plenty of activity with baitfish and mullet, but no reds. We easily caught a dozen or so trout to 18” on DOA Deadly Combos near Long Bar before focusing on reds again. We finally found a few reds and hooked 2 but lost both of them before calling it a day.
Bill King, from Osprey, FL, fished Sarasota Bay on a pre dawn snook/flats instructional fly fishing trip on Tuesday. We fished lighted docks near Big Pass where Bill landed his first snook on a fly. After daylight, we fished breaking fish (ladyfish, jacks, trout and Spanish mackerel) where Bill connected with a couple more fish on Clouser and Enrico Puglisi flies. Following our trip, I took a lookout along the beach to see if there were any tarpon around. Guess what! I got 3 shots at tarpon with a fly and saw a couple more fish. Not bad for late August!
Next weeks tides will improve toward the end of the week as we head toward a full moon. Hopefully, any more tropical weather will stay away for a while as many southwest Florida residents start to rebuild their lives.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 47
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, August 12, 2004 - 8:09 am: | |
Southwest Florida Fishing Report for 8/1 through 8/12/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action with tarpon, trout and bluefish during the past week and a half. In addition, several snook, redfish and a cobia were also caught and released. The best action was with tarpon in the Peace River and trout in Sarasota Bay on both spin and fly tackle.
970 WFLA’s Capt. Mel Berman fished a couple of days with me to shoot video for an upcoming TV show that he will be hosting. We fished Sarasota Bay and did very well with trout to 22” on the deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. DOA Deadly Combos accounted for most of the fish, which were caught at the Middleground flat and near Buttonwood Harbor and Long Bar.
Fly angler, Carlos Ramirez from Ocala, FL, fished the same areas with me last Thursday and caught several trout and ladyfish on Enrico Puglisi flies. The weather was questionable and we dodged rain showers most of the morning. This has been the case for the last couple of weeks.
Scott Heidler, from Hudson, OH and his young son, Scottie, tarpon fished in the Peace River with me last week. We got off to a fast start with Scott jumping and landing a 29-pound tarpon with a DOA TerrorEyz on his second cast of the day. The rest of the day was tough. Tarpon were plentiful but finicky, often striking baits by swiping at them. They had another tarpon on and several other bites but that was it for the day.
Scott Heidler, from Hudson, OH, caught and released this 29-pound tarpon on a DOA TerrorEyz while fishing the Peace River with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Rusty Chinnis and I fished with our friend, Capt. Rick DePaiva, in the Ft. Myers area last Friday. We caught and released several snook to 26” and hooked a couple of big snook that we didn’t land on fly and spin tackle. If you ever want to fish that area, Capt. Rick is an excellent guide with quality equipment.
John Rettig, from Tampa, FL and his brother Dave Rettig, from St. Petersburg, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me last Saturday morning. We fished lighted docks near Big Pass before daylight where they caught and released several snook and mangrove snapper on DOA Tiny TerrorEyz. We moved to the flats at dawn where they caught and released several trout on DOA Deadly Combos. My son, Bryan Gibson and grandson, Caleb Gibson, joined me for a few hours later that morning for Caleb’s fist fishing trip in a boat. They caught and released 12 or 15 trout to 18” on DOA Deadly Combos at the Middleground flat and near Buttonwood Harbor. Caleb caught his first fish ever- a trout!
I participated in the Ladies Let’s Go Fishing seminar in Sarasota last weekend. On Saturday afternoon, I manned a skill station teaching the ladies how to cast with spinning tackle. On Sunday morning, Vicky Cochran and Susie Musser, both from Lakeland, FL, joined me for a 6-hour trip in Sarasota Bay. It was slow to start but they finished strong with a redfish, numerous trout, bluefish and ladyfish. The red was caught on a gold Huddle Spoon and the other fish were caught on DOA Deadly Combos. At one point we had a feeding frenzy of breaking fish, which consisted of trout, bluefish, ladyfish and tarpon. Bluefish were biting trout and ladyfish in half and tarpon were eating the ladyfish. It was pouring rain, but they didn’t care!
Fly angler, Ed Kilgore from New Castle, Northern Ireland, tarpon fished with me on Monday. Ed had fished with me several years ago and caught a huge snook (36”) in Sarasota Bay. He jumped 4 tarpon from 10 to 90-pounds in the Peace River. The smaller tarpon was on an Enrico Puglisi finger mullet pattern fished on a sink tip fly line. The bigger fish, from 75 to 90-pounds were all jumped with DOA Baitbusters near the mouth of the river. Ed also caught and released a 26” cobia on a DOA Baitbuster.
Joe Dutmers and his son Mark, both from Sarasota, FL, tarpon fished in the same area with me on Wednesday before Mark returns to school at Georgetown University, where he is a pitcher on the baseball team. Mark fly fished for quite a while, but the tarpon were too widely scattered to be able to connect with one on a fly. We moved to the mouth of the Peace River where tarpon had been plentiful a couple of days before but nothing was showing. We made a cast at a nervous bait school with a DOA Baitbuster and immediately jumped a 75-pound tarpon. We worked the area hard mostly blind casting or casting to an occasional bait school and rolling tarpon. We jumped 2 more tarpon on DOA Swimming Mullet, landing one of them, an estimated 70-pounder.
We are battening down the hatches anticipating the arrival of Hurricane Charlie. Following the storm, I expect good action with tarpon, snook, redfish and trout. Next week’s tides will be favorable for tarpon, snook and flats fishing as we come off the new moon.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 46
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 31, 2004 - 10:02 am: | |
Southwest Florida Fishing Report for 7/24 through 7/31/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had a variety of action during the past week with tarpon, snook and trout. Fly and spin anglers “kept ‘em flyin’” as they connected with 3 tarpon and landed 1 on the beach and in upper Charlotte Harbor. Trout and ladyfish were found on the deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay where they ate flies and snook were targeted on the outgoing full moon tide at the end of the week. Despite a strong outgoing tide, they were finicky at best.
Andy Cotton, from Sarasota, FL, joined me to hunt big tarpon on the beach last Sunday. We found them plentiful and giving us plenty of shots with flies. One fish ate a black and rust bunny fly 15 feet from the boat, but broke off before we got her in the air. Tarpon thinned on the beach over the next couple of days.
I was the guest of Nick Reding, from Longboat Key, FL, and his son Nick on their new Maverick Mirage HPX flats skiff on Tuesday. Conditions were poor with a big tide and overcast conditions. We covered a lot of water and didn’t find any tarpon. Young Nick had a shot at a shark that put its nose right on the fly and followed, but didn’t eat.
The action picked up on Wednesday as Joey Schwab, from Sarasota, FL, joined me for a tarpon trip in upper Charlotte Harbor. We found tarpon in the 20 to 40-pound class fairly plentiful. These fish are never easy, but I’ve found if we’ve got fish to cast to we can usually hook up. We jumped a 40-pound tarpon that wore through the leader after several jumps and landed an 18-pounder on DOA TerrorEyz. We also had several other bites on DOA’s and flies.
Joey Schwab, from Sarasota, FL, caught and released this 18-pound tarpon on a DOa TerrorEyz while fishing a Peace River canal with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Fly anglers, Steve Rieker from Wexford, PA and his son, Mike, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. Although they are experienced freshwater fly anglers, they had never fished the salt before. They caught and released several trout and ladyfish on Clouser and Enrico Puglisi flies. That afternoon, Lee Ibsen from Sarasota, FL and Bill Owen, from Purcellville, VA, fished the ICW in Venice for snook with me. We had a “blue moon” tide, which is the 2nd full moon in a month. I thought the snook would feed heavily, but they didn’t. We drifted channels and fished points, cuts and docks with a variety of DOA’s. They caught and released only 4 snook to 22”.
Next week’s tides improve toward the end of the week as we move back to 4 tide days. I look for good action with tarpon in Charlotte Harbor and trout on the deeper grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Reds should begin schooling at any time now and will be easier to locate at the bottom of the tide.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
|
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 45
Registered: 8-2003
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 18, 2004 - 9:41 am: | |
Sarasota & Venice, FL Fishing Report for 7/10 through 7/18/2004
Fly and spin anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past week with snook, trout and tarpon. Some of the best action was on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay where anglers caught and released numerous trout to 20”, bluefish to 18” and ladyfish on DOA Deadly Combos and Clouser flies.
Tarpon continue to be an option in the coastal gulf although a persistent west wind caused conditions to deteriorate toward the end of the week. Three tarpon were jumped on Tuesday and Wednesday on a black and rust tarpon fly with one of them, a 60 to 70-pounder, landed. We also spent a couple of other afternoons fly fishing for tarpon and had a few shots, but rough water made it challenging.
Night snook fishing with flies and DOA Tiny TerrorEyz was challenging. Snook were plentiful but very selective about what they would eat. Dave Brugh, from Akron, OH, fished the ICW in Venice with me on Monday evening. He caught and released 7 snook to 23”, ladyfish, jack crevalle and a whiting on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Tiny TerrorEyz.
Dave Brugh, from Akron, OH, caught and released this snook on a DOA Tiny TerrorEyz while fishing at night in the ICW near Venice with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Longboat Key residents, Arnold and Bette Hoffman and their grandson, Henry Hoffman from VA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday afternoon. They caught and released trout and ladyfish on DOA Deadly Combos at the Middleground flat and Bishop’s Point.
Bill and Penny Hall, from Georgetown, DE, fished the same area with me on Thursday morning. They caught and released some quality trout to 20” with most of them in the 16” to 18” class. We also spent some time hunting reds and snook along mangrove shorelines but they must have been buried in the mangroves due to an extreme high tide. Bill was my high school marine biology teacher back in Seaford, DE more than 30 years ago. We hunted together back then so it was good to see him and Penny again and reminisce about old times.
Stuart Smith and his father-in-law, Bob Beaudry, both from Riverview, FL, joined me for a pre dawn snook/flats trip on Friday morning. We fished from Big Pass in Sarasota Bay to Bishop’s Point. We found the action slow but steady. They caught and released a couple of snook, ladyfish, trout and a mangrove snapper on DOA Tiny TerrorEyz and Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies before daylight. We took a shot at some juvenile tarpon with flies and DOA TerrorEyz but they didn’t eat. We moved to the flats where they got some more action with trout and ladyfish on Clouser flies and DOA Deadly Combos.
Next week’s tides will improve toward the end of the week as we return to 4 tide days. I look for good action on the flats with trout, snook at night, juvenile tarpon and tarpon on the beach. Hopefully, the wind will switch back to the east to calm the gulf waters and make sight fishing for tarpon a good option for fly anglers.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 44
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 10, 2004 - 12:25 pm: | |
Southwest Florida Fishing Report for 7/3 through 7/10/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past week on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor with trout, bluefish and ladyfish on flies and DOA Deadly Combos. In addition, tarpon fishing continues to be an option from Anna Maria Island to Sarasota. Fly anglers had multiple shots at tarpon and jumped one on a black and purple bunny fly.
Al and Rich Lavacca, from Long Island, NY, fished Charlotte Harbor with me on Wednesday. They caught and released 40 or more trout on DOA Deadly Combos on the deep grass flats of Gasparilla Sound. In addition, they had numerous shots at skinny water reds but they weren’t in an eating mood.
Fly anglers, Jules Clement from Sarasota, FL and Dave Hutchinson, from Punta Gorda, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. The action was slow to start, but after a short while we got dialed into the fish. The best action was on deep grass flats at the Middleground flat and near Bishop’s Point. Jules and Dave caught and released trout, bluefish and ladyfish on Clouser and Grassett’s Flats Minnow flies.
Conditions were near perfect for tarpon on Thursday afternoon, so I couldn’t resist checking the beach for tarpon after my trip with Jules and Dave. I found singles, doubles and several small schools of tarpon traveling north and south. After several good shots, I jumped an estimated 120-pound fish on a black and purple bunny fly. The fish was too hot for me to handle by myself! I was fighting the fish while running the boat. I got a half dozen or more jumps and a couple of smoking runs before losing her after about a 15-minute battle. It was fun while it lasted!
Fly anglers also had quality shots at tarpon on 2 other trips. We had a couple of follows, but no other bites. Like the late Del Brown once told me, “the quality of the trip is gauged not by the number of fish caught, but by the number of shots you get.” If you are getting enough shots at fish (permit, tarpon, bonefish, etc.) you will catch your share. Some of the fish will ignore you, some will refuse you and some will eat!
Cliff and Kim Langenbach, from Port Charlotte, FL, joined me for an instructional fly fishing trip on Friday. Recently retired, they had traveled the U.S. and done some freshwater fly fishing for trout in the west and Vermont and were anxious to try it in saltwater. They made great progress and are well on their way to enjoying the world of saltwater fly fishing. Kim caught and released a hardhead catfish on a Clouser fly. Her first saltwater fish with a fly!
I look for fishing to be good next week on the deep grass flats for trout, bluefish and a variety of other fish. Catch and release snook fishing should be good in the surf and at night. Tarpon should school again as we head toward the new moon next weekend. Although I don’t expect to have the amount of tarpon that we have had in May and June, it should be a good option.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 43
Registered: 8-2003
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, June 26, 2004 - 8:34 am: | |
Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 6/20 through 6/26/2004
Spin and fly anglers continued to have good tarpon action during the past week. Southwest wind was a problem for a couple of days early in the week, but by Wednesday we were back into a normal pattern of an east breeze in the morning and an afternoon sea breeze. Although we didn’t connect with the numbers of tarpon that we have in previous weeks, it wasn’t due to the lack of fish. Anglers caught 4 out of 8 tarpon jumped, including one on a fly and in addition, we caught a cobia with a fly on Friday.
Ken Trotter, from Sarasota, FL, tarpon fished with me on Monday. It was rough due to a steady southwest breeze and we almost opted to fish the bay, but decided to tough it out. It paid off as we found several hungry schools of tarpon that were eating everything in their path. We had five bites on live crabs, connected with two and landed one. Many times when conditions are rough, tarpon are more aggressive although they are harder to fish.
Bill Roth, from Longboat Key, FL, was joined by his son-in-law, Mike Paton from Columbus, OH, to tarpon fish with me for a couple of days. Tuesday was rough and we only had one bite, which we missed. The weatherman was wrong on Wednesday. With a forecast for 10 to 15-mph southwest winds, we awoke to a gentle east breeze and calm conditions. They had a great day, jumping 4 tarpon and fighting 2 to the boat.
Terry Notari, from Longboat Key, FL, and his son, Craig Notari from Winnetka, IL, fished with me on Thursday and Friday. The goal was for Craig to catch his first tarpon with a fly. We worked hard on Thursday for only a few shots. We had a tarpon follow the fly but didn’t eat. Terry jumped a hot one with a live crab on spinning tackle. The tarpon jumped off on about its 6th jump but it was fun while it lasted!
Friday was the day for Craig. We had numerous shots during the first couple of hours and had a bite on the fly but didn’t hook up. The action slowed after a couple of hours and we moved to try and locate some of the schools that had passed us going south. While working a school of tarpon, a pair of cobia popped up following a pair of large spotted eagle rays. Craig made a nice cast and connected with the largest cobia on a black and purple bunny tarpon fly. The cobia, a 14-pounder, was his first ever with a fly.
Craig Notari, from Winnetka, IL, caught this cobia on a black and purple bunny fly just off the beach near Midnight Pass while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.
We continued our quest for a tarpon on a fly and had several shots at singles and small groups before locating a nice school over a 6-foot deep sand bar. We had several shots before we finally got right with them. Craig made a good cast and connected with a hot 75-pounder. The fish blasted off numerous jumps and streaking runs before Craig had her at the side of the boat. His first tarpon with a fly!
I look for tarpon action to continue as we head toward the full moon on July 2nd. As long as the weather pattern is good, we should have good tarpon fishing along the beaches. Hopefully, this action will continue into July as we come off the full moon.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 42
Registered: 8-2003
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 20, 2004 - 8:47 am: | |
Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 6/13 through 6/20/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had great action in the coastal gulf waters off Sarasota with tarpon during the past week. The week started off hotter than a firecracker and the bite slowed somewhat toward the end of the week due to crystal clear water and calm conditions. However, there were plenty of schools of tarpon throughout the week. Most mornings we had a push of fast moving schools of tarpon first thing in the morning followed by a mid morning lull in the action. From late morning through midday, tarpon schools were slow moving and tightly schooled but finicky. Crystal clear water caused them to stop, move back in the opposite direction and go around the boat.
Cliff Ondercin, from Sarasota, FL, was joined by his dad, Dennis Ondercin from Middleburg Heights, OH, for a week of tarpon fishing with me. The action was fast and furious on Monday when the landed 3 out of 6 tarpon jumped to 90-pounds and had 3 more bites with live crabs on spinning tackle. Dennis caught and released the big fish of the week, a 110-pounder on Tuesday as they went 1 for 4.
With several tarpon under their belt, Cliff changed his focus to catching a tarpon with a fly. He has landed tarpon on a fly with me for the past several seasons and this one would be no different. Wednesday was the toughest day of the week with 4 bites and only one tarpon in the air. Cliff scored with the fly on Thursday, landing a feisty adolescent tarpon on a black and rust bunny fly. Dennis was also 1 for 1 landing a tarpon with a crab that day.
Tarpon were getting much warier toward the end of the week due to the increasingly clear, calm water. Friday was a tough day with lots of shots and lots of refusals with the fly and live bait. Although bites were getting fewer, the ratio of jumped to landed fish was getting better, as they landed 2 out of 2 tarpon jumped on Friday with live crabs on spinning tackle. They finished the week with a total of 8 tarpon landed out of 15 jumped, including a 110-pounder on spinning tackle and one on a fly. A great week!
Dennis Ondercin, from Middleburg Heights, OH, caught and released this 110-pound tarpon, one of 8 landed by him and his son, Cliff Ondercin, while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett last week.
My wife, Karen, my son, Bryan and my daughter’s boyfriend, Andy Cotton, tarpon fished with me on Saturday. We had numerous shots at fast moving fish early in the day but no takers. We found a happy school of tarpon around 11:00 AM on the Big Pass bar and after working them for a while, Karen connected with a hot one!
The fish first tried to stay in the school but we finally popped her out. Her next move was to cross the bar and drop into the 25-foot deep waters of Big Pass, which is not a good place to be at midday on Saturday. After dodging pleasure boats and jet skis for a while, the fish headed east for downtown Sarasota. She swam more than a couple of miles with the incoming tide, drawing a crowd of spectator boats along the way. I successfully thwarted her attempts to swim into a canal once and then through the north bridge to Siesta Key before she turned and headed north. At one point she was in 1 ½ feet of water near ICW markers 5 and 7 before she swam into the middle of the ICW causing yet another traffic jam. We finally landed her in the middle of the ICW to cheers from passing boats and sent her on her way. Although she only weighed 90-pounds she fought like a 180-pounder. You never know what may happen when tarpon fishing!
Our total for the week was 9 tarpon landed out of 16 jumped. A great week of fishing especially since the landed to jumped fish ratio was better than 50%. The action should continue next week as we head toward the full moon in early July. As long as the weather pattern will hold, I look for tarpon fishing to remain hot!
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 41
Registered: 8-2003
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 13, 2004 - 9:50 am: | |
Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 5/31 through 6/13/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict have had great action off Sarasota area beaches with tarpon during the past couple of weeks. So far, this has been one of the better tarpon seasons that we’ve had for the past couple of years. A good weather pattern, plentiful fish and not a lot of fishing pressure are the factors that have made it so good. Even on days when there were a lot of anglers fishing the beach, they have mostly been courteous and observed the rules of etiquette for tarpon fishing.
Coming off the full moon of June 4, tarpon schooled nicely and were happy. “Happy fish” move slowly, stay high in the water column and feed aggressively. Over the past 10 days, anglers have landed 10 out of 23 tarpon jumped. More than half of the tarpon caught and released were 100-pounds or more, with the larger ones going 115, 120, 130 and 140-pounds. Almost all of the anglers have fished with live crabs on spinning tackle although many of the schools would have been perfect to toss a fly at.
Craig Purse, from Green Oaks, IL, fly fished for tarpon on one of the days last weekend. Most fish were moving fast that day and not giving us good shots. We did have a few good shots but not at the right school of tarpon. Fly anglers, Dave Wahl from Sterling, IL, and his son Robert Wahl, from Bradenton, FL, also tried their hand at it one day but we were chased into the bay by thunderstorms. Making the best of the situation, Dave and Robert had good action catching and releasing numerous trout to 17” near Buttonwood Harbor on Clouser flies.
Ken Trotter, from Sarasota, FL and his mother, Diane Trotter, from Tampa, FL, also fished a day with me. It was rough on the beach and tarpon were not showing but we hung in there until about 10 AM. Since it was too rough to run back in the gulf, we ducked into the bay where Ken and his mom caught and released trout, ladyfish, jacks and a whiting on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly combos.
Larry Ford and Pete Molinari, both from Sarasota, FL, fished a couple of days, jumping several tarpon and landing on with live crabs on spinning tackle. Chris Likens and Paul Nevins, both from Sarasota, FL, also jumped several tarpon and landed one with live crabs on spinning tackle.
David Smith, from Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, UK, and Mark Worbey, from Hitchin, Hertfordshire, UK, crossed the big pond to fish 5 days with me last week. Months in the planning, the trip finally arrived and David and Mark were ready to tackle the silver king. They had great weather and good action, landing 6 out of 13 tarpon including several big fish. David caught and released a 140-pound pig on Thursday and Mark finished strong on Friday catching and releasing a pair of tarpon, including a 115-pound fish.
David Smith, from Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, UK, caught and released this 140-pound tarpon while fishing in the coastal gulf waters off Sarasota with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Andy Cotton, from Sarasota, FL, jumped a pair of big tarpon yesterday, battling one for 40 minutes before it went through his 80-pound fluorocarbon leader. He landed the second one, which was his first tarpon landed, a beautiful 120-pounder. We also landed a 130-pound fish that day.
I look for this great tarpon action to continue through the month of June and into July providing that the weather will continue to be good. I’ve got a fly angler fishing with me next week, so hopefully we’ll stick a few with the fly.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 40
Registered: 8-2003
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 30, 2004 - 7:17 am: | |
Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 5/24 through 5/30/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had great action with tarpon during the past week. Tarpon schooled heavily in the coastal gulf waters off Sarasota as they prepared to spawn on next week’s full moon. We found a couple of large schools at first light early in the week, however the best action was from mid morning to noon. Clear water and abundant sunshine have allowed us to fish tarpon schools that stayed deep, but moved slowly.
Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, and a group of 7 other anglers fished with me and 3 other guides from Monday through Thursday of last week. Hal D’Orazio, also from Lake Forest, IL, and Dave Kinnamon, from Milwaukee, WI, were the other anglers on my boat. Their timing was just right, as the weather and the moon phase made for great tarpon fishing. We landed 8 out of 15 tarpon jumped on my boat and anglers on the other 3 boats also had good action. Two fly anglers in the group jumped a couple of fish and had several other bites.
Capt. Rick Grassett prepares to release a tarpon caught by an angler in the McClintock group.
Larry Ford, from Longboat Key, FL and his son-in-law, Sean Toole from Austin, TX, tarpon fished with me on Friday. The action continued as they landed 1 out of 3 tarpon jumped with live crabs on spinning tackle. Russell Johnson, from Clovis, NM, and his sons, Kyle and Patrick, fished with me on Saturday. They also had good action, landing 1 out of 3 tarpon jumped. Russell landed an estimated 60-pound fish and Kyle and Patrick both jumped large tarpon. Kyle battled a large tarpon for about an hour and a half only to have the big female wear through pour 80-pound fluorocarbon leader with the fish close to the boat. Patrick jumped a fish in the same class and had her on for several jumps before she found a submerged crab trap line to cut us off with.
We landed a total of 10 out of 21 tarpon jumped for the week. All fish were caught with live crabs. The average size was about 100-pounds with a couple of smaller fish in the 60 to 70-pound class and a couple of pigs that probably went 130-pounds or more. The action should continue next week as we head toward the full moon on June 3, providing that the weather stays favorable.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 39
Registered: 8-2003
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 22, 2004 - 6:19 am: | |
Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 5/16 through 5/22/2004
Fly anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict connected with tarpon during the past week. As expected, tarpon have become plentiful along our beaches from Anna Maria Island to Venice. The action was slow to start early in the week as we saw a few schools of tarpon but didn’t have good shots at them. However, everything came together as the week went by. Tarpon schools were happy and fly anglers had the shots they needed to hook up. We also jumped a tarpon on a live crab on Friday.
If you’ve ever pursued tarpon with a fly rod, you know that presentation is most of the battle. We had tarpon in the same school eat a chartreuse crab pattern and a black and purple bunny fly, so obviously color wasn’t the issue. The most effective presentation is a head on shot with tarpon swimming directly toward the fly. Slower moving schools of tarpon that remain higher in the water column are ideal. If you can’t get a head on shot, a cast that is quartering away from the fish is the next best option. A perpendicular cast will work, but the strike zone is smaller and if the boat is moving at all, the fly will swing toward the fish and probably spook them.
There are some schools of tarpon that may not eat anything, including live bait. After casting flies at several different angles, I’ll usually let them go and look for a different school of fish.
We are headed into the prime of our tarpon fishing as we approach the full moon in June. Be patient, use common sense and courtesy and you’ll be successful.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Post Number: 38
Registered: 8-2003
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 16, 2004 - 11:38 am: | |
Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 5/9 through 5/16/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action in Sarasota Bay with trout, bluefish, redfish and snook during the past week. The best action was with trout on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. A persistent southeast wind has made tarpon hunting in the coastal gulf waters tough. Although they are beginning to show, we are still waiting for the action to take off.
Mac McGee and Sandy Douglass, from Gloucester, MA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday morning. They caught more than 20 trout to 20”, ladyfish and several bluefish to 2-pounds on DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs with shad tails. The best action was at Stephens Point and Bishops Point. That afternoon, Frank Spinola from Longboat Key, FL, joined me for an instructional fly fishing trip in Sarasota Bay. Frank had some experience in freshwater, but wanted to hone his saltwater skills so he could take advantage of the variety of fishing in our own backyard.
Capt. Jim Klopfer and I scouted the coastal gulf waters on Wednesday due to a last minute cancellation. We found the water temperature had increased slightly to about 76 degrees and baitfish were plentiful. A false albacore blitz kept things interesting as they busted baits all along the beach. Capt. Jim caught and released an 11-pounder on an Enrico Puglisi Bay Anchovy fly.
Chris Likens and Ramey Martin, both from Sarasota, FL, joined me for a tarpon trip on Thursday. Although we had high hopes due to improving conditions, it wasn’t meant to be. The baitfish and false albacore that had been there the day before were gone and the wind cranked up to more than 15-mph ending our day early.
Michael Carducci, from Putnam Valley, NY, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. Mike had tried his hand at tarpon fishing last season and wanted to experience the flats. He had a great day catching a double slam that included eight or ten trout to 20”, a pair of snook and a pair of reds to 8-pounds. Most of the action was in the extreme north part of Sarasota Bay near Longboat Pass. The trout were caught and released on DOA Deadly Combos and the other fish were caught and released on CAL jigs with shad tails.
Michael Carducci, from Putnam Valley, NY, caught this nice red on a CAL jig while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Saturdays tarpon trip came up empty. Although we located a fast moving school and got a couple of shots at them, they didn’t eat. As we head toward the new moon next week, I expect significant tarpon action as they school up to spawn.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Post Number: 37
Registered: 8-2003
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 09, 2004 - 7:16 am: | |
Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 5/2 through 5/9/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past week on lures and flies, particularly with trout. In addition, anglers caught and released redfish, snook and bluefish while fishing Sarasota Bay. I scouted the coastal gulf waters a couple of days and found no tarpon.
Fly anglers, Bernie Blanche from Copperhill, TN and Mick Mullen, from Mt. Joy, PA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday morning. A front was bearing down on us so I thought fish would be feeding. They caught numerous trout to 18”, bluefish and ladyfish at the Middleground flat and near Bishop Point. Mick backed Bernie up with a spinning rod as I poled a sand bar and caught and released a redfish on a CAL jig with a shad tail. The afternoon trip was a wash as we got pounded by heavy rain and lightning.
Charlie Alexander, from Osprey, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. We spent some time in the morning hunting for tarpon in the coastal gulf waters along Longboat Key. There was about a 4-foot swell with some chop on top and the water was only 75 degrees, which is not good conditions for tarpon. We didn’t see a thing, so we headed for the calmer waters of Sarasota Bay. Fishing was tougher following the front, but Charlie managed to catch and release numerous trout to 18”, including 5 slot-size fish, on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails at Stephens Point and along the east side of Sarasota Bay.
Clay Wilson and Carmen Chaar, both from Cortez, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. The deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay have been fishing very well, so we started there and immediately had good action with trout. They caught more than 20 trout to 23”, including 5 slot-size trout, on DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs with shad tails along the east side of Sarasota Bay near the Ringling mansion. Clay caught and released a 24” snook on the west side of the bay near Buttonwood Harbor and Carmen connected with a big snook that jumped off, both on CAL jigs with shad tails.
Greg Field, from Elmira, NY and Chris Hennessey, from Portland, OR, fished the east side of Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday and did very well with trout. They caught and released more than 20 trout to 18” on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos. Mac McGee and Sandy Douglass, both from VA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday morning. They also had good action with trout to 18” and bluefish on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos at the Middleground flat and near Bishop Point.
Brian and Joann Shenstone, both from Gross Point Woods, MI, fished the coastal gulf waters and Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning. We started at first light and hunted tarpon along Siesta Key. The water is beautiful, but I think still too cool at 74 degrees for tarpon to be plentiful. Since there wasn’t any action in the gulf, we retreated to Sarasota Bay near Bishop Point where Brian caught and released trout, bluefish to 2 ½-pounds and ladyfish on a chartreuse over white Clouser fly.
Brian Shenstone, from Gross Point Woods, MI, aught and released this 2 1/2-pound bluefish on a Clouser fly while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Hopefully, tarpon fishing will take off any day as the water warms and we head toward the new moon in May. I’ll start tarpon fishing next week and fish the flats for reds, snook and trout, if necessary. Next week’s tides improve toward the end of the week, so flats fishing should also improve as the tides get better.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 36
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 25, 2004 - 11:30 am: | |
SW Florida Fishing Report for 4/11 through 4/18/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released snook and trout during the past week. A strong front pushed through the area on Monday morning forcing the cancellation of the next couple of days of fishing.
John Wolfstaetter, from New York, NY and his dad, Paul Wolfstaetter from Valley Stream, NY, fished the Terra Ceia Bay area with me on Monday for a short time. We awoke to a strong, fast approaching squall line that looked like it should clear our area before dawn. After waiting it out for more than an hour at the boat launch ramp, we decided to go home and see if it would clear later in the day.
The skies cleared and the wind eased up, so we headed for the water again at 11 AM. John quickly caught and released a snook and a redfish on a brown over tan Clouser fly. However, it proved to be only a short-lived window of opportunity, as the winds cranked up to tropical storm force within a couple of hours. We called it quits only 3 hours into our second attempt and none too soon. Seas were very rough even though we were in fairly protected waters. Mother nature can get angry fast!
Tuesday and Wednesday’s fly fishing trips were cancelled due to 20 to 30-mph winds. Fly angler, Charlie Alexander from Osprey, FL, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday morning. We found the water temperature had fallen to 65 degrees, a 7 degree change from prior to the front. As a result we found the fishing slow. Charlie hooked a nice snook on a brown over tan Clouser fly along an oyster bar, but the fly line wrapped around the handle of his fly reel as he was clearing line and the fish broke off with a nice jump as the leader parted. Murphy’s Law! Charlie caught and released a couple of trout, also on Clouser flies, but we couldn’t get much else going.
Fly angler, Bill Crelin from Waukesh, WI, and his dad, Bill Crelin from Venice, FL, joined me for an evening snook trip in Venice that evening. Snook were feeding selectively on a variety of baits and eyed our flies and lures cautiously. They caught and released several snook to 22” on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies and DOA Tiny TerrorEyz.
Bill Crelin, from Venice, FL, caught and released this snook on a DOA Tiny TerrorEyz while fishing near Venice with his son, Bill and Capt. Rick Grassett.
Fly angler, Mel Green from Denver, CO, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday morning. We caught and released more than a dozen trout to 16” on a brown over tan Clouser fly at Stephen’s Point. The water in north Sarasota Bay was fairly clear despite the 3 days of wind earlier in the week.
I attended a fly casting clinic in Sarasota on Saturday morning with fly fishing legend and outdoor writer, Lefty Kreh. Lefty taught me his snake cast, which allows you to pick up your fly line from the water and change directions with only one false cast. This is a cast that will be invaluable when sight-fishing on the flats. Lefty dazzled the audience that evening at the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers annual banquet with his quick wit and a great slide show that included fishing destinations around the world. He is truly a gem in the sport of fly fishing!
Next week’s tides are favorable for snook fishing at night. Flats fishing should take off again when the water temperature returns to the low 70’s.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 35
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 11, 2004 - 6:46 am: | |
SW Florida Fishing Report for 4/4 through 4/11/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released trout, reds and snook during the past week. The best action was not with numbers of fish, but with quality snook in the Terra Ceia Bay area. Trout fishing was dependable on the deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Reds were plentiful in Charlotte Harbor, but not aggressive.
Fly angler Mike Perez, from Richmond, IN, fished Gasparilla Sound with me on Monday. We waded a sand bar where he had numerous shots at reds, but no takers. Mike caught and released several ladyfish and trout on Clouser flies fishing deep grass flats outside of Bull and Turtle Bays.
Mike and his guest, Phil Scott from Richmond, IN, fished Terra Ceia Bay with me on Thursday. Fish were more aggressive in this area, particularly snook. Mike and Phil caught and released 6 snook, including a 28” and a 30” snook, on CAL jigs with Exude Slugs. Mike caught one of the snook and a 3-pound trout on flies. Also included in the catch were several other trout caught and released on CAL jigs with shad tails.
Mike Perez, from Richmond, IN, caught and released this 30" snook while fishing the Terra Ceia Bay area with Capt. Rick Grassett.
John Saitta and his son, Tyler, from Huntingdon Valley, PA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. Reds behaved the same way that they did in Charlotte Harbor on Monday, following the fly but not eating. John had numerous shots at cruising reds with a variety of flies but no bites. They caught and released more than a dozen trout to 3-pounds on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails near Buttonwood Harbor.
John Leutner, from Herndon, VA, fished the Terra Ceia Bay area of lower Tampa Bay with me on Wednesday. John caught and released a slam, which included a pair of snook to 27”, a pair of reds to 24” and a 23” trout on CAL jigs with shad tails and the DOA Deadly combo rig. We still found reds to be very spooky.
John Wolfstaetter, from New York City and his dad, Paul Wolfstaetter from Valley Stream, NY, fished Charlotte Harbor with me on Friday. They caught and released numerous ladyfish on Clouser flies and CAL jigs in Gasparilla sound in the morning. We worked a small pod of tarpon that were rolling and laid up in 4-foot deep bay, but had no takers. Reds continued their trend of being noncommittal, following John’s flies but not biting. He did have one take a chartreuse/white Clouser fly that was cast to a shadow line along a mangrove shoreline.
Fly angler, Andy Cotton from Sarasota, FL, joined me for an evening snook trip on Saturday. We caught and released several snook to 22” on Grassett’s Grass Minnow and Skitterbug flies near Venice.
Next week’s tides improve toward the end of the week. I look for good action on the flats with trout, snook and reds. In addition, be prepared for tarpon, which are arriving in our area now. They may frequent deep bays and can best be located either rolling or laid up when the water is calm.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 34
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 04, 2004 - 9:34 am: | |
Sarasota & Venice, FL Fishing Report for 3/28 through 4/4/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past week with trout on the flats and snook at night. In addition, we caught scattered Spanish mackerel, bluefish and ladyfish. The best action was fly fishing for snook at night toward the end of the week as we headed toward the full moon.
Sarasota winter residents, Ernie Gray and Roger Lalonde, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday morning. The action was steady with trout and ladyfish on deep grass flats. They caught and released numerous trout to 17” on CAL jigs with shad tails and Cotee jigs with grubs, including a pair of slot-size fish, at the Radio Tower flat, Bishops Point and near Whale Key.
The action improved on Tuesday as Sarasota winter residents, Harry Beaty and Tom Schalk, joined me for a Sarasota Bay trip. We fished the same areas as on Monday, but the action was faster. They caught numerous trout to 21”, including 6 slot-size fish, a pair of bluefish to 2 ½ -pounds and a 26” Spanish mackerel that weighed more than 5-pounds.
Fly angler, Lew Murray from MI, fished Terra Ceia Bay with me on Wednesday. Lew is an experienced fly angler and covered the water thoroughly. He cast to numerous reds and snook with a variety of flies, but they didn’t want to eat. Since Lew has caught plenty of fish on deep grass flats in the past, we focused on reds and snook for the entire trip.
Wayne Dedyne, from St. Johns, MI, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday morning. A front pushed through the night before and the wind was strong out of the northwest. We fished south of the Ringling Causeway and down into Roberts Bay, to get some protection from the wind. Wayne caught and released numerous trout, ladyfish, a jack and a flounder on CAL jigs with shad tails and Cotee jigs with grubs. Wayne also caught his first saltwater fish with a fly, a trout, in Roberts Bay.
That evening, Jim Hutchins and his son, Scott, both from Sarasota, FL joined me for an evening snook trip in Venice. The wind was persistent, but they managed to catch and release 8 snook to 22” on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies. They had several other strikes and a couple of break offs, so the action wasn’t bad.
On Friday afternoon, Tim Kortejarvi and Charlie Gless, both from the St. Petersburg, FL area, joined me for a session of fly casting instruction followed by an evening snook trip. Charlie had some fly fishing experience, but Tim had never fly fished before. They both did well with the instruction and we headed for the water just before dusk. The wind was persistent at more than 15 mph and was gusting over 20 mph, so I knew we had our work cut out for us. Fortunately, the snook bit well and Tim and Charlie cast as well from the boat as they had on land. They caught and released about 30 snook to 22” on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies. A great trip!
Tim Kortejarvi, from the St. Petersburg, FL area, caught and released this snook on a fly while fishing the ICW near Venice, FL with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Next week’s tides are favorable for reds, snook and trout on the flats. In addition, cobia, Spanish mackerel and pompano could show up in the coastal gulf and inshore waters. Keep your eyes open for tarpon and be prepared for them. I saw the first tarpon of the season on Tuesday in Sarasota Bay. The 80-pound fish was “laid up” on the edge of a bar in 2-feet of water.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 33
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 28, 2004 - 3:53 pm: | |
Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 3/20 through 3/28/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught some quality fish during the past week. A persistent east wind all week, which was 15 to 20 mph and gusty, made fishing difficult. We had one good day with reds and also caught and released, a cobia, pompano and a legal snook during the week.
Rick Peregord, from Southgate, MI, fished 3 days with me last week. On Monday morning, he started the day off by landing a 14-pound cobia on a DOA shrimp at the Middleground flat. The wind cranked up and we moved to the east side of the bay along a sandbar where Rick caught and released 5 reds on CAL jigs with shad tails.
Rick Peregord, from Southgate, MI, caught and released this 14-pound cobia on a DOA shrimp while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
We fished Blackburn Bay on Tuesday afternoon and evening. Rick did well catching and releasing numerous ladyfish and jacks, 3 snook and a pair of reds casting to docks along the leeward side of the bay. As darkness fell, snook began to feed heavily around lighted docks on glass minnows and tiny shrimp. However, they were extremely selective and ignored our lures and even a fly rigged to fish with spinning tackle. Ladyfish were more aggressive and banged our lures outside the lighted areas.
Rick caught his best snook ever, a feisty 27-incher, and a 2 1/2 –pound pompano on Thursday. The pompano was caught on a Cotee jig with a grub at the Middleground flat and the snook was caught on a CAL jig with a shad tail along an oyster bar on the east side of Sarasota Bay. It was a tough day of fishing, but Rick slammed by also catching and releasing a small red and several nice trout on CAL jigs with shad tails.
Ohio State head football coach, Jim Tressel, and his father-in-law, Frank Watson, both from OH, fished with me on Wednesday morning. The wind was gusting over 20 mph and made most spots unfishable. I found a concentration of trout on a grass flat near Big Pass where they caught and released more than 15 trout on Cotee jigs with grubs.
Friday’s trip was a repeat of trips earlier in the week, wind and more wind. Fly angler, Greg Poppe, from Midland, MI, fished Sarasota Bay with me. It was tough fishing a fly, but Greg hung in there most of the day. He caught and released several trout, ladyfish and a Spanish mackerel on Clouser flies and Cotee jigs with grubs at Stephens Point and near Big Pass.
Rusty Chinnis and I instructed an Orvis-Endorsed fly casting school on Longboat Key on Saturday. Another group of anglers are on their way to becoming fly anglers, a sport they’ll hopefully enjoy for a lifetime. The next school is slated for next Saturday, April 3, 2004, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key. Anyone interested in participating can contact CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 or me at (941) 923-7799 to sign up.
Next week’s tides are favorable for reds, snook and trout on the flats and snook at night, particularly toward the end of the week. Cobia, Spanish mackerel and pompano are also options in the coastal gulf waters and the flats.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 32
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 20, 2004 - 8:05 am: | |
Sarasota & Venice, FL Fishing Report for 3/14 through 3/20/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past week with Spanish mackerel in Sarasota Bay. Fly anglers also scored with snook at night and caught a few reds and trout on the flats.
Fly angler, Larry Feiner from Newtown Square, PA, fished “snook alley” near Venice with me on Sunday evening. The bite was steady, but not real fast. Larry had done some steam fishing for trout in the mountains of Pennsylvania in the past and he quickly adapted to night snook fishing, which has some similarities. Much like drifting a fly in the current of a stream, we cast upside and let the tidal current swing our fly into the snook’s strike zone. Larry caught and released about 10 snook to 23” on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies.
A front passed through the area on Tuesday morning, forcing the cancellation of the morning’s fishing. It was welcome time found that I used to install my new digital foot controlled Lenco trolling motor system. Tarpon season is just around the corner and will be here quicker than we can imagine.
Fly anglers, Nick Reding and Jim Ewoldt, both from St. Louis, MO, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. Our game plan was to wade and hunt reds, snook and trout on shallow flats. Although the water was beautiful, the fishing was slow. We waded a bar on the east side of the bay where they caught and released a redfish, a trout and a jack.
Nick had to head in early, so Jim and I fished a couple of more hours. Wind had become a factor, but we found a calm area in New Pass that was full of Spanish mackerel. It was a perfect opportunity to try out my new Orvis Multi-tip fly line. We had 10 to 20 feet of water and a fast current. I put the 15-foot Class VI sink tip on with a 6- foot leader and an Ultra Hair Clouser fly. It worked beautifully and Jim caught a half dozen or so Spanish mackerel.
My dad, Dave Grassett from Seaford, DE, joined me for a couple of days of fishing on Thursday and Friday. We spent Thursday morning catching Spanish mackerel at the Middleground flat in Sarasota Bay on Cotee jigs with grubs and Ultra Hair Clouser flies. We located some reds in the afternoon, but they were very spooky and didn’t want to eat.
On Friday morning, having had our fill of Spanish mackerel, we headed straight for redfish. We fished a bar on the east side of Sarasota Bay where we caught and released 4 reds to 26”, several trout in the 20” class, a snook and a flounder on CAL jigs with shad tails and my Grassett’s Flats Minnow fly. I caught a red on the first cast with a fly while working my boat down the edge of a bar with my new Lenco trolling motor system!
Dave Grassett, from Seaford, DE, caught and released this nice red while fishing a sandbar in Sarasota Bay with his son, Capt. Rick Grassett.
We’re going to head east of Sarasota this weekend in pursuit of Osceola turkeys, which is my dad’s favorite type of hunting. Next week’s tides are favorable for reds, snook and trout on the flats. Spanish mackerel should remain a good option and pompano are starting to show on deep grass flats close to the passes and in passes. Night snook fishing is also a good option, as long as you’re there during peak tidal flows.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 31
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, March 14, 2004 - 10:00 am: | |
Southwest, FL Fishing Report for 3/6 through 3/13/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past week with snook, reds and trout. The best action was fly fishing for snook at night in the Venice area. With spring upon us, snook are staging on shallow flats and bars of north Sarasota Bay.
My brother, Kirk Grassett from Bear, DE, fished with me on Sunday and Monday. We were the guests of my friend, Capt. Rick DePaiva, in Pine Island Sound on Sunday. Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, FL, also joined us. Since there were four anglers, we fished out of my Action Craft 1820 Kevlar/Carbon Fiber flats skiff and Capt. Rick’s Kevlar Dolphin Super Skiff. Reds were tailing all over, but as is often the case, they were challenging. We landed a pair of big reds, one on a Kwan fly and the other on a DOA shrimp and lost a couple of others. In addition, we caught a couple of nice trout and a large jack. Small schools of jacks cruised the shallow flat busting baitfish in their path!
Kirk and I fished Sarasota Bay on Monday morning. We waded a bar on the east side of the bay and had a good bite with reds and trout. We landed 6 reds and 3 or 4 trout on Crab Clouser flies (olive/tan/white) and my new Grassett’s Flat’s Minnow fly. After some trailer repairs and a short break in the afternoon, we headed for “snook alley” in Venice for some night snook fishing. Snook gorged themselves on glass minnows and ate our flies just as well. We caught and released more than 25 snook to 26” on Grassett’s Grass Minnow and a tiny white Deceiver type fly.
Fred Denk and Jim Larson, both from Sarasota, FL, fished the same area with me on Tuesday evening and the snook fed just as well as the previous evening. They caught and released more than 25 snook to 25” on the same flies.
Fly angler, Perry DeLalio from Southampton, NY, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday afternoon. A front had pushed through late Tuesday evening and the wind cranked up to 15 or 20 mph. Despite the windy conditions, Perry caught and released several ladyfish, trout and a snook on Unique Hair Clousers and Grassett’s Flats Minnow flies. Nick Reding, from St. Louis, MO, and Pat Campbell, from Toronto, OH, fished “snook alley” with me on Wednesday evening. The trend continued, as they caught and released more than 25 snook on flies.
Nick Reding, from St. Louis, MO, caught this nice snook on a fly while fishing "snook alley" with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Bob Kahlor and Al Pledrup, both from Callawassie Island, SC, fished Sarasota Bay near Buttonwood Harbor with me on Thursday afternoon. They caught several trout to 18”, bluefish, flounder and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA shrimp. That evening fly anglers, Dick Reece from Dayton, OH, and Gene Leverone, from Lynnfield, MA, snook fished with me in Venice. The bite had slowed a little from previous evenings, but they still managed to catch and release 16 snook to 24” on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies.
Ed Franzoni, from Ithaca, NY, and his son-in-law, Stan Witkowski from Point Pleasant, NJ, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. The goal was reds and snook with a fly. Although we located plenty of snook and a few reds, they were extremely spooky in the crystal clear, shallow water. They had numerous shots, but it wasn’t happening. We fished a deeper grass flat near Buttonwood Harbor where they caught a few trout and a flounder on Ultra Hair Clouser flies.
Next week’s tides are favorable for reds, snook and trout on the flats, particularly toward the end of the week. Spanish mackerel should come on strong again as the water warms following last week’s front. In addition, cobia and tripletail should be options in the coastal gulf waters.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
*Click on this link or copy and paste into your URL browser box for a video fishing report and forecast
http://www.flyfishingflorida.net/rickplayer.html
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 30
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, March 06, 2004 - 9:34 am: | |
Sarasota & Charlotte Harbor, FL Fishing Report for 3/1 through 3/6/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had great action during the past week with Spanish mackerel and bluefish in Sarasota Bay. In addition, we caught trout to 3-pounds, reds to 6-pounds, bluefish and pompano.
Fly angler, Nick Reding from St. Louis, MO, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. We had great action at the Middleground and Radio Tower flats. He caught more than 15 Spanish mackerel to 2-pounds, 3 pompano, bluefish and trout on long shank mackerel flies. We also caught several nice trout along the west side of Sarasota Bay on the same flies.
Pieter Thomassen, from Holmes Beach, FL, and Tom Edsall, from Ann Arbor, MI, fished Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor with me on Tuesday. They caught more than 15 trout to 18” on CAL jigs with grubs and Clouser flies near the Three Sister Keys and in Bull Bay. We spent some time hunting reds and found some but they wouldn’t eat a fly or jig.
Dick Reece, from Dayton, OH, and Pat Campbell, from Toronto, OH, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. They had a great morning with Spanish mackerel and bluefish at the Middleground flat catching more than 40 fish before moving to shallow water to hunt for reds, snook and trout. They caught and released 4 reds to 6-pounds on CAL jigs with shad tails on the east side of Sarasota Bay from Stephens Point to the Whitfield area.
Bill and Margaret Redman, from Bellevue, WA, joined me for a trip in Sarasota Bay on Thursday. Bill is an accomplished fly angler and had reds and snook on his mind, but the bite for Spanish mackerel was too hot to ignore so we spent a couple of hours targeting them. He caught and released several Spanish mackerel, bluefish, ladyfish and trout on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly. We shifted gears and moved to shallow water to hunt reds and snook about mid morning. We worked the west side of Sarasota Bay near Buttonwood Harbor where Bill caught and released a couple of nice trout and one redfish on a chartreuse/white Clouser. Five species of fish on a fly!
My brother, Kirk Grassett from Bear, DE, is visiting for a few days and we fished Sarasota Bay on Friday morning. The bite had slowed a little, but we caught and released several Spanish mackerel to 4-pounds, bluefish and large ladyfish on Unique Hair Clouser flies. The wind kicked up out of the south about mid morning so we headed for the west side of Sarasota Bay, which offers some protection from a south wind. I poled Kirk down a bar near Bishop Point and he caught and released a couple of nice trout to 3-pounds on a brown/tan Clouser fly.
Kirk Grassett, from Bear, DE, caught and released this 3-pound trout on a brown over tan Clouser fly while fishing Sarasota Bay with his brother, Capt. Rick.
Next week’s tides are favorable for snook fishing at night around lighted docks and bridge fenders. Fly fishing is still the most productive technique due to the smaller baits that they are feeding on. The flats have warmed up nicely and four tide days next week should mean good flats fishing for reds, trout and snook. The Spanish mackerel bite should also continue as long as the water temperature stays in the high 60’s to low 70’s.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
*Click on this link or copy and paste into your URL browser box for a video fishing report and forecast
http://www.flyfishingflorida.net/rickplayer.html
|
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 29
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 29, 2004 - 6:06 am: | |
Southwest Florida Fishing Report for 2/22 through 2/29/2004
Mack attack! Spanish mackerel invaded the inshore waters of Sarasota Bay and lower Tampa Bay last week. In addition, anglers caught scattered bluefish, trout and large ladyfish in the same areas. Night snook fishing continues to be hot as fly anglers scored in the Venice area.
Fly anglers, Dick Reece from Dayton, OH, and Gene Leverone, from Lynnfield, MA, fished lower Tampa Bay with me on Monday near Terra Ceia Bay. Spanish mackerel were thick and readily attacked their flies. They caught more than 30 mackerel to 2-pounds on a mackerel fly that I tie on a long shank hook, which keeps their teeth off the leader. We poled a couple of shorelines in Terra Ceia Bay and saw lots of reds, but they were so spooky you couldn’t get near them.
Radio host, Capt. Mel Berman from Tampa, FL, and Tom Cheek, the voice of the Toronto Blue Jays, joined me for a Sarasota Bay trip on Tuesday. The Spanish mackerel were almost as thick in Sarasota Bay as they were in lower Tampa Bay. They caught more than 15 mackerel, several bluefish, trout and ladyfish on CAL jigs with grubs and DOA shrimp. We caught most of the fish at the Radio Tower and Middleground flats of Sarasota Bay.
A front moved through on Wednesday morning and we were greeted with heavy rain, lightning and 20 mph winds forcing the cancellation of my morning trip. We tried to get the afternoon trip in, but after about an hour the rain set back in and lightning began to pop, so we bagged it. We caught and released numerous Spanish mackerel, bluefish and large ladyfish on CAL jigs with grubs on only 2 or 3 drifts at the Radio Tower flat in Sarasota Bay.
Fly angler, Dave Wahl from Sterling, IL, fished the same area with me on Thursday morning. The weather was beautiful, since the rain had passed, and the high pressure hadn’t settled in yet. Dave caught and released 15 or 20 Spanish mackerel to 2-pounds, bluefish, ladyfish and trout on my mackerel flies and Clousers. Great action! That evening, Dick Reece and Jim Van Tassel, both from Dayton, OH, joined me for a snook trip in the ICW near Venice. Snook were feeding heavily, but they were being selective. They caught and released more than 25 snook to 23” on a variety of flies. We found that after catching several snook on a particular pattern we had to change patterns or spots to keep catching. They scored with Grassett’s Grass Minnow, String Bean and Enrico Puglisi shrimp fly patterns.
Dave Wahl, from Sterling, IL, caught and released this nice Spanish mackerel on a fly while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
The cool air and wind following Wednesdays rain finally settled in on Friday morning. I had a Sarasota Bay trip with fly anglers, Carl Copp from Dennis, MA, and Arnold Mendelsohn, from Simsbury, CT. We had hoped to get in on the Spanish mackerel action that was hot just a day before, but 20 mph northwest winds and air temperatures that struggled to make 60 degrees, but never made it, put a damper on our trip. The mission became to find a place that was comfortable to fish. We headed south to Roberts Bay where they caught and released several ladyfish and trout on black/white Clouser flies.
Steve Marsden, from Waunakee, WI, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning. The forecast was for 15 to 20 mph wind and cool air, but conditions were better than the forecast. The wind was light and it warmed to 70 degrees for a comfortable morning of fishing. Steve caught and released more than 20 large ladyfish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies. We hunted reds in shallow water and found a few, but they didn’t want to bite due to the drastic drop in the water temperature.
Next weeks tides are favorable for reds and trout on the flats, particularly toward the end of the week, when negative low tides will concentrate them in holes. Spanish mackerel should return as soon as the water warms back up a few degrees.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
|
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 28
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 22, 2004 - 8:59 am: | |
Sarasota and Venice, FL Fishing Report for 2/15 through 2/22/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past week with trout, redfish, Spanish mackerel and snook. The best action was fly fishing for snook at night around lighted docks and bridge fenders. We had a good bite with Spanish mackerel for a couple of hours on Friday afternoon.
Bill Walsh and sons, Matt and Andrew, from Lexington, MA fished a couple of days with me last week. We fished Little Sarasota Bay on Monday where they had plenty of action with large ladyfish, trout, a flounder and a small red on CAL jigs with grubs. We were scheduled to fish on Wednesday, but we awoke to 15 to mph winds and air temperatures in the mid 40’s. We decided we’d violate the “fun rule” (if it’s not fun don’t do it), so we didn’t fish that day.
They fished again with me on Friday and had a good day in north Sarasota Bay with several trout to 19” and reds to 26”. The best action was along the bar on the east side of the bay with CAL jigs and Exude slugs. Around noon we headed south and fished the Radio Tower and Middleground flats, just inside New Pass, where we had a good bite with Spanish mackerel and trout on CAL jigs with grubs and Diamond Jigs. We caught more than a dozen mackerel and several more trout.
Fly anglers, Sandy Lawrence from Sarasota, FL, and Gary Bartell, from Westernville, NY, fished an afternoon/evening trip near Venice with me on Tuesday. A 15 to 20 mph wind made fishing the flats tough, but they did manage several ladyfish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies before dark. After dark we worked lighted areas and despite a persistent wind, which didn’t let up, they caught and released 25 snook to 23”, several more ladyfish and a bluefish on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies.
Gary Bartell caught and released this snook on a Grassett's Grass Minnow fly while fishing with Capt. Rick.
Dick Reece, from Dayton, OH, and his grandson, Daniel Reinhart, from MA, fished north Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. We fished the east side and caught and released several trout and a redfish, Daniel’s first! We spent the latter half of our trip fishing deep grass flats on the west side of the bay, where they caught several more trout and a bluefish on CAL jigs with grubs.
We had another successful Orvis-Endorsed saltwater fly fishing school at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Saturday. Eight students received classroom and hands on instruction on fly casting, knots, flies, leader construction and saltwater fishing techniques. The next schools are scheduled for March 13 & 27, 2004. You can contact me for more info.
Next week’s tides are favorable for fishing the flats and snook around lighted docks and bridge fenders at night.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
|
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 27
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 15, 2004 - 7:46 am: | |
Southwest Florida Fishing Report for 2/8 through 2/15/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past week with trout and reds on the flats of north Sarasota Bay. The best action was fly fishing for snook at night. Snook gorged themselves on glass minnows and small shrimp and even a redfish got in on the action.
Troy Ball, from Tarpon Springs, FL, and Pet Janak, from Sarasota, FL, fished north Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. The action wasn’t fast, but it was steady. They caught and released 3 small reds and about 15 trout on CAL jigs with grubs. Many of the trout were in the 17” to 18” class with the largest going about 4-pounds. We fished sand bars on the east side of Sarasota Bay north of the Ringling mansion and the west side from Buttonwood Harbor to south of Bishop Point. They also picked up a small bluefish on the deep grass outside the bar.
Paul and Jackie Grosso, from Arlington, VA, fished Bull and Turtle Bays in Charlotte Harbor with me on Tuesday. We spent most of the day targeting reds. Although we found lots of them, they were tough to approach in the clear shallow water and even tougher to catch. We had several shots at tailing reds with weedless-rigged jerk worms but they didn’t bite. We did catch and release numerous trout to 18” near the Three Sisters Keys on CAL jigs with a variety of plastic tails.
Fly angler, Pat Campbell from Toronto, OH, joined me for an evening snook trip in the Venice area on Wednesday evening. Snook went on a feeding binge and gorged themselves on glass minnows. We weren’t counting fish, but we must have caught and released about 40 snook to 23”, a couple of ladyfish and a 28” redfish on my tiny Grassett’s Grass Minnow fly. The fly is tied on a #4 hook and duplicates the glass minnows that the snook were keyed in on.
On Thursday afternoon, fly angler John Wilson, from University Park, FL, joined me for a trip in Sarasota Bay. John recently participated in one of our Orvis-Endorsed fly casting schools at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters and wanted to try his skills on the flats. We fished deep grass flats near Markers 5, 6 and 7 south of the Ringling Causeway. John caught and released several trout and a Spanish mackerel on Clouser flies fished on an intermediate fly line. That evening fly angler Bryan Beebe, from Sarasota, FL, and Anita Fodor, also from Sarasota, FL, joined me for a snook trip in Venice. The action was a little slower than the previous night, but still a good trip. They caught and released more than 15 snook to 23” on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies.
Don and Barbara Ecker, from Ft. Lee, NJ, snook fished with me on Friday evening. The tide was slow to start, but once it got going the snook began to feed. They managed to catch and release about 10 snook to 23” on my snook fly before we called it a night.
Next weeks tides will be favorable for reds and trout on the flats toward the end of the week as we approach the new moon. Fly fishing for snook at night should also be hot as long as you fish when the tide is moving fast.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
|
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 26
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 07, 2004 - 7:54 am: | |
Southwest Florida Fishing Report for 2/1 through 2/7/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past week with trout and bluefish. Trout were the most reliable on the edges of bars and adjacent grass flats. Water temperatures warmed to the high 60’s at the end of the week and snook moved onto the flats to feed.
Fly anglers, Pat Bennett from Springfield, OH, and Lou Hoskyns, from Spartanburg, SC, fished a pre dawn snook trip near Venice with me on Tuesday morning. Although snook were our goal, we found bluefish feeding heavily near the Venice Inlet. When blues move onto a spot, they will often push the snook out. They caught and released 6 bluefish to 5-pounds and a couple of snook on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies. Later that morning, I fished north Sarasota Bay near the Sister Keys and Bishop Point with Sarasota winter residents, Harry Beaty and Tom Schalk. We did well with trout, catching more than 15 , including 5 slot size fish between 17” and 19”. CAL jigs with jerk worms accounted for most of the fish.
Fly anglers, Pat Campbell from Toronto, OH, and Gene Leverone, from Lynnfield, MA, fished Palma Sola Bay with me on Wednesday morning. They had good action early in the day catching and releasing numerous trout and ladyfish on Clouser and bendback flies. Fly angler, Jeff Barnum from Stratham, NH, fished Charlotte Harbor with me on Thursday. We fished potholes in Bull and Turtle Bays and had a good day catching and releasing a couple of reds, several trout and ladyfish on Clouser flies. He also had several shots at tailing reds.
Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL and Bill Graham, from Lake Bluff, IL, fished north Sarasota Bay with me on Friday morning. We had a good bite along the bar on the east side of Sarasota Bay near Bowlees Creek for the first couple of hours. They caught a 27” snook, a pair of reds and about ten trout to 20” on CAL jigs with the new grub tail. The snook was caught on the first cast of the day on a CAL jig with a gold grub. The wind really cranked up by mid morning and killed the action. Fly angler, Charlie Bloom from New York City, fished with me during the afternoon. We headed south of the Ringling Causeway to find protected water where he caught and released ladyfish and trout on Clouser flies fished on an intermediate fly line.
Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, and Bill Graham, from Lake Bluff, IL, with a 27" snook that Keith landed on a CAL jig with a grub while fishing north Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Next week’s tides are favorable for trout and reds on the flats. Fly fishing for snook and bluefish at night should also be a good option.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
|
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 25
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 01, 2004 - 9:19 am: | |
Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 1/25 through 2/1/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict experienced fast action during the past week with redfish and trout. Trout were consistent throughout the week, but reds were better early in the week. CAL jigs, Clouser flies and a new bendback fly that I’ve been tying accounted for most of the fish. We found the largest trout and reds on the edges of bars. Most of the anglers that fished with me during the past week are old friends and longtime clients that have fished with me for years.
Mike Sprague, from Hillsborough, NJ, and Kep Phillips, from Harrison, NJ, fished north Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. With a front approaching, we found reds scattered along the edge of a bar and hungry. They caught and released 6 reds to 24” and an 18” trout near Bishop Point on CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms. At one point, they doubled with a pair of nice reds. A good day!
A front blew in early Tuesday morning with lots of rain and wind, so we postponed the morning trip. The wind was still up at more than 20 mph by evening, so we bagged that trip, a fly fishing trip for snook, too.
Norm and Francie Boardman, from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. Although the action was a little slow to start, they finished the day strong. We fished the east side of Sarasota Bay north of the Ringling mansion early in the day and connected with a pair of reds, one on a CAL jig and one on an olive bendback fly. Since the action wasn’t fast in that area, we moved to the west side of the bay after lunch. They caught and released about 25 trout to 18”on CAL jigs and a chartreuse/white Clouser fly near Buttonwood Harbor during the afternoon. Although many of the trout have been below the slot, we are getting a few trout in the 2-pound plus class.
Pat and Patricia Campbell, from Toronto, OH, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday morning. The water temperature had cooled to the high 50’s following the front earlier in the week, so fish were behaving sluggishly. They caught about a dozen trout to 19” (including 3 slot-size fish) and a flounder on CAL jigs and Clouser flies near Bowlees Creek and Buttonwood Harbor. Fly angler, Vince Lyons and his wife, Lois, from Atlanta, GA, fished the afternoon with me. A steady drizzle made fishing uncomfortable, but we got most of our trip in. They caught and released 6 or 8 trout to 18” on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails near Bishop Point before we called it a day.
Fly angler, Vince Lyons from Atlanta, GA, caught and released this nice trout on a Clouser fly while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick.
Tom Lamb, from Geneva, Switzerland, was joined by his daughter, Diane, and Tim Cole, from Sarasota for a trip with me on Saturday morning. We found the water still in the high 50’s and the wind had a bite to it. Despite that, they caught about 25 trout to 20” and a pair of small bluefish. Most of the trout were small, but 3 were in the slot between 17” and 20”. The best action was near Whale Key on CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms.
A couple of sunny days should get the water temperature back in the 60’s and the air temperature back in the 70’s. Fishing should be good next week, since negative low tides will concentrate fish in potholes and along the edges of flats.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
|
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 24
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 25, 2004 - 11:59 am: | |
Sarasota & Charlotte Harbor, FL Fishing Report for 1/18 through 1/25/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past week with trout and reds in Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor. Anglers caught reds to 10 ½-lbs and trout to 4-lbs on CAL jigs with jerk worms and Cotee jigs with grubs. The best trip of the week was in Bull and Turtle Bays where anglers caught numerous big reds.
Mark Dickson, from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. It was a damp, foggy morning as we left the dock, but the fog burned off by mid morning. Mark caught about 15 trout, a bluefish and a small red on CAL jigs with jerkworms near Buttonwood Harbor. Many of the trout were in the slot and about 18”. We got off the water just ahead of an impressive front that looked like a curtain approaching from the northwest.
Harry Beaty and Paul Rotz, both from Ontario, Canada, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. They caught about 15 trout to 4-lbs, including many in the slot from 17”-20”, on CAL jigs with jerk worms on the grass flats just inside Big Pass, near markers 5 & 7, and on the east side of Sarasota Bay along the bar north of the Ringling mansion. We saw some big trout in the 4-lb to 5-lb class in skinny water.
Dale Vollrath, from Sarasota, FL, and Steve Chung, from San Francisco, CA, fished Bull and Turtle Bays in Charlotte Harbor with me on Thursday. They caught and released about a dozen or 15 trout to 18” and 7 reds to 10 ½-lbs on CAL jigs with jerk worms. A great day!
Dale Vollrath, from Sarasota, FL, and Steve Chung, from San Francisco, CA, with a nice red that Dale caught and released in Turtle Bay on a CAL jig with a jerk worm will fishing with Capt. Rick
Rusty Chinnis and I fished with our friend, Capt. Rick DePaiva, near Matlacha on Pine Island on Friday. The goal was tailing redfish on a fly and it was slow to start due to windy conditions. We caught several nice trout on DOA shrimp while hunting for reds and had some shots at reds with a fly in the morning. In the afternoon, the wind calmed and tails started popping up. I caught and released a beautiful red of about 9-lbs that was sight-fished in crystal clear water. We had numerous shots and hooked 3 other fish on an olive bendback that I have been having good success with. A great day! If you are interested in fishing the Pine Island Sound area, Capt. Rick can be reached at www.saltwaterflyfishing.org.
I fished Sarasota Bay with outdoor writer and guide, Capt. Bill Faulkner, from Naples, FL and his guest, Rick Paolillo from Venice, FL on Saturday. The goal was reds and trout on flies and jigs for an article on Sarasota Bay. We fished flats on the east side of Sarasota Bay and caught and released 5 reds to 28” and only one trout. Most of the reds were rats, but we saw numerous big reds and trout. As is often the case in the winter, we found them very spooky in the clear, shallow water.
You can also get my daily fishing reports on www.flyfishingflorida.net and view current and archived photos on both web sites. Next week’s tides will be favorable for reds and trout on the flats and snook at night. With water temperatures as cold as they are now, in the high 50’s to low 60’s, fishing the flats may be better in the afternoon and early evening, which is when the water will be warmest.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
|
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 23
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, January 18, 2004 - 5:13 am: | |
Southwest, FL Fishing Report for 1/10 through 1/18/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past week. The best action was with snook at night on flies near Venice and trout in Charlotte Harbor. Reds and snook in shallow water continue to be challenging due to gin-clear water, although we are catching a few reds.
Fly anglers, Bernie Feinberg from Sarasota, FL, and David Schofield, from Elmira, NY, snook fished with me on Monday evening near Venice. The tide was slow, so snook fed selectively but steady. They caught and released 18 snook to 23” and a small redfish on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies.
Fly angler, Nick Reding from St. Louis, MO, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday afternoon. We worked potholes for reds in north Sarasota Bay with an olive bendback and had a few shots at fish but no bites. We dropped out to deeper water and worked a bar near Buttonwood Harbor where Nick caught and released several trout on a chartreuse/white Ultra Hair Clouser.
Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, Victor Feldman, from Champagne, IL and Jack Lyons, from Chicago, IL fished Bull and Turtle Bays in Charlotte Harbor with me on Wednesday. They caught more than 40 trout to 19”, several reds and ladyfish and a flounder on chartreuse CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms. About 2/3 of the trout were in the 16”-18” class and were caught out of holes at the bottom of the tide. We saw many large reds ands snook that also spotted us long before we could get a shot at them. A great day!
Fly anglers, Scott Heidler from Hudson, OH, and Brad Symonds, from Atlanta, GA, fished a pre dawn/morning snook/flats trip with me in the Venice area on Thursday morning. The tide was slow to start but once it picked up speed the snook turned on. They worked dock and bridge fender lights and caught and released 13 snook to 23” and 4 bluefish to 18” on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies. After daylight, we worked a couple of oyster bars in Little Sarasota Bay. Due to the crystal clear water and poor light, they opted to cast CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms to make longer casts and cover more water. They finished the day with a few large ladyfish.
Fly angler, Owen Pepper from Virginia Beach, VA, honed his casting skills with some private casting instruction on Friday afternoon and then headed for the water with me for an evening snook trip. Already an experienced caster, we worked on distance by tightening the casting loop and the timing of the double haul. The tide was slow at first and the snook didn’t bite very well. However, it finally started to move and they started to bite before our trip was done. Owen caught and released about a dozen snook to 23”, a ladyfish and a mangrove snapper on Grassett’s Grass Minnow fly. Owen added another species of fish to the list of fish he’s caught with a fly, his first snook!
We had another successful Orvis-Endorsed Fly Fishing School at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Saturday. Rusty Chinnis, also an FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor, and I were the instructors for the one-day course. Participants received instruction in the classroom and in the field on fly casting, leader construction, knots and fly selection.
Next week’s negative low tides in the morning should concentrate reds and trout in potholes. Evening tides are also favorable for snook at night.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
|
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 22
Registered: 8-2003
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 10, 2004 - 11:29 am: | |
Southwest Florida Fishing Report for Jan. 4-10, 2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action with reds, snook and trout during the past week. Negative low tides concentrated reds and trout in potholes and troughs. Fly fishing for snook at night was also hot.
Fly anglers, Keith McClintock from Lake Forest, IL, and Victor Feldman, from Champaign, IL, fished “snook alley” in Venice with me last Sunday evening. The bite was hot as snook gorged themselves on glass minnows. A fast moving tide is critical for this fishing and when it is, anglers are usually rewarded. Keith and Victor caught and released more than 20 snook to 23” on Grassett’s Grass Minnow and Enrico Puglisi Micro Minnows.
Kip Mehring and his 10-year old son, Brandon, from Oak Lawn, IL, fished north Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. We found fast action with trout to 18” and reds along the drop off of a sand bar near Bishop Point. They caught and released more than 30 trout and ladyfish and 3 or 4 small reds on CAL jigs with shad tails.
Wednesday morning I awoke to almost 20 mph winds gusting about 25 mph. We decided we would break the fun rule if we went fishing (if it isn’t any fun don’t do it), so I postponed the days fishing for a better day. Kip and Brandon fished with me again on Thursday. We headed north to the Terra Ceia Bay area, where we found reds in potholes. They caught and released 6 reds, 5 small ones and a 32”, 12 ½-pound monster, on CAL jigs with shad tails and Cotee jigs with flashtail grubs. Surprisingly, we didn’t catch any trout in the potholes. We finished the day with fast action with large ladyfish.
Kip & Brandon Mehring's 12 1/2 lb. Redfish
Chris Peterson, from Bellmore, NY, fished north Sarasota Bay near Buttonwood Harbor with me on Friday morning. Again with a very low tide, reds were concentrated in potholes. Chris caught and released 6 reds to 24”and several trout to 17” on CAL jigs with shad tails and Cotee jigs with grubs. We stopped for a couple of drifts at Stephen’s Point as we headed in and caught bluefish, ladyfish and trout.
I had an interesting trip on Friday afternoon with Erhan Tatishev, from Russia and his 10-year old son, Al, a student at Nick Bollitieri’s Tennis Academy in Bradenton. They wanted to learn to fly fish and they made good progress with their casting, but didn’t catch any fish on flies. The language barrier was sometimes a problem, but Al would jump in with an explanation in Russian when necessary. After switching to spinning tackle, they caught about 10 trout to 18”, including 3 slot size fish, and numerous ladyfish.
Next week’s tides should be good for fishing the flats or fly fishing for snook at night. Whenever possible, fish when fronts are approaching or in the windows between fronts. Fishing immediately following a front can be tough.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
|
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 21
Registered: 8-2003
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, January 03, 2004 - 11:46 am: | |
Charlotte Harbor and Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 12/28/2003 through 1/3/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released trout, redfish, snook and bluefish during the past week. Most fish were caught on flies and the best action was with trout. Clear water on the flats made reds and snook very spooky and hard to approach.
Fly angler Mike Perez, from Richmond, IN, fished Charlotte Harbor with me on Monday and Friday. Mike caught and released a pair of reds and about 15 trout to 18” on black and white Clouser flies in Bull and Turtle Bays on Monday. We found the fishing tougher on Friday. Very clear water and not much breeze, made reds and snook hard to approach. However, Mike did catch and release about 20 trout to 19” on a variety of flies including black/white Clousers and bendbacks.
Keith McClintock and his son-in-law, Rick Anderson, both from Lake Forest, IL, fished the same area with me on Tuesday. They caught and released a pair of reds, more than 30 trout to 18”and a 27” snook on CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms. We again found that reds and snook in clear shallow water were hard to approach even when making long casts with jigs. Many of the trout caught in Charlotte Harbor during the week were in the 18” class.
Fly anglers Terry Notari, from Longboat Key, FL, and his son Craig Notari, from Winnetka, IL, fished a pre dawn snook trip on New Years Eve morning and then waded the flats of Little Sarasota Bay with me after daylight. We found the tide to be moving slowly, although the tide chart showed that it should be better. As a result, snook did not feed very well. They caught and released a snook, an 18” trout and a couple of bluefish to 3-pounds on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies during the first half of the trip. We spent the rest of the morning wading around oyster bars looking for reds. They caught and released several ladyfish and a jack on Clouser flies, but the reds proved to be elusive. It was a beautiful day and a great way to spend the last day of the year.
Brian and Joanne Shenstone, from Grosse Pointe Woods, MI, ushered in the New Year with me on New Year’s Day afternoon on a trip with me in Little Sarasota Bay. Brian caught and released numerous large ladyfish, a trout and a jack on a chartreuse/white Ultra Hair Clouser. Joanne also caught a few ladyfish on Cotee jigs with grubs.
The weather has been great with lows in the high 50’s and highs in the high 70’s. Next weeks tides are favorable for fishing the flats for reds and trout or snook at night.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
|
Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
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Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 20
Registered: 8-2003
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, December 28, 2003 - 9:12 am: | |
Southwest Florida Fishing Report for 12/21 through 12/28/2003
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had great action with reds, trout and flounder during the past week despite water temperatures ranging from the mid 50’s to mid 60’s. Negative low tides concentrated fish in holes and troughs and made locating them easier if I could get to the spots. One of the most rewarding trips of the week was with a couple of youth fly anglers that could really fish well!
Bill Beauchamp and Larry Stanczuk, both from Bradenton, FL, fished the Terra Ceia Bay area with me on Monday. They had great action during the morning when the tide was very low. They caught 8 or 10 reds to 26”, a dozen flounder and several nice trout on CAL jigs with shad tails and Cotee jigs with grubs. In the afternoon, the action slowed as the tide got high enough to allow fish to scatter.
Tuesdays trip was even more action packed as Keith McClintock and son-in-law, Rick, both from Lake Forest, IL, and Victor Feldman, from Champaign, IL, fished Charlotte Harbor with me. The best action was in the backcountry of Bull and Turtle Bays, where they caught and released 15 reds, more than 30 trout and several flounder on CAL jigs with shad tails. We had the same situation with a negative low tide concentrating fish. Although the reds were “rats”, more than half of the trout were in the 18” to 20” class.
Tom and Jamie Minnick, from Cincinnati, OH, fished the Terra Ceia Bay area with me on Christmas Eve day. They had a great trip with me catching more than 20 bull reds and big blues in Sarasota Bay in September, so I’d already warned them it probably wouldn’t be the same. Tom was fishing left handed due to a broken right hand, but it didn’t slow him down a bit. They caught about 6 reds to 26”, several flounder and nice trout on CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms.
After a nice Christmas at home with family, I was back on the water on Friday with Mary Mills, from Boca Raton, FL, and Dr. Andra Harris, from Del Ray Beach, FL. Mary is a former US Open and LPGA champion, who won three major tournaments during her career. We fished the Terra Ceia Bay are and found the fishing tough to start. Fish had moved from where I found them several days before but we finally got dialed into them. They caught and released a pair of snook to 24”, trout to 17”, ladyfish and jack crevalle on CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms and Cotee jigs with grubs.
Saturday morning’s trip was with fly anglers Ruth Lubchenco, her 8-year old daughter, Cora, and 12-year old son, Luke, from Glenwood Springs, CO. These kids could fly fish! They had great action with large ladyfish on Clouser flies in Little Sarasota Bay. They all caught fish and said they pull lots harder than the trout in Colorado! That afternoon, Steve Johnson, from Bradenton, FL, and Dane Wyatt, from Santa Fe, NM fished the same area with me. The afternoon sun had warmed the shallows around oyster bars and reds moved in to feed. They caught 4 nice reds between 24” and 26”, a 22” snook and several flounder on Cotee jigs with grubs.
8-year old fly angler Cora Lubchenco, from Glenwood Springs, CO, with a ladyfish she caught in Little Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick
Next week’s tides should be favorable for flats fishing. Low tides at midday will concentrate fish and they made feed better later in the day due to warmer water.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 19
Registered: 8-2003
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Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 20, 2003 - 7:56 am: | |
Sarasota & Venice, FL Fishing Report for 12/14 through 12/20/2003
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released snook and large ladyfish during the past week. The best action was fly fishing for snook at night around lighted docks along the ICW from Blackburn Bay to the Venice Inlet.
Dick Reece, from Dayton, OH, fished a couple of trips with me this week. We fished Little Sarasota Bay on Monday morning and caught and released a pair of small snook and numerous ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails. We located several reds around oyster bars, but they didn’t want to eat. Dick had his personal best trip, and one of the best on my boat by an individual angler; fly fishing for snook near Venice on Thursday evening. The action was practically non stop, except for a brief slow down at the turn of the tide. With the water temperature at 60 degrees, the air temperature in the 50’s and a cool northwest breeze, snook gorged themselves on glass minnows. My Grassett’s Grass Minnow fly fooled most of the fish. We ended the evening with 54 snook to 25” and a jack!
I fished an afternoon/evening trip in Blackburn Bay on Tuesday, which was cut short by heavy rain that started as a drizzle just after we got on the water. We took cover for a while and after watching the weather radar at a waterfront restaurant, we decided to run for the boat ramp in between squalls. A funny thing happened on the way back to the ramp. We were distracted by snook popping under dock lights and stopped to make a few casts. They attacked our flies just as aggressively as the glass minnows they were feeding on. We finally went to the boat ramp 45 minutes and 15 snook later. The front, which was followed by strong winds, forced the cancellation of Wednesdays’ trip.
Next week’s negative low tides should be great for reds and trout in potholes. Remember that snook season is now closed through Jan. 31; so all snook fishing is catch and release only.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 18
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 7:49 am: | |
Sarasota & Venice, FL Fishing Report for 12/7 through 12/14/2003
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released reds, snook, trout, flounder and sheepshead during the past week. The best action was fly fishing for snook at night. Fly anglers also connected with reds, trout and flounder.
Phil and Brenda Rever, from Sarasota, FL, fished north Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. They caught and released three reds and a sheepshead on olive/white Clouser flies and a Cotee jig with a grub near Tidy Island. They also caught a pair of flounder, on the same fly and jig.
Fly anglers, Dick Reece from Dayton, OH, and Larry Ford, from Sarasota, FL, fished an evening snook trip with me on Wednesday. We were on the wrong side of a front and the wind was howling 20+ mph, but fortunately the snook didn’t know it was supposed to make them not eat. They caught and released about 30 snook on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies at “snook alley” along the ICW in Venice. There weren’t many places that were protected enough to fish, but we did find a few places.
I had a couple of slow days with fly anglers on Thursday and Friday. We caught and released several ladyfish and trout, but couldn’t get it going with reds or snook. That changed on Saturday morning when fly angler, Dave Overby from Plymouth, MN, joined me for a trip in north Sarasota Bay. We worked potholes near Tidy Island during the morning and Dave caught and released more than 15 trout to 19” and a redfish, his first on a fly. With an overcast sky, a chartreuse/white Clouser and a bendback in the same colors got the job done for him. We located a few other reds and snook during the afternoon, but the light was poor for sight fishing. We had some shots at big fish, but they didn’t eat.
We are in our winter pattern of fronts every several days. Whenever possible fish ahead of fronts. If you can’t fish ahead of a front, afternoons may be a better option due to warmer water. Next week’s tides will be favorable for flats fishing or snook at night.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
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Capt. Rick Grassett (Snook_finaddict)
New member
Username: Snook_finaddict
Post Number: 17
Registered: 8-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 06, 2003 - 8:23 am: | |
Sarasota & Venice, FL Fishing Report for 12/2 through 12/6/2003
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past week with reds and trout on the flats and snook at night. We also found bluefish and large ladyfish mixed with trout on deep grass flats. One of the best trips of the week was fly fishing snook at night. As water temperatures fall, snook are gorging themselves on glass minnows, which are duplicated with small white flies.
Fly angler Norm Boardman, and his wife, Francie, both from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. A low tide had snook and reds concentrated in troughs and potholes along a sandbar on the east side of Sarasota Bay and they were hungry. They caught and released 8 or 9 reds to 26” and a 27” snook on CAL jigs with shad tails and an olive/white Clouser fly.
Francie and Norm Boardman with Francie's 27" Sarasota Bay snook caught and released on a CAL jig with a shad tail
Fly angler Phil Rever, from Sarasota, FL, fished with me on Wednesday evening at “snook alley” in Venice. The snook were on a binge, which made our job easy. Phil caught and released about 30 snook to 25” on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies. At one lighted dock that we fished, Phil caught and released 7 snook in as many casts. Great night!
Ken Swope, from Akron, OH, and Rob Miller, from Orrville, OH, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday from late morning through the afternoon. They caught more than 50 fish in the first couple of hours of the trip at the Radio Tower and Middleground flats; trout to 18”, large ladyfish and several bluefish to 3-pounds on Cotee jigs with grubs. They caught more trout and ladyfish and a redfish during the afternoon near Buttonwood Harbor. We also encountered a large school of jack crevalle in the 10-pound class and connected with one on a MirrOlure She Dog!
Longtime regular customers and Sarasota winter residents, Tom Lamb and Jack Miller, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. They had good action on Cotee jigs with grubs with numerous trout to 18”, large ladyfish and a couple of bluefish at the Radio Tower and Middleground flats.
Next week’s negative low tides should be great for reds and snook on the flats. Fly fishing for snook at night during peak tidal flows will also be a good option. Check out the new photo gallery on my websites with current and archived photos.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
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