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Fishing Report Southwest Florida Fishing Report for 12/18/05 through 1/1/06
Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action during the past couple of weeks with trout, bluefish, snook and reds. The best action was in Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor with trout and bluefish. Anglers using conventional tackle scored with trout to 24”, reds to 27” and bluefish as large as 4-pounds. Fly anglers connected with snook at night near Venice and large ladyfish on deep grass flats of Little Sarasota Bay. Dick Reece, from Dayton, OH, and Tom Lamb, from Geneva, Switzerland, fished Charlotte Harbor with me early the week of Dec. 18th. They had fast action with more than 30 trout to 22” and 6 bluefish to 4-pounds. We worked potholes near Whidden Creek with CAL jigs with shad tails for the trout and found the bluefish in Placida Harbor. Later that week, Andy Ezzell from Sarasota, FL, and a couple of family members fished Little Sarasota Bay with me where they had fast action with large ladyfish on CAL jigs with grubs. Christmas week was very busy, as most holiday weeks are. Tom Lamb fished with me again, this time in Little Sarasota Bay, with his daughter, Diane and granddaughter, Catherine. They had steady action with large ladyfish on CAL jigs with grubs. That evening, Brian Shenstone, from Gross Point Woods, MI, joined Dick Reece for an evening snook trip in the Venice area. The action started slow, but picked up as the tide turned to flow out. They caught and released more than 20 snook and several bluefish on my Grass Minnow fly. The next day, fly angler Damon Dunn, from Wilmette, IL, fished the Little Sarasota Bay from Stickney Point to near Turtle Beach with me and had plenty of action with large ladyfish on Clouser flies. Although there has been plenty of action in Little Sarasota Bay, it has been mostly with ladyfish and the occasional trout, bluefish, red or snook. I spent most of the rest of the week fishing Charlotte Harbor, where we had plenty of action with nice trout, blues and a few reds. Keith McClintock and his son-in-law, Rick Anderson, both from Lake Forest, IL and his son, Steve McClintock, from Pittsburgh, PA, fished there with me on Wednesday. They had a great day of fishing with more than 30 trout to 22”, several bluefish, a pompano and 3 reds to 27”. Most fish were caught in potholes of Gasparilla Sound near Whidden Creek. The next day, Bill Beauchamp and his daughter, Noel, both from Bradenton, FL, fished the same area with me. They had a similar day with trout and bluefish and one small red. The best fish of the day was an estimated 5-pound trout that Noel connected with on a jig with a shad tail in Bull Bay. Tom and Jamie Minnick, from Cincinnati, OH, came down for their annual Christmas trip and fished the Terra Ceia Bay area with me on Friday. They caught and released a dozen or more trout and had numerous shots at reds, but due to the crystal clear water where we found them, they wouldn’t eat our jigs. Fly anglers, Mark Torkos, from Dublin, OH and his 13-year old son, Ross, fished Charlotte Harbor with me on New Years Eve day. We were fogged in close to the boat ramp until almost noon before a heavy fog finally lifted. It was a tough day of fishing due to the conditions. They caught and released several trout and ladyfish on olive and white Clouser flies. Ross caught his first fish on a fly, a trout, while on a guided trip with his Dad. Next week’s tides are favorable for reds and trout in potholes of Gasparilla Sound. Reds may also tail on shallow grass flats as the tide floods the flats. Trout season reopens in the south region while snook remain catch and release only until the end of January.
Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com
Sarasota & Charlotte Harbor, FL Fishing Report for 12/11 through 12/17/2005
Fly anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released bluefish, trout, snook and large ladyfish while anglers using conventional tackle caught all those species and redfish. Action improved toward the end of the week as a front approached. Good news! Trout showed up strong in Little Sarasota Bay on Friday! Sarasota Herald-Tribune outdoor editor, Steve Gibson, and I were the guests of our friend, Capt. Rick De Paiva, in Pine Island Sound on Monday. Conditions were right for reds to be tailing on the negative low tide at dawn. Reds were tailing everywhere for about the first hour of the day giving us lots of shots with a fly but no bites. A strong northeast wind came up and they abruptly disappeared. We worked potholes with CAL jigs after that and caught and released reds, snook, trout and flounder. Fly angler, Bill King from Osprey, FL, fished the other side of Charlotte Harbor with me on Tuesday. We fished potholes in Gasparilla Sound near Sandfly Key where Bill caught and released trout and ladyfish on Clousers and my Flats Minnow fly. Fly angler, Nick Reding from Longboat Key, FL, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me the next day. We fished docks and oyster bars looking for reds and snook but it wasn’t happening. Nick caught and released plenty of large ladyfish on deep grass flats near Midnight Pass along the way. Harry Davis and his guest, Stuart Lewis, both from El Jobean, FL, fished Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor with me on Thursday. With an approaching front, the wind blew 15 to 20-mph most of the day. What should have been a very low tide most of the day, changed to a fast incoming tide as the wind pushed the tide in. Fish responded by chewing on CAL jigs and flies. Stuart used a fly rod to catch numerous trout to 18”, snook, bluefish and ladyfish. Harry backed him up with spinning tackle to catch 3 reds to 27”, snook, trout and bluefish. The bluefish bite was exceptionally good in Placida Harbor and trout were piled in potholes in Gasparilla Sound near Whidden Creek. Brad Cox, from Sarasota, FL, Ryan Lockman from St. Petersburg, FL, and a couple of their colleagues fished Little Sarasota Bay with Capt. Kelly Stillwell and me on Friday. Conditions were much better than the forecast. It was clear and cool with only about 10 mph of wind out of the north. Brad and Ryan slammed with several reds, snook and lots of trout. The trout bite was very good with them catching and releasing about 15 trout, most of them from 16” to 18”. Next weeks negative low tides in the morning should be good for reds and trout in potholes of Gasparilla Sound. If there isn’t much wind, reds may tail on shallow grass as the tide rises.
Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com
Southwest Florida Fishing Report for 11/29 through 12/10/2005
Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released reds, snook, trout, jacks, bluefish and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails and a variety of flies during the past couple of weeks. Reds, snook and trout ate jigs in the Terra Ceia area while snook, trout, ladyfish, jacks and bluefish ate flies in the same area and in Little Sarasota Bay. My friends, Rusty Chinnis from Longboat Key, FL and Steve Gibson, from Sarasota, FL, fished the Terra Ceia area with me on Thursday, Dec. 1st. We had fast action with reds and snook to 23” and trout to 18” on CAL jigs with shad tails. A negative low tide had fish piled up in deeper water. The following day, fly angler Nick Reding from Longboat Key, FL, fished Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor with me. He connected with a pair of reds and a mystery fish that ran well into the backing before the hook pulled. We used my Flats Minnow fly and Clousers while fishing outside sand bars and potholes in Gasparilla Sound. We also saw a couple of reds tailing, but they weren’t tailing hard and didn’t give us good shots. Fly angler Dave Wahl, from Sterling, IL, fished with me on Sunday and Monday of the past week. We fished Little Sarasota Bay on Sunday morning where Dave had fast action with large ladyfish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on an intermediate fly line. The following morning, we headed for the Terra Ceia area to see if we could find the reds, snook and trout that I had been dialed into a few days before. A warming trend must have scattered the fish because all we could manage was a bluefish and a jack where reds and snook were plentiful several days before. We worked deep grass flats on the south side of Terra Ceia Bay looking for trout, but big ladyfish beat them to the fly every time. Not such a bad problem! My friend, Dusty Sprague from North Port, FL, joined me for a morning of fishing in Little Sarasota Bay on Friday morning. We caught and released trout, snook and large ladyfish on Clouser and baitfish flies. We worked the ICW channel edges near Midnight Pass searching for pompano or bluefish, but they weren’t there that day. An ominous day, a heavy sea fog rolled in on us around noon. Next week’s tides are favorable for reds to tail on shallow grass flats of Gasparilla and Pine Island Sound. Pothole fishing on the extreme low tides, as we head toward a full moon on Thursday, may also be a good option. Although the best tides are close to the new and full moons, fish will sometimes feed at night on clear nights during a full moon.
Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com
Sarasota & Charlotte Harbor, FL Fishing Report for 11/7 through 11/28/2005
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released a variety of fish during the past several weeks. Fly and spin anglers caught and released trout, bluefish, pompano, reds and snook on a variety of jigs and flies. Large ladyfish have been plentiful on deep grass flats of Little Sarasota Bay and in Sarasota Bay along the east side. A couple of trips to Charlotte Harbor during the week of Nov. 6th produced trout, bluefish, ladyfish and snook on CAL jigs and Clouser flies. Several small reds were also caught and released with CAL jigs. I traveled to Dania Beach, FL, near Ft. Lauderdale to attend an organizational meeting for a Florida Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers on Nov. 12th. The new council, which will be formed by at least 10 FFF affiliated clubs around the state, will address problems and concerns of Florida fly fishers. Since we were only an hour or so away from the upper Keys, my friend Rusty Chinnis and I snuck in a day of bonefishing on Sunday with Capt. Duane Baker, out of Tavernier, FL. We caught and released a pair of bones on Merkin crab patterns, including one of my biggest ever on a fly, an estimated 9 to 10-pound fish. Rusty caught and released a 6-pounder, also a very nice bonefish. I was out of town for most of the following week due to a death in the family. I returned to Florida just in time for last Monday’s front. We fished Little Sarasota Bay the following 2 days where we caught and released snook, jacks and ladyfish on jigs and flies. Bob Sawtelle, from Corydon, IN, and John Maxwell, from Indianapolis, IN, fished with me on a windy afternoon last Tuesday. Although the wind was gusting in the 30’s, they braved the conditions and caught and released ladyfish on CAL jigs in Blackburn Bay. Russell Moore, from Sarasota, FL, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday afternoon. He caught and released several snook to 24” and numerous large ladyfish on CAL jigs with grubs and shad tails. We pitched jigs under docks along the west side of the bay to catch the snook while the ladyfish were plentiful on deep flats near Spanish Point. Fly anglers, Dave Smid and Wendell Scott, both from Springfield, MO, snook fished with me on Wednesday evening. The action was low to start but picked up as the evening went on. They caught and released more than a dozen snook on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies. The best action was near Venice, where the water was slightly off color. Mike Penny, from Duluth, GA, and his daughter, Claudia, fished Charlotte Harbor near Boca Grande with me on Friday. The action wasn’t fast, but it was steady. They caught and released numerous trout, four reds and a snook on CAL jigs with shad tails to complete their slam. The reds were caught on the outside sandbars of Bull and Turtle Bays and the trout and snook were caught in Gasparilla Sound near Whidden Creek. Mike Bowles, from Palo Alto, CA, and his family group fished Sarasota Bay with me, Capt. Kelly Stillwell and Capt. Ryan Kaney on Saturday morning. The group had fast action at the Middleground flat in Sarasota Bay with 9 pompano, several bluefish and numerous ladyfish. Most of the group fished flies including Mike and his daughter, Kaleigh, who fished with me. Fly angler, Andrew Stiles from Richmond, VA, fished the same area with me on Sunday morning. He caught and released numerous large ladyfish on Clouser flies while we searched for pompano. Although we skipped several pompano, they wouldn’t eat our flies that day. Fly anglers, Charlie Alexander from Osprey, FL, and his fourteen-year old grandson, Kyle Henderson, from CT fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Monday morning. Since it was a windy day, we were seeking some protection from the wind. They had fast action with large ladyfish caught and released with Clouser flies near Blackburn Point. Although there have been some pompano and bluefish in that part of the bay recently, the ladyfish beat them to the fly every time. Negative low tides later this week as we head toward a new moon on Thursday should be good for reds in Charlotte Harbor and lower Tampa Bay. Night snook fishing is also one of the better fly fishing options now.
Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com
Sarasota & Charlotte Harbor, FL Fishing Report for 10/31 through 11/6/2005
Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action during the past week with trout, bluefish, snook and ladyfish. The coastal gulf exploded with action at the end of the week as schools of ladyfish, bluefish and Spanish mackerel blasted glass minnows at the surface. Fly angler, Mike Perez from Richmond, IN, fished Charlotte Harbor near Boca Grande with me on Tuesday. Mike caught and released a 3-pound bluefish, numerous trout to 18” and large ladyfish on a variety of flies. Most fish were found along the edges of outside sandbars. Wednesdays trip in the coastal gulf and Little Sarasota Bay was slow. We spent most of the morning looking for breaking fish in the coastal gulf waters, but it wasn’t happening. We came back inside where we caught a few jacks, ladyfish, a bluefish and a trout on jigs and flies. Fly angler, Ray Kelley from Ann Arbor, MI, came down on Thursday and Friday to collect on the trip that I donated to the Ann Arbor Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Since he was traveling so far, he fished an extra day with me while he was here. The best day was Friday when we started before daylight and snook fished in Little Sarasota Bay around lighted docks and bridge fenders. Ray started the day off with about 6 snook to 23”, several big ladyfish and a bluefish on my Grass Minnow snook fly. We then headed for the gulf where we found several schools of breaking fish, which were a mixture of large ladyfish, bluefish and Spanish mackerel. Ray caught and released several nice fish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies out of the frenzy. Yesterday, the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers had a casting clinic for its members at Phillipi Shores Park in Sarasota. Federation of Fly Fishers Board of Governors member, Dusty Sprague, led the event. Master certified casting instructor and club prsident, Capt. Pete Greenan and certified casting instructors Dave Hutchinson, Bob Beanblossom and myself were the instructors. The event was well attended with about 25 members of the club participating. A series of topics were covered in the morning with casting instruction in the afternoon following grilled hamburgers and hot dogs at lunch prepared by club member, Ron Whitely and his wife. Next week’s tides are favorable for reds and trout on the flats of Charlotte Harbor. Night snook fishing is heating up as snook move toward their wintertime haunts. Hopefully, some of the best action is yet to come with Spanish mackerel, bluefish and little tunny in the coastal gulf waters.
Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com
Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 10/23 through 10/30/2005
Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released snook and ladyfish on a couple of trips this week. We dodged another bullet last Monday with Hurricane Wilma doing exactly as predicted making landfall more than 100 miles south of Sarasota. We had sustained winds in the mid 40’s and gust to the mid 50’s, but the area had minimal damage. Following Wilma last Monday, a blast of cool air blew through our area dropping the water temperature 15 degrees. Wednesday’s trip in north Sarasota Bay was very slow with the water temperature at 64 degrees. We fished the east side of the bay from the downtown area all the way to Long Bar. The good news is that there are no signs of red tide and the water is very clear. I headed south to Little Sarasota Bay on Thursday with fly angler Patrice Camilliari, from Paris, France. Patrice is an experienced fly angler, but is new to Florida saltwater fly fishing. He fished hard and was rewarded with his first snook caught with a fly. On Saturday, I fished the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers/Coastal Conservation Association Inaugural “Fall Fly Fishing Challenge” with Rusty Chinnis and Bill King, both from the Sarasota area. The tournament drew more than 40 of the top fly anglers on the Suncoast. The event has no high-stakes, which makes for a relaxed atmosphere. Fly anglers competed for handsome plaques, prizes from sponsors and bragging rights to be the one of best fly anglers in the area. The best catches were in Little Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor. CB’s Saltwater Outfitters manager, Doug Forde from Sarasota, FL, won the snook division with 148.75” of snook caught and released. Sarasota Herald-Tribune outdoor editor and tournament co-chairman Steve Gibson, from Sarasota, FL, won the trout division with 152.5” and MCFF president, Capt. Pete Greenan, also from Sarasota, FL, won the tournament with a slam totaling 60.75”. Next week’s tides are favorable for tailing reds in the morning in the Charlotte Harbor area. Also, look for reds and trout in potholes or snook around docks or natural structure. Night snook fishing should improve drastically as soon as snook acclimate to the cooler water.
Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com
Southwest Florida Fishing Report for 10/16 through 10/23/2005
Willl-maa! No, that’s not Fred Flintstone yelling for his wife, it’s Hurricane Wilma racing toward Southwest Florida. All eyes are on the storm as we try to figure just where she’ll make landfall. Hopefully, she’ll avoid the most populated areas and not cause too much damage. Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released bluefish, Spanish mackerel, snook, trout, ladyfish and jacks during the past week. Action was slow early in the week, probably due to the effects of the full moon on Monday but things picked up toward the end of the week. Fall action is about to explode, as bluefish and Spanish mackerel seem to be moving into our area. Tuesday’s trip in the Terra Ceia area with fly anglers was very slow. The action picked up a little on Wednesday as Dan Miller and Dave Buchert, both from Cincinnati, OH, fished with me near Sarasota’s Big Pass and Roberts Bay. They caught and released several snook and a jack on DOA Deadly Combos, CAL jigs and a MirrOlure She Dog, Jr. Fly anglers, Kyle Ruffing and Jon Yenari, both from Sarasota, FL, fished Charlotte Harbor near Boca Grande with me on Thursday. They caught and released several trout and ladyfish in Gasparilla Sound on Clouser flies. The bonus was a 4-½ -pound Spanish mackerel and a nice bluefish also caught in the same area. Kyle and Jon also caught several nice trout and a jack near Turtle Bay and had several shots at reds cruising on a sandbar, but no takers. Fly angler, Jim Davis from Rumson, NJ, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me early Friday morning on a pre dawn snook/flats trip. There were plenty of snook around the lighted docks and bridge fenders, but despite a strong outgoing tide they weren’t on a bite. Jim managed to catch and release several snook and a jack on a variety of flies. A front or two will give snook fishing the shot in the arm that it needs. John and Barbara Freeman, from Edina, MN, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning. We headed north out of City Island and found good conditions in north Sarasota Bay. As far north as the Ringling Mansion on the east side of the bay and Buttonwood Harbor on the west side, we found clear water and plentiful baitfish. They caught and released 6 or 8 bluefish and numerous ladyfish on CAL jigs, DOA Deadly Combos and top water plugs. After Wilma passes through our area early Monday morning, we are supposed to get the first real front of the fall season. Action should get hot on the flats, in bays and the coastal gulf waters as the water temperature drops into the low 70’s. There is still time to sign up for the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers & Coastal Conservation Association-Florida “Fall Fly Fishing Challenge” to be held next Saturday, October, 29th, out of the City Island boat ramp at Sarasota’s Ken Thompson Park. Anglers will target snook, redfish and trout with flies only in a catch-photo-release format. For more info or to sign up, fly anglers can contact me.
Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com
Southwest Florida Fishing Report for 10/9 through 10/16/2005
Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitter’s on Siesta Key, had good action with a variety of species during the past week. Anglers using conventional tackle scored with tarpon, redfish, snook, trout, crevalle jacks, bluefish and pompano. Fly anglers caught and released snook, mangrove snapper and a sheepshead. Keith McClintock and Barry Slee, both from Lake Forest, IL, fished with me on Monday and Wednesday. We fished the Peace River and canal systems of Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte on Monday. They caught and released a 30-pound tarpon, one of 4 tarpon jumped. All of the tarpon ate a DOA TerrorEyz crawled slowly along the bottom. Keith and Barry also fish the Charlotte Harbor area near Boca Grande with me frequently, but since lower Tampa Bay has been fishing well, they opted to fish that area on Wednesday. It proved to be a good choice, since we had fast action most of the day. We fished the Terra Ceia area where they caught and released about 15 snook to 23”on CAL jigs. The highlight of the day was when we found a school of about 200 redfish with large jacks and bluefish mixed with them. With all the red tide that has been around north Sarasota Bay this fall, this was the 1st school of reds that I’d found this season. Keith and Barry doubled twice as we approached the school and one time I couldn’t resist throwing a MirrOlure She Dog, Jr. into the school and we tripled. Along with 5 big reds to 30”, we also caught a 5-pound jack and a 5-pound bluefish out of the school. We finished the day with a few more snook, another redfish and several trout. Most fish were caught on CAL jigs with shad tails. George Brown, from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, and his guest, Jason Trochessett from Naples, FL, fished Charlotte Harbor near Boca Grande with me on Friday. George was the successful bidder on a 2-day fishing package in the Sarasota area at the Jacksonville, FL CCA banquet. Included in the package was a day of fishing with me, a day with Capt. Kelly Stillwell and lodging at Siesta Suites on Siesta Key. We had good action with snook, although fishing got slow in the middle of the day at the top of the tide. They caught more than a dozen snook to 26”, a small redfish, several mangrove snapper and a sheepshead. Most fish were on a bendback fly and the rest were on CAL jigs with shad tails and a gold spoon. Many of the snook were small, but they still smacked the fly or lure like the big boys! On Saturday afternoon, Capt. Ray Markham and I fished a group of 4 anglers in the Terra Ceia area. Fly anglers, Michael and Laura Ekwall from NV, fished with me and Emory and Roy Jewell, from Tampa, FL, fished with Capt. Ray. We caught and released a few fish on a variety of flies, including snook, trout and mangrove snapper. Capt. Ray’s boat, with spin anglers, had good action with snook, trout, grouper and a nice redfish on CAL jigs with shad tails. Next week’s strong outgoing tides in the morning should be good for snook and redfish on the flats. Reds may tail on shallow grass flats of Gasparilla and Pine Island Sound. In addition, juvenile tarpon action is reaching a peak in upper Charlotte Harbor.
Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com
Southwest FL Fishing Report for 9/26 through 10/8/2005
Spin anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released mainly snook along with scattered trout, jacks, sheepshead and a red in Little Sarasota Bay during the past couple of weeks. Fly anglers scored with juvenile tarpon in the 15 to 25-pound class in the Peace River and canal systems of Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte. Jason Puckett, from Sarasota, Fl and his cousin, Justin Suarez from NJ, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me early in the week of Sept. 26. We fished a couple of hours before daylight for snook and then moved to the flats. The action wasn’t fast, but Justin not only caught his first snook but had a slam as well. We pitched DOA shrimp, Tiny TerrorEyz and Deadly Combos around docks, bridges and on the flats. Fly anglers John Alvarez and Jeff Solis, both from southern CA, fished a couple of days for juvenile tarpon in the Peace River with me later in the week. They caught and released 2 out of 3 tarpon jumped on Enrico Puglisi Finger Mullet and bunny flies fished on fast sinking fly lies and stripped slowly along the bottom. John and Jeff, a fly fishing guide in the Baja region of Mexico, were in the area as exhibitors at the Shallow Water Fishing Show in Sarasota on Oct. 1st and 2nd. John’s company, Fly Tubez, sells a fly line management system that incorporates tubes into a mat that holds your fly line loops on the deck of your boat. We tested it on my boat and it does a nice job. Mark Castlow, of Castlow Productions, assembled an impressive line up of vendors and seminar speakers for his Shallow Water Fishing Show headlined by Lefty Kreh and Flip Pallot. Many major manufacturers and retailers of fly and conventional fishing tackle and everything that goes along with it were present. The highlight of my weekend was when I got to sit in on an interview with Lefty and Flip as they discussed and reminisced about the early days of saltwater fly fishing. Earle “Roo” Wood, III, from Easton, MD and his family group including his Dad and a couple of cousins fished with Capt. Ed Hurst and I in Little Sarasota Bay on Tuesday morning. Several snook, a jack and a sheepshead were caught and released on my boat on DOA shrimp, Tiny TerrorEyz, CAL jigs and Deadly Combos. Anglers on Capt. Ed’s boat caught and released snook, redfish and ladyfish. Thursday’s trip in the same area with a fly angler came up empty. The tide was good, the water looked good and the angler did a great job covering mangrove shorelines, sand and oyster bars with a variety of flies, but it just wasn’t happening. I spent Friday up in the Terra Ceia Bay area as a camera boat filming an episode of The Outdoor Channel’s TV show “Shallow Water Angler”. My friend, Capt. Ray Markham and host, Florida sportsman magazine editor Jeff Weakley, fished from one boat while I followed along with the cameraman/director. They had fast action with numerous snook and a pair of pompano on a variety of jigs and soft plastic baits. Next week’s tides should be favorable for reds and snook on the flats, particularly toward the end of the week. Juvenile tarpon in upper Charlotte Harbor 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
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 9/5 through 9/25/2005
Anglers fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had a variety of action during the past several weeks. Spin and fly anglers caught snook around lighted docks and bridge fenders before daylight and reds on the flats. I usually take some time off during September and this year was no different. I spent several days in the Keys catching bonefish with a fly and a couple of days in the Chesapeake Bay catching stripers with a fly. Brian and Joanne Shenstone, from Gross Point Woods, MI fished a pre dawn snook trip with me early in the month before I headed for the Keys. The snook bite was not as good as it was in August, but Brian caught and released about 6 snook to 24” on a variety of flies in Little Sarasota Bay. They were feeding very selectively, so it was a challenge to make the right presentation and get a bite. My wife, Karen, and I spent several days in Islamorada from Sept. 6th-11th where I fished the Islamorada/Sarasota shootout with other members of the Sarasota Sportfishing Anglers Club. Aledia Tush, owner of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, shared several trips with me with good results. We fished with Orvis-Endorsed guides Duane Baker and Albert Ponzoa on two days. We also spent a day with Capt. Rusty Albury. I caught and released 3 bonefish, including a 28 ½” fish, on a Merkin Crab fly while Aledia caught and released a pair of bonefish and a pair of tarpon on spinning tackle. Aledia gets an assist on two of my bonefish. One of them ran the fly line through an “I” bolt on a mooring anchor and she bailed out of the boat in waist deep water to free my fly line. On the other fish, which was the 28 ½” fish, I had knot in the fly line, which cleared the guides going out the rod tip, but couldn’t be reeled back in. She picked the knot out while Capt. Duane drove the boat to keep the line tight so the fish could be landed. Thanks Aledia! We spent a portion of one of our days targeting permit and although we had several shots, I’m still looking for my first permit on a fly. I finished 1st in the bonefish division with the 28 ½” fish and Aledia finished 3rd with a 20 ½” fish. A good showing in that division but Islamorada won the tournament 18 to 12 based on a point system. I was home for a few days of fishing in Sarasota from Sept.12th-15th and found the snook to be very finicky. Fly angler, John Evans from the UK, caught and released about 6 snook with me on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies with me in Little Sarasota Bay one morning. Another pre dawn fly trip in the same area that week with Norm Worthington, from Sarasota, FL, produced only one snook and a jack. Snook were feeding under the lights, but didn’t want to eat what we were offering. We also had a couple of shots at reds cruising on a sand bar, but they didn’t want to bite either. Scott Miller, from Wheeling, WV fished Robert’s Bay with me one day that week and caught a 25” snook on a DOA Tiny TerrorEyz before daylight and a couple of nice reds to 24” on a MirrOlure She Dog, Jr. I was on the road again from Sept. 16th –21st visiting family in Delaware. Of course, I also fished a couple of days in the Chesapeake Bay while I was there with my brother and a couple of guide friends. Last Sunday, we were the guests of my friend Capt. Matt Tawes, from Crisfield, MD, aboard his 21’ Parker. We fished Tangier Sound where we caught several schoolie stripers on flies and jigs. The following day we fished Eastern Bay, near Kent Island, with Capt. Scott Hopkins aboard his 20’ Jones Brothers boat. We caught and released about 40 stripers, which were breaking on the surface that day, mostly on Clouser flies. I got back to Sarasota just in time to fish the 21st annual Tampa CCA Photo All-Release Challenge, which my wife, Karen, and I have fished for about the last 15 years. This year, Aledia Tush, also fished the tournament with us. We had a great day of practice fishing on Friday from the Manatee River to near Bishop Harbor, catching and releasing snook to 34” and several nice reds. Although they weren’t tournament species, we also had good action with bluefish to 3-pounds. Friday was so good it was almost a bad omen. Friday was overcast and although it made sight fishing impossible, fish bit well all day long. Saturday was sunny with a little more wind and the bite was not quite as good. I started the day with a nice red on a fly in the Manatee River and then things got slow. We headed north of the Skyway Bridge where we got it going again. Aledia and Karen caught and released several short snook on a variety of jigs, MirrOlure Top Dogs and DOA Deadly Combos and I had another short snook on my Flats Minnow fly. I finally caught a barely legal trout, also on my Flats Minnow fly and Aledia caught a 19 ¾” trout on a weedless-rigged CAL jerkworm. It was a tough day of fishing, but our efforts paid off. Aledia won the Ladies Division for trout and I finished as the runner up in the Fly Fishing Division with 36 ½” of fish. Scott Dalton, from Bradenton, FL, was the winner of the Fly fishing Division with 53” of fish. Next week’s tides are favorable for snook fishing before dawn and early in the day or reds on the flats. In addition, juvenile tarpon should also be an option in Little Sarasota Bay and the Peace River.
Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com
Sarasota and Boca Grande, FL Fishing Report for 8/ 27 through 9/4/2005
Anglers fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, continued to have good action with snook before dawn. In addition, crevalle jacks and ladyfish attacked schools of glass minnows on the surface providing fast action with flies, jigs and top water plugs. Fly anglers, Andrew Stiles from Richmond, VA and his brother, Herb Stiles from Pinehurst, NC, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday morning. The tide was not great but they still managed to catch and release several snook on flies. Both avid fly anglers, Andrew and Herb can now add another species to the list of fish they’ve caught on flies! I was the guest of Dusty Sprague, from Rotonda, FL, to fish with him on his new Dolphin flats skiff in the Boca Grande area. His boat poles like a dream and the Evinrude E-Tech engine ran and shifted as smooth as a car. Dusty is a Master Certified Casting Instructor and a member of the Board of Governors of the Federation of Fly Fishers. It was a pleasure to share his boat and spend a day casting with someone of his caliber. We spent about ½ the morning dodging a couple of thunderstorms that threatened us with lightning. Dusty caught and released a redfish on my Flats Minnow fly before we headed for the safety of the Fishery Restaurant and a big bowl of their famous gumbo. Pete Richardson and his son, Harry, both from the UK, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Friday morning. The tide was better and the action faster than it was on Wednesday’s trip. They caught and released about 10 snook to 25” on my Grass Minnow and String Bean flies, DOA shrimp and DOA Tiny TerrorEyz. Harry hooked a big fish right at dawn that couldn’t be turned before it reached some structure. After daylight they caught and released numerous jacks, ladyfish and a trout on MirrOlure She Dogs. The fish were “breaking” on glass minnows on the edge of the ICW. The next morning, John Chaney from Sarasota, FL, and his guest, Dennis Clark from Worcester, MA, did the same thing with me. John is an experienced fresh water trout angler but had never fly fished in the salt before. They caught about 10 snook to 25” on flies and DOA Tiny TerrorEyz. Being a holiday weekend, we headed for the dock just after dawn with a successful fishing trip under our belt! Next week’s 4-tide days will be favorable for fishing the flats early or late in the day, snook around lighted docks and bridge fenders or juvenile tarpon in the Peace River and upper Charlotte Harbor.
Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook fin-Addict guide Service, Inc. (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com
Sarasota & Charlotte Harbor, FL Fishing Report for 8/22 through 8/27/2005
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action with snook and tarpon
during the past week. Snook before daylight continued to be one of the best
options. Juvenile tarpon in the
Peace River also provided fast action.
Fly angler, Bob Harness from St. Louis, MO, fished 3 days with me last
week. We spent one of the days in Charlotte Harbor hunting for tarpon and
fishing a flat for redfish. We found a few tarpon, but the bite wasn’t on.
Likewise with the reds we found, only a few were tailing at the bottom of the
tide but didn’t let us get within casting range.
The best action was when we snook fished in Little Sarasota Bay before
daylight on 2 of the days. Bob caught and released several snook each morning on
Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies. In addition, we had shots at tarpon at first
light but they didn’t bite.
Paul Nevins, from Sarasota, FL, hit it just right with the tarpon when we
fished the Peace River on Wednesday. We found tarpon in the 15 to 25-pound class
feeding on baitfish in the river. Paul jumped 4 tarpon and landed one, a
25-pounder, on DOA TerrorEyz. In addition, he had several other strikes and had
another of the 4 tarpon that he connected with at the side of the boat when the
hook pulled.
Hurricane Katrina threatened us on Friday, but by the time Saturday
morning rolled around she had made other plans. The hurricane, which was
forecast to be just off the Sarasota coast on Saturday took a jog to the
west-southwest and is no longer a threat to us. Next week’s tides will improve
toward the end of the week as we head toward a new moon on Sept. 3rd.
Snook before dawn and juvenile tarpon will continues to be a couple of good
options. 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
Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 8/15 through 8/21/2005 The early bird gets the worm! Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had fast action with snook before daylight while fishing lighted areas. In addition, juvenile tarpon in the 10-pound class have been making a brief showing for only about 10 or 15 minutes at dawn each day. Redfish, mangrove snapper, crevalle jacks and ladyfish rounded out the catch. Anglers scored with DOA shrimp, CAL jigs, MirrOlure She Pups and Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies. Carey and Danny Broughton, from the UK, fished with me on Monday and Wednesday. We fished from Big Pass north to the Long Bar area on Monday since I had located some reds there several days before. We began our trips before dawn, which is a normal routine for me this time of the year. We fished lighted docks near Big Pass on Monday morning and although there were plenty of snook under the lights they weren’t biting. They did manage 3 fat mangrove snapper to 14” on DOA shrimp. The reds I had found several days before were nowhere to be found. We shifted our efforts to the south on Wednesday morning and fished Little Sarasota Bay, which has been the most dependable. We caught and released more than 10 snook to 25” on DOA shrimp before dawn and then worked mangrove shorelines and sand bars before the sauna got too hot. Danny connected with a 26” red that blew up on a MirrOlure She Pup to end the day! Jason Miller, from Wheeling, WV, and his girlfriend, Erika, fished the same area with me on Tuesday morning. Jason first fished with me almost 15 years ago as a youngster with his Dad. The snook action was slower that morning due to a tide that wasn’t moving much, but they managed a few. However, the tide picked up speed at about dawn and they were rewarded with a pair of reds to 26” and a nice jack caught on CAL jigs with shad tails. One of the reds was caught on a MirrOlure She Pup. Joe Dutmers and his son, Mark, squeezed in a trip on Thursday morning before Mark heads back to school at Georgetown University. They fished with me the same time last year and had a banner day with tarpon in Charlotte Harbor 2 days before Hurricane Charley blew through. They opted for some snook and flats action on this trip and we fished Little Sarasota Bay. They caught and released 6 or 8 snook including a nice 29” fish. The mangroves and docks didn’t produce for us after daylight but we did bump into some breaking jacks that entertained us for a while. Fellow Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers member, Tony Johnson from Venice, FL and his guest, Mark Bonnett from Portland, OR, fished the same area with me on Friday morning. They caught and released about 10 snook to 24” on my Grass Minnow fly before daylight. I had tied some of the same pattern on 1/0 Owner AKI hooks so that if the tarpon showed we’d be ready for them. My night snook fly is normally tied on a #4 Mustad 34007 hook, which is fine for most snook but too small to hold a tarpon. The tarpon showed a little early and the guys each jumped one on the smaller hook flies before I had a chance to switch flies. Tony had his tarpon next to the boat when the hook pulled but they each got a couple of spectacular jumps! They finished the morning off catching and releasing jacks and ladyfish that were breaking on the surface in the ICW channel. Next week’s tides are favorable for tailing redfish in Charlotte Harbor, which I’ll probably be targeting. We don’t get many tailing redfish in the Sarasota area due to the type of bottom we have here, but Gasparilla and Pine Island Sounds have plenty of tailing reds when the tide is right. A tide that is less than 1.0 will allow their tails to stick out of the water if you’re in the right spot. In addition, tarpon of all sizes should be available in upper 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
Charlotte Harbor, FL & Crane Meadow Lodge, MT Fishing Report for 7/17 through 7/30/2005 Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released a few quality fish during the week of 7/17. We fished Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound and scouted some new water for tarpon, reds, snook and trout. Capt. Clark Wright, from Venice, FL, invited me to fish with him in upper Charlotte Harbor on Monday. I caught and released an estimated 40-pound tarpon on DOA Swimming Mullet while casting to single rolling fish and following it up with a blind cast or two. The tarpon were not showing well and weren’t real plentiful, but they were hungry. The following day, fly angler Bill King from Osprey, FL, fished Gasparilla Sound with me. We tried to launch the boat in Sarasota that morning, but dead fish at the boat ramp made us reconsider and head south. With only a 2-tide day peaking out at 3.1’ in the middle of the morning, I knew it would be tough. Bill managed a couple of snook while fishing lighted docks along Little Gasparilla Island before daylight and trout on deep grass flats later in the morning. We pounded mangrove shorelines with a variety of flies, but the fish were probably buried in the bushes. Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, FL, and I fished Pine Island Sound on Thursday with good results. We were mainly on a scouting mission and we found some snook and reds along the west side of Pine Island near Mason and Regla Islands. We managed a slam, consisting of several snook and trout and a redfish. Most fish were caught on my Flat’s Minnow fly. With a big tide all we could do was throw as deep into the mangroves as possible and try to get the fish to come out. We fished one area where we had several sight-fishing opportunities at reds, but no takers. Although we didn’t catch a lot of fish, any day that you can slam, particularly with a fly, is a good day! Last Saturday, I headed for one of the most beautiful places that I fish, Crane Meadow Lodge, MT, to spend the week fly fishing with a group of friends, many of whom are also clients. Several members of the group, Dick Walden, his son, Rich Walden, and son-in-law, Dave Ralls, all came from Arizona in Dick’s airplane. The rest of the group, Nick Reding, Bob Reynolds and Bob Harness came from St. Louis, Dennis Kinley from New Jersey, Mike Perez from Richmond, IN, Pat Campbell from Toronto, OH and I met in Minneapolis for the final leg of the flight into Bozeman. The trip got off to a rough start when we had an 8-hour delay in Minneapolis due to mechanical problems with 2 airplanes. The following day, Bob Reynolds from St. Louis, MO, broke his leg while walking on uneven ground in tall grass. An x-ray confirmed the break, but that didn’t keep Bob from fishing several of the ponds on the Kennedy Ranch for the next couple of days. I’ve heard that bad things come in three’s-well, the last thing was an earthquake of 5.6 magnitude that rumbled through on Tuesday evening. Having never experienced an earthquake, I didn’t know what the sound was that preceded the quake but then everything began to shake. Several items fell off the wall at the lodge, but at the home of a couple of the guides, which was very close to the epicenter about 10 miles from the lodge, they had lots of things falling off the walls and an entertainment center almost toppled over. Given all those things, we had a great trip. The weather was delightful with lows in the 40’s, highs in the 80’s and low humidity. The biggest fish of the trip were brown and rainbow trout to about 24” with many other fish in the 18”-20” class. Of course, there were lots of smaller fish too, but on a 4 or 5-wt. fly rod in fast water, they’re all fun. Most of the anglers in the group caught several quality fish in addition to numerous smaller trout each day. Mike Perez had a trout estimated at 27” right to the net one day when the hook pulled. My biggest fish of the trip was a 23” brown caught in the sloughs on the Kennedy Ranch. We fished the Big Hole, Beaverhead, Madison, Ruby and Jefferson Rivers, Mill Creek and Stone Creek (spring creeks that flow to the Ruby and Beaverhead rivers respectively). There was more water in many of the rivers than in previous years, which made floating the rivers easier. I had good float trips on the Big Hole and Beaverhead Rivers and I also had a good day wading Mill Creek. One of the best things about this trip is the variety of fishing that is available there. On any given day you may wade, float or do a combination of each. If you are looking for a western trout fishing trip that has it all, you should check out Crane Meadow Lodge. Their website, www.cranemeadow.com, has all the info about the lodge. To view photos from the trip, you can go to the Destination Fishing Trips page of either of my websites, www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net. Although it was nice to have cool mountain air for a week, I’m looking forward to getting back on the water here at home. Snook fishing before daylight in the morning, reds on the flats or juvenile tarpon should all be good options during August. One of the keys to success will be to beat the heat. Red tide seems to be easing up in the Sarasota area and even when red tide is present, there are usually areas where you can find fish. 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
Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 7/9 through 7/16/2005 Fly anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had fast action with snook during the past week. We fished lighted docks before daylight with Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies and at dawn with poppers. In addition, crevalle jacks and snook corralled and busted bait along seawalls where they attacked poppers with the same vengeance. Sarasota Bay seems to be rebounding from red tide as we saw numerous schools of glass minnows along the west side of the bay Bill King, from Osprey, FL, fished near Bird Key and north Siesta Key on Tuesday morning and had one of his best snook trips ever. He caught and released 10 or 12 snook to 25” and several jacks. Jacks and snook chased glass minnows along seawalls at dawn and busted fly poppers that were dropped into the frenzy. Bill also had a few shots at reds that were so spooky they spooked at the fly line in the air. We waded them to get closer but found them equally as challenging while we were wading. Bob Harness, from St. Louis, MO, fished the same area with me Wednesday morning and also had fast action. He caught and released about 15 snook to 25”. The frenzy with jacks and snook at dawn that we’d experienced the day before wasn’t happening due to a slack tide at that time. We moved on to try to catch a redfish with a fly and found them behaving the same as they were on Tuesday. Snook before daylight are one of the better options now. In addition there are some tarpon in the upper portions of Charlotte Harbor that will eat a DOA Baitbuster or a fly if you can get on them. They key to success now will be to find pockets of water that are clean (free of red tide) and will be refuges for fish. Sarasota Bay, as of the middle of the week, appeared to be cleaning up nicely. 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
Charlotte Harbor, FL Fishing Report for 7/2 through 7/9/2005 Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past week with Spanish mackerel, trout and snook in Gasparilla Sound. Anglers using spinning tackle caught and released Spanish mackerel, snook, trout and a redfish while fly anglers scored on snook, trout, ladyfish and crevalle jacks. The best action was early in the week on deep grass flats near Sandfly Key. Dave Brugh, from Akron, OH, fished the coastal gulf waters off Gasparilla Island with me on Tuesday. We found Spanish mackerel gorging themselves on glass minnows in 20’ of water. He caught and released more than 15 Spanish mackerel on Diamond Jigs before the frenzy subsided. We moved to the inside waters of Gasparilla Sound where we caught and released about 15 trout on DOA Deadly Combos. With plenty of trout under our belts, we moved to skinny water where Dave caught and released 4 snook to 25” and a redfish on CAL jigs with shad tails to complete his slam. The next day, fellow Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers board member, John LaManna, and his wife, Deb, fished the same area with me. The mackerel weren’t there, although there were plenty of birds in the air searching for baitfish. We moved into Gasparilla Sound where we found trout, ladyfish and jacks busting glass minnow just like the mackerel had been doing in the gulf the day before. John and Deb caught and released numerous trout, ladyfish and jacks on Clouser flies and DOA Deadly Combos. We spent some time pounding the mangroves with flies and jigs. Although they did a great job of covering the shorelines, we only came up with one mangrove snapper, caught on a Clouser fly, for our efforts. Fly angler, Bob Harness from St. Louis, MO, fished the same area again with me on Friday. We started before daylight where Bob worked lighted docks along Little Gasparilla Island. The tide was slow and daylight came quickly, but he managed a 25” snook, caught and released on a Grassett’s Grass Minnow fly before we moved on. We worked some deep grass flats near Sandfly Key where Bob caught and released several trout and jacks on Clouser and DT Special flies. The action that I had been on earlier in the week with Spanish mackerel, trout, snook and reds just wasn’t happening. Hurricane Dennis gave us a glancing blow as it passed offshore on Saturday and threatens to give us more of the same, heavy rain and potential tropical storm force winds, for Sunday. With Saturday’s trip cancelled and Sunday’s forecast not much better, my customer headed for home. Hopefully, Dennis will spare residents in its path from too much damage. One potential side effect from the storm is that maybe it will break up some of the red tide that lingers in our area. The good news is that Sarasota Bay is improving and reports of reds, snook and bluefish caught during the past several days have been coming in. 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
Southwest FL Fishing Report for 6/27 through 7/2/2005 Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released tarpon, snook and trout during the past week. Numbers of tarpon in the coastal gulf waters near Boca Grande dwindled as the week went by. We also fished the backcountry of Gasparilla Sound and Sarasota Bay as alternatives to tarpon. Terry Notari, from Longboat Key, FL, his son, Craig Notari, and grandson, James Notari, both from Winnetka, IL, tarpon fished with me near Gasparilla Pass on Monday and Tuesday. James, at 13-years old, was finally old enough to join his Dad and Granddad on a tarpon trip. He was up to the challenge! James successfully cast his bait, set the hook and fought his tarpon, an estimated 110-pound fish, to the boat on Monday. The interesting part of the battle came at the end, when the reel snapped off of the rod with the fish at the side of the boat. Fortunately, I was still able to land the fish since it was already whipped at that point. On Tuesday, there were fewer fish and no bites. Jay Alvis, from Columbus, IN, fished the same area with me on Wednesday. We never saw a tarpon for 4-hours, so we retreated to the backcountry of Gasparilla Sound, where Jay caught and released more than a dozen trout on a DOA Deadly Combo.The weather pattern switched on Thursday to a southwest wind flow, which brings morning showers. Thursdays trip was cancelled due to rain in the morning. Fly angler, Bill Clary from Franklin, NC, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. Bill is an avid trout angler and fellow Federation of Fly Fishers member back in North Carolina. We snook fished around lighted docks near Big Pass before daylight, where Bill caught and released 4 or 5 snook on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies. We moved to the flats of Little Sarasota Bay after daylight where he caught and released several ladyfish on a variety of flies and a popper. Tarpon should still be available next week as we head towards the new moon. Although tarpon thinned out last week, it is too early in the season for them to disappear. However, there are options other than tarpon on the beach with snook around lighted docks, reds and trout on the flats and juvenile tarpon in upper Charlotte Harbor. Red tide seems to be easing a little in Sarasota Bay, so hopefully fishing there will return to normal soon. Even though red tide may be present in an area, there are patches of “clean” water around where fishing can be good. The key is to find those areas. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com
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