Capt. Rick Grassett's Fishing Report

Fishing continues to be good in the coastal gulf for tarpon and in Sarasota Bay for trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and more. Fly anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action towards the end of the week of 7/4. Conditions were poor early that week with rain and overcast skies, however they improved to near perfect at the end of the week and tarpon responded favorably.

Jerry Poslusny, from Rochester, NY and Jay Peck, from Spencerport, NY, tarpon fished with me on Thursday and Friday, 7/8 and 9. Jay is a fly fishing guide for trout, salmon and steelhead in upstate NY and couldn’t wait to pull on a big tarpon! They jumped 3 tarpon off Longboat and Lido Keys and got a couple of them to the boat, including one that Jerry caught and released that was 100-pounds or more. Another fly angler fished the same areas with me on Saturday. We had more than 20 shots at fish and a couple of bites but didn’t hook up.

Jerry Poslusny Sarasota fly tarpon jump

Jerry Poslusny Sarasota fly tarpon jump

Gary and Tyler Mintz, from CO, fished several days with me this past week. Tarpon on a fly was our goal, but we fished Sarasota Bay on Monday due to rough conditions in the coastal gulf. They caught and released trout, bluefish and Spanish mackerel near Bishop Point on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on sink tip fly lines and a popper/dropper combo consisting of a Bubblehead popper and a Clouser fished on a floating line.

With a similar forecast for Tuesday, we headed for more protected waters of the Peace River where we had a few shots at tarpon in the 20 to 30-pound class. However, conditions improved so much by 9 AM that we headed back to Sarasota to fish the coastal gulf. We had numerous shots at tarpon in the coastal gulf off Sarasota over the next couple of days and several hard follows, but no bites.

It all came together for them on Thursday when Tyler made “the right cast to the right fish�. He hooked up with an estimated 75-pound tarpon on a black Deceiver and fought the fish for about 45-minutes. The fish broke off on a jump close to the boat, but we’d already had our fun! Another fly angler jumped and landed a similar size fish, also on a black Deceiver, in the same area on Friday.

Although tarpon schools have thinned to more singles, doubles and small schools of fish rather than large schools, they are aggressive now. This should hold up through July or into early August. Tarpon are also beginning to move to inside waters where you may find them on deep grass flats or around bridges. DOA baits on spinning tackle, especially those that land gently such as the DOA shrimp and CAL shad tails, will also work well for tarpon during July. Fish the flats for trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and reds early in the day for the best action.

Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com

Tarpon continue to be plentiful along Sarasota beaches. Despite tough conditions, anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, jumped and landed several tarpon during the past couple of weeks. Fly anglers also scored on tarpon, snook, trout, blues and jacks.

Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL and his mom, Andrea Lutz from Atlanta, GA, tarpon fished a couple of days with me on 6/23 and 24. Andrea jumped a pair of tarpon on live crabs off Lido and fought one of about 75-pounds to the boat. Hal fly fished and had a bite on a black Deceiver.

Dave Macomber and Ted Kottom, both from MN, tarpon fished several days with me from 6/25-6/27. We fished lighted docks on Siesta Key a couple of mornings before dawn where they caught and released several snook to 24� and numerous trout to 18� on Grassett Snook Minnow flies. Dave jumped his first tarpon on a fly, a 75-pound fish, on a black Deceiver off Lido on Saturday. Despite having a knot come up in his fly line, he successfully cleared the line, got the knot back onto the reel and fought the fish to the boat in about 20-minutes. Ted landed a pair of tarpon, a 70-pounder on Saturday and a huge, 140-pound fish on Sunday on live crabs off Lido and Longboat Keys.

Dave Macomber Lido fly tarpon fight

Dave Macomber Lido fly tarpon jump

Conditions were not good during the week of 6/28. Fish weren’t showing on the surface due to a big swell and overcast conditions made it tough to see them below the surface. Terry Notari, from Longboat Key, his son Craig Notari, from the Chicago area, and grandsons, Josh and James, fished a couple of days with me on 6/30 and 7/1. We had a small window of improved conditions each day at about noon when we had some visibility and swells laid down a little. They had a great day on Thurs, 7/1, landing 2 out of 4 fish including one on a fly. Both fish, about 75-pounds, were caught on Longboat Key-James got one to the boat on a crab and his dad, Craig, landed the other fish on a fly. His fish ate a black Deceiver only about 15 feet from the boat in one of the coolest bites of the season! Accuracy is often more important than distance when fly fishing. Craig’s fish was caught with only about a 20’ cast.

Craig Notari Longboat Key fly tarpon fight

Fly angler Jon Yenari, from Sarasota, FL, fished with me on Friday, 7/2. Our plan was to tarpon fish and we were surprised that conditions had deteriorated even further due to swells from Hurricane Alex finally reaching us. After spending a couple of hours in the gulf hunting tarpon, we headed into Sarasota Bay where we caught and released trout to 18�, blues to 2-pounds and jacks on Grassett Flats Bunny and Clouser flies. We fished the west side of Sarasota Bay near Bishop Point where we encountered several feeding frenzies of breaking blues and jacks. Jon caught a pair of 2-pound blues at the same time out of one of the frenzies on a popper/dropper combo!

Tarpon should feed more aggressively as we head into July, which is my favorite month to fly fish for tarpon in shallow water. DOA baits on spinning tackle also work well this time of the year. Since many fish have already spawned, tarpon schools will be smaller and more willing to eat.

Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com

Tarpon fishing continues to be good along Sarasota beaches. Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action the last couple of weeks along Siesta and Longboat Keys. The DOA Baitbuster has been a hot bait!

Dickie Herbst, from Bradenton, FL, fished a couple of days with me during the week of 6/7. Wind was out of the west on Monday, so we chose to fish more protected water in Tampa Bay near Terra Ceia. Rob Brady, from Sarasota, joined Dickie that day and caught and released a 115-pound tarpon on a live crab. Dickie also fished with me on Thursday, 6/10 with a guest. They jumped a pair of fish, one on a DOA Baitbuster and another on a live crab. One fish was fought to the boat after 20 to 30-minutes only to have a hook break.

Capt. Rick Grassett 115-lb Tampa Bay tarpon

John Isard and his son, Jesse, from Osprey, FL, tarpon fished with me on Tuesday, 6/8. They fought an estimated 90-pound fish to the boat along Longboat Key after about 45 minutes on a DOA Baitbuster. It was a hot fish, almost spooling us on its initial run! Fly anglers had lots of shots and several hard follows on a couple of trips, but no eats. When fly fishing for tarpon it is a matter of the right presentation to the right fish.

Don Moberg and sons, Dave and Doug, from MN, fished with me on Monday and Tuesday, 6/14 and 15. They had a great day casting live crabs on Monday along Siesta Key. They had 4 bites, jumping and bringing 3 fish to 110-pounds to the boat. The next day had plenty of shots but no bites. Newlyweds Kyle and Sarah Maddox, from Mobile, AL, fished Longboat Key with me on Wednesday, 6/16. They had 3 bites, jumped 2 of them and brought one about 90-pounds to the boat.

Don Moberg 110-lb Siesta Key tarpon

Tarpon stayed in deep water towards the end of the week making it tougher for fly anglers to get a fly in front of fish. Action should continue to be good next week as we head towards a full moon on June 26th.

Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com

Anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with tarpon off Sarasota beaches during the past couple of weeks. We jumped more than 15 fish and fought 4 or 5 to the boat. Anglers scored with live crabs, DOA Baitbusters and baitfish fly patterns along Lido and Longboat Key.

Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, and Andrea Lutz, from Atlanta, GA, fished several days with me during the week of 5/24. One of the best trips of the week was with them on Thursday. Andrea had the hot hand jumping several tarpon on live crabs that day. Hal jumped a pair of fish on Enrico Puglisi Bronze Mullet flies and fought another fish that ate a live crab to the boat. Another angler jumped a tarpon on an Enrico Puglisi Black Mullet fly on Tuesday 5/25.

David Sugar and his son, Max, from Sarasota, FL, had a great trip on Saturday, 5/29. He jumped 4 tarpon on live crabs and had numerous shots on his first ever tarpon trip! Tarpon were schooled tightly and “happy� that day even though it was a holiday weekend.

A group of 6 anglers fished several days with Capt. Kelly Stilwell, Capt. Jack Hartman and me last week. Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, Steve Liska, from NJ, Dave Kinnamon, from Milwaukee, WI and Paul Browring, from the UK, fished various days on my boat. They jumped a total of 7 tarpon and landed 2, to 90-pounds, on live crabs and DOA Baitbusters. Other anglers in the group had similar action, jumping and landing several tarpon to 140-pounds, with a variety of live baits and flies. West wind forced us to fish inside waters of Sarasota Bay with the group on Friday. We had a great trip catching and releasing trout and bluefish to 2 ½-pounds on DOA Deadly Combos near Bishop Point.

Steve Liska's Longboat Key tarpon

Paul Browring's Sarasota Bay DOA Deadly Combo trout

Nick Misischia, from Bend, OR, and his dad, Bill Misischia, from Sarasota, fished with me on Saturday. Nick caught and released about 6 trout on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly on a Siesta Key dock before dawn. We tried to fish the gulf for tarpon but Friday’s blow had the water too stirred up to spot fish. Bill caught and released a few trout on a DOA Deadly Combo at the Middleground flat and near Bishop Point in Sarasota Bay.

Tarpon schools have been moving slowly and high in the water column giving us good shots at them. If conditions are rough in the coastal gulf, fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay should produce lots of variety and action. Bay fishing should be best early in the day before heat affects the bite later in the day. Tarpon fishing should continue to be strong as we approach the new moon on June 12th.

Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com

Anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and tarpon during the past couple of weeks. After warming up quickly, more than 10 degrees in a week or so, bay fishing slowed. However, tarpon showed up in force along our beaches.

Fly anglers Lynn Skipper, from Brandon, FL and Robert Fischer, from Tampa, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on 2 different days during the week of 5/10. We spent some time tarpon fishing early both days, but they weren’t showing well enough to give us any decent shots at them. Sarasota winter residents, Norm and Francie Boardman, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday. Action in the bay was slow with a few trout and scattered blues and Spanish mackerel on a variety of flies and DOA Deadly Combos.

I turned my attention to tarpon last week and conditions were great. The pattern has been for a push of tarpon schools at first light in the morning, although they haven’t been showing that well on the surface. Jim Festa and Bob Benson, both from Sarasota, FL, fished with me on Monday. We jumped a pair of tarpon off Siesta Key on live crabs and Jim landed the first tarpon of the season on my boat, an estimated 60-pounder. A couple of other fly tarpon trips had numerous shots at fish but no bites. Accuracy is very important when fly fishing for tarpon. The fly must be in the right place at the right time to be successful.

Jim Festa's Siesta Key tarpon

Fly angler Jamie Grow, from Washington, DC, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday. We had some action for the first couple of hours of the day at Stephens Point, catching and releasing several trout to 18� and getting cut off by a blue or mackerel. Due to the success we’ve been having with the DOA Deadly Combo, we opted for a popper/dropper fly combo with my Grassett Flats Bunny fished behind a Bubblehead popper. Jamie caught the largest trout using this technique as well as had several exciting strikes. All fish were attracted by the popper in the off color water, but ate the bunny fly.

Jamie Grow's Sarasota Bay Grassett Flats Bunny fly trout

Tarpon should be plentiful next week as we approach a full moon on May 27th. Drift live baits in their travel lane along beaches and cast live baits or DOA Baitbusters, Swimming Mullet and BFL’s to tarpon schools passing by. Fly anglers should do best later in the day when visibility is best. It is usually a matter of the right presentation to the right fish.

Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com

Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota Fishing Report for 4/26 through 5/1/2010

Anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with trout to 22� and scattered bluefish to 3-pounds on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay and catch and release snook to 24� in the ICW at night near Venice during the week of 4/26.

Jack Sinton and Dave Duerson, from Bend OR, caught and released more than 15 snook to 24� in the ICW at night near Venice on Monday night. They caught their fish on Grassett Snook Minnow flies fished on sink tip fly lines.

Randy Ruskey, from Peoria, IL, had steady action with trout to more than 2-pounds and bluefish to 3-pounds on Grassett Flats Bunny and Ultra Hair Clouser flies on Tuesday. We fished deep grass flats on the west side of the bay near Bishop Point. Ed Martin, from Shanty Bay, ON, Canada, and his son Mike, also from Canada, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. They had good action with trout to more than 3-pounds, bluefish and a nice flounder on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos.

Randy Ruskey's Sarasota Bay fly bluefish

Mike Martin's Sarasota Bay Deadly Combo trout

Kirk Grassett, from Middletown, DE, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. We caught and released trout, jacks and ladyfish on Clouser and Flats Bunny flies at Stephens and Bishops Point.

Next week’s tides will improve towards the end of next week as we get further away from the full moon. Fishing deep grass flats for trout and the ICW for snook at night should continue to be good options. Tarpon should start to show up along our beaches any day now.

Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com

Capt. Rick Grassetts Andros South, Bahamas Fishing Report for 5/1 through 5/8/2010

A group of 4 other anglers and I traveled to Andros South bonefish lodge on south Andros in the Bahamas on Saturday, May 1st for my annual trip. I have been planning, organizing and hosting groups of anglers on trips to various destinations for about 12 years and this was my 5th trip to Andros South lodge. We hit it just right this time as the weather was near perfect and the fishing was hot!

Norm and Francie Boardman and Jon Yenari, all from Sarasota, FL, and my brother, Kirk Grassett from Middletown, DE, all joined me for the trip. We had a great charter flight over and back on Watermakers Air out of Ft. Lauderdale. The Cessna Caravan left early and returned on time with no hassle at all. Once at the lodge, we settled in with hot hors’doerves and cold beverages. We anxiously rigged our tackle for our first day of bonefishing. There was another group of 4 anglers from Atlanta and New York at the lodge the first half of the week. Another solo angler, Craig Black from Jacksonville, FL, paired up with anglers in my group since we were an odd number. Kirk, Jon and I rotated fishing with each other and Craig during the week. John and Paul Gaynor, from the UK, arrived at the lodge on Wednesday. The camaraderie was great!

We caught and released lots of bonefish to more than 7-pounds with many fish in the 2 to 3-pound class. Hot flies were Peterson’s Spawning Shrimp and a Mantis Shrimp pattern. I also caught several bonefish on a bonefish version of my Grassett’s Flats Minnow (white Estaz body, tan fly fur wing and pink thread on a #4 hook). Eric Peterson, creator of the Peterson Spawning Shrimp, was also fishing on south Andros and stopped by the lodge to say hello and leave us with a few “originals�. Eric’s fly has become one of the top flies at Andros South. I can’t wait to try the new tarpon and redfish shrimp patterns that he gave me.

I had a couple of great days with more than 20 bonefish up to 6-pounds, several very good days with 8 to 10 bonefish and only one slow day with a few fish. We waded a good bit of the time which allows both anglers to fish at the same time. Jon Yenari and I had a great day wading a large flat with a blue hole at one end with guide Norman. We caught mangrove snapper to 3-pounds out of the blue hole and hooked a large ‘cuda. With a falling tide, bonefish were leaving the flat and gave us several hours of action while standing in one spot. It was like a shooting gallery! Craig and I fished with guide Torrie on the last day and had a banner day. We did one of Torrie’s famous cross country wading trips and it was well worth the effort. We fished a land locked salt lake and had schools of bonefish bouncing back and forth between us providing nonstop action for several hours!

Capt Rick Grassett's Andros South fly bonefish

Norm and Francie also had good action fishing with several different guides. Francie used spinning tackle and was successful casting a jig while Norm had good success with a variety of flies. Their last day with guide Fredlon was the best with about 20 bonefish for the day! Kirk and Jon also both had some very good days with several days in “double digits�!

Jon Yenari's Andros South fly bonefish

Kirk Grassett's Andros South fly bonefish

This was one of my best trips ever at Andros South. The weather and fishing were near perfect, although it was breezy at times. This is typical in the tropics and actually makes fish less spooky than on a calm day. This is a yearly trip for me and I plan to be there again during the first week of May in 2011. Look for more info on my web sites in coming months.

Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com

Anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with snook, big trout, Spanish mackerel and scattered pompano and blues on CAL jigs with shad tails, DOA Deadly Combos and flies during the past couple of weeks. The best action was with big trout on the flats and snook at night.

Fly anglers Pete Kazmier, from Lakeland, FL, and Tracy Baker, from Homestead, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Sat, 4/10. They caught and released numerous trout, including several large trout weighing 3, 3 ½ and 4 ¼ lbs, and several Spanish mackerel on Grassett Deep Flats Bunny and Ultra Hair Clouser flies. One of the big trout was sight-fished in skinny water.

Jack Sinton and Dave Duerson, from Bend, OR, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Mon, 4/12. They had steady action with trout, including several in the slot, and Spanish mackerel on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay on Clouser and Deep Flats Bunny flies.

Denis Clohisy, from Hudson, WI and Brian McInnis, from Sarasota, FL, fished with me the next 3 days. The best trip was when we fished the flats of Blackburn Bay at dusk on Tuesday evening. They caught and released 5 big trout from 2 ½ to 4 ¼-lbs on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails. We moved to lighted docks after dark and the action was fast. They caught and released more than 20 snook to 26� on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. We also caught a nice trout and bluefish out of the lights.

After cancelling several night snook trips in Jan and Feb due to the freeze and subsequent extended cold weather, we were pleasantly surprised to find snook plentiful and feeding aggressively in the lights. We spent the next couple of days fishing both deep and shallow flats of Sarasota Bay where they had steady action with trout and scattered blues, Spanish mackerel and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails and Clouser and Deep Flats Bunny flies.

Denis Clohisy's Venice fly night snook

Keith Peplinski, his wife, Becky and dad, Don, all from MI, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. They had fast action with trout to 3-pounds, blues, Spanish mackerel, pompano and a flounder on CAL jigs with shad tails at the Middleground flat, Stephens Point and near Long Bar. A 30-pound cobia swam up to the boat and gave us a shot, but it didn’t eat. Matt Murray and his son, RJ, from CT, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning. They caught numerous Spanish mackerel, blues and a 2-pound trout on CAL jigs with shad tails and Grassett Flats Bunny and Clouser flies at the Middleground flat and Bishops Point.

John Freedman and Dan Roach, from Venice, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 4/19. They had some action with trout along the east side of the bay on Flats Bunny and Clouser flies fished on intermediate and intermediate sink tip fly lines. Orvis’s Royal Oak, MI store fishing manager, Rich Merlino, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. We checked the coastal gulf off Siesta Key and found beautiful conditions but no action. However, we did find a few snook in the surf along Siesta and north Casey Key. We came back into Big Pass where we had fast action with blues and large ladyfish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies for a couple of hours. With the sea breeze up in the afternoon, we worked the west side of the bay near Bishop’s Point and caught and released trout and ladyfish on Flats Bunnies and a variety of other flies.

Long time friends and customers, Les and Kimball Beery, from North Port, FL and Estes Park, CO, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. They had a great day with large trout on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. They caught a few blues and ladyfish in Big Pass to start the day, but the action wasn’t as fast as Tuesday. We moved to deep grass flats along the east side of Sarasota Bay where they had steady action with trout on CAL jigs with gold shad tails. The action got faster and fish got bigger throughout the day. They finished the day with several slot size trout and 6 trout over the slot. Kimball ended the day with a “gator� trout of over 4-pounds on a DOA Deadly Combo.

Kimball Beery's Sarasota Bay DOA Deadly Combo trout

My son-in-law, Capt. Andy Cotton, and I fished Sarasota Bay together on Friday to scout for the 15th annual Sarasota CCA Photo All-Release Challenge fishing tournament. We caught several snook, trout to 4-pounds, Spanish mackerel and blues on Clouser and Flats Bunny flies and located some reds to come up with a plan for the next day. On Saturday we fished the tournament and although things didn’t go quite as planned, I won the Fly Fishing division with a snook and a trout. We had 15-20 mph SSE wind by 10 AM, which is straight up Sarasota Bay, causing very rough conditions! More than 120 anglers, in divisions for anglers, youth, fly and ladies fished the tournament. The event is low key and fun for the whole family and also raises money for CCA’s conservation efforts.

Next week’s tides are good as we head towards a full moon on Wednesday, although daytime flats fishing can sometimes be slow as a result. Fishing deep grass flats, snook at night and the coastal gulf for Spanish mackerel, cobia or tripletail should be good options. Keep your eyes open for the first tarpon of the season along the beaches.

Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com

Anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with trout, Spanish mackerel and pompano during the past couple of weeks. The best action was on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Action improved as weather got better and water temperatures continued to warm.

Mark Torkos, from Jacksonville, FL, fished several days with me in Sarasota Bay during the week of 3/29. The best action was at Stephens Point, Bishops Point and near Buttonwood Harbor where he caught and released trout and Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails and Grassett Deep Flats Bunny flies. Greg Smith and his son, Alex, from the Detroit, MI area, fished the same areas with me on Friday morning of that week. They caught and released more than a dozen trout to 3-pounds on the same lures and flies. Don and Rose Johnson, from Indianapolis, IN, fished with me that afternoon. They also caught trout to 17� and ladyfish on jigs and flies.

Dale Bluman, from PA and Art Dauria, from NY, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning, 4/3. They caught and released numerous trout and a Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails at Stephens Point, Bishops Point and near Bayshore Gardens.

Bill Beauchamp, from Bradenton, FL and Phil Belmore fished Sarasota Bay with me last Monday. They had fast action with trout to 3 1/2-pounds, Spanish mackerel to 7-pounds and pompano to 2-pounds on CAL jigs with shad tails at Stephens Point and along the west side of Sarasota Bay. The Spanish mackerel were some of the largest that I have ever caught. Fly anglers Perry Greene and his son, Dirk, from the Detroit, MI area, had also fast action with trout and Spanish mackerel on Grassett Deep Flats Bunny flies and Ultra Hair Clousers at Stephens Point, Bishops Point and near Buttonwood Harbor.

Bill Beauchamp's Sarasota Bay CAL jig 7-lb Spanish mackerel

Perry and Dirk Greene with a nice Sarasota Bay trout caught and released on a Grassett Flats Bunny fly

Pierre Fortier and Alexandre Brassard, both from Quebec, Canada fished the same areas with me on Wednesday. They had similar action with trout, Spanish mackerel and pompano on Grassett Deep Flats Bunnies and CAL jigs with shad tails. Sarasota winter resident Nick Reding and I waded several flats in north Sarasota Bay on Thursday. Reds have been tough on lures and flies lately, but Nick did get one to eat a chartreuse Clouser fly.

Fishing in skinny water for reds and snook and in the coastal gulf for Spanish and king mackerel, cobia and more should improve as the water continues to warm. Action should continue to be good on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay.

Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com

Anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had steady action during the past couple of weeks with trout and ladyfish on jigs and flies on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay and Gasparilla Sound. Most trips averaged 15 -20 trout and a few ladyfish. Fly anglers scored with Grassett’s Flats Bunnies and Super Hair Clousers on intermediate and intermediate sink tip fly lines while anglers using light spinning tackle caught their fish on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos.

Steve Koerner, from CO, and Peter Widmann, from CA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday, 3/13. They caught and released trout and ladyfish on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails along the west side of the bay. Dick Hume, from MN, and his son-in-law, Chris Leu from TX, caught and released trout to 18� on Grassett’s Flats Bunnies, Super Hair Clousers, CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos in Gasparilla Sound with me on Monday. The best action was over deep grass outside of Bull Bay.

Steve Koerner's Sarasota Bay CAL jig trout

Rick Peregord, from MI, fished Sarasota Bay with me a couple of days that week. He caught and released trout and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails along the west side of Sarasota Bay from Bishops Point to Buttonwood Harbor. Greg Baumeyer, from Chicago, IL, caught and released trout to 17� at Stephens Point and near Buttonwood Harbor on Grassett’s Flats Bunny and Clouser flies on Wednesday, 3/17.

Ladd Weinberg, from CT, and his son-in-law, Dave from MA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 3/19 and caught and released trout and ladyfish on Grassett’s Flats Bunny flies and CAL jigs with shad tails. The best action was near Buttonwood Harbor. Rich Hunter and Tony Booth, both from NJ, caught and released trout to 18� on Grassett’s Flats Bunny flies and CAL jigs with shad tails at Stephens and Bishops Point on Saturday morning, 3/20.

Fly anglers Nick Reding and Jim Ewoldt, both from St. Louis, MO, fished Sarasota Bay with me last Monday, 3/22. They caught several nice trout to 19� on Grassett’s Flats Bunny flies near Buttonwood Harbor. Fly angler Ladd Weinberg, from CT, fished a couple of days in the Terra Ceia Bay area with me last week. We strictly sight fished for reds and he had lots of shots, but they wouldn’t eat our flies.

Stephen Lewis and his sons Danny and Sam, all from New York City, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday afternoon. They had fast action with trout on CAL jigs with shad tails at Stephens Point and near Bishops Point. Denny Parker, from Lake Wales, FL, and his son Jeff, from VA, also had fast action with trout in the same areas on Friday with flies. They caught and released more than 15 trout including a 3-pound and a 2 ½ pound trout on Ultra Hair Clouser and Grassett’s Flats Bunny flies.

Jeff and Denny Parker's Sarasota Bay fly trout

It seems as if spring has finally arrived and fishing should only get better. Next week’s tides are favorable as we head towards a full moon on March 30th. Fishing may be better late in the day if fish feed at night.

Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com

Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout and ladyfish on jigs and flies during the past couple of weeks. The best action was on deep grass flats of Gasparilla Sound, Little Sarasota Bay and Sarasota Bay.

Martin Marlowe, from NY and his son, Bruce, from RI, fished Little Sarasota Bay near Midnight Pass with me on Weds, 2/24 and had steady action with trout to 18� and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails. Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL and Jack McCulloch, from Englewood, FL, fished Gasparilla Sound with me the following day. We found water temperatures in the low 50’s in skinny water, however it didn’t bother trout. They caught more than a dozen trout to 18�, with most of them in the slot, on CAL jigs with shad tails.

Weather conditions were poor the following week. We had 20 to 30 mph winds on Weds and Thurs, 3/3 and 3/4 which forced me to reschedule trips on those days. I was on the casting pond giving a seminar on “Saltwater Fly Fishing� at the Tampa Tribune’s Frank Sergeant Outdoors Expo on Friday afternoon and Capt. Ed Hurst and I were instructors for a CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Saturday.

I was back on the water on Sunday, 3/7 with Dave Kinnamon and Jim Russ, both from WI. We fished deep grass flats in Gasparilla Sound and near Bull Bay, and caught more than 25 trout to 17� on CAL jigs with shad tails. The action was slow to start but turned on in the afternoon. Ryan Morse, from VA, and his dad, Eric Morse, fished the same area with me on Monday. They had similar results with trout to 21� on CAL jigs with shad tails and Clouser flies.

Eric Morse's Charlotte Harbor CAL jig trout

Martin Marlowe, from NY, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday afternoon. He caught and released a dozen or more trout and a couple of blues on Clouser flies near Buttonwood Harbor. We found lots of reds near Long Bar, but they ignored our flies and jigs. Harry Beaty, from Canada, and Tom Schalk, from MI, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. They had steady action with trout to 20� on CAL jigs with shad tails, including 4 slot-size fish. Mike Sprague, from NJ, fished a few hours with me on Thursday morning before high winds, associated with an approaching front, forced us off the water. He caught and released more than 20 trout and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails near Stephens Point.

Tom Schalk's Sarasota Bay CAL jig trout caught with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Next week’s tides are good as we approach the new moon on March 15th. Water temperatures have finally warmed to about 60 degrees, so action should continue to improve. The best action should be with trout on deep grass flats, although reds should also become more active as the water warms.

Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com