Action picked up early in the week with water temperatures up to 60 degrees. Another blast of cold air by mid week dropped water temperatures back to the mid 50’s, although it didn’t affect the trout and redfish bite that much. Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released reds, snook and trout during the past week.
Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, and Ted West, also from IL, fished the backcountry of Gasparilla Sound with me on Monday. They caught more than 25 trout to 19” and several reds to 31” on CAL jigs with shad tails. Most of the trout were in the slot and the 31” red, which weighed 11-pounds, was one of the larger reds we have caught recently. Keith and Victor Feldman, from Champagne, IL, also fished the same area with me on Friday. With water considerably colder following a couple of cold nights, they still had good action. Although not as fast as Monday, they caught 15 to 20 trout to 19”, with all of the fish in the slot, and a couple of reds on CAL jigs with shad tails.
Fly angler Chris Cunis, from CO, and his uncle, Venice winter resident Lynn Stuhldreher, fished the ICW near Venice with me on Tuesday evening. I monitored water temperature for several days before deciding to move forward with this trip. I am cautious to not target snook during cold snaps when water temperatures plummet. However, during warm ups between fronts, snook may feed aggressively. This was the case on Tuesday evening, with water temperature up to 60 degrees, we caught and released more than 25 snook on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly and a CAL jig with a glow shad tail.
This time of the year you can be successful if you fish smart. Fish the windows of good weather between fronts or fish afternoons following fronts for the best action. Next week’s negative low tides in the morning, as we approach a full moon on Jan. 19th, should concentrate trout and reds in potholes, channels and along drop offs. Afternoons may fish better if it is cold.
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
Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, caught and released this nice red on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing the backcountry of Gasparilla Sound with Capt. Rick Grassett.
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