10/24/2011
Action in the coastal gulf shut down due to dirty and rough water following last week’s wind and rain. However Sarasota Bay action turned on after conditions settled, particularly in shallow water. Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, Spanish mackerel and redfish on lures and flies during the past week.
John Evans, from the UK, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. It was breezy and the action wasn’t fast, but he caught and released trout on Clouser flies along the east side of the bay and near Long Bar. We had windy and rainy conditions on Tuesday and Wednesday, so those trips had to be rescheduled. I attended a continuing education seminar for fly casting instructors at the annual FFF-Florida Council Conclave in Kissimmee, FL on Thursday. It was time well spent covering various topics related to teaching fly casting.
After weather conditions settled a little, Tim Graham, from Nokomis, FL, and Dale Vollrath, from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. They had a great day catching and releasing trout and more than 10 reds on CAL jigs with shad and grub tails. They sight fished some of the reds in potholes in north Sarasota Bay at the bottom of the tide. A great day!
Fly angler Richard Gilliam, from CA, fished the same areas with me on Saturday. He was weathered out on Tuesday and this was our only chance to make the trip up. He caught and released numerous trout, several Spanish mackerel and connected with a red. He used an Ultra Hair Clouser fly on deep grass flats for the trout and mackerel and my Grassett Flats Minnow fly for the red. Orvis representative Robert Bryant, from Greensboro, NC, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Sunday. We caught a few trout and a Spanish mackerel on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on sink tip fly lines along the east side of the bay before heading for shallow water. Robert had several eats, connected with a couple of reds and landed one on my Flat Minnow fly. The reds got more aggressive as the water warmed and the tide rose. He had numerous sight fishing opportunities and we worked hard to get the bites, but it was very rewarding!
Next week’s tides should be good for fishing both deep and shallow flats of Sarasota Bay as we approach a new moon on 10/26. Action with albies and Spanish mackerel should return in the coastal gulf as soon as the water clears and seas calm down. There is still time to enter the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers/Coastal Conservation Association’s Sarasota “Fall Fly Fishing Challenge” to be held next Saturday, 10/29. Contact me for more info or to sign up.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
Tim Graham, from Nokomis, FL, caught and released this Sarasota Bay red on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Richard Gilliam, from CA, caught and released this Spanish mackerel on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Orvis rep Robert Bryant, from Greensboro, NC, fished Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett and caught and released this red on a Grassett Flats Minnow fly.
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