Capt. Rick Grassett
12/24/2011
Catch and release night snook fishing was on fire early last week! 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 snook, reds, trout and bluefish during the past week. The best action was fly fishing for snook at night in the ICW near Venice. Snook gorged themselves on glass minnows around lighted docks and ate my Snook Minnow fly just as well. In addition, we also caught trout and reds around docks on the same fly.
Bruce McLean, from Sarasota and his son, Gray McLean, from Charlottesville, VA, fished the ICW near Venice with me on Monday evening. They caught and released more than 15 snook to 23”, 6 trout to 18” and 4 reds to 22” on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. Not only did Gray catch his first snook on a fly, he also caught and released several slams!
The action got even better on Wednesday evening when Bill Rhodes from Hernando Beach, FL, fished the same area with me. The bite was so good at quitting time that we decided to turn it into a 6-hour trip. Bill also had a fly rod slam catching and releasing more than 40 snook to 23”, 6 trout to 19” and a 22” red on my Snook Minnow fly! Exercise caution when snook fishing this time of year. I always use tackle and leaders heavy enough to land them quickly with minimal handling. If water temperatures plummet following a strong front, I won’t fish for them at all until conditions stabilize.
Bill fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday morning. The action was slow, but he managed to catch and release a couple of trout and a bluefish on a Hansen Glass Minnow fly near Whale Key. He fished a tandem fly rig with a smaller fly about 24” ahead of a larger fly on an intermediate shooting head fly line creating the illusion of schooling bait fish.
Jerry Roth, from Longwood, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday morning. Despite beautiful conditions it was slow to start. We had a negative low tide with good sunlight and mullet so thick you could walk on them, but we covered a lot of water before we scored. Jerry finished the day with 4 reds to 24” caught and released on a CAL jig with a shad tail near Buttonwood Harbor.
Negative low tides early next week as we head away from a new moon should concentrate reds and trout in potholes. Fish deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay for trout, blues, Spanish mackerel, pompano and flounder. As long as it stays mild, we should also have action with false albacore, Spanish mackerel and tripletail in the coastal gulf when conditions are good. Have a Merry Christmas!
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
Gray McLean, from Charlottesville, VA, caught and released this red on a Grassett Snook Minnow fly while fishing the ICW near Venice at night with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Bill Rhodes, from Hernando Beach, FL, caught and released this snook on a Grassett Snook Minnow fly while fishing the ICW near Venice at night with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Jerry Roth, from Longwood, FL, caught and released this red on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
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