Sarasota Bay Fishing Report 4-30-2012

Sarasota, FL Fishing Report
4/27/2012
by Capt. Rick Grassett

Anglers fishing Sarasota Bay 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, tripletail and snook on flies, CAL jigs and DOA Deadly Combos and had numerous shots at tarpon with a fly during the past week.

Don Tase, from NH, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday morning. He also had Monday booked with me, but due to 20-25 mph winds we canceled. It was still breezy on Tuesday, but much better conditions. Don brought his 6-year old grandson, Ryan, along for the first ½ of the trip and sent his son and daughter out for the 2nd ½ of the trip. They caught and released a few trout to 16” and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos at the Marina Jack flat and near Stephens Point.

Sarasota winter residents, Burt Farbman and Phil Rever, snook fished with me on Wednesday evening. They caught and released 4 or 5 snook to 23” and 6 trout on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly in the ICW near Venice.

My brother, Kirk Grassett from Middletown, DE, fished with me on Friday. We ran the coastal gulf along the beach out to about 30’ of water south to Grassy Point looking for false albacore (little tunny) but didn’t find anything. However, we found a pair of tripletail on the way back and caught both of them on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly. We spent several hours tarpon fishing, saw more than 50 fish and had a dozen or more shots. A couple of fish charged the fly but didn’t eat!

Tarpon are becoming more plentiful in the coastal gulf and are a good option now when conditions are good. Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW and cobia, tripletail or false albacore (little tunny) in the coastal gulf may also be good options. Look for reds and trout in shallow water in 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


Kirk Grassett, from Middletown, DE, caught and released his first tripletail on a Grassett Flats Minnow fly while fishing the coastal gulf off Sarasota with his brother, Capt. Rick Grassett.