Amelia Island Fishing Report 10/2013

September Report/October Forecast:

Water temperatures have been dropping in the backwater and so has the air temp. The Seatrout bite is picking up and even though our Redfish catches have been smaller, the weather has been so nice it's just great to be out there fishing.  Twelve year old Trey Tesiero wrapped the month up by landing the third biggest Flounder of the year!


Last October the Seatrout really came on strong and the Redfish got bigger.  I can't stress enough-this is THE time of year to go fishing at Amelia Island! The weather's great, the crowds are gone, and the fish are hungry!
You may want to turn your volume down to watch these video's...


Big Birthday Redfish


Nice Redfish Catch

Capt. Lawrence Piper
The Anglers Mark
Amelia Island, Florida
904-557-1027
lwpiper@comcast.net
theanglersmark.com   

Fort Lauderdale Fishing Charters 10/13

 

Anglers fishing with me aboard the Reel Work out of Fort Lauderdale on Friday caught mahi-mahi, kingfish, blackfin tuna and wahoo. We had two charters, one in the morning and one in the afternoon and even though neither one caught a lot of fish we did manage to catch some nice ones.

The morning charter started as usual catching some bait before heading offshore to troll. We trolled around for a while looking for signs of fish without a lot of luck until we came to a nice looking edge and started trolling along it. It wasn't long before the long planer rod went off. We thought it must be a nice kingfish because of how fast it took line off the reel but when we got it to the boat we could see the stripes and new we had a big wahoo. The two guys fishing with us were happy and after catching a couple of mahi we headed back to the dock. We had a group of guys go out with us in the afternoon. Fishing continued to be a little slow but we did manage to catch a mahi, bonito and kingfish.

Our great fall fishing is just getting started. Fill in the form on the left side of this page or give us a call to set up your Fort Lauderdale fishing charter.


Reel Work Sport Fishing Charters
301 Seabreeze Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
954-522-9399
1-877-524-9377
Email: lauderdalefishing@gmail.com
Website: lauderdalefishing.com
Fort Lauderdale Fishing Charters

Fishing Changes With The Seasons

Fall is here, at least the South Florida version of it. In Fort Lauderdale fall means shorter days, fewer afternoon thunderstorms, slightly cooler and dryer air and a change in fishing patterns. As we move through October fishing becomes better and better. Trolling offshore will produce more consistent catches of bonito, mahi, kingfish and wahoo. October is when the cold fronts start moving through South Florida and is usually the start of sailfish season. Bottom fishing also picks up. Our local wrecks and reefs will begin to produce better catches of vermillion snapper, bararcuda, amber jack's and sharks. Yesterday was a good example. Anglers fishing offshore of Fort Lauderdale with me aboard the Reel Work yesterday had fun catching blackfin tuna and spanish mackerel. Later we stoped on a wreck and caught some nice vermillion snapper. Great Fall Fishing Is Here. Fill in the form on the left side of this page or give us a call to set up your Fort Lauderdale fishing charter. Reel Work Sport Fishing Charters 301 Seabreeze Blvd. Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 954-522-9399 1-877-524-9377 Email: lauderdalefishing@gmail.com Website: lauderdalefishing.com Fort Lauderdale Fishing Charters

Sarasota Fishing Report 9/29/13

Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 9/29/2013

Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action catching and releasing trout, bluefish and jacks on DOA Deadly Combos, CAL jigs with shad tails and top water plugs in Sarasota Bay and reds, snook, trout, bluefish and flounder in Gasparilla Sound on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos during the past week.
Jerry Roth, from Orlando, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me last Sunday. He cast top water plugs on deep grass flats along the west side of the bay and caught and released blues, jacks and trout. John Stenger and his son, Jeff, from KY, fished the same areas with me on Monday. They caught and released trout, blues and jacks on DOA Deadly Combos.
With an upcoming trip in the Boca Grande area and since I hadn’t fished there lately, I needed to do some scouting. Capt. Andy Cotton, also out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, joined me to fish Gasparilla Sound on Thursday where we caught and released several reds, snook, trout and a nice flounder on CAL jigs with shad tails. I hooked a fish that took off on a screaming run and was surprised when it jumped that it was decent sized barracuda! Despite 8 inches of rain earlier in the week, fishing was good. A positive effect of all the rain is that it dropped water temperature on shallow flats into the high 70’s.
Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, Jack McCulloch, from Lakewood Ranch, FL and Dennis Stroer, from Venice, FL, fished the same area with me on Friday. They had good action catching and releasing several snook, reds, and flounder in skinny water and with trout and a nice blue on DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs with shad tails on deep grass flats.
Beat the heat by catch and release snook fishing before daylight and then look for reds, trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and more in Sarasota Bay. Action with false albacore (little tunny), Spanish mackerel and more should begin in the coastal gulf any time now.

Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis- Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB’s Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com


Capt. Andy Cotton, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released this nice Gasparilla Sound red on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.


Capt. Rick Grassett, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released this cuda on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing Gasparilla Sound.


Jack McCulloch, from Lakewood Ranch, FL, caught and released this slot size Gasparilla Sound red on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.


Dennis Stroer, from Venice, FL, caught and released this Gasparilla Sound snook on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.


Jack McCulloch, from Lakewood Ranch, FL, caught and released this big Gasparilla Sound flounder out of a pothole on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Apalachicola Fishing Report 9/28/13

Dale Ray sight fished this 8lb Red with Capt. Chris on 9/18/13 Great news for Snapper Fishermen!! Gulf red snapper opens recreationally Oct. 1 in state and federal waters The recreational harvest of red snapper will open Oct. 1 in state and federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. In state waters, which are from shore to 9 nautical miles in the Gulf, the season will remain open through Oct. 21, closing on Oct. 22. In federal waters, which are from 9 nautical miles out to 200 nautical miles, the season will remain open through Oct. 14, closing on Oct. 15. These supplemental recreational red snapper seasons are for 2013 only. The minimum size limit in state and federal waters is 16 inches, and the daily bag limit is two per harvester, per day. There is a zero daily bag and possession limit for captain and crew on for-hire vessels. Fall is in the air in NW Florida! Reds & Trout are abundant. Your favorite fishing guide is hoping you will take the bait and come wet a hook! This is also the time of year I get busy and start bugging you to commit for next year. If you fished with us this year you get first refusal on your days for 2014. I'd love to hear from you! Remember to check with us for your Apalachicola Vacation Rentals. For October, November & December, several of our vacation rentals are being offered at 15% off the weekend rate when you pay in full. Minimum 2 night stay. http://www.robinsonrealestatecompany.com
 Thanks for reading!
Kathy
 Robinson Brothers Guide Service
44 Avenue E - Apalachicola, FL 32320
http://www.floridaredfish.com
850-653-8896

Fort Lauderdale Fishing Report 9/22/13

Fort Lauderdale Fishing Charter Report

Fort Lauderdale fishing charters have been a little slow the last few days but what we have lacked in quantity has been made up in the quality of the fish we have caught.



Dave and Lisa went on a fishing charter with us on Friday. We caught some bait and headed offshore to troll the Gulf Stream. The big schools of bonito were not around but we did managed to catch a kingfish a skipjack and a bonito.

When things get slow you can often find fish hanging out over bottom structure so we decided to troll over top of some of the offshore wrecks. This turned out to be a good decision when a nice wahoo hit a bait on a planer as we trolled over a wreck. After a few blistering runs we managed to put the 25 pound wahoo in the ice box.

Dave and Lisa wanted to try catching a shark so we headed to a different wreck and dropped some baits to the bottom. It wasn't long before one of the rods, with half of a kingfish on it for bait, went off. We knew we had a nice fish on and after a good fight we brought a 50 lb Warsaw grouper into the boat.

We had 2 trips on Saturday but fishing was slow. We got a couple bonito in the morning. Then got a couple mahi a kingfish and a skipjack in the afternoon.

As the fish transition from summer to fall we will have a few slow days mixed in with the good days. Fall is one of the best times of year to fish Fort Lauderdale so as the days grow shorter the fishing will continue to get better and better.

Give us a call at the number below or fill in the form on the left hand side of this page to set up your Fort Lauderdale fishing charter!

Reel Work Sport Fishing Charters
301 Seabreeze Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
954-522-9399
1-877-524-9377
Email: lauderdalefishing@gmail.com
Website: lauderdalefishing.com
Fort Lauderdale Fishing Charters

Variety Makes For A Fun Fishing Charter

We had a good fishing charter yesterday. Anglers fishing with me aboard the Reel Work out of Fort Lauderdale had fun catching snapper, tuna, bonito, mahi-mahi and even a wahoo. The day started as usual stopping to catch bait before heading offshore to troll the Gulf Stream. Once we got to the 300' mark my mate put out a some lines and the fun began. It did not take long before the bonito started biting. Our anglers took turns reeling in these fast and hard fighting fish. After an hour or so of catching bonito we got into a school of blackfin tuna and even a wahoo. I spotted a weed line and pulled the boat up along side where we caught some beautiful and tasty mahi. It was getting late so we started back to the dock. On the way back we stopped at a wreck and caught several snapper.

It was a good charter. Our anglers left with great memories and lots of tasty filets for there freezer.

Fall is just around the corner and the fishing is only going to get better. Fill in the form on the left side of this page or give us a call to set up your Fort Lauderdale fishing charter.


Reel Work Sport Fishing Charters
301 Seabreeze Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
954-522-9399
1-877-524-9377
Email: lauderdalefishing@gmail.com
Website: lauderdalefishing.com
Fort Lauderdale Fishing Charters

Shark Fishing Fort Lauderdale: Video

Here is the video one of our anglers took back in July. Shannon does a great job getting this 8' bull shark to the boat while fishing with us on the Reel Work. After a couple of quick pictures the shark is released unharmed. Give us a call or fill in the form on the left hand side of this page to set up your Fort Lauderdale shark fishing adventure! Reel Work Sport Fishing Charters 301 Seabreeze Blvd. Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316 954-522-9399 1-877-524-9377 Email: lauderdalefishing@gmail.com Website: lauderdalefishing.com Fort Lauderdale Shark Fishing Charters

Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 9/21/2013

Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action catching and releasing snook, trout, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, mangrove snapper and jacks on flies, DOA Deadly Combos, CAL jigs with shad tails and top water plugs in Sarasota Bay during the past week. The best action was with snook and a variety of species on deep grass flats. James Stewart, from Inverness, Scotland and his friend Paul Cuthbertson, from Aberdeen, Scotland, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday morning. We started before dawn to snook fish around lighted docks. They had fast action, catching and releasing about 15 snook to 25” on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. We fished deep grass flats on both sides of Sarasota Bay after daylight where they caught and released trout to 23” on Ultra Hair Clouser flies. Their first snook and largest trout on fly! Capt. Bill Miller, from Tampa, FL, fished with me on Wednesday morning to film an episode of his new TV show “Fishing with Bill Miller”. We had the same plan as the day before and the action was good. We caught and released more than a dozen snook on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly before daylight. Snook and jacks busted baitfish along a seawall at dawn, so we cast top water plugs and caught and released jacks, snook, Spanish mackerel and even mangrove snapper. We also had steady action with trout on DOA Deadly Combos near Bishop Point. Tom Dunn and sons, Ryan and Brad, from St. Louis, MO, fished deep grass flats along the west side of Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday morning. They had steady action catching and releasing blues, Spanish mackerel, trout, jacks and sailcats on DOA Deadly Combos. I took my wife, Karen, fishing on Saturday morning. We had great action catching and releasing blues and jacks to 4-pounds and trout to 18” fishing deep grass flats on the west side of the bay on DOA Deadly Combos, top water plugs and a fly popper/dropper combo. We have a lot of success with trout in Montana with a hopper/dropper rig that consists of a foam hopper with a small nymph about 24”-30” behind it. Lefty Kreh has also described this technique as being one of the best for catching spotted sea trout. I used a foam popper with either a small Clouser or my Grassett Snook Minnow fly behind it and had some great surface explosions. The small fly behind the popper was equally as effective and I had several doubles with fish on both flies! Beat the heat by catch and release snook fishing before daylight and then look for reds, trout, blues, Spanish mackerel, tripletail and more in Sarasota Bay. Reds are schooling in Sarasota Bay. Look for nervous patches of water or large wakes to find them. Tight Lines,

Capt. Rick Grassett

FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis- Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB’s Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
 Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com

Paul Cuthbertson, from Aberdeen, Scotland, caught and released this nice snook on a Grassett Snook Minnow fly while fishing a Sarasota Bay lighted dock at night with Capt. Rick Grassett.

 Paul Cuthbertson, from Aberdeen, Scotland, and James Stewart, from Inverness, Scotland, caught and released this snook double on a Grassett Snook Minnow fly while fishing a Sarasota Bay lighted dock at night with Capt. Rick Grassett.

James Stewart, from Inverness, Scotland, caught and released this 23" trout on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Brad Dunn, from St. Louis, MO, caught this nice Spanish mackerel on a DOA Deadly Combo while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Karen Grassett, from Sarasota, FL, caught and released this 4-pound blue on a top water plug while fishing Sarasota Bay with her husband, Capt.Rick Grassett.

Redfish Love

So you say you love to fish for Redfish? Well this Redfish loves you right back!

Capt. Nathan Donahoe snapped this photo of a Redfish caught by a local Bay fisherman. And I loved it so much I just had to share!

You still have another week to save $25-$50 on your fall fishing trip. Hope to hear from you soon!

Kathy

Robinson Brothers Guide Service
44 Avenue E.
Apalachicola, FL 32320
850-653-8896 or 1-877-6Redfish
www.FloridaRedfish.com

Sarasota Fishing Report 8/28/13

Capt. Rick Grassett’s Charlotte Harbor, FL Fishing Report for 8/25/2013

            Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action catching and releasing snook and had numerous shots at tarpon in Charlotte Harbor canals on a couple of trips during the past week. A juvenile Goliath grouper was also caught and released.
            After being gone on a family vacation and then hosting a group of fly anglers in Montana the following week, I had a few chores to catch up on when I returned. I left my 1720 Flyfisher with Action Craft while I was gone to fix a couple of things and give it a good going over. They replaced hardware, striping and decals as needed and did a great job detailing and waxing the boat. I picked the boat up Monday afternoon and it looks great! Action Craft is alive and well (under new ownership) and building quality flats and bay boats.
            Capt. Andy Cotton, also out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, fished Charlotte Harbor canals with me on Thursday. We covered water to find rolling tarpon and cast DOA Shrimp and TerrorEyz  to them. We found quite a few tarpon in the 10 to 30-pound class in a couple of areas and had several eats on our DOA baits. We also skipped DOA baits under docks while we hunted tarpon and were rewarded with several snook. Andy also caught and released a juvenile Goliath grouper from under a deep mangrove shoreline on a DOA shrimp. Saturday’s trip in the same area had similar tarpon action.
            Tarpon are a good option around bridges at night and juvenile tarpon are a good option in creeks, canals and basins at this time. Tarpon are also still an option in the coastal gulf . There are fewer fish now, since many may have already moved into inside waters, but they are aggressive. Beat the heat by catch and release snook fishing before daylight in the ICW and then look for trout, blues, Spanish mackerel, tripletail and more in Sarasota Bay.

Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis- Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB’s Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com



Capt. Rick Grassett's Action Craft 1720 Flyfisher, renewed and ready to go!














Capt. Rick Grassett with a Charlotte Harbor canal snook caught and released on a DOA TerrorEyz.

Capt Chris Robinson Named Top 50 Captain

Congratulations Capt. Chris Robinson for being chosen as one of Saltwater Sportsmans Top 50 Charter Captains. Here's the link to the article. http://www.saltwatersportsman.com/gallery/photo-galleries/2013/07/top-50-charter-captains . We always knew he was special!

It's been a heck of a summer so far. Some good fishing, some wet weather but in all it's been good. Guides are reporting catching shrimp in their bait nets already, most likely from the abundance of fresh water last month, and they are predicting good fall fishing. The water is cleared up and Tripletail are biting well right now if you can make the cast - it's not an easy fish to hook and land. As the season matures the fish grow bigger - Very Tasty!

Speckled Trout are making a good showing - I heard tell of a 7 pounder boated the other day but I haven't gotten that photo yet. Capt. Tommy Holland Loves his Specs! Here's Bill Mudd with a sweet one caught on his Fly Rod while fishing with Capt. Tommy Robinson.



Many of you have asked me over the last few months "Is Capt. Jr. Holland still fishing?". The answer is "Of Course he is!" Here's photo proof - non retouched! He's the one on the left, by the way. Would someone please show him how to hold a redfish for a photo op?

Now that the kids are headed back to school it's time to start thinking about Fall Redfishing on the Forgotten Coast. Pay attention now because you're about to read the first pricing special we've ever offered. Book your fall trip now, pay for it before September 1st and save $25 to $50 per trip. Prices go up September 1st for the first time in many years, but if you get your paid reservation in beforehand you won't pay the higher price. Why not make a weekend of it? Stay in one of our beautiful Vacation Rental Condos (http://robinsonrealestatecompany.com/index.cfm/m/34/fuseaction/rlist.ListingsSummary/parentPageId/48 ) Fish with one or more of the best guides on the planet for a day or two, enjoy our extraordinary fresh seafood at fine local restaurants, schedule a massage http://www.riverfronttherapy.com, relax & recharge! Is it working yet? I'm really trying! We even have a toll free number - 877-6-REDFISH.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Kathy

Robinson Brothers Guide Service
44 Avenue E
Apalachicola, FL 32320
www.floridaredfish.com

850-653-8896 / 877-6-REDFISH

Amelia Island Fishing Report 8/ 2013

One more month of Summer to go! Bookings are slowing down so now's your chance to get out on the water. Every fishing trip gets posted at the Amelia Island Fishing Report so check it out to see what's biting! Get away from it all and...Let's Go Fishing on The Angler's Mark!
July Report/August Forecast: Beginning July 1st and running through about the 18th we had outstanding Redfish-ing and catching! The Pleasant boys started it off catching huge oversized Reds, continued with the Goldens hooking up with double bigs Reds, and included a banner day of Big Red fishing with Alan Reeves fishing on his own. The oversized Redfish bonanza didn't let up to around the 18th when even the young anglers got in on the action. We also had the 2nd biggest Flounder of the year caught in July. On almost every trip we used Mud Minnows.

Capt. Lawrence Piper
The Anglers Mark
Amelia Island, Florida
904-557-1027
lwpiper@comcast.net
theanglersmark.com   

Central Florida Sight Fishing 8/3/13

August 3, 2013 by Capt. Chris Myers

Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report
The summer fishing during the past couple weeks has been mostly spectacular with a couple busts mixed in. On the good days it has been about as good as it can get. Inshore, the redfish and trout have been very good in Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian River. The water level is a bit higher than usual for this time of year. In some places it is crystal clear, in others it is stained but still fishable on clear days. The two biggest enemies lately have been clouds and the tremendous amount of loose grass. Weedless lures are almost a must in some places.

Redfish have been happily tailing and finning throughout the day when it is calm and some big trout can be spotted on the flats as well. They have been occupying most of our time as the tarpon have yet to make a consistent showing inshore.

Surface baits have been working well with the DOA Baitbuster and Airhead topping the list. These single hook baits can stay out of the floating grass while a treble hooked plug will not. Other things that have been catching fish are the 3 inch shad tail CAL, the 5.5 inch CAL and the 1/4 ounce shrimp. Sight fishing conditions have been excellent and we have been seeing hundreds of redfish each day.

On the east central coast beaches, there is some steady action when seas are calm. Tarpon, various sharks, jack crevalle, false albacore, and kingfish can all be found close to shore. The good thing about this fishing is you never know what you are going to catch and almost all the fish are big.

Cynthia and Jeff fished with me again this year hoping to top the redfish they caught on their first trip. It took us a while to find the big fish but when we did, the bite was steady and they both broke their personal record.





Mack and his young son Charlie had a spectacular day catching redfish in Mosquito Lagoon. The boy had never caught a fish over two pounds but did an excellent job reeling in the reds. He had no desire to hold them, though so Dad helped him with this pose.


The beach tarpon were eating the sinking DOA baitbuster in 10 feet of water.


David prepares to release his first ever king mackerel on a recent nearshore trip.
He also landed tarpon and false albacore on the same trip.



Several days ago, I fished mosquito Lagoon with Mark Nichols, the owner of DOA lures. We caught a bunch of redfish and some trout on a variety of DOA plastics. This fish ate the new Airhead bait in silver rush color.



Capt. Drew Cavanaugh and I had fun catching reds and trout on a beautiful summer morning.



Watch as Drew casts the shallow running Baitbuster to a nice redfish and gets a surface bite.





Captain Chris Myers
321-229-2848
http://www.floridafishinglessons.com/
cmyers@floridafishinglessons.com    













Yesterday's trip started out with a beautiful sunrise.


My client wanted to fly fish but could not quite reach the hundreds of tailing fish around the boat. He abandoned the flyrod after several hours but by that time the tails had gone down and the bite shut off. We tried everything I could think of but nary of fish was landed. Unfortunately, every day cannot be the greatest catching but the fishing was fun and the wildlife and scenery were excellent.

This summer pattern will continue for at least the next two months. The crowds can be lighter until the part time residents return in the fall but one must be prepared for some heat. Sunscreen and water can be your best friends this time of year. Polarized glasses will help you see the fish. Being stealthy and quiet will help you get near them, and quick accurate casts will catch them.

Sarasota Fishing Report 7/24/2013

Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota & Pine Island Sound, FL Fishing Report for 7/21/2013

Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action fly fishing for tarpon in the coastal gulf. Fly anglers jumped 2 tarpon, had several other eats and numerous shots at tarpon with a fly in the coastal gulf during the past week. We also fished Pine Island Sound one afternoon and caught and released a big red on a fly.
Jerry Poslusny and Jay Peck, both from the Rochester, NY area fished Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with me. Conditions were tough a good portion of the week with a lot of clouds and some rain. However there were enough windows of good visibility to get them numerous shots at tarpon each day. They jumped 2 fish and had 3 other eats on Deceiver and Grassett Tarpon Bunny flies.
My brother Kirk Grassett, from Middletown, DE, came down to fish a few days later in the week. Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, FL joined us on Thursday and we came across an osprey struggling and flopping on the surface as we ran in the coastal gulf. As we got closer to investigate, we could see that the bird was near collapse from exhaustion. It showed no fear and allowed Kirk to cover its head with a towel and lift it onto the deck of my boat. We took the bird to the beach and it was too exhausted to either fly or jump off the deck, so Kirk lifted him off the bow and sat him on the beach. The bird appeared to have an injured wing and was very waterlogged, so Rusty contacted Save Our Seabirds who came out to the scene to rescue the bird. A follow up call reported that the bird was recovering at the bird hospital. We only had a few shots at tarpon that day due to heavy clouds and fish deep in the water column but we had a dozen or more good shots on Friday.
Kirk and I were the guests of our friend Capt. Rick DePaiva, from Ft. Myers, FL, to fish Pine Island Sound on Saturday. Capt. Rick knows his fishery well and since conditions were good for reds to tail on shallow grass flats late in the day, we planned to be there at that time. We had some shots at tailing reds and Kirk caught and released a very nice, upper slot red on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly. Due to the dark, tannic water that is prevalent in that area this time of year, colors on the fish were vivid!
Tarpon fishing in the coastal gulf should be good next week depending on conditions. Beat the heat by catch and release snook fishing before daylight in the ICW and then look for reds and big trout in shallow water early in the day. Fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay for trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and more should also be a good option.

Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis- Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB’s Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com

Once In A Lifetime Fishing Charter

I have been fishing out of Fort Lauderdale for 20+ years so I have seen a lot of things and caught a lot of fish in strange ways but today's trip was different by far. It started out pretty normal. The customers showed up a little late but no big deal there. We left the dock and on the way out some of them came up on the bridge. We started talking about what they have caught in the past, where they have fished and where they are from as normal. We get out to the fishing grounds and set the lines out and this is when things started happening.

Our first bite was on the long planer rod. We got one of the customers to wind it in to the leader then my mate starts bringing it in. Not knowing what we have on the end of the line, our immediate thought was a bonito. As the fish gets closer we see stripes. Wahooooo goes the yell. Gaff the fish and get it in the boat. A few high fives and such later we get the planer rod rebaited and set again. A minute or so later it gets bit again. Thinking again bonito we get the leader and start bringing it in. Wahoooo goes another yell when we see stripes again. We gaffed the fish and in the cooler it goes. Another round of high fives and so on. We get the baits back out again and continue trolling in 80 to 350 feet of water. We catch a few kingfish and small barracuda then head further offshore to see if we can find some mahi.

We came to a nice looking edge in 700 feet and started trolling along it when one of the guests on the bridge with me says "I just saw a fin over there". "What kind of fin was it?" I ask. "Did it look like a shark?" No, it was big and kind of round. I put the boat into a turn to try and get back in front of it or at least see what it was. We finished the circle turn and saw a sailfish jump in front of the boat. I trolled towards it and that is when things got wierd.

We saw something dragging across the surface of the water and turned to get a better look but couldn't make out what it was. Then we looked about 50 feet ahead of it and saw that the sailfish was towing it. Now we realize what was going on so we cleared all of the lines we had out and got a spinning rod with a weighted treble hook attached. We catch up to it again and my mate casts the hook over the line that is trailing behind. He hooks the line and gets it to the boat as I am still backing down to keep the pressure off the fish. What we hooked onto was somebody else's broken off planer set. We attach a rod to the planer so if the fish took off we could stay with it. My mate grabed another rod and as we are still backing up on the fish he splices the leader on the other side of the planer so we can now wind the sailfish to the boat. We got the fish to the boat pretty fast because it was already worn out from dragging the rig behind. My mate grabbed ahold of the bill and held it next to the boat. There was a prerigged ballyhoo wire leader attached to a mono leader that the fish was hung on literally. There was no hook in the fish, the wire leader was wrapped around it's bill. We safely untangle the wire, revived the fish and release it. One of the customers said that the fish came to us so we would save it's life.

We were all happy and excited for this experience of a lifetime. We went back to trolling and had a few more bites but fishing had slowed down a little. We finished the trip catching a dozen vermillion snapper. Now I know that I have caught fish that had other hooks and rigs in them. I have event got some that we got our rig fouled in line that was hooked to a fish. But I have never to my knowledge done what happened with this sailfish. Especially not after getting 2 nice wahoo on our first 2 bites.

Reel Work Sport Fishing Charters
301 Seabreeze Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
954-522-9399
1-877-524-9377
Email: lauderdalefishing@gmail.com
Website: lauderdalefishing.com
Charter Fishing Fort Lauderdale

Ft Lauderdale Fishing Charters 7/9/13

[caption id="attachment_258" align="alignleft" width="300"] Ft. Lauderdale Shark Fishing[/caption]

We had a pretty good day of fishing Fort Lauderdale waters on Sunday. Anglers fishing with me aboard the Reel Work had a fun day catching bonito, king mackerel, a sailfish and a large shark.

As usual, we started the day catching bait before heading offshore to do some trolling. The bonito and kingfish were keeping our anglers busy when a sailfish decided to join in on the fun. After a few blistering runs and some acrobatic tail walks and jumps our lucky angler managed to get the sail to the boat for a quick picture before we released the fish. On the way back to the dock we stoped to do some bottom fishing. A big shark ate one of our baits and after a hard fight our angler managed to get it boat side for a picture and a quick release.

Don't miss out on all of the great Fort Lauderdale offshore fishing action. Fill in the form on the left side of this page or give us a call to set up your Fort Lauderdale fishing charter.


Reel Work Sport Fishing Charters
301 Seabreeze Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
954-522-9399
1-877-524-9377
Email: lauderdalefishing@gmail.com
Website: lauderdalefishing.com
Fort Lauderdale Fishing Charters

Fish Provide Fireworks On The 4th

What better way to spend the 4th of July then taking a Fort Lauderdale fishing charter. That is what Zac and Rachel did with us this last Thursday and they were rewarded with a good mix of bonito, tuna kingfish, bottom fish, sharks and even a cobia. We started our day by catching some bait then heading offshore to do some trolling. It wasn't long before the bonito started biting along with some blackfin tuna and a few king mackerel. After the couple had there fill of trolling we stoped at a few wrecks on the way back to the dock. We managed to catch a few bottom fish, a couple of sharks and a nice cobia. Zac and Rachel were all smiles after a fun day of deep sea fishing on the Forth of July.

Don't miss out on all of the hot fishing action this summer. Fill in the form on the left side of this page or give us a call to set up your Fort Lauderdale fishing charter.


Reel Work Sport Fishing Charters
301 Seabreeze Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
954-522-9399
1-877-524-9377
Email: lauderdalefishing@gmail.com
Website: lauderdalefishing.com
Fort Lauderdale Fishing Charters

Gulf Snook To Reopen September, 2013

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has decided to reopen the recreational harvest of Gulf of Mexico snook this September. The harvest of snook has been closed in Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters since early 2010, when a cold snap decimated snook populations throughout the state.

At its June 12 meeting in Lakeland, the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute confirmed that snook populations in the Gulf had rebounded to near 2010 stock levels. The snook season will reopen September 1st with the same bag limits, size limits, gear restrictions and closed seasons that were in effect before the closure. This includes the one-fish-per-person, per-day bag limit, the 28- to 33-inch total length slot limit and the two annual closures in Gulf waters, which are from Dec. 1 through the end of February and May 1 through Aug. 31. The Atlantic recreational snook season also opens September 1st. The Atlantic season closes annually from June 1 through Aug. 31 and from Dec. 15 through Jan. 31. A slot limit of 28 to 32 inches total length is still in effect for Atlantic harvest snook.

Reel Work Sport Fishing Charters
301 Seabreeze Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
954-522-9399
1-877-524-9377
Email: lauderdalefishing@gmail.com
Website: lauderdalefishing.com
Charter Fishing Fort Lauderdale

Sarasota Fishing Report 6/6/2013

Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 6/1/2013

            Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had great action with tarpon on live crabs and a variety of bait fish in the coastal gulf during the past week. In addition to jumping and landing numerous tarpon, anglers fishing with me also caught and released a couple of sharks and a huge king mackerel!
            Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, Steven Liska from Flanders, NJ, Dave Kinnamon from Milwaukee, WI and Dan Kinnamon from Miami, FL tarpon fished all week with me and Capt. Jack Hartman. Keith and Steven fished on my boat every day except for Friday when Jack McCulloch, from Englewood, FL, fished with Keith and me. They jumped a total of 7 tarpon, landing 4 of them and had the others on for a good battle on live crabs, pinfish, grunts and threadfins. Despite tough conditions with winds gusting above 20-mph out of the east/southeast a couple of days, they had great action every day.
            In addition to several tarpon, Steven caught and released a 15-pound lemon shark one day and a kingfish that was more than 30-pounds another day (it bottomed out my 30-pound Bogagrip scale). Jack landed his first tarpon and fought a 50 to 60-pound shark for about 20 minutes before it bit through his 80-pound leader with the fish close to the boat. All tarpon that were landed were successfully measured and DNA sampled and ranged in weight from 75 to 125-pounds.
            Dave and Dan had great action with Capt. Jack jumping and landing numerous tarpon, the largest of which was estimated at 150-pounds, on live crabs and a variety of baitfish. They also caught and released a few sharks, including a 25-pound blacktip.
            Tarpon fishing in the coastal gulf should be good next week as we approach a new moon. Look for reds and big trout in shallow water in Sarasota Bay early in the day. Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW from Sarasota to Venice or in the surf should also be a good option.

Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis- Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB’s Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com



Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, battles a couple of tarpon, the largest of which was a 125-pounder, caught and released in the coastal gulf off Sarasota while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.



Steven Liska, from Flanders, NJ, caught and released this 15-pound lemon shark on a live pinfish while fishing the coastal gulf off Sarasota with Capt. Rick Grassett.



Steven Liska, from Flanders, NJ, caught and released this 110-pound tarpon on a live crab while fishing the coastal gulf off Sarasota with Capt. Rick Grassett.



Steven Liska, from Flanders, NJ, caught and released this more than 30-pound kingfish on a live threadfin while fishing the coastal gulf off Sarasota with Capt. Rick Grassett.



Jack McCulloch, from Englewood, FL, caught and released his first tarpon, a 75-pounder, on a live crab while fishing the coastal gulf off Sarasota with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Ft Lauderdale Offshore Report 6/2013

Anglers fishing with me aboard the Reel Work out of Fort Lauderdale Florida have been catching mahi-mahi and blackfin tuna along with a few bottom fish. Our anglers had a good day last week landing several mahi and a big tuna.When the offshore action slowed we set up on a couple of wrecks and had fun catching bottom fish. There are also a few kingfish and bonito around as well.
June is a good month to catch a nice variety of fish. Trolling will usually produce mahi and tuna. Bottom fishing wrecks can be even more productive producing snapper, grouper, tilefish, amberjack, baracuda and king mackerel.

Don’t miss out on all of the great Fort Lauderdale offshore fishing action. Fill in the form on the left side of this page or give us a call to set up your Fort Lauderdale fishing charter.

Reel Work Sport Fishing Charters
301 Seabreeze Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
954-522-9399
1-877-524-9377
Email: lauderdalefishing@gmail.com
Website: lauderdalefishing.com
Fort Lauderdale Deep Sea Fishing

Amelia Island Fishing Report June 2013

Amelia Island Fishing Report
June 2013
Get away from it all and ......let's go fishing!

Well there wasn't so much of a lull in May after all!  We had some excellent big Trout fishing trips and also had the biggest Redfish of the year put in the boat.   I report every trip on the  Amelia Island Fishing Report so check it outto see what's biting!   Get away from it all and...Let's Go Fishing on The Angler's Mark!
May Report/June Forecast:    

We had some outstanding fishing trips catching big Seatrout on jigs/shrimp fished deep and then we turned around and caught them on top water lures!  Although the "baitstealers" have moved in, we're still picking up good fish fishing the bottom with jigs.  You just gotta work through the little guys!  Just when I thought it was going to be tough to top the big Redfish in my Bragging Rights Tournament, Justin Jones finds a Big Red on high tide with the wind howling!  We also caught the biggest Sheepshead I've had on the boat in a long time.  We've been catching Flounder on almost every trip and will continue to do so in June.  The Bonnethead Shark will be biting in full force and are a real challenge when caught on my light tackle gear. I can't stress enough..that if you're visiting Amelia Island for your vacation to call me as soon as you can so that I can get you booked!  

Get Away From it All,  give me a shout and we'll go fishing!


Capt. Lawrence Piper
The Anglers Mark
Amelia Island, Florida
904-557-1027
lwpiper@comcast.net
theanglersmark.com  

Fort Lauderdale Fishing Report 5/30/2013

Anglers deep sea fishing with me aboard the Reel Work out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida this week were kept entertained by large blackfin tuna and king mackerel. Blackfin tuna are found in the western Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts south to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. They are a highly migratory species that can grow to around 45 lbs. The gulf stream keeps them near our shores for much of the year. King mackerel are known as one of the fastest fish in the ocean. There drag screaming runs have earned the name of smokers. They average between 20 and 30 lbs but can get up to 90 lbs. King mackerel have an almost identical range as the blackfin tuna. The prefered method for catching both blackfin tuna and king mackerel is by trolling live and dead bait fish, spoons, jigs and artificial lures.

To get in on all of the great Fort Lauderdale offshore fishing action fill in the form on the left side of this page or give us a call to set up your Fort Lauderdale fishing charter.


Reel Work Sport Fishing Charters
301 Seabreeze Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
954-522-9399
1-877-524-9377
Email: lauderdalefishing@gmail.com
Website: lauderdalefishing.com
Fort Lauderdale Deep Sea Fishing

Apalachicola Fishing Report 5/30/2013

Parker Barrineau (Alabama Wide Receiver) caught this Tarpon on Fly while Flats fishing with Capt. Chris Robinson last weekend. The fish taped out at around 106 lbs. Have I mentioned that the Tarpon are biting?



Parker again, with his first tripletail on a fly rod. The Spanish Mackerel are biting really well and Bull Reds are still thick. It would actually be shorter for me to tell you what's NOT biting right now in the Apalachicola - St. George Island - Carrabelle - Port St. Joe area. All the inshore species we catch here in the northern Gulf of Mexico are there for the catching!

Red Snapper season opens June 1st, but until then, there's plenty of other fish in the sea! Capt. Ken Finch & Capt. Grayson Shepard had a couple of successful days with the Earnest party. I don't normally like to publish photos of dead fish at the dock, but for anyone interested in seeing their catch, just reply to this email and I will sent you the catch photo.
For more up to the minute fishing photos - check out Robinson Brothers Guide Service on Facebook - Guides post photos from their boats!


Enjoy your Memorial Day holiday!

Kathy Robinson
Robinson Brothers Guide Service
44 Avenue E, Suite A
Apalachicola, FL 32320
850-653-8896
www.floridaredfish.com



Apalachicola Riverkeeper - Restoring and preserving the health and productivity of the Apalachicola River & Bay. www.apalachicolariverkeeper.org

Sarasota Fishing Report 5/18/2013

Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 5/18/2013

            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 in Sarasota Bay and snook at night in the ICW near Venice on flies during the past week. We also had lots of shots at tarpon in the coastal gulf and caught one on a fly.
            Tyler Barrus, from Dillon, MT and Nick Huff, from UT, fished with me every day last week. Tyler is a fly fishing guide at Crane Meadow Lodge in Twin Bridges, MT, where I have hosted a group of fly anglers in late summer for the last 13 years. He’s a good friend and a great guide who knows all the technical aspects of western trout and steelhead fishing. He and Nick are both great fly anglers. Although sea conditions weren’t too bad on Monday, we had heavy cloud cover and very little visibility for tarpon in the coastal gulf. We gave it a try and had a few shots but decided to fish shallow water in Sarasota Bay in the afternoon. They caught and released a few trout, including a 3-pounder, on Clouser flies near Buttonwood Harbor.
            Light conditions improved on Tuesday and although it was rough in the afternoon they had shots at singles, doubles and large schools of tarpon that day. Conditions improved even more on Wednesday and it all came together for them. Nick hooked up with a nice fish out of a small school of tarpon on a Lefty’s Deceiver fly. He got multiple jumps from the tarpon, estimated at 100-pounds, and had the fish next to the boat when she wore through the 80-pound bite tippet after a long battle. Well done!
            We snook fished in the ICW near Venice for a few hours on Wednesday evening. It was fun watching Tyler and Nick cast flies far up under docks and apply their technical trout fishing skills to catching snook. They had good top water action catching and releasing about 10 snook on Gurgler flies. After Nick’s tarpon on Wednesday, we focused on tarpon on Thursday and a short day on Friday. Conditions were good and they had numerous shots at tarpon and a few follows but no bites. With tarpon it is usually the right cast to the right fish that scores!
            Tarpon fishing in the coastal gulf should be good next week as we approach a full moon. Look for reds and big trout in potholes and on the edges of bars when the tide is low or on shallow flats on sunny afternoons when the tide is high. Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW from Sarasota to Venice should also be a good option.

Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis- Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB’s Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com




Nick Huff, from UT, battles a "hot" fly rod tarpon in the coastal gulf off Sarasota while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.




Tyler Barrus, from Dillon, MT, caught and released this nice Sarasota Bay trout on a Clouser fly near Buttonwood Harbor while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett

Sarasota Fishing Report 5-1-2013

Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 5/3/2013

            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 and blues in Sarasota Bay on flies during the past week. We also landed the first tarpon of the season in the coastal gulf on a fly!
            Mark Bowler, editor of the Scottish magazine Fly Fishing & Fly Tying, and his guests Ron and Rick, all from Scotland, fly fished Sarasota Bay with me on Sunday. The best action was fishing deep grass at Stephens Point where they caught and released trout (both spotted and silver trout), blues, jacks and ladyfish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on intermediate sink tip lines. Ron connected with a good snook while we were wading shallow water and they had some shots at reds on top of a bar when the tide was high.
            Ross Shedden, from Bradenton, FL, fished Sarasota Bay on an instructional fly fishing trip with me on Monday. He was casting 40-feet or more in short order and was able to catch and release several trout and bluefish fishing deep grass flats on the west side of the bay with an Ultra Hair Clouser fly fished on an intermediate sink tip fly line. Good job!
            Patrice Camillieri, from France, fly fished for tarpon in the coastal gulf with me on Tuesday. We saw singles, doubles and several small schools of fish throughout the day. Despite some slow periods, we had spurts of good activity and fish were happy. Patrice caught and released his first tarpon, a young male of about 50-pounds, on a fly. The fish was so aggressive that it slammed its brakes on and went vertical to eat the fly and then jumped numerous times around the boat before being landed in about 15 to 20-minutes. A great first tarpon!
            Conditions were poor for tarpon fishing on Wednesday morning. With heavy cloud cover and rain looming just offshore, we decided to wait for better tarpon fishing conditions. Thursday was similar, poor visibility and a big swell in the gulf.  Seth Koch, from PA, and Bill Miller from MS, fly fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday morning. We fished deep grass flats on both sides of the bay where they caught and released a few trout to 20” on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly fished on a sink tip fly line.
            If you want to learn to fly fish, there will be an Orvis Fly Fishing 101 introductory fly fishing class at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Sun, May 5th. The 2-hour free class will cover fly casting basics and participants will have an opportunity to cast premium Orvis fly tackle. Contact CB’s at (941) 349-4400 to sign up.
            Tarpon are becoming more plentiful in the coastal gulf and should be a good option next week. Look for reds, snook and big trout in potholes and on the edges of bars when the tide is low or on shallow flats on sunny afternoons when the tide is high. Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW from Sarasota to Venice should also be good.

Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis- Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB’s Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com


Ross Shedden, from Bradenton, FL, caught and released this bluefish on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly fished on a sink tip fly line while fishing a Sarasota Bay grass flat with Capt. Rick Grassett.



Patrice Camillieri, from France, caught and released his first tarpon on a fly while fishing the coastal gulf with Capt. Rick Grassett (below with landed tarpon).


Bill Miller, from MS, caught and released this 20" trout on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Amelia Island Fishing 5-6-2013

It looks like Spring Break is over and we're now going into the May lull. There's not too many people on the water so now's the time to fish! I report every trip on the Amelia Island Fishing Report so check it outto see what's biting! Get away from it all and...Let's Go Fishing on The Angler's Mark!
April Report/May Forecast:

In April we had some outstanding fishing trips, catching some very large Slot Redfish near structure when the water was still cool. We were getting good Trout action early in the month with the fish schooling deep. As the weather warmed the Redfish catch fell off but we picked up some larger Seatrout as they began to fatten up. A larger variety of fish are being caught too. In May the Redfish will not be so concentrated and we'll need to get back in the marsh to catch them. This is great because we can get away from the crowds and enjoy a great day out on the water. Get Away From it All, give me a shout and we'll go fishing!

Capt. Lawrence Piper
The Anglers Mark
Amelia Island, Florida
904-557-1027
lwpiper@comcast.net
theanglersmark.com   

Sarasota Fishing Report 4-28-2013

Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota, FL Fishing Report for 4/27/2013

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, flounder and Spanish mackerel in Sarasota Bay and snook and bluefish in the ICW at night near Venice on lures and flies during the past week. We also jumped the first tarpon of the season in the coastal gulf on a fly!
Terry Mitchell, from OR, and Michael Ruegg from Switzerland, fished the coastal gulf and Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. With good sunlight and calm sea conditions we decided to take a look in the coastal gulf for tarpon. We were pleasantly surprised to find 6 or 7 schools of tarpon and get some shots at them with flies, DOA shrimp and Baitbusters. We fished Sarasota Bay in the afternoon where they caught numerous trout to 18”, Spanish mackerel, flounder and a redfish on CAL jigs with shad tails at Stephens Point and near Long Bar.
Don and Linda Tase, from NH, and their grandson Ryan, from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. They caught and released trout to 18” on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos at the Marina Jack Flat.
Ron Race, from MI, fished Sarasota Bay and the coastal gulf with me on Wednesday. He had some action catching and releasing trout on Ultra Hair Clouser flies at the Marina Jack flat in the morning before we headed into the coastal gulf. Conditions were great, so we spent some time looking for tarpon, tripletail and false albacore (little tunny) but didn’t find anything. However we found a big cobia and he got a shot at it with a fly.
Ron also fished the ICW near Venice with me on Thursday evening. He had great action catching and releasing 15 snook to 25” and a bluefish on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. The best action was at the bottom of the tide when snook went on a binge!
On Friday’s tarpon trip in the coastal gulf, we saw 3 schools of tarpon and had 5 or 6 shots at them with a fly. We jumped one on a Lefty’s Deceiver fly that gave us a smoking run and several jumps before the fish chafed the leader on something and broke off. What a thrill!
Capt. Ed Hurst and I taught the Orvis Fly Fishing 101 introductory fly fishing class at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Saturday morning. The 2-hour free class, designed to expose new anglers to fly fishing, covered fly casting basics and included casting with premium Orvis fly tackle. If you want to learn to fly fish, contact CB’s to sign up for the next Orvis Fly Fishing 101 class, which will be Sun, May 5th.
Tarpon are becoming more plentiful in the coastal gulf and should be a good option next week. Look for reds and big trout in potholes and on the edges of bars when the tide is low or on shallow flats on sunny afternoons when the tide is high. Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW from Sarasota to Venice should also be good.

Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis- Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB’s Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com


Michael Ruegg, from Switzerland, caught this nice flounder on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing a shallow Sarasota Bay sand bar with Capt. Rick Grassett.


Ron Race, from MI, caught and released this 25" snook on a Grassett Snook Minnow fly while fishing the ICW near Venice at night with Capt. Rick Grassett.