Sarasota Fishing Report 9-6-2011

Capt. Rick Grassett’s Sarasota Fishing Report
9/4/2011


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, reds, blues and sheepshead in Sarasota Bay and jumped several tarpon in the Peace River during the past week. The best action was with trout on deep grass flats and juvenile tarpon in the Peace River.

Steve Gibson, of Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing, fished the Peace River and residential canals of Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda with me on Tuesday. We found plenty of tarpon in the 15 to 30-pound class and jumped 3 tarpon to 20-pounds on rootbeer DOA TerrorEyz. These mini torpedoes are great fun, jumping higher and more frequently than larger fish. They should continue to be a good option for the next couple of months.

Jerry Roth, from the Orlando, FL area, fished north Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. He connected with a pair of over slot reds, one on a surface walking top water plug and the other, a 9 ½ lb fish, on a weedless-rigged CAL shad tail. Ken Alexander and Steve Johns, from Sarasota, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. The action wasn’t fast but was steady. They caught and released trout to 17” and a bluefish on DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs with shad tails. The best action was near Whale Key.

Fly angler Mark Torkos, from St. Augustine, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday. We checked the coastal gulf for little tunny (false albacore) and Spanish mackerel but didn’t find anything. With plentiful baitfish in the coastal gulf, it is only a matter of time before the albie fishing takes off. We caught a few trout on Clouser flies at the Middleground flat and Stephens Point before moving to shallow water where Mark caught and released a sheepshead on a Clouser fly near Long Bar. Sheepshead are very challenging with flies and lures, since they feed mainly with their nose, and this was the first sheepshead on a fly for Mark.

Next week’s tides will improve towards the end of the week as we approach a full moon on Sept. 12th. Trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay, little tunny and Spanish mackerel in the coastal gulf or juvenile tarpon in the Peace River should all be good options depending on conditions.

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



Jerry Roth, from the Orlando, FL area, caught and released this over slot, 9 1/2-pound red, on a weedless-rigged CAL shad tail while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.



Mark Torkos, from St. Augustine, FL, caught and released this sheepshead on a Clouser fly while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.