Sarasota Bay Fishing Report 3-17-2012

Sarasota & Venice, FL Fishing Report
3/17/2012
by Capt. Rick Grassett


Anglers fishing Sarasota Bay, Little Sarasota Bay, Blackburn Bay and the ICW near Venice 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, trout, Spanish mackerel, pompano, flounder, redfish and a small cobia on flies and jigs during the past week.

Bill Van Horne, from Sterling, IL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday afternoon. With a poor tide and a forecast for windy conditions in the morning, we chose to fish the better conditions in the afternoon. He caught and released numerous trout on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos fishing deep grass flats along the east side of bay. Bill finished the day with 3 nice reds caught and released on a CAL jig with a shad tail in very skinny water at the top of the tide.

Siesta Key winter resident Martin Marlowe and his son, Bruce from RI, fished Blackburn and Little Sarasota Bays and the ICW near Venice with me on Tuesday afternoon and night. They caught and released 7 or 8 snook and a few trout and ladyfish on Ultra Hair Clouser and my Snook Minnow flies. Martin also fished with me on Friday and we caught and released a few trout, ladyfish, a nice Spanish mackerel and a small cobia on flies and CAL jigs with shad tails in Sarasota Bay.

Mary Smiley, from Sarasota, and Linda Foy, from Twin Bridges, MT, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. Linda hooked a big Spanish mackerel on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly and the fish ran so fast that the handle broke off the reel when it was bumped! They caught and released a few trout and a pompano on Ultra Hair Clouser flies at several deep grass flats on both sides of the bay. Mike and Roxanne Beshoar, from WA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. They caught and released a flounder, Spanish mackerel, pompano and trout to 4-pounds on CAL jigs with shad tails at various deep grass flats on both sides of the bay.

Reds and trout may be found along shallow edges of flats and bars when the tide is low or along mangrove shorelines when the tide is high. Look for trout, Spanish mackerel, blues, ladyfish or pompano over deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW should also be a good option. Spanish mackerel and bluefish may be found in passes especially when the tide is strong. Spanish mackerel, false albacore (little tunny), tripletail and more may be good options in the coastal gulf.

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



Bill Van Horne, from Sterling, IL, caught and released this nice red on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing a shallow Sarasota Bay flat with Capt. Rick Grassett.



Roxanne Beshoar, from Spokane, WA, caught and released this 4-pound trout on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing a Sarasota Bay sand bar with Capt. Rick Grassett.