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
Friday, June 28, 2013
Thursday, June 06, 2013
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.
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
Wednesday, June 05, 2013
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
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
Saturday, June 01, 2013
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
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