Sarasota, FL Fishing Report
9/8/2012
by 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 redfish , trout, Spanish mackerel, and blue runners in Sarasota Bay and the coastal gulf on flies on a couple of trips during the past week.

Gary Mintz, from CO, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. We caught a few trout and ladyfish on Siesta Key lighted docks before dawn, but snook were finicky. We checked the coastal gulf and found lots of Spanish mackerel feeding on the surface off Siesta Key where he caught and released Spanish mackerel and blue runners on Ultra Hair Clouser flies. Gary finished the morning strong with a nice red and numerous trout on a Clouser fly near Bishop Point. An instructional fly fishing trip later in the week was slow.

Catch and release snook before dawn and then moving to the flats for trout and reds in Sarasota Bay should be a good option next week. Snook are also moving onto shallow fats of Sarasota Bay. Juvenile tarpon in upper Charlotte Harbor should be another good option. Check the coastal gulf for false albacore (little tunny), Spanish mackerel and more when sea conditions are 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

Gary Mitz, from CO, caught and released this big red on a Clouser fly while fishing Saraosta Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Sarasota Tarpon Fishing 7-9-2012

Sarasota, FL Fishing Report
7/8/2012
by Capt. Rick Grassett

Conditions were good for tarpon fishing last week, although following a full moon on Tuesday they weren’t aggressive. Anglers fishing the coastal Gulf of Mexico off Sarasota with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, during the past week had numerous shots at tarpon with a fly and caught and released one early in the week. We are still seeing some large schools of tarpon, that may not have spawned yet, as well as singles, doubles and small schools traveling both north and south.

I saw something on Monday that I’ve never seen before in 22 years of guiding and more than 30 years on the water in Sarasota, an endangered smalltooth sawfish. The big fish, approximately 7’-8’ long was swimming in clear, shallow water with a small cobia following. I paralleled the prehistoric fish for several minutes and we got a good look at it as we cast to the cobia. In addition to its “saw”, the fish is distinguished by an extra fin between its dorsal and tail fins. We also had several shots at tarpon with a fly and a DOA shrimp on spinning tackle that day.

Randy Honaker, from OH, his son, Randy, Jr. from Tampa, FL, and son-in-law, Justin, tarpon fished with me on Tuesday. Tarpon were plentiful on the incoming tide. They had shots at numerous schools of tarpon, which were mostly moving north. Randy, Jr. jumped and landed a 65-pound tarpon on a bunny fly out of a small school of 8 or 10 fish. A great job with his first tarpon on a fly!

We had lots of shots at tarpon with a fly the rest of the week. Although we had a few leans and follows, we didn’t have any other bites. Large schools of tarpon look impressive, but sometimes pre spawn tarpon are so focused on migrating to spawn that eating becomes secondary to them. Late in the season, singles, doubles and smaller schools of tarpon are fish that may have already spawned and are usually more aggressive when it comes to eating.

Tarpon should be in a better mood next week as we approach the quarter phase of the moon on Tuesday. Fly anglers should do best with tarpon in shallow water when visibility is best. Trout, blues and redfish should also be good options in Sarasota Bay. Fish the bay early for the best action due to heat later in the day.

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 leaders a tarpon caught on a fly by Randy Honaker, Jr., from Tampa, FL, while fishing the coastal gulf off Sarasota.



Capt. Rick Grassett prepares to release a tarpon caught in the coastal gulf off Sarasota by Randy Honaker, Jr, from Tampa, FL. It was Randy's first tarpon on a fly.

Sarasota Bay Tarpon 7-4-2012

Sarasota, FL Fishing Report
6/30/2012
by Capt. Rick Grassett

Conditions were poor in the coastal gulf for tarpon fishing every day last week. Water was very dirty as rough seas combined with 8”-10” of rain due to Tropical Storm Debby. Although the swell came down significantly toward the end of the week, water clarity in and around passes remained poor due to silt and still draining flood waters, making sight fishing impossible. My experience has been that a weather event such as TS Debby will often disrupt tarpon patterns until conditions return to normal.

However, Sarasota Bay is looking good and fishing well in areas away from passes, such as Stephens and Bishop Points. Several guide friends of mine fished Sarasota Bay recently and had steady action with trout and scattered blues, Spanish mackerel and several reds on DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs with glow shad tails. Best action should be early in the day on both shallow and deep grass flats. Schools of reds may push wakes in shallow water. Look for bait dimpling the surface or “breaking” jacks, blues or ladyfish on deep grass flats. Be ready for a variety of species, including tarpon, to show up and join the fray, particularly if the surface activity continues for a while.

Sea conditions in the coastal gulf are getting better every day and tarpon action should resume as visibility improves and we head towards a full moon next week. Drift live baits and be ready to cast a live bait or DOA Baitbuster to tarpon that may pop up fast in 10’-20’ of water early in the day. Fly anglers should do best with tarpon in shallow water later in the day when visibility is best.

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

Tarpon action in the coastal gulf should resume when conditions return to normal. Capt. Rick Grassett leaders a fish in the coastal gulf off Sarasota just before TS Debby.

Sarasota, FL Fishing Report
6/23/2012
by Capt. Rick Grassett

Anglers fishing the coastal Gulf of Mexico off Sarasota with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released a tarpon on a live crab early in the week. Conditions deteriorated later in the week as a tropical disturbance formed in the southern Gulf of Mexico and pumped clouds and moisture over us. Although the wind direction was from the east, a 4’ swell out of the S-SW made fishing in the gulf tough, especially in shallow water. A new moon on Monday and rough conditions in the coastal gulf may have pushed many tarpon offshore.

Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, and his mom, Andrea Lutz from Atlanta, GA, tarpon fished with me on Tuesday and Thursday. We saw several schools of tarpon moving in both directions on Tuesday morning and Andrea hooked up on a live crab out of a happy school that popped up right next to the boat. She and Hal double teamed the fish and had it alongside the boat in about 30 minutes. The tarpon was DNA sampled, measured at a 34 ½” girth X 67” length and released. A perfect size tarpon! Hal also had a few shots at tarpon with a fly later in the morning. Conditions were poor for tarpon fishing on Thursday and Friday, a big swell, clouds and drizzling rain.

However, tarpon should become plentiful again as weather conditions improve and we head towards the quarter phase of the moon next week. Look for tarpon several hundred yards off our beaches and set up in their travel “lane” to intercept them. You may be able to see them below the surface later in the day when sunlight and visibility are best.

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

Hal Lutz, from Parish, FL, battles a tarpon caught and released in the coastal gulf off Sarasota while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.



Andrea Lutz, from Atlanta, GA, with an estimated 110-pound tarpon that she hooked on a live crab and then double teamed with her son, Hal, while fishing the coastal gulf off Sarasota.

Tampa Bay Fishing – June 3rd, 2012




Although tarpon season is in full swing, many quality snook and reds are being caught. This 31″ fish was caught after we spent the first few hours’ tarpon fishing. This was Matt’s biggest snook to date.

With the weather warming up it is important to get an early start. Often we have a tarpon hooked up before 7am. That means pulling away from the dock between 5 and 5:30 am. In this case, the early bird gets the worm [tarpon]. Being courteous and working with other boats is important while tarpon fishing. I wish that I could say that I have been perfect in that, but I still make mistakes. Do not worry, if you make a mistake, the other boaters will help you out and set you back on the right track. Hopefully, they will be gracious as they do.



When we hooked up with this tarpon, I got excited and started my motor while the pod was underneath my boat. I should have let the fish string out and swim out of the pod before following it. Thankfully, the fish kept biting and another boat was able to hook up. We fought this tarpon for 30 minutes or so until our line broke.

Tarpon fishing definitely presents a unique set of challenges, but that is why we love it. The tarpon bite in Tampa Bay has been very good. It brings me a lot of joy to see clients catch a tarpon for the first time in their life. Most all of my tarpon bites this year have come on threadfins. Getting out and catching bait while it is still dark is key. The bait is everywhere this year. When I am catching threads I am also catching greenbacks. These are a welcome site because that means I will have good baits to snook and red fish with.

So after we fought that tarpon Matt and his wife wanted to fish the mangroves and while chumming in front of a creek mouth we caught this red:



If we had caught a keeper trout we would have had a grand slam–tarpon, snook, red fish and trout–all in the same trip. Tampa Bay fishing is really good right now. Fish are everywhere and biting real well.

Captain Rick Reddick
813-787-0249
Tampa Fishing Charters | Tampa Fishing Guides| Tampa Bay Fishing

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.

Sarasota Bay Fishing Report 4-22-2012

Sarasota, FL Fishing Report
4/22/2012
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, snook and reds on flies, plugs, CAL jigs and DOA Deadly Combos during the past week. An angler fishing with me caught and released one of the largest trout ever caught on my boat!

Mark Eddy and Carey Ryerson, from CO, fished with me on Monday. We checked the coastal gulf and found it unfishable due to a 4’-5’ swell, so we fished Sarasota Bay. They caught and released trout to 18” on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails on various deep grass flats near Long Bar and Buttonwood Harbor.

The action was hot on Tuesday when Aledia Tush, owner of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, and Doug Forde, manager at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, fished Sarasota Bay with me. We stayed in shallow water doing some practice fishing for Saturday’s Sarasota CCA Photo All Release Challenge. Anglers fish for reds, snook and trout with identical boxes of lures or flies in the popular tournament which raises money for conservation. With light winds, clear water and a rising tide, we found big trout, reds and snook mixed with mullet schools near Long Bar. They caught and released 4 snook to 26”, a pair of reds and several big trout on Sebile Stick Shad plugs. Aledia caught and released one of the biggest trout ever caught on my boat, a 29” fish estimated to weigh more than 9-pounds. This is an awesome trout for the west coast of Florida! The only other trout of that size that I’ve seen before was one I caught and released at a DOA Lures/Outdoor Writers event in the Indian River near Ft. Pierce several year ago. In addition to snook, Doug also caught and released 27” and 29” reds. What a difference a day can make!

We found the action slow in shallow water on a couple of other trips later in the week, but Bill Beauchamp, from Bradenton. FL, and Jim Denoi, from Sarasota, caught and released a red and a snook on surface walking plugs near Long Bar with me on Friday. They also caught and released trout on deep grass flats near Bayshore Gardens and Bishop Point on CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms and DOA Deadly Combos.

Bob Parker, from Sarasota and I fished the Sarasota CCA Photo All Release Challenge with my son-in-law, Capt. Andy Cotton, on Saturday. With winds gusting more than 25 mph out of the south and an extreme high tide, conditions were tough for everyone. We caught and released a few small trout and a snook on flies wading shallow water near Long Bar. Andy caught and released a couple of slot sized fish, including a 26” red, which was good enough to win the Grand Champion award of the Fly Division!

Fishing may be tough early next week due to the strong front passing through this weekend. Reds and trout may be found along shallow edges of flats and bars or in potholes when the tide is low or along mangrove shorelines when the tide is high. Catch and release night snook fishing at night in the ICW and cobia, tripletail or false albacore (little tunny) in the coastal gulf should also be good options. Tarpon are becoming more plentiful in the coastal gulf and are also a good option now.

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



Saltwater Outfitters manager, Doug Forde, caught and released this 29" red on a Sebile Stick Shad while fishing skinny water in Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.



CB's Saltwater Outfitters manager, Doug Forde, caught and released this 26" snook on a Sebile Stick Shad while fishing skinny water in Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.



Aledia Tush, owner of CB's Saltwater Outfitters, caught and released this huge, 29" trout, estimated at more than 9-pounds on a Sebile Stick Shad while fishing skinny water in Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Tampa Fishing Charters 4- 2012

April 11, 2012 - Tampa Fishing Charters







Wow what an awesome spring mackerel run we are having. While slow trolling over artificial reefs and other live bottom areas we have barely been able to keep our baits in the water. We have had at least three Kingfish each day and around ten Spanish mackerel. Not to mention all “the ones that got away”.







Obviously we did not catch these two kings in front of this dock, but it was time to take pictures for my happy clients and they did not mind the location. Catching bait has been pretty easy and quick. I am very thankful for the bait we have around and the kings and Spanish love them. While slow trolling it is not uncommon to get double knock downs and we have had at least one on each trip.







When the fishing is this hot, it does not take long to get a large catch like these two professional junior anglers achieved. We should have another month of this awesome mackerel run. Many other species of fish are biting very well this spring:







It has been a pleasure to live and fish in Florida for my whole life, but the months of March and April definitely exemplifies why Florida is the fishing capital of the world. Snook, red fish, trout and grouper have all been caught on recent trips.



In contrast to the previous two springs, bait is easy to find and catch. This mild winter has allowed our fishery the chance to recover a bit, and God knows we need it. While fishing out of Tarpon Springs the past week, we caught this black grouper by free lining a scaled sardine in an edge.







An edge is place were two current flows meet to form a water barrier, that is, two rips moving in different directions. Add a whirlpool effect and you have an Eddie. On the next day’s trip, we caught this snook immediately after leaving the dock:







This happy client had never caught a fish before in his 85 years:







He caught many fish that date.



Here is a picture of a gag we caught while slow trolling for kings:







Fishing for the next few months will be superb, so get out on the water and catch them up!

Captain Rick Reddick
813-787-0249
Tampa Fishing Charters | Tampa Fishing Guides

Sarasota Fishing Report 3-29-2012

Sarasota & Gasparilla Sound, FL Fishing Report
3/25/2012
by Capt. Rick Grassett


Anglers fishing Sarasota Bay and Gasparilla Sound 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 reds on flies and jigs during the past week.

We fished the Marina Jack and Middleground flats and near Whale Key in Sarasota Bay on Sunday and Wednesday of last week and caught and released silver and spotted sea trout to 19” on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos. Paul Denesha and his son, Avery, from IN, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday morning. We focused on potholes in skinny water near Long Bar where they caught and released 7 or 8 trout on a Deceiver fly and a CAL jig with a shad tail. St. Pete winter resident, Wes Demmon, fished Sarasota Bay with me that afternoon. With the sea breeze and tide up, we fished skinny water on the west side of the bay. Wes caught and released 5 reds to 23” and a few trout near Bishop Point and Buttonwood Harbor on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos. A great afternoon!

Harry Beaty and Chris Denney, from Ontario, Canada, fished Gasparilla Sound with me on Friday. They had good action near Sandfly and Devilfish Keys with trout to 22” on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos. Harry also caught a 22” red on a CAL jig with a shad tail in Turtle Bay.

Reds and trout may be found along shallow edges of flats and bars or in potholes 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.

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



Paul Denesha, from IN, caught and released this nice trout out of a pothole on a Deceiver fly while fishing shallow water in Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.



St. Pete winter resident, Wes Demmon, caught and released this nice red on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.

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.

Sarasota Fishing Report 3-14-2012

Southwest Florida Fishing Report
3/11/2012
by Capt. Rick Grassett


Anglers fishing Sarasota 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 and bluefish on flies and jigs during the past week.

Everette and Sherry Howell, from Nashville, TN, caught and released numerous trout on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and a CAL jig with a shad tail fishing several deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay with me on Monday afternoon. Sarasota winter resident Phil Rever and his son, Matt, from NC, fished the ICW near Venice with me that night. They caught and released more than 15 snook to 23” on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. The wind blew in the 15 to more than 20 mph range from Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday, so I didn’t fish those days.

Jim Ewoldt and Dick Callaway, from St. Louis, MO, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. It was still a little breezy so one angler spin fished while the other fly fished. They caught and released several trout on Grassett Deep Flats Bunny flies and CAL jigs with shad tails along the east side of the bay and near Whale Key. Holmes Beach and Sarasota winter residents, Bill Morrison and Gary Marple, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday morning. They caught and released a few trout on flies at the Middleground flat before I headed to New Pass to check it out. Although there was no surface activity, there were some mackerel just outside the pass and Bill caught a nice one on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly. Fly angler Bill Stanton, from Brunswick, ME, fished with me that afternoon. We caught and released trout, ladyfish, bluefish and Spanish mackerel on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly fished on a sink tip fly line at the Middleground flat and near Bishop Point.

Next week’s tides are better early in the week before they switch to 2-tide days on Wednesday. Reds and trout may be found along shallow edges of flats and bars when the tide is low before moving over shallow grass at the top of the tide. 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. Check the coastal gulf for Spanish mackerel, false albacore (little tunny), tripletail and more when conditions are good.

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

 

Holmes Beach winter resident, Bill Morrison, caught this nice Spanish mackerel on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly while fishing the coastal gulf at New Pass with Capt. Rick Grassett.



Sarasota winter resident, Phil Rever, and his son, Matt, from NC, caught and released this snook double on Grassett Snook Minnow flies while fishing the ICW at night near Venice with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Sarasota Fishing Report 2-29-2012

Sarasota & Tampa Bay, FL Fishing Report
2/25/2012
by Capt. Rick Grassett

Shallow water action with reds was good during the past week. Anglers fishing Sarasota Bay and the Terra Ceia Bay area with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with catch and release snook, reds and trout on flies and jigs during the past week. We also caught a few scattered Spanish mackerel mixed with trout on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay.

Glen Elia, from CT, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday afternoon. The action wasn’t fast, but he caught and released a few trout on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly along the east side of the bay. Wes Demmon, from Chicago, fished Terra Ceia Bay with me on Tuesday. He caught and released 3 nice reds to 26” on CAL jigs with shad tails and about a dozen trout on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly. Tony Merlis, from NH, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. It was Tony’s first time fly fishing in saltwater and he did well. He caught and released trout to 17” and Spanish mackerel on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly along the west side of the bay.

The best trip of the week was when Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, and Gary Roberts, from Bradenton, fished the Terra Ceia Bay area with me on Thursday. They caught and released 7 reds to 24”, 3 snook and a few trout on CAL jigs with shad tails. A great trip! With water temperatures in the low 70’s on shallow flats, especially in back country area, we are seeing snook moving onto shallow flats to feed.

Longboat Key and Sarasota winter residents, Nick Reding and Mike Perez, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. It was very windy, so we waded several flats and bars along the west side of Sarasota Bay and caught and released a pair of reds and a few trout on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly.

Next week’s tides are better early in the week and then get weaker as they shift to 2-tide days later in the week. Reds and trout should move over shallow grass at the top of the tide, especially on sunny afternoons. Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW should also be a good option. Check the coastal gulf for Spanish mackerel, false albacore (little tunny), tripletail and more when conditions are good.

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



Wes Demmon, from Chicago, caught and released this nice red on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing Terra Ceia Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Sarasota Fishing Report 2-14-2012

Sarasota & Gasparilla Sound, FL Fishing Report
2/11/2012
by 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, reds and snook on flies and jigs during the past week.

Keith McClintock and Barry Slee, both from Lake Forest, IL, fished Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor with me on Monday. They had a good day catching and releasing 5 reds to 5-pounds and numerous trout to 3 ½-pounds on CAL jigs with shad tails. Action was best in the afternoon when they caught most of their reds in shallow backcountry areas. Dick Striano, from MA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. Action was slow to start but I found some fish on the windy side of the bay near Whale Key where Dick caught and released about a dozen trout and a sharpnose shark on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly.

It was breezy on Wednesday when Parrish winter resident, Dave Wahl, fished Sarasota Bay with me. Dave caught and released a few trout and a couple of jacks on my Grassett Deep Flats Bunny and Ultra Hair Clouser flies. I poled some very skinny water at the top of the tide where he got some shots at trout in potholes and connected with a nice red on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly.

Sarasota winter resident, Phil Rever, and his brother, Jack Rever, from VA, fished the ICW near Venice with me on Thursday night. They caught and released 8 or 10 snook to 28” and about a dozen trout on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. With the forecast of a front with windy conditions for Saturday, I was able to rearrange my schedule to take advantage of favorable conditions ahead of the front. It paid off when Terry Antoniuk, from Calgary, Alberta, and his brother, David Antoniuk from Sarasota, fished north Sarasota Bay with me on Friday afternoon. Terry caught and released 2 reds on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly and he and David caught 8 or 10 trout to 3 ½-pounds, with most fish in the slot or above, on the same fly and a weedless rigged CAL shad tail. We found the fish in skinny water in potholes and over shallow grass at the top of the tide.

Fishing should be better in the afternoon next week due to better tides and warmer water. Fishing protected, shallow grass flats for reds and trout on sunny afternoons and deep grass flats for trout, Spanish mackerel, blues and pompano should be good options. Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW should also be good.

 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



Barry Slee, from Lake Forest, IL, caught and released this red with 15 spots on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing the backcountry of Gasparilla Sound with Capt. Rick Grassett.

 

Sarasota winter resident, Phil Rever, caught and released this 28" snook on a Grassett Snook Minnow fly while fishing the ICW near Venice at night with Capt. Rick Grassett.

 

David Antoniuk, from Sarasota, caught and released this over slot trout on a weedless rigged CAL shad tail while fishing potholes and shallow grass flats of Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Sarasota Fishing Report 1-31-2012

Sarasota Bay & Gasparilla Sound, FL Fishing Report
1/27/2012
by 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, snook and Spanish mackerel on jigs and flies during the past week. Nick Reding, from Longboat Key, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. We waded and fly fished several bars on both sides of the bay. Reds were elusive for us that day, but Nick caught and released a few trout on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly.

Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL and Gary Roberts, from Bradenton, FL fished Gasparilla Sound with me on Tuesday. They caught and released more than 40 trout to 17” and a snook on CAL jigs with shad tails, DOA Deadly Combos and DOA Deadly Duos. With shallow water temperatures reaching close to 70 degrees in backcountry areas, we saw a few snook moving onto the flats to feed in the afternoon.

Tom Newman, from Oakton, VA, fished the coastal gulf and Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. We found a few false albacore (little tunny) working off Siesta Key, but they were up and down very fast. Tom got a fly in them a couple of times, but we couldn’t get right with them before they disappeared. We went back into Sarasota Bay where he caught and released about a dozen trout and a 4-pound Spanish mackerel on my Grassett Deep Flats Bunny fly at Stephens Point and Bishop Point. The biggest trout came out of a pothole in skinny water.

Pete Walocko and Richard Ives, both from MI, fished the same areas with me on Thursday. With an approaching front wind was an issue, but they managed to catch and release a few trout and ladyfish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies.

Look for false albacore, tripletail and Spanish mackerel in the coastal gulf when sea conditions are good. Fishing shallow grass flats of Sarasota Bay for trout and reds and deep grass flats for trout, Spanish mackerel, blues and pompano should be good options. Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW should also be a good option.

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



Gary Roberts, from Bradenton, FL, caught and released this snook on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing a sand bar in Gasparilla Sound with Capt. Rick Grassett.



Tom Newman, from Oakton, VA, caught and released this 4-pound Spanish mackerel on a Grassett Deep Flats Bunny fly while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Sarasota Fishing Report 1-15-2012

Sarasota, FL Fishing Report
1/15/2011
by Capt. Rick Grassett

Anglers fishing Sarasota Bay and Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor during the past week with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released reds, trout and  pompano on jigs and flies. Action was better later in the day due to cool water.

Nick Reding, from Longboat Key, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. We waded several bars in north Sarasota Bay and Nick caught and released 3 reds and several trout on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly. Longboat Key winter resident, Pat Decastro, fished Sarasota Bay and the coastal gulf with me on Tuesday. We spent a couple of hours hunting false albacore (little tunny) and tripletail in the coastal gulf. Despite good conditions and water temperature of 69 degrees we didn’t find anything. We fished several deep grass flats in Sarasota Bay and Pat caught a few trout up to 18” but the action was slow.

Wednesday was windy as a front blew through, but it didn’t change conditions drastically on Thursday. Keith McClintock and Victor Feldman, from IL, fished Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor with me on Thursday and had a good day. They caught 4 reds up to 4-pounds, a 3 ½-pound pompano and numerous trout on CAL jigs with shad and grub tails and DOA Deadly Combos.

Trout and reds should continue to be good options in skinny water in Sarasota Bay. In addition to trout, look for pompano, blues and Spanish mackerel on deep grass flats. Afternoons may fish better than mornings due to cool water.

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



Nick Reding, from Longboat Key, FL, waded a Sarasota Bay sandbar with Capt. Rick Grassett and caught and released this red on a Grassett Flats Minnow fly.

 

Pat Decastro, from OH, caught this upper slot Sarasota Bay trout on a Clouser fly while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.

 

Victor Feldman, from IL, caught and released this red out of a pothole on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing Gasparilla Sound with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Tampa Bay Fishing Report 1- 2011

Tampa Fishing Charters
January 6, 2012



You’ve got to love Florida winter fishing. I was fortunate enough to get a call from Phil about fishing in the Bradenton area. I live in Clearwater, but I have been fishing all over the bay area my whole life. So when Phil said he wanted to fish up the Manatee River I was very excited.

The plan was to pick up at Fort Hammer and fish with live shrimp. The morning was very cold so we had to make sure that Phil’s eight year old son, Thomas, was kept warm. We started working through different spots and eventually landed this slot red:



14” red fish came to the boat all day long and so did the pesky lady fish. We also caught small snook, keeper trout and undersized trout, and three nice sized sheephead. We had steady action all day and Thomas said it was his best fishing day ever.

As much as I enjoyed the day, I was little saddened that we did not get any large snook bites. I sure look forward to the day when they have recovered from the freeze of 2010. The water temperature was around 58 and all fish were taken on live shrimp. I can’t wait to get out there again.



Captain Rick Reddick
Tampa Fishing Charters
813-787-0249

Sarasota Fishing Report 12-24-2011

Sarasota, FL Fishing Report
Capt. Rick Grassett
12/24/2011

Catch and release night snook fishing was on fire early last week! 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 snook, reds, trout and bluefish during the past week. The best action was fly fishing for snook at night in the ICW near Venice. Snook gorged themselves on glass minnows around lighted docks and ate my Snook Minnow fly just as well. In addition, we also caught trout and reds around docks on the same fly.

Bruce McLean, from Sarasota and his son, Gray McLean, from Charlottesville, VA, fished the ICW near Venice with me on Monday evening. They caught and released more than 15 snook to 23”, 6 trout to 18” and 4 reds to 22” on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. Not only did Gray catch his first snook on a fly, he also caught and released several slams!

The action got even better on Wednesday evening when Bill Rhodes from Hernando Beach, FL, fished the same area with me. The bite was so good at quitting time that we decided to turn it into a 6-hour trip. Bill also had a fly rod slam catching and releasing more than 40 snook to 23”, 6 trout to 19” and a 22” red on my Snook Minnow fly! Exercise caution when snook fishing this time of year. I always use tackle and leaders heavy enough to land them quickly with minimal handling. If water temperatures plummet following a strong front, I won’t fish for them at all until conditions stabilize.

Bill fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday morning. The action was slow, but he managed to catch and release a couple of trout and a bluefish on a Hansen Glass Minnow fly near Whale Key. He fished a tandem fly rig with a smaller fly about 24” ahead of a larger fly on an intermediate shooting head fly line creating the illusion of schooling bait fish.

Jerry Roth, from Longwood, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday morning. Despite beautiful conditions it was slow to start. We had a negative low tide with good sunlight and mullet so thick you could walk on them, but we covered a lot of water before we scored. Jerry finished the day with 4 reds to 24” caught and released on a CAL jig with a shad tail near Buttonwood Harbor.

Negative low tides early next week as we head away from a new moon should concentrate reds and trout in potholes. Fish deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay for trout, blues, Spanish mackerel, pompano and flounder. As long as it stays mild, we should also have action with false albacore, Spanish mackerel and tripletail in the coastal gulf when conditions are good. Have a Merry Christmas!



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



Gray McLean, from Charlottesville, VA, caught and released this red on a Grassett Snook Minnow fly while fishing the ICW near Venice at night with Capt. Rick Grassett.



Bill Rhodes, from Hernando Beach, FL, caught and released this snook on a Grassett Snook Minnow fly while fishing the ICW near Venice at night with Capt. Rick Grassett.



Jerry Roth, from Longwood, FL, caught and released this red on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Tarpon Springs Fishing Report 12-2011

Tampa Fishing Reports
December 2011 Tampa Fishing Report
by Stewart Ames



With winter rapidly approaching, the fish targeted on Tampa fishing charters will become much more predictable. Large seatrout will become the primary species and, although not open until January 1st south of Fred Howard Park, will provide consistent action. As the water is not real cold yet, these fish should readily eat suspending plugs and swim tail plastic jigs. Anglers fortunate enough to get on the water during the early hours of the day on a calm morning during the week can successfully entice big trout to crash surface lures as well. Although bringing home a limit of trout to eat is a primary motivator for many anglers, those wishing to enjoy some great sport should fish before the season opens as action will be strong and fishing pressure much lighter. On productive days, catching 15 to 20 trout over twenty inches is a realistic expectation. From a live bait perspective, most Tampa fishing guides start each day well stocked with select shrimp when big trout are the focus. Fishing these under a slip bobber is a can't miss proposition although, on days when fish are less aggressive, simply free-lining a shrimp can be another productive approach.



November RefishThe other logical early winter target is the redfish. Once November rolls around, many areas holding larger redfish see an influx of smaller fish and a departure of the larger ones. True to form, recent Tampa fishing charters targeting redfish are being rewarded with good numbers, but fish are ranging from 16 to 23 inches. Nevertheless, there's decent action and fillets for the table. The big breeder redfish action appears to have subsided so areas prospected by Tampa fishing guides for these fish will probably get little attention until next year. Tampa redfish dinnerDocks and oyster bars become much more important structures for redfish in the winter...maybe because of the abundance of small crabs. With other bait fish becoming more scarce, these locations may offer better dining options. Also, dark oyster bars and and dark muddy bottoms found around residential docks may hold heat a little better as well. Whatever the reason, these locations, along with some of the spoil islands along the inter-coastal waterway, are good areas to target. With redfish being crustacean focused, shrimp are probably the most effective winter bait. A good second choice would be smaller pieces of cut bait and small pinfish. "Bobbering" and "free-lining" a shrimp are two effective tactics when fishing oyster bars. Docks are best fished with heavy split shots to facilitate accurate casting and to hold your bait in a desired location away from pilings.





Big Tampa Shallow water grouperNear shore gag grouper fishing was as good this year as it has been in quite some time, making the grouper season closure next year even more perplexing. The latest word is that the season will open from July 1st through October 31st, which translates to two things. Anglers wanting to catch grouper during the open season next year will need to burn some gas as fish will be deep and inshore Tampa fishing charters that target grouper during the late fall will not be allowed to harvest them. Tampa Fishing for fall grouperNevertheless, Tampa fishing guides working depths from 20 the 35 feet consistently found fish over the last month. Although there were days when only one or two legal fish were hooked, most trips resulted in several quality fish being landed. Unlike grouper hooked at greater depths, large fish hooked in shallow water tend to run "sideways", giving the angler a clear indication of where the rock is that they are running to. The initial strike of a big fish could safely be classified as violent in this shallow water. With pinfish migrating out to these near shore rocks and large thread herring suspending a quarter mile off the beach, grouper were perfectly willing to eat both although, interestingly, showed a strong preference for one or the other on certain days. Heavy conventional grouper tackle was the standardAssorted fish on fall Tampa Fishing Charter approach employed by most Tampa fishing guides however when fish became reluctant to eat, going to lighter tackle and less weight would often trigger three or four strikes in a row on a spot that had yielded no bites with the heavier gear...dispelling any theory that grouper aren't occasionally line or "heavy sinker"shy.



Although there are few fish better to eat than the grouper, two other species were fairly abundant this year in the same areas targeted for grouper...the black seabass and the flounder. Both provide exceptionally tasting fillets. Flounder, laid up on sand bottoms Tampa's best fish dinnerimmediately adjacent to these near shore limestone "patch reefs", would eat smaller pinfish and cut baits. Tampa Fishing for flounderSeabass would eat the same offerings as, even though smaller in size, they have big mouthes. Once seabass approach about a foot in length, they are worthy of filleting. Legal length is 10 inches. It may take two or three to feed one hungry person but when placed side by side with grouper in a taste comparison, most people will choose saebass, which is actually a grouper, as the tastiest. So even after grouper season closed on the 15th, catching grouper on light tackle for sport and bringing home some seabass and grunts to eat made for an enjoyable day. If the tide was strong enough, some Tampa fishing guides would split thier time between grouper and redfish, providing a nice mix of onshore and offhsore fishing.



As winter descends upon us, good fishing days will be determined by two factors....strong tides and the movement of weather fronts. Like most fishing, winter fishing for trout and redfish is almost always better on days with good tidal movement. The other critical factor is the timing of the cold fronts. Fishing the days in front of an approaching cold front is almost always productive. Fishing immediately after is usually frustrating and disappointing. So, look for strong tide days in front of an approaching front and you've given yourself the best odds for a good day of winter fishing. Good luck and good fishing.

Captain Stewart Ames
727-421-5291
http://www.captainames.com/
sames001@tampabay.rr.com

Sarasota Bay Fishing Report 12-12-2011

Sarasota, FL Fishing Report
Capt. Rick Grassett
12/10/2011

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, blues, Spanish mackerel and flounder on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay during the past week. Tom Lamb, from Geneva, Switzerland, and Roy Glah, from CT, fished Stephens Point, Long Bar and near Whale Key with me on Tuesday. They had steady action with trout and a flounder on CAL jigs with shad and grub tails.    

Walt Poxon, from MN, and Bill and Sue Poxon, from Sarasota, fished the west side of the bay from the Middleground flat to Whale Key with me on Wednesday. They caught and released numerous trout, flounder and Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos. A front came through on Wednesday evening and the wind was blowing more than 20 mph on Thursday morning, so we rescheduled that trip.

Conditions were good when John Damico and Bryan Beebe, both from Sarasota, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. They had good action with trout and Spanish mackerel to 2-1/2 lbs and blues to 3 -1/2 lbs on CAL jigs with shad tails and Ultra Hair Clouser flies at Stephens Point and near Whale Key.

Next week’s negative low tides are good at the beginning of the week should be good for reds, trout and flounder in potholes in shallow water. Look for trout, blues, Spanish mackerel, pompano and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Action with Spanish mackerel and albies (little tunny) in the coastal gulf should resume when sea conditions improve.

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



John Damico, from Sarasota, FL, caught and released this nice Spanish mackerel on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.



Bryan Beebe, from Sarasota, FL, caught and released this nice trout on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly fished on a sink tip fly line while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.