Good Action on Sarasota Bay & Charlotte Harbor Flats
Capt. Rick Grassett
March 2, 2015
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
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, Spanish mackerel and pompano in Sarasota Bay on flies, CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Shrimp, snook at night in the ICW near Venice on flies and trout, snook and redfish in Gasparilla Sound near Boca Grande on CAL jigs with shad tails during the past couple of weeks.
Tony Merlis, from NH, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 2/16. We fished deep grass flats on both sides of the bay where he caught and released trout and ladyfish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies. One of the best trips of the week was on Tuesday, 2/17 when Frank Zaffino, from Rochester, NY, and sons John and Frank, fished Sarasota Bay with me and had great action catching and releasing numerous Spanish mackerel to 5-pounds and trout to 18"on CAL jigs with shad tails and Ultra Hair Clouser flies. With an approaching front and a stiff south wind, fish turned on!
Wednesday's instructional fly fishing trip was cancelled due to winds above 20-mph. Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, fished Gasparilla Sound near Boca Grande with me on Thursday, 2/19. With a strong NW wind, we were hopeful that we could find some protection in the backcountry. With very little water it was tough, but he had good action with trout to 18" and a snook on CAL jigs with shad tails. Friday's trip was canceled due to the arctic air that blasted us with temperatures in the 30's following the latest front and I was the instructor for a CB's Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed Fly Fishing School on Saturday, Feb 21st.
Anna Maria Island winter resident, Bill Morrison and Sarasota winter resident, Gary Marple, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday afternoon, 2/23. We fished deep grass flats on both sides of the bay where they caught and released trout and a nice pompano on Ultra Hair Clouser flies.
Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, and Ron Shay, from VA, fished Gasparilla Sound near Boca Grande with me on Tuesday, 2/24. Sea fog rolled in on us early in the day and made it a cool, damp day despite a forecast for sunny and warmer. However, they had good action with trout to 18" and a red on CAL jigs with shad tails.
Sarasota winter resident, Mike Perez, snook fished with me on Wednesday night, 2/25. We fished lighted docks in the ICW near Venice and he caught and released 8 or 10 snook on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. Without much tidal flow due to an outgoing tide being negated by a strong wind blowing the opposite direction, snook were being very picky. Mike finessed them into eating by dead drifting his fly deep in the water column. There aren't many places where the wind blows 20-mph in dense fog!
Tom Lamb, from Geneva, Switzerland, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday afternoon, 2/26. We fished deep grass flats on both sides of the bay and caught and released a few trout on CAL jigs with shad tails, DOA Shrimp and DOA Deadly Combos.
I was a seminar presenter at the News Channel 8 Tampa Outdoors Expo & Boat Show (formerly the Frank Sergeant Outdoors Expo) at the Florida State Fairgrounds on Friday and Saturday, 2/27 & 28. Billed as the largest outdoor and boat show in Florida, the show draws big crowds every day. Almost 50 seminars on everything from fresh and saltwater fishing, fly fishing, boating, kayaking, hunting, dog training and more were given by top outdoor experts. I gave presentations on "Saltwater Fly Fishing", which covered saltwater fly fishing tactics, fly tackle rigging and fly selection and spent some time with my friends at DOA Fishing Lures in their booth.
There are still some spots available in CB's Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed Fly Fishing School next Saturday, Mar 7th. I will be the instructor for the school which will cover fly casting basics, line control, shooting line and the roll cast. The course, designed for beginning and intermediate fly casters, will focus on basics but also work with intermediate casters on correcting faults and improving casting skills. Leader construction, fly selection and saltwater fly fishing techniques will also be covered. Cost for the school, which will run from 8:30 AM to 3 PM, is $150 per person and includes the use of Orvis fly tackle, a text book and lunch. Contact CB's Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 or [email protected] to make reservations.
Snook season reopens on the west coast of Florida on Mar 1, although many snook will be under the 28"-33" slot so handle them gently and release them quickly. Full regulations can be viewed at www.myfwc.com .You may find trout, blues, pompano or flounder in channels, troughs, basins or edges of flats, particularly when the tide is low. Look for reds and big trout mixed with mullet schools on shallow flats and edges of bars. Afternoons may fish better than mornings when water is cooler.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
IFFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis- Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB's Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
Sarasota Fishing Forecast:
Capt. Rick Grassett's Sarasota, FL Fishing Forecast for March 2015
There should be good action with reds, trout and snook in skinny water in March as baitfish become more plentiful. Look for Spanish and king mackerel, cobia, tripletail and false albacore (little tunny) in the coastal gulf. Night snook fishing in the ICW should also be a good option this month.
Snook season reopens this month on the west coast, although personally I will continue to ask clients to release them while the population is still rebounding from the freeze of 2010. This should be a good month for snook fishing at night around lighted docks and bridge fenders in the ICW. I like the area known as "snook alley" from Little Sarasota Bay to Venice. DOA Shrimp, CAL jigs with shad tails and small white flies, like my Grassett Snook Minnow, usually work well at night since glass minnows and shrimp are the predominate bait. Focus on shadow lines where light meets dark and fish strong tides for the best action. Although snook may also be found in rivers, creeks or canals in March, they will also start to move onto shallow flats, particularly on sunny afternoons when it's warm. I like larger lures like CAL jigs with jerk worms, DOA Baitbusters, DOA Airheads and 4" Shad Tail or wide profile flies like Clousers, Deceivers and EP flies, for snook on the flats.
Look for early season tarpon that may start to show in backcountry areas. These are usually adult resident fish that are making their way out of rivers and creeks. They may be "laid up" or rolling on deep grass flats, on edges of shallow flats or along bars when it is calm. An accurate cast with a DOA Airhead or a Deceiver or Tarpon Bunny fly may result in an explosive strike! Look for them in areas of Sarasota Bay, lower Tampa Bay or in Gasparilla Sound on some of the same deep grass flats where you find trout.
Reds should be more active as the water warms and baitfish become more plentiful. Higher tides, as we head into spring, will allow them to spend more time feeding in shallow water. Look for them over shallow grass, along mangrove shorelines and around oyster bars when the tide is high. You should find them in potholes and along sand bars when the tide is low. I like the shallow flats of north Sarasota Bay for reds this month. I like 1/16-ounce CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms to locate reds. Fly anglers should score with my Grassett Flats Minnow fly, fished on a 10'-12' leader. When using a long leader be sure you are able turn it over, otherwise you'll need to shorten it until you can. The butt section should be at least 50% of the total length of the leader and stiff enough to transfer energy from your fly line to the leader.
You might also find reds around docks when the tide is low. Look for deep water under docks with a good tidal flow for the best action. A 1/8-ounce CAL jig with a shad tail or grub or a weighted fly fished on clear intermediate sink tip fly line a 6' leader with should work well for dock fishing.
You may find big trout in skinny water in many of the same places that you find reds. Blind cast seams where grass meets sand or focus on light colored bottom, in potholes on top of sand bars, where you may be able to sight fish them. You should also find trout plentiful on deep grass flats along with Spanish mackerel, blues, flounder or pompano. I like to make a series of drifts, casting ahead of the drift with CAL jigs with shad tails, DOA Deadly combos or an Ultra Hair Clouser fly tied on a long shank hook and fished on a clear intermediate sink tip fly line to locate fish. Also look for birds, bait showering out of the water or boils on the surface that will indicate fish feeding below. When mackerel and blues are around, you may need to add 6" of 40# to 60# fluorocarbon or wire to your leader. Top water plugs and fly poppers also work well when blues and mackerel are around and may help locate them by attracting them from further away. Flounder may be found on sand or mud bottom areas on both shallow and deep grass flats or around docks. Pompano may skip on the surface when you drift or run past them, giving their location away. Fish deep grass flats with a mixture of grass and sand and a strong tidal flow for the best action.
You may also find Spanish or king mackerel, false albacore (little tunny), cobia or tripletail in the coastal gulf this month. Look for diving or hovering terns to find Spanish mackerel or false albacore feeding on the surface. ¼-ounce CAL jigs with shad tails or jerk worms or top water plugs should work well for spin anglers. Fly anglers should score with small white flies, like my Grassett Snook Minnow or Ultra Hair Clousers fished on an intermediate sink tip fly line..
Run crab trap lines at various depths to find tripletail or cobia around crab trap floats. Fly anglers should score on tripletail with DOA shrimp or lightly weighted flies with weed guards. Cobia may also be swimming on the surface as they migrate from south to north following warmer water and baitfish. DOA Baitbusters, DOA Airheads and large, wide profile flies, like Deceivers or EP flies would be good fly choices for cobia. In the absence of any fish on the surface, check out one of the many artificial reefs or natural hard bottom areas that may hold baitfish and predators. Drift over structure and cast DOA Baitbusters or weighted flies on fast sinking fly lines to get deeper in the water column to catch them.
Conditions will improve during March and fishing should heat up. Flats and night snook fishing are usually good options this month. I like to check the coastal gulf when conditions are good, since you could find something really good happening there. Whatever you choose to do, please limit your kill, don't kill your limit!
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Orvis Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB's Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
IFFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Target Species:
reds, snook, trout, Spanish mackerel, blues, pompano, tripletail, false albacore
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