Good Action on Sarasota Bay & Charlotte Harbor Flats
Capt. Rick Grassett
May 1, 2017
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Anglers fishing with me, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, bluefish, flounder and snook in Sarasota Bay and trout, flounder and snook in Gasparilla Sound on flies, CAL jigs with shad tails and 2.75" DOA Shrimp during the past couple of weeks.
Mark Wayde, from MI, fished a day in Sarasota Bay with me. We worked deep grass flats on both sides of the bay and he had good action catching and releasing trout to 18" and bluefish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on an intermediate sink tip fly line. Marshall Dinerman and a guest, both from Atlanta, also had some action with me in Sarasota Bay with trout and bluefish on CAL jigs with shad tails.
Lew Murray, from Tarpon Springs, FL, fished a pre-dawn snook/flats trip with me in Sarasota Bay on Thursday. He started off strong with several snook to 26" caught and released on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly before daylight. We moved to the flats after daylight and he caught and released a few more on an EP Minnow fly pattern. Great job!
My friends Mark Nichols, owner of DOA Fishing Lures and his wife, Jenny Nichols, fished with me on Friday and Saturday. We fished the back country of Gasparilla Sound near Boca Grande on Friday. We had some action catching and releasing a few snook, including a 30" fish that Jenny caught and released on a weedless-rigged CAL Shad tail. A nice snook!
My wife, Karen Grassett, joined us on Saturday to fish the Sarasota CCA Photo All Release Challenge fishing tournament. It is a catch-photo-release format tournament for snook, reds and trout that raises money for conservation. Anglers must fish with identical boxes of donated lures or flies and all fish are immediately photographed and released to fight another day. We caught and released snook, trout, flounder and jacks on the 2.75" DOA Shrimp that was donated to the box by DOA Fishing Lures. Mark caught and released an over slot trout and Karen won the Ladies Trout division with a 19 ½" trout!
Tarpon fishing should take off as the water in the coastal gulf continues to warm. Trout, blues and Spanish mackerel should also be good options on deep grass flats and passes of Sarasota Bay. Snook season closes from May 1 through Aug 31 on the west coast of Florida, so please handle them gently and release them quickly. You should find larger trout in shallow water along with snook and reds when conditions are good. Fishing lighted docks and bridges in the ICW for snook with flies and DOA Lures continues to be a good option.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
IFFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis-Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide at CB's Saltwater Outfitters
Orvis Outfitter of the Year-2011
Sarasota Fishing Forecast:
Capt. Rick Grassett's Sarasota, FL Fishing Forecast for May 2017
Tarpon fishing will take off during May as migratory fish arrive along our beaches. Also look for Spanish mackerel, tripletail, cobia and false albacore (little tunny) in the coastal gulf. Snook will move into passes and the surf and reds and trout should feed heavily on shallow flats as baitfish become more plentiful. Trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and more should be good options on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay.
Resident tarpon are usually the first to show up as they make their way out of rivers and creeks. As migratory tarpon start to arrive this month, we should have schools of tarpon moving both north and south along our beaches. Early arriving tarpon may be more aggressive due to less fishing pressure early in the season. Set up in their line of travel and wait for tarpon schools to move past and cast a DOA Baitbuster, a 4" CAL Shad, a live crab or pinfish to them. Once you've seen the first school of fish, you can concentrate your efforts in that "lane" since other schools should be following the same route. When they aren't showing well on the surface, a live bait under a float in their travel lane may score. I've also done well blind casting a DOA Baitbuster or Swimming Mullet when there wasn't much showing on the surface. Be quiet, using your electric trolling motor sparingly, especially in shallow water. Even though your 4-stroke outboard sounds quiet, it is no substitute for an electric trolling motor.
Fly anglers should do well with a variety of baitfish or crab fly patterns fished on floating or intermediate sink tip fly lines. Staking out or anchoring in shallow water on their travel route should result in some shots at fish. The best angle is a "head on" shot, followed by a quartering shot. A perpendicular shot may work if it's timed perfectly, although casting too far beyond their line of travel will usually spook them. I use a push pole with an occasional assist from a trolling motor if I need to adjust my position to make a cast.
Snook season is closed on the west coast of Florida this month. Since they will be spawning, use tackle heavy enough to catch and release them in a timely manner and handle them gently. Larger snook will mostly be females and should always be supported horizontally rather than hung vertically by the jaw. You'll find them in passes and in the surf. They will also stage around docks and bridges close to passes. Casting CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms or DOA shrimp around docks and bridges close to passes should be effective. Small white flies, like my Grassett Snook Minnow, work well at night. One of the most fun ways to target snook is to walk the beach and cast CAL jigs, DOA shrimp or flies to them in the surf.
Higher tides this month will mean that reds will spend more time feeding on shallow flats. Look for them along mangrove shorelines and around oyster bars when the tide is high and in potholes or along sandbars when the tide is low. When fishing shallow water for reds, be as quiet as possible. I prefer to use a push pole or wade. Reds are one of the most challenging species to catch on a fly. Since they can be very spooky, I often wade for them when fly fishing to keep a lower profile. You'll also find big trout in many of the same shallow areas that you find reds. The Terra Ceia Bay area, north Sarasota Bay and Gasparilla Sound are all good areas for reds this month.
Trout will be plentiful on deep grass flats. I prefer to cast CAL jigs and flies on sink tip fly lines for trout. A DOA Deadly Combo also works very well. Drifting and casting ahead of the drift is usually the most productive method. Look for flats that have a good mix of grass and sand and good tidal flow. The Middleground and Radio Tower flats, Stephens Point and Bishops Point are all great trout areas in Sarasota Bay.
You may find pompano, bluefish and Spanish mackerel on the same deep grass flats where trout are plentiful. They can be targeted in the same way as trout, but you may need to use wire or heavy fluorocarbon leader when toothy fish are around. You may also find Spanish and king mackerel, little tunny, cobia and tripletail in the coastal gulf. Keep your eyes open for surface activity such as diving birds, breaking fish or baitfish being forced out of the water which could indicate the presence of mackerel, blues or little tunny. Medium spinning tackle and 8 or 9-weight fly tackle should be heavy enough, although your tarpon spinning and fly tackle is not too heavy for cobia. Look for cobia either swimming on the surface or around navigational markers or buoys. I have also found cobia swimming with schools of tarpon before. Tripletail may be found around crab trap floats or buoys, where they can be targeted with a DOA shrimp or CAL jig on spinning tackle. When fly fishing for tripletail, a floating line on an 8 or 9-weight fly rod with a shrimp or baitfish fly pattern, like my Grassett Flats Minnow, should get the job done.
This is one of my favorite months of the year. If battling a big tarpon isn't for you, you should have plenty to do on both shallow and deep grass flats or in the coastal gulf. I'll be spending my time targeting tarpon in the coastal gulf unless conditions won't allow it. There is something about casting a fly to a giant fish in shallow water! Whatever you choose to do, please limit your kill, don't kill your limit!
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
IFFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis-Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide at CB's Saltwater Outfitters
Orvis Outfitter of the Year-2011
Target Species:
tarpon, snook, reds, trout, bluefish, tripletail & false albacore
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