Good Action on Sarasota Bay Deep Grass Flats
Capt. Rick Grassett
January 4, 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, pompano, flounder, bluefish and a cobia on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay on flies and CAL jigs with shad tails during the past couple of weeks. With water temperatures around 70 degrees, cobia have been showing up in areas of Sarasota Bay and the coastal gulf.
Keith McClintock, son-in-law Rick Anderson and grandson, Garrett Anderson, all from IL, fished deep grass flats on the west side of Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 12/22. They caught and released trout, ladyfish and a flounder on CAL jigs with shad tails. Alan Sugar, from MI, fished the same areas with me on Tuesday, 12/23 and caught and released trout and ladyfish on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly fished on a sink tip fly line.
Wednesday's trip was rescheduled due to wind gusting above 20-mph as a front passed through. Action improved towards the end of the week following the front. Ian McEachern, from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 12/26. We fished deep grass flats on both sides of the bay where he caught and released trout, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and ladyfish on an Ultra Hair Clouser.
Lane Thurgood, from VA, and daughters Bella and Beatrice, fished the same areas with me on Saturday, 12/27. Lane fly fished while the girls used spinning tackle. They had good action catching 6 species of fish, including trout, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, pompano, ladyfish and a small gag grouper on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails.
Keith McClintock, from IL, and his son Steve McClintock, from PA, fished deep grass flats on the west side of Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 12/29. They caught and released trout, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, jack crevalle, ladyfish and a cobia on CAL jigs with shad tails.
Denis Clohisy and his son, Deny, from WI, fished the coastal gulf with me on Tuesday, 12/30. Our plan was to sight fish for tripletail but with sea fog, cloud cover and a chop, conditions weren't great. With not much happening on the surface, we went to an area of structure where we spotted a "push" on the surface which was a school of 6 or more big cobia. Deny connected with a nice cobia on a CAL jig with a shad tail and despite tough conditions they also had some shots at tripletail with DOA Shrimp, CAL shad tails and flies.
Joe Brinkmeyer and Jim Brady, from Cincinnati, OH, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 1/2 and Buddy Hammond, from NJ, fished with me on Saturday, 1/3. We fished deep grass flats on both sides of the bay and action was similar each day, catching and releasing trout, ladyfish and scattered blues and Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails.
Trout, blues, Spanish mackerel, pompano and more should be good options on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Look for reds and big trout mixed with mullet schools on shallow flats and edges of bars. Tripletail and false albacore should be good options in the coastal gulf depending on conditions. Look for albies feeding near the surface and tripletail around crab trap buoys. Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW is also a good option now. Fish peak tidal flows for the best action.
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 January 2015
You may find reds and big trout concentrated in potholes of Sarasota Bay in January. Action with trout, blues, Spanish mackerel, pompano and more on deep grass flats can be good depending on conditions. There should also be good catch and release snook action in rivers, creeks and canals this month, although fishing docks for snook and other species is also a good option. It may be worth checking the coastal gulf for tripletail, cobia, false albacore (little tunny) and more when it's warm.
Snook season remains closed this month. Since they are very temperature sensitive, I won't target them if the water temperature dips below 60 degrees. However, fishing lighted docks in the ICW at night with lures and flies can be very good in January. Small white flies, like my Grassett Snook Minnow, Gurglers and shrimp fly patterns will work well for fly anglers. Spin anglers should score with CAL jigs with shad tails or 4" jerk worms and DOA shrimp. I like the ICW between Sarasota and Venice for night snook fishing. Fish peak tidal flows for the best action.
You should also find snook in rivers, creeks and canals this month. Fish deeper water in outside bends to locate snook where you may catch them with CAL jigs and shad tails or jerk worms, DOA Baitbusters or diving/suspending plugs. You may also find reds, juvenile tarpon and even largemouth bass in the same areas depending on salinity.
Reds should be a good option this month. You'll find them concentrated in potholes of north Sarasota Bay when the tide is low. Fly anglers should score with lightly weighted flies fished on a 10'-12' leader with a floating fly line. Reds feed on crustaceans this time of the year, so crab and shrimp fly patterns should work well. They may tail on shallow grass flats of Gasparilla Sound and lower Tampa Bay when the tide is low. You'll need weedless rigged plastic baits or flies with weed guards to target tailing reds. A CAL shad tail on a weedless hook or a DOA shrimp rigged weedless and fished backwards are a couple of my favorite lures for tailing reds. The DOA crab also fishes very well in shallow water and can be deadly on reds in potholes or tailing in shallow grass.
You may also find reds around docks, along with snook, sheepshead, flounder and more. Little Sarasota Bay has numerous oyster bars and docks that often hold reds in January. Work CAL jigs slowly along the bottom for the best action. Sheepshead feed more with their nose, so if you can't get them to eat your jig, try tipping it with a small piece of fresh shrimp. You're likely to find big trout in many of the same areas that you find reds. The same lures, flies and techniques that are used for reds will also work for big trout.
You'll also find trout on deep grass flats in January along with blues, Spanish mackerel, pompano, flounder and more. I like to drift and cast ahead of my drift with CAL jigs and a variety of plastic tails and DOA Deadly Combos. Since trout can sometimes hold very tight to a particular spot or area, try to cover as much water as possible to find them. Once you've located fish you can shorten your drift or anchor on them. A GPS can be useful for this type of fishing since the breadcrumb trail will allow you to duplicate your drift. A drift anchor will slow your drift so you can fish it more thoroughly or make it easier for fly anglers to move their fly. Some of my favorite deep grass flats in Sarasota Bay; Middleground flat, Stephens Point, Bishop Point and near Buttonwood Harbor, have a good mix of grass and sand with a good tidal flow.
Even though there may not be much happening in the coastal gulf this month in the way of sight fishing it may be worth a look when it is warm. Migratory species such as king and Spanish mackerel, cobia and tripletail probably have moved further south, however they could reappear during warm ups. Also look for false albacore (little tunny) when it's warm since they may move from offshore to inshore depending on where baitfish are located.
January can be one of the toughest months of the year to fish. However if you are able to choose when to fish based on tides and weather, it can be good. Action is usually good as weather fronts approach. Following fronts, fishing may be tough for a couple of days so afternoons may fish better then. I'll let the stage of the tide determine where to look for fish. When the tide is low, look for reds tailing on shallow grass or reds, trout and more in potholes or around docks. Look for reds or big trout cruising on shallow grass flats on sunny afternoons when the tide is high. 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, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, pompano, tripletail, false albacore
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