Good Action on Sarasota Bay Deep Grass Flats
Capt. Rick Grassett
January 1, 2018
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Anglers fishing with me, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action catching and releasing trout, blues, pompano and a cobia on flies and CAL jigs with shad tails on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay and tripletail in the coastal gulf on flies during the past couple of weeks. Hefty bluefish provided great action for fly and spin fishing anglers!
With plenty of sun and calm seas, fly anglers had good action sight fishing tripletail in the coastal gulf on Monday, 12/18, catching and releasing several. Although false albacore moved on after the last front, tripletail action has remained good and some larger fish have moved into the area.
Kevin Smith, from West Chester, PA, had good action fly fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday, 12/20. He caught and released numerous trout and a pompano on Ultra Hair Clouser flies.
Alan Sugar, from MI, got in on the action with trout in Sarasota Bay on Ultra Hair Clouser flies with me on Thursday, 12/21. We started the trip off with a bang, catching and releasing a 34" cobia on a CAL jig with a shad tail on the first cast of the day! Adam Theiler, from London, also had some action in Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 12/22, catching and releasing trout on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on a 6-wt rod.
Alan Sugar and Ray Hutchinson, both from MI, had good action fly fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday, 12/26. They caught and released trout and several nice bluefish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies.
Indy Kimura and Mireya Castillo, both from Salt Lake City, UT also had some action on their first saltwater fly fishing trip in Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday, 12/28. They had good action catching and releasing numerous trout and several big blues on Ultra Hair Clouser flies.
Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, Victor Feldman, from Champagne, IL and Steve McClintock, from Pittsburgh, PA fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 12/29. We fished skinny water in the morning and they caught a couple of nice trout and a 5-1/2-pound pompano on CAL jigs with shad tails. We fished deep grass flats in the afternoon where they had good action with blues, also on CAL jigs with shad tails.
Barry Slee and Maria Horvat, both from Lake Forest, IL, fished deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday, 12/30. They had good action catching numerous blues and trout on CAL jigs with shad tails.
There should be good action with trout, blues, pompano and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Shallow water action for larger trout and reds is improving due to cooler water. Fishing lighted docks and bridges in the ICW for catch and release snook with flies and DOA Lures should also be a good option after the weather stabilizes following today's front. I would like to thank the many long time, repeat clients that fished with me during 2017 and wish a happy 2018 to all.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
FFI 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 January 2018
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, DOA Tiny TerrorEyz and DOA Shrimp. The new DOA 2-3/4" Shrimp should be good for night snook fishing. I like the ICW between Sarasota and Venice for night snook fishing in the winter. 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. Too large of a shrimp tip on your jig will ruin the action. 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. My favorite deep grass flats, have a good mix of grass and sand with a strong 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 at that time. 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
FFI Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis-Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide at CB's Saltwater Outfitters
Orvis Outfitter of the Year-2011
Target Species:
reds, snook, trout, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, pompano, tripletail, false albacore
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