Good Action on Sarasota Bay Flats Despite Cold Weather
Capt. Rick Grassett
January 14, 2018
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Anglers fishing with me, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had action with reds, trout, pompano and bluefish in Sarasota Bay on flies, DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs with shad tails and snook and blues on flies in the ICW at night during the past week. Sunny afternoons and calm winds allowed the water to warm back into the 60's following last week's strong front and trout moved into shallow water.
A strong front early in the week, followed by a reinforcing front, forced the cancellation or postponement of several trips during the week of 1/2. However I was able to get out one day later in the week when conditions improved. Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, Rick Anderson and brothers Garrett and Nate Anderson, also from IL, fished Sarasota Bay with me in a couple of shifts on Thursday, 1/4. Action wasn't fast, but they caught some quality fish. We fished deep grass flats early in the day and they caught and released several trout to 18" on CAL jigs with shad tails. With a negative low tide, some sun and protection from the wind, we fished shallow water in the afternoon and found redfish concentrated in a few spots. They caught several reds to 26" on CAL jigs with shad tails. Nate finished the day up strong by landing a nice pompano also on a CAL jig with a shad tail!
Marshall Dinerman, from Atlanta, GA fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday afternoon, 1/9. With water temperature in the high 50', action was slow. We caught and released a few trout on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos on deep grass flats. The largest trout was caught on a CAL jig with a shad tail in less than 2' of water, which was also the warmest water.
Keith McClintock and Victor Feldman, both from IL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday, 1/10. It was slow to start, but trout turned on in the afternoon as the sun warmed shallow water to as warm as 65 degrees in a couple of spots. Snook also moved onto the edges of bars to warm up.
With water temperatures back in the 60's after several days of warming, Martin Marlowe, from NY, fished the ICW with me on Thursday night, 1/11. He had good action catching and releasing snook and several blues around dock lights on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. Fish were actively feeding and swimming away strong. Afternoons and evenings will usually have the warmest water of the day, as the sun warms shallow water that flushes out of bays with outgoing tides.
Another front pushed through on Friday 1/12, beginning a few days of below average temperatures. Steve Kost, from Lakewood Ranch, FL and his son Nick Kost, from NY, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday, 1/13. It was very windy, rough and tough to find any protected water to fish. Despite the tough conditions, they had some action with bluefish, trout and ladyfish on flies. I worked with Nick on his fly casting and he scored his first fish on a fly, a ladyfish, in 25-mph wind!
The toughest fishing this time of year is usually the day of a front or the day after, when the wind blows from the northwest and cold air comes rushing in causing water temperatures to fall. Water temperatures may drop back into the 50's next week, so temperature sensitive fish should be avoided at that time. Fish the windows of stable weather between fronts for the best action. Sunny afternoons with some protection from the wind should fish better this time of year due to warmer water. 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 should also be a good option.
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
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