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Sarasota and Venice
Capt. Rick Grassett
July 18, 2004
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Sarasota & Venice, FL Fishing Report for 7/10 through 7/18/2004
Fly and spin anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past week with snook, trout and tarpon. Some of the best action was on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay where anglers caught and released numerous trout to 20”, bluefish to 18” and ladyfish on DOA Deadly Combos and Clouser flies.
Tarpon continue to be an option in the coastal gulf although a persistent west wind caused conditions to deteriorate toward the end of the week. Three tarpon were jumped on Tuesday and Wednesday on a black and rust tarpon fly with one of them, a 60 to 70-pounder, landed. We also spent a couple of other afternoons fly fishing for tarpon, but rough water made it challenging.
Night snook action with flies and DOA Tiny TerrorEyz was challenging. Snook were plentiful but very selective about what they would eat. Dave Brugh, from Akron, OH, fished the ICW in Venice with me on Monday evening. He caught and released 7 snook to 23”, ladyfish, jack crevalle and a whiting on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Tiny TerrorEyz.
Longboat Key residents, Arnold and Bette Hoffman and their grandson, Henry Hoffman from VA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday afternoon. They caught and released trout and ladyfish on DOA Deadly Combos at the Middleground flat and Bishop’s Point.
Bill and Penny Hall, from Georgetown, DE, fished the same area with me on Thursday morning. They caught and released some quality trout to 20” with most of them in the 16” to 18” class. We also spent some time hunting reds and snook along mangrove shorelines but they must have been buried in the mangroves due to an extreme high tide. Bill was my high school marine biology teacher back in Seaford, DE more than 30 years ago. We hunted together back then so it was good to see him and Penny again and reminisce about old times.
Stuart Smith and his father-in-law, Bob Beaudry, both from Riverview, FL, joined me for a pre dawn snook/flats trip on Friday morning. We fished from Big Pass in Sarasota Bay to Bishop’s Point. We found the action slow but steady. They caught and released a couple of snook, ladyfish, trout and a mangrove snapper on DOA Tiny TerrorEyz and Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies before daylight. We took a shot at some juvenile tarpon with flies and DOA TerrorEyz but they didn’t eat. We moved to the flats where they got some more action with trout and ladyfish on Clouser flies and DOA Deadly Combos.
Next week’s tides will improve toward the end of the week as we return to 4 tide days. I look for good action on the flats with trout, snook at night, juvenile tarpon and tarpon on the beach. Hopefully, the wind will switch back to the east to calm the gulf waters and make sight fishing for tarpon a good option for fly anglers.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail [email protected]
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
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