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Sarasota and Venice
Capt. Rick Grassett
July 2, 2005
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Southwest FL Fishing Report for 6/27 through 7/2/2005
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released tarpon, snook and trout during the past week. Numbers of tarpon in the coastal gulf waters near Boca Grande dwindled as the week went by. We also fished the backcountry of Gasparilla Sound and Sarasota Bay as alternatives to tarpon.
Terry Notari, from Longboat Key, FL, his son, Craig Notari, and grandson, James Notari, both from Winnetka, IL, tarpon fished with me near Gasparilla Pass on Monday and Tuesday. James, at 13-years old, was finally old enough to join his Dad and Granddad on a tarpon trip. He was up to the challenge! James successfully cast his bait, set the hook and fought his tarpon, an estimated 110-pound fish, to the boat on Monday.
The interesting part of the battle came at the end, when the reel snapped off of the rod with the fish at the side of the boat. Fortunately, I was still able to land the fish since it was already whipped at that point. On Tuesday, there were fewer fish and no bites.
Jay Alvis, from Columbus, IN, fished the same area with me on Wednesday. We never saw a tarpon for 4-hours, so we retreated to the backcountry of Gasparilla Sound, where Jay caught and released more than a dozen trout on a DOA Deadly Combo.The weather pattern switched on Thursday to a southwest wind flow, which brings morning showers. Thursdays trip was cancelled due to rain in the morning.
Fly angler, Bill Clary from Franklin, NC, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. Bill is an avid trout angler and fellow Federation of Fly Fishers member back in North Carolina. We snook fished around lighted docks near Big Pass before daylight, where Bill caught and released 4 or 5 snook on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies. We moved to the flats of Little Sarasota Bay after daylight where he caught and released several ladyfish on a variety of flies and a popper.
Tarpon should still be available next week as we head towards the new moon. Although tarpon thinned out last week, it is too early in the season for them to disappear. However, there are options other than tarpon on the beach with snook around lighted docks, reds and trout on the flats and juvenile tarpon in upper Charlotte Harbor. Red tide seems to be easing a little in Sarasota Bay, so hopefully fishing there will return to normal soon. Even though red tide may be present in an area, there are patches of “clean” water around where fishing can be good. The key is to find those areas.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
www.flyfishingflorida.net
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