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Sarasota and Venice
Capt. Rick Grassett
January 1, 2006
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Southwest Florida Fishing Report for 12/18/05 through 1/1/06
Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action during the past couple of weeks with trout, bluefish, snook and reds. The best action was in Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor with trout and bluefish. Anglers using conventional tackle scored with trout to 24”, reds to 27” and bluefish as large as 4-pounds. Fly anglers connected with snook at night near Venice and large ladyfish on deep grass flats of Little Sarasota Bay.
Dick Reece, from Dayton, OH, and Tom Lamb, from Geneva, Switzerland, fished Charlotte Harbor with me early the week of Dec. 18th. They had fast action with more than 30 trout to 22” and 6 bluefish to 4-pounds. We worked potholes near Whidden Creek with CAL jigs with shad tails for the trout and found the bluefish in Placida Harbor. Later that week, Andy Ezzell from Sarasota, FL, and a couple of family members fished Little Sarasota Bay with me where they had fast action with large ladyfish on CAL jigs with grubs.
Christmas week was very busy, as most holiday weeks are. Tom Lamb fished with me again, this time in Little Sarasota Bay, with his daughter, Diane and granddaughter, Catherine. They had steady action with large ladyfish on CAL jigs with grubs. That evening, Brian Shenstone, from Gross Point Woods, MI, joined Dick Reece for an evening snook trip in the Venice area. The action started slow, but picked up as the tide turned to flow out. They caught and released more than 20 snook and several bluefish on my Grass Minnow fly.
The next day, fly angler Damon Dunn, from Wilmette, IL, fished the Little Sarasota Bay from Stickney Point to near Turtle Beach with me and had plenty of action with large ladyfish on Clouser flies. Although there has been plenty of action in Little Sarasota Bay, it has been mostly with ladyfish and the occasional trout, bluefish, red or snook.
I spent most of the rest of the week fishing Charlotte Harbor, where we had plenty of action with nice trout, blues and a few reds. Keith McClintock and his son-in-law, Rick Anderson, both from Lake Forest, IL and his son, Steve McClintock, from Pittsburgh, PA, fished there with me on Wednesday. They had a great day of fishing with more than 30 trout to 22”, several bluefish, a pompano and 3 reds to 27”. Most fish were caught in potholes of Gasparilla Sound near Whidden Creek. The next day, Bill Beauchamp and his daughter, Noel, both from Bradenton, FL, fished the same area with me. They had a similar day with trout and bluefish and one small red. The best fish of the day was an estimated 5-pound trout that Noel connected with on a jig with a shad tail in Bull Bay.
Tom and Jamie Minnick, from Cincinnati, OH, came down for their annual Christmas trip and fished the Terra Ceia Bay area with me on Friday. They caught and released a dozen or more trout and had numerous shots at reds, but due to the crystal clear water where we found them, they wouldn’t eat our jigs.
Fly anglers, Mark Torkos, from Dublin, OH and his 13-year old son, Ross, fished Charlotte Harbor with me on New Years Eve day. We were fogged in close to the boat ramp until almost noon before a heavy fog finally lifted. It was a tough day of fishing due to the conditions. They caught and released several trout and ladyfish on olive and white Clouser flies. Ross caught his first fish on a fly, a trout, while on a guided trip with his Dad.
Next week’s tides are favorable for reds and trout in potholes of Gasparilla Sound. Reds may also tail on shallow grass flats as the tide floods the flats. Trout season reopens in the south region while snook remain catch and release only until the end of January.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
www.flyfishingflorida.net
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