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Sarasota and Venice
Capt. Rick Grassett
February 19, 2006
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Charlotte Harbor, FL Fishing Report for 2/13 through 2/19/2006
Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action during the past week. We fished with jigs and flies to connect with trout to 20”, reds to 24” and bluefish to 3-pounds. After a chilly and windy start early in the week, temperatures soared to the mid 70’s and warmed the shallows back up to the mid 60’s.
A forecast for15 to 20 mph northwest wind caused me to cancel Monday’s fly fishing trip. However, the wind was less than 10-mph until about noon and then it lived up to it’s forecast. Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, and Ron Skweres, from Bradenton, FL, fished Gasparilla Sound and the backcountry of Bull and Turtle Bays with me on Wednesday. They had steady action with trout to 20” and a couple of reds on CAL jigs with shad tails. We found trout along the outside sand bars near Catfish Creek, Turtle Bay and Cape Haze. The trout action is still steady, but the percentage of slot-size fish dropped this week maybe due to fishing pressure?
Fly angler, Bob Harness from St. Louis, MO, fished the same areas with me on Wednesday. The weather was beautiful, but the action was slow. Part of the problem was dead calm conditions making spooky fish even spookier. Bob caught and released about 10 trout outside of the Gallagher Keys on an Ultra Hair Clouser fished on an intermediate fly line. We had pompano skipping all around the boat first thing in the morning in a large pothole in Placida Harbor, but couldn’t get them to eat 3 different flies. We finally left them, opting to return later in the tide when the water was warmer. We returned to the spot at the end of the day and they had moved out of the area.
The action picked up the next day, but it still wasn’t fast. Don Millar, from Webster Groves, MO, and his son, Dan Millar from Holland, MI fished the same waters with me on Friday. They caught and released about 20 trout, a pair of bluefish to 3-pounds, ladyfish and a pair of reds to 24” on CAL jigs with shad tails. We found reds so spooky that you could hardly get close enough to them with spinning tackle to catch them. However, later in the day when the light was getting lower and the tide getting higher, they managed to fool a pair of reds, one in Turtle Bay and another near Whidden Creek.
Next week’s tide should be favorable for snook at night and reds and trout on the flats. I’ve done some scouting closer to home and I’m seeing signs of improvement. Reds are starting to show up, but trout are still scarce. As we head into spring and the water warms to the low 70’s, I’m hopeful that the flats of Sarasota Bay will return to normal.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
www.flyfishingflorida.net
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