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Sarasota and Venice
Capt. Rick Grassett
August 11, 2007
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 8/1 through 8/12/2007
Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released snook, redfish, trout, ladyfish, bluefish, tarpon and jumped several other tarpon during the past couple of weeks. The best action has been fly fishing for snook before dawn. In addition, we were still getting shots at tarpon on the beach until August 9th and currently in Sarasota Bay with live crabs, DOA Baitbusters and flies. Not bad for early August!
Fly anglers Stuart and Dave Sprouse, from Knoxville, TN, fished Gasparilla Sound with me on Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 1 and 2. They had fast action with snook before dawn on my Grass Minnow snook fly. One morning we released 6 or 7 snook to 24” and had shots at tailing reds and laid up tarpon. The next morning we released about a dozen snook to 27”. We also fished deep grass flats in Gasparilla Sound where they caught and released trout and ladyfish with Clouser flies.
I spent a couple of days that week fishing in Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, the Peace River and Charlotte Harbor for tarpon. Anglers jumped 3 tarpon to 20-pounds with DOA TerrorEyz and had several other bites on Estaz Marabou flies and DOA shrimp in canals. We didn’t find any large tarpon at all in the open waters of the Peace River or Charlotte Harbor, which made me wonder if they were still on the beach.
Ken Schumacher, from IL, fished with me on Tuesday morning and caught and released his first snook with a fly. I went out along the beach to hunt for tarpon after the trip and found them, although not in large numbers. I had 6 or 7 shots with flies in 2-hours, enough to make it worthwhile. I went back on Thursday, found the numbers similar and caught one, a 70-pounder, with Shubat’s Mr. Blackie. It was a perfect fish- 6 or 7 jumps, one good run, back on the fly line and landed in about 15 minutes!
On Friday morning, a fly angler fishing with me worked some tarpon in Sarasota Bay near Bishop Point, but we couldn’t get close enough for a good shot. Another angler fishing close to us caught a 100-pound fish with a top water plug on baitcasting tackle. We went out along the beach at mid morning when the sun was right and didn’t see a single tarpon. What a difference a day can make!
On Saturday morning, I went back to the spot in Sarasota Bay where we saw tarpon the day before with Joe Larosa, from North Port, FL. It took a while for the fish to show, but as soon as ladyfish schools started breaking on the surface, tarpon started busting them. Joe hooked up with an estimated 110-pound fish with a live crab under a float and had her alongside the boat in about 30-minutes. He finished the morning off with a 26” redfish caught with a CAL jig with a rootbeer/gold grub. A nice morning!
Best options in the next few weeks should be large tarpon in Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor. Juvenile tarpon in the 15 to 20-pound class should also be a good option in Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda canals. Catch and release snook fishing before dawn around lighted docks and bridge fenders and reds, trout and more on the flats after daylight should be another good plan.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
www.flyfishingflorida.net
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