Sarasota Tarpon Action heats Up
Capt. Rick Grassett
June 8, 2014
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action catching and releasing an estimated 130 to 140-pound tarpon and jumping and hooking up with numerous tarpon on fly and spinning tackle in the coastal gulf recently.
Most of my time during the week of 5/25 was spent fly fishing for tarpon. Anglers fishing with me had numerous shots some days, but only a few shots on a couple of other trips. With many variables, including visibility, tide and sea conditions, it usually requires numerous shots for it all to come together to be successful.
Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL and Andrea Lutz, from Atlanta, GA, spent a couple of mornings spin fishing for tarpon with me. We drifted live baits while waiting to cast to schools with live crabs and DOA Baitbusters. Hal cast a live crab into a happy school of tarpon and hooked up. He also had a few shots at tarpon with a fly later in the morning.
Patrice Camillieri, from near Paris, France, fly fished for tarpon a couple of days with me. Conditions were good one day, but we only saw a few fish. We had sloppy sea conditions another day with lots of shots. Despite the tough conditions, he had several bites, jumping one and hooking up a couple of more times.
Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, and Jeb Mulock, from Bradenton, FL, fly fished for tarpon in the coastal gulf with me on Friday, 5/30. We didn't see a lot of fish but they made their shots count. Jeb jumped a big tarpon and fought the fish for about 20-minutes before the hook pulled. His first tarpon on a fly!
Dave Reinhart, from VA, and Domenick Raschella, from NC, tarpon fished a couple of days with me last week on 6/5 and 6/6. We drifted live baits while waiting to cast DOA Baitbusters and live crabs to passing schools of tarpon. Domenick jumped 3 tarpon and Dave caught and released a large female after a lengthy battle on live crabs with spinning tackle. A memorable fish!
Large schools of tarpon are more plentiful at this point in the season rather than singles, doubles and small schools. They should be plentiful in the coastal gulf as we approach a full moon next week. Look for reds and big trout on shallow flats or edges of bars in Sarasota Bay. Fishing deep grass flats for trout, blues and more should also be a good option. You should find catch and release snook in the surf, in passes and around docks and bridges close to passes.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
IFFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis- Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB's Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
Sarasota Fishing Forecast:
Capt. Rick Grassett's Sarasota, FL Fishing Forecast for June 2014
Tarpon should be plentiful in the coastal gulf this month as big schools of fish migrate along our beaches. Also look for cobia, tripletail and false albacore (little tunny) in the coastal gulf. Catch and release snook fishing should also be good in and around passes and in the surf. Fishing for trout and reds should be strong on shallow grass flats of Sarasota Bay.
Tarpon fishing should be strong this month as schools of fish increase in size and numbers. They will head off shore to spawn close to new and full moons. Set up in travel lanes along the beach at first light in the morning and cast live crabs, baitfish, plugs, DOA Baitbusters and Swimming Mullet to them. I travel well offshore along the beach in the morning to avoid disturbing schools of tarpon that may be traveling or "laid up" close to the beach. Once you've reached the area you intend to fish, ease into the beach with an electric trolling motor and set up in your spot. You can anchor or drift, depending on conditions. Give other anglers as much room as possible. Since fish may be moving both north and south, setting up too close to another angler may negatively affect their fishing.
Use tackle heavy enough to land them as quickly as possible. I use 7', 20#-40# class spinning rods and Quantum Boca or Cabo 60 reels with 50-pound Power Pro braid. When spin fishing, I usually drift a couple of live baits under a float while we wait for tarpon schools to pass by. Blind casting with DOA Baitbusters or Swimming Mullet can also be productive when fish are moving past you but not showing well on the surface. The new DOA Airhead with a heavy weedless hook should also be a good tarpon bait, especially when sight fishing.
When fly fishing, I use 12-weight rods and large arbor reels capable of holding 250 to 300-yards of backing with 25-pound tippet. I use a variety of baitfish, shrimp or crab fly patterns fished on intermediate sink tip fly lines. The shallower the water, the easier it is to get you fly in front of a fish when fly fishing. Stake out or anchor in travel lanes to get shots at them.
Snook season remains closed this month, so also use tackle heavy enough to catch and release them quickly. You should find them in the surf, in passes and around docks and bridges in the ICW near passes. You can walk the beach and sight fish them in the surf with fly or spinning tackle. Small baitfish fly patterns, CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms or DOA shrimp should all work well. The same lures and flies that work in the surf will also work well at night. Snook will congregate in passes around the new and full moons to spawn. They will usually be in deep channels in these areas. Bouncing a DOA TerrorEyz or Baitbuster in bridge channels or passes can be an effective technique in these areas.
Fishing for reds should also be good in June. Look for them over shallow grass along mangrove shorelines or around oyster bars when the tide is high. You'll find them in potholes or edges of flats when the tide is low. Top water plugs will work well, especially early in the day. I like to cover water with CAL jigs and shad tails or jerk worms to find them. Fly anglers should score with baitfish fly patterns like my Grassett Flats Minnow or Gurglers. You'll also find big trout in the same areas where you find reds in shallow water. You can use the same lures and flies to catch them although first light in the morning will be prime time to catch a "gator". I like the flats of north Sarasota Bay for reds and big trout in June.
You'll also find trout schooling on deep grass flats along with the occasional Spanish mackerel, bluefish or pompano this month. I like to drift and cast ahead of my drift with CAL jigs and shad tails or jerk worms or DOA Deadly Combos. Fly anglers should score by drifting and casting ahead of the drift with Ultra Hair Clouser flies tied on long shank hooks on an intermediate sink tip fly line. You'll need to add a few inches of heavy (50 or 60-pound) fluorocarbon when toothy fish are in the mix. Deep grass flats on points, such as Stephens and Bishop Point and near passes, like the Middleground, Radio Tower and Marina Jack flats are usually good deep grass flats in Sarasota Bay.
In addition to tarpon look for Spanish mackerel, false albacore, cobia and tripletail in the coastal gulf this month. Although none of them may be thick, I've encountered all of them before in June. Keep your eyes open for bird activity or "breaking" fish to find albies and mackerel. Cobia and tripletail may be found around crab trap floats; however I've seen cobia swimming with tarpon schools before. Medium spinning tackle and a DOA shrimp or CAL jig will get the job done for all of them, although your tarpon tackle would also work well for a big cobia. An 8 or 9-weight fly rod with a floating or clear sink tip fly line is adequate to catch everything except a big cobia, in which case your 12-weight tarpon fly tackle will work well.
There are lots of options in inshore waters or the coastal gulf this month. If pulling on a 100-pound tarpon isn't for you, fishing pressure is usually light inshore this month so reds, snook, trout and more will also be good options. Whatever you choose to do, please limit your kill, don't kill your limit!
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
IFFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis- Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB's Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
Target Species:
tarpon, reds, snook, trout, cobia, false albacore, Spanish mackerel
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