Good Tampa Bay False Abacore Fly Fishing Action
Capt. Rick Grassett
September 25, 2016
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
I was away visiting family in Delaware during the week of 9/11, so I don't have a Sarasota fishing report for that time frame. However, I did have a chance to fish Chesapeake Bay a couple of days while I was there.
My brother Kirk Grassett and I fished one day in his Jones Brothers Cape Fisherman 18 out of Tilghman Island, MD. We had good action catching and releasing stripers on Clouser and Crease flies. Schools of stripers were "breaking", feeding on the surface, just like our Spanish mackerel and false albacore fishing.
We fished Tangier Sound another day out of Crisfield, MD with Capt. Kevin Josenhans of Josenhans Sportfishing (http://www.josenhansflyfishing.com/) in his Jones Brothers Cape Fisherman 20. We fished structure; points, sod banks and creeks and had good action catching and releasing stripers to 24" and a couple of spotted sea trout on Clouser and Half & Half flies and CAL 3" and 4" shad tails. Just like our fishing, moving water is a key, and fish turned on when the tide started ripping. Capt. Kevin is a great guide in Chesapeake Bay if you are ever in that area.
Anglers fishing Sarasota Bay and the coastal gulf near Tampa Bay with me, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, during the week of 9/18 caught and released trout on DOA Deadly Combos and false albacore (little tunny) on flies.
Marshall Dinerman and Vic Silverman, both from the Atlanta area, fished deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday, 9/22. They had good action catching and releasing 25 to 30 trout on DOA Deadly Combos.
The best action was in the coastal gulf near Tampa Bay where fly anglers connected with false albacore. Greg Stepanski, from Tampa, FL, fished with me on Friday, 9/23 and had good action catching releasing several albies on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. Lynn Skipper, from Apollo Beach, FL, got in on the action on Saturday, 9/24. They are often very picky when feeding on tiny glass minnows and that was the case on Saturday. We had to downsize our tippet and go all the way down to a #8 hook Gummy Minnow fly to get them to eat!
I look for action in the coastal gulf with false albacore (little tunny) and Spanish mackerel to take off as the water cools down and baitfish become more plentiful. Tripletail will also become a good option as stone crab traps hit the water in about 10 days, increasing the amount of available structure for them. Night snook fishing around lighted docks and bridges in the ICW with flies and DOA Lures should also be a good option. You might also find a few juvenile tarpon and reds in the lights along with snook. In addition, there should be good action with trout, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
IFFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis-Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide at CB's Saltwater Outfitters
Orvis Outfitter of the Year-2011
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