Good Tarpon Action in Sarasota on Fly and Spin Tackle
Capt. Rick Grassett
June 1, 2013
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 some shots at tarpon and caught and released one on a fly and also had great action with tarpon on spinning tackle with live bait in the coastal gulf during the past couple of weeks. In addition to jumping and landing numerous tarpon, we also caught and released a couple of sharks and a huge king mackerel!
Clark Keator, from Orlando, FL, tarpon fished in the coastal gulf with me on Sunday and Monday, 5/19 and 20. Conditions were good and he had several shots at tarpon with a fly each day. Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, and Andrea Lutz, from Atlanta, GA, tarpon fished with me on Tuesday and Thursday, 5/21 and 23. We fished deep water with spinning tackle early each day and fly fished later in the day when visibility was best. Hal caught and released an estimated 70-pounder on a fly on Tuesday. Often young male tarpon are more ornery than larger fish and this one was no different. However, after a cool bite and a hard fight with lots of jumps, he brought the fish to the boat!
We had a shot at a cobia estimated at 60 to 70-pounds with a fly on Wednesday, 5/21. The fish was so big and light colored from being on a sand bottom that we thought it was a tarpon when we first spotted the fish. Jon Yenari, from Sarasota, FL, fished with me on Friday, 5/23. A front pushed through on Thursday and the wind switched to the northwest on Friday, roughing up the coastal gulf waters. We were able to fish the coastal gulf for tarpon for a few hours on Friday morning and had a couple of shots at a big school of tarpon with a fly. We moved into Sarasota Bay later in the day where Jon caught and released a nice bluefish on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly near Buttonwood Harbor.
Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, Steven Liska from Flanders, NJ, Dave Kinnamon from Milwaukee, WI and Dan Kinnamon from Miami, FL tarpon fished with me and Capt. Jack Hartman from Tues, 5/28 through Fri, 5/31. Keith and Steven fished on my boat every day except for Friday when Jack McCulloch, from Englewood, FL, fished with Keith and me. They jumped a total of 7 tarpon, landing 4 of them and had the others on for a good battle on live crabs, pinfish, grunts and threadfins. Despite tough conditions with winds gusting above 20-mph out of the east/southeast a couple of days, they had great action every day.
In addition to several tarpon, Steven caught and released a 15-pound lemon shark one day and a kingfish that was more than 30-pounds another day (it bottomed out my 30-pound Bogagrip scale). Jack landed his first tarpon and fought a 50 to 60-pound shark for about 20 minutes before it bit through his 80-pound leader with the fish close to the boat. All tarpon that were landed were successfully measured and DNA sampled and ranged in weight from 75 to 125-pounds.
Dave and Dan had great action with Capt. Jack jumping and landing numerous tarpon, the largest of which was estimated at 150-pounds, on live crabs and a variety of baitfish. They also caught and released a few sharks, including a 25-pound blacktip.
Tarpon fishing in the coastal gulf should be good next week as we approach a new moon. Look for reds and big trout in shallow water in Sarasota Bay early in the day. Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW from Sarasota to Venice or in the surf should also be a good option.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis- Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB's Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
www.flyfishingflorida.net
Sarasota Fishing Forecast:
Capt. Rick Grassett's Sarasota, FL Fishing Forecast for June 2013
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 patters 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
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis- Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB's Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
www.flyfishingflorida.net
Target Species:
tarpon, reds, trout, snook, bluefish, pompano
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