Good Tarpon Fly Fishing Action in Sarasota
Capt. Rick Grassett
August 2, 2016
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Anglers fishing Sarasota Bay and the coastal gulf in Sarasota with me, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with tarpon, trout and bluefish during the past couple of weeks. Anglers fished Sarasota Bay with me a couple of days and had good action with trout, blues and a juvenile tarpon on DOA Lures and flies. We also fished multiple days in the coastal gulf, had shots at tarpon every day and multiple eats with five hook ups, two tarpon caught and released and another fought to close to the boat.
Tom Harmer, from Sarasota, and his son, Deryck Harmer from Orlando, fished a pre-dawn/bay trip with me on Wednesday, 7/27. Deryck caught and released his first tarpon, an estimated 15-pound juvenile, on a CAL jig with a shad tail. We moved to deep grass flats at dawn and worked bait schools where they had fast action with trout to 18" on DOA Deadly Combos.
Jerry Horine, from Bradenton, FL, and his grandson, Jessie Horine from SC, also had good action catching and releasing trout, blues, jacks and ladyfish on DOA Deadly Combos and flies on deep grass flats on both sides of the bay on Friday, 7/29. Working bait schools was the key, as predators fed on glass minnows in the frenzy. Since the DOA Deadly Combo is so effective in this situation, I had Jessie fish a fly popper/dropper combo with a small EP fly behind a large popper with good results. They had fast action, including several doubles as the action reached a peak.
Steve Gibson, from Sarasota, FL, fly fished for tarpon with me in the coastal gulf on Thursday, 7/28. There are fewer tarpon this time of year, often requiring long waits before they show up, but they are aggressive. We had 4 hook ups, leadering one fish and fighting another to close to the boat. A great day!
Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, and Jeb Mulock, from Bradenton, FL, also had good action fly fishing for tarpon on Saturday, 7/30 with Jeb catching and releasing an estimated 100-pound plus tarpon. Action was slow to start, but patience paid off as tarpon started to flow and got aggressive. Well done!
Tarpon fishing in the coastal gulf should be a good option next week as we approach a new moon on Tuesday, particularly on the strong, outgoing tides in the afternoon. There are more singles, doubles and small schools of tarpon now, rather than the large schools that we see in June and since many tarpon have already spawned, they are more aggressive. Snook season is closed now on the west coast of Florida, but catch and release night snook fishing around lighted docks and bridges in the ICW with flies and DOA Lures should be good. There should also be good action with trout, 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
Sarasota Fishing Forecast:
Capt. Rick Grassett's Sarasota, FL Fishing Forecast for August 2016
Tarpon will move to inside waters of Sarasota Bay, Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay this month. You may also find juvenile tarpon in creeks, canals and turning basins. Reds will school on shallow flats and big trout will prowl the same waters at dawn. Also look for trout on deep grass flats mixed with blues, pompano, Spanish mackerel and more. Catch and release snook fishing should be good around lighted docks at night or in the surf. Look for false albacore (little tunny) to show up in the coastal gulf later in the month.
Tarpon addicts will still be able to get their fix this month. You should still find a few tarpon in the coastal gulf early in the month. Drifting live baits or casting flies, DOA Baitbusters, DOA Shrimp, DOA Airheads and 4" CAL shad tail should all work. As tarpon thin out along beaches, they will move to inside waters where you may find them schooling around bridges or rolling on deep grass flats. They will also feed in schools of ladyfish that are feeding on the surface. You should also find juvenile tarpon from 10 to 30-pounds in creeks, canals and turning basins. Your snook tackle will work fine for smaller tarpon although you'll need a leader of 40 to 60-pounds to keep them from going through it. Fly anglers should score with 8 or 9-weight fly rods, sinking lines and scaled down tarpon flies.
Snook season remains closed this month so handle them gently and use tackle heavy enough to catch and release them quickly. You'll find them around lighted docks and bridges in the ICW and in the surf. Small white flies, like my Grassett Snook Minnow, DOA Shrimp or CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms should all work well. The same lures and flies will work at night and in the surf, although you should be observant of what size baits are in those areas.
Reds will school up this month. You'll find them on shallow flats of north Sarasota Bay, lower Tampa Bay and Gasparilla Sound. They'll be easier to find in shallow water when the tide is low. Look for "nervous" water when it is slick calm or a slick patch of water when there is a ripple on the water. They may push a wake that looks like a boat wake. I try to be as quiet as possible in shallow water, poling to locate them. Once you've located a school of reds, try to get ahead of them to intercept them, much like tarpon fishing. If you work around the edges of the school, you may be able to catch a few of them before they spook. We often also find big jacks, blues and other predators in the mix along with reds. Top water plugs and fly poppers or Gurglers may draw some big bites. The DOA Airhead and 4" CAL shad tail should also be a hit with schooling reds.
Trout fishing should be good this month. You may find a big trout in skinny water at first light. Focus on mullet or bait schools to find them. Top water plugs, fly poppers or Gurglers should be very effective at that time of day. I always release big trout over 20", since they are usually females that may be full of roe. I like the same areas for big trout that I like for reds.
After it gets bright and starts to warm up, drop out to deeper grass flats (4' to 8') for trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and more. I like to drift and cast ahead of my drift with CAL jigs and shad tails or jerk worms or an Ultra Hair Clouser fly fished on a sink tip fly line. I make a series of drifts to locate fish and then shorten the drift or anchor depending on conditions. Ladyfish may feed in glass minnow schools and if they stay up long enough, it will attract trout, blues, mackerel, tarpon or sharks. Wide profile plastic baits or flies fished slowly around the edges of breaking fish will help keep ladyfish off your lure or fly and give you a chance to catch a tarpon. When blues, Spanish mackerel or sharks are in the mix add 6" of wire or heavy fluorocarbon. Also look for tripletail around crab trap floats, buoys or channel markers in inshore waters this month. A CAL shad tail or DOA shrimp rigged weedless or my Grassett Flats Minnow fly with a weed guard should get the job done.
You might find false albacore (little tunny) or Spanish mackerel in the coastal gulf this month. Look for baitfish to find them. The Tampa Bay ship channel from the Skyway Bridge to Egmont Key is often one of the first areas where I find them this time of year. Small white flies, like my Grassett Snook Minnow, poppers or Crease flies should all work well. Spin anglers should score with CAL jigs and shad tails. You'll need to add wire or heavy fluorocarbon when toothy fish are around.
Even though it is one of the hottest months of the year, there are lots of options this month. I usually tarpon fish as long as I can either in the coastal gulf or in inside waters. An early start for snook or tarpon around lighted docks or bridges and then on the flats for reds, trout and more is a good option. 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 Fly Fishing Guide at CB's Saltwater Outfitters
Orvis Outfitter of the Year-2011
Target Species:
tarpon, snook, reds, trout, bluefish
More Fishing Reports:
