Good Action on Sarasota Bay Deep Grass Flats
Capt. Rick Grassett
December 31, 2016
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Anglers fishing with me, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action catching and releasing trout, Spanish mackerel, pompano and bluefish in Sarasota Bay on flies, DOA Lures and top water plugs during the past couple of weeks. As in recent weeks, the best action was on deep grass flats in about 6' of water.
Anna Maria Island winter resident, Bill Morrison and Sarasota winter resident, Gary Marple, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 12/19. We worked deep grass flats on the west side of the bay where they had good action with trout, bluefish, a nice Spanish mackerel and a pompano to end the day on Ultra Hair Clouser flies. Alan Sugar, Ned Winkelman and his grandson Sam, from MI, also had some action catching and releasing a couple of blues and some trout on CAL jigs with shad tails in the same areas on Tuesday, 12/20.
Fly angler Brad Teller, from Boston, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday, 12/22. He had good action catching and releasing trout, bluefish and big ladyfish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies. Jerry Roth, from Longwood, FL, fished shallow water in Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 12/23. We caught and released a few trout and jacks, including a couple of over slot trout on a CAL jig with a shad tail and a surface walking top water plug.
Chris Walsh and his son Matt, from NY, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 12/26. We worked deep grass flats on the west side of the bay where they had good action with trout and bluefish on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos. Lane Thurgood, from VA, and daughters Bella, Beatrice, Bianca and Bronte fished the same areas with me on Tuesday, 12/27. We split the trip in half, switching the girls out so they all had a chance to fish with their dad. They also had good action catching and releasing several blues and numerous trout on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails.
Bill Anderson and sons, Sam and Simon, from Columbus, OH, fished with me on Wednesday, 12/28. They had good action with blues, trout and a nice Spanish mackerel on Ultra Hair Clouser flies, CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos. Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL and his son Steve McClintock, from Pittsburgh, fished with me on Thursday, 12/29. They also had good action with some very nice trout and a 4-lb bluefish on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos.
Trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and pompano on deep grass flats should remain to be a good option. Catch and release night snook fishing around lighted docks and bridges in the ICW with flies and DOA Lures should also provide good action. There may be some action in the coastal gulf with false albacore (little tunny) and tripletail depending on sea conditions. I would like to thank all of my clients who fished with me during 2016. Many have become good friends over the years and I've fished with multiple generations of their families. Happy New Year!
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 January 2017
You may find reds and big trout concentrated in potholes of Sarasota Bay in January. Action with trout, blues, Spanish mackerel, pompano and more on deep grass flats can be good depending on conditions. There should also be good catch and release snook action in rivers, creeks and canals this month, although fishing docks for snook and other species is also a good option. It may be worth checking the coastal gulf for tripletail, cobia, false albacore (little tunny) and more when it's warm.
Snook season remains closed this month. Since they are very temperature sensitive, I won't target them if the water temperature dips below 60 degrees. However, fishing lighted docks in the ICW at night with lures and flies can be very good in January. Small white flies, like my Grassett Snook Minnow, Gurglers and shrimp fly patterns will work well for fly anglers. Spin anglers should score with CAL jigs with shad tails or 4" jerk worms, DOA Tiny TerrorEyz and DOA Shrimp. The new DOA 2-3/4" Shrimp should be good for night snook fishing. I like the ICW between Sarasota and Venice for night snook fishing in the winter. Fish peak tidal flows for the best action.
You should also find snook in rivers, creeks and canals this month. Fish deeper water in outside bends to locate snook where you may catch them with CAL jigs and shad tails or jerk worms, DOA Baitbusters or diving/suspending plugs. You may also find reds, juvenile tarpon and even largemouth bass in the same areas depending on salinity.
Reds should be a good option this month. You'll find them concentrated in potholes of north Sarasota Bay when the tide is low. Fly anglers should score with lightly weighted flies fished on a 10'-12' leader with a floating fly line. Reds feed on crustaceans this time of the year, so crab and shrimp fly patterns should work well. They may tail on shallow grass flats of Gasparilla Sound and lower Tampa Bay when the tide is low. You'll need weedless rigged plastic baits or flies with weed guards to target tailing reds. A CAL shad tail on a weedless hook or a DOA shrimp rigged weedless and fished backwards are a couple of my favorite lures for tailing reds. The DOA Crab also fishes very well in shallow water and can be deadly on reds in potholes or tailing in shallow grass.
You may also find reds around docks, along with snook, sheepshead, flounder and more. Little Sarasota Bay has numerous oyster bars and docks that often hold reds in January. Work CAL jigs slowly along the bottom for the best action. Sheepshead feed more with their nose, so if you can't get them to eat your jig, try tipping it with a small piece of fresh shrimp. Too large of a shrimp tip on your jig will ruin the action. You're likely to find big trout in many of the same areas that you find reds. The same lures, flies and techniques that are used for reds will also work for big trout.
You'll also find trout on deep grass flats in January along with blues, Spanish mackerel, pompano, flounder and more. I like to drift and cast ahead of my drift with CAL jigs and a variety of plastic tails and DOA Deadly Combos. Since trout can sometimes hold very tight to a particular spot or area, try to cover as much water as possible to find them. Once you've located fish you can shorten your drift or anchor on them. A GPS can be useful for this type of fishing since the breadcrumb trail will allow you to duplicate your drift. A drift anchor will slow your drift so you can fish it more thoroughly or make it easier for fly anglers to move their fly. My favorite deep grass flats, have a good mix of grass and sand with a strong tidal flow.
Even though there may not be much happening in the coastal gulf this month in the way of sight fishing it may be worth a look when it is warm. Migratory species such as king and Spanish mackerel, cobia and tripletail probably have moved further south, however they could reappear during warm ups. Also look for false albacore (little tunny) when it's warm since they may move from offshore to inshore depending on where baitfish are located.
January can be one of the toughest months of the year to fish. However if you are able to choose when to fish based on tides and weather, it can be good. Action is usually good as weather fronts approach. Following fronts, fishing may be tough for a couple of days so afternoons may fish better at that time. I'll let the stage of the tide determine where to look for fish. When the tide is low, look for reds tailing on shallow grass or reds, trout and more in potholes or around docks. Look for reds or big trout cruising on shallow grass flats on sunny afternoons when the tide is high. 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:
reds, snook, trout, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, pompano, tripletail, false albacore
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