Good Action in Sarasota for a Variety of Species
Capt. Rick Grassett
October 28, 2023
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Fly anglers fishing with me, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with a variety of species in Sarasota recently. Pat Beckwith, from Sarasota, fished the coastal gulf with me and caught and released her first false albacore (little tunny) on a fly! Tom and Dan Timmins, from PA, fished a couple of days with me. They caught and released several trout and snook fishing skinny water in Sarasota Bay and also got in on the action in the coastal gulf with false albacore on a fly. Sarasota winter residents, Mike Perez and Denton Kent, fished the coastal gulf with me and caught and released several tripletail on flies.
Stewart Lavelle, from Sarasota, fished the ICW at night with me and had good action catching and releasing numerous snook and a chunky bluefish on my Snook Minnow fly. A couple of other fly anglers had action catching and releasing trout and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Conditions and fish have been challenging but anglers worked hard to make it happen!
Tripletail and false albacore should be a good option in the coastal gulf depending on conditions. Look for reds in skinny water and snook around dock lights. Deep grass flats are usually a good option for action for trout and seasonal species such as pompano, blues and Spanish mackerel. Our natural resources are under constant pressure from red tides and other algae blooms fueled by residential, industrial and agricultural runoff, toxic spills and intentional releases, freezes, increasing fishing pressure and habitat loss and degradation, please limit your kill, don't kill your limit!
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
FFI Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis-Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide and Casting Instructor/CB's Saltwater Outfitters
Orvis Outfitter of the Year-2011
Sarasota Fishing Forecast:
Capt. Rick Grassett's Sarasota, FL Fishing Forecast for November 2023
You may find blues, Spanish mackerel and pompano mixed with trout on deep grass flats this month. You should also find larger trout in skinny water along with reds. Snook will stage around bars and on shallow flats as they make their move towards winter areas. Action in the coastal gulf with false albacore, tripletail, Spanish mackerel, blues and more should explode!
Spotted Seatrout has reopened to harvest in southwest Florida with a 3 fish per person, bag limit and a 6 fish boat limit. Trout must be from 15"-19" with one allowed per vessel over 19". I feel that it's important to protect these larger trout, which are usually female breeders. Full regulations and details can be viewed at https://myfwc.com/ .
You should find snook staging around docks and bridges in the ICW and along sand bars and in potholes on shallow flats. They may be along mangrove shorelines when the tide is high. I like CAL jigs with 3" and 4" shad tails and surface walking top water lures like the DOA "PT" in shallow water for snook. CAL jigs with shad tails or jerk worms, DOA TerrorEyz, DOA Shrimp and small white flies, like my Grassett Snook Minnow, will work well around dock and bridge fender lights. Fish the strongest tides for the best action.
Reds will spread out on shallow grass flats in November. You should find them along bars, in potholes or around docks. Look for them along mangrove shorelines when the tide is high, but they are just as likely to be roaming with mullet schools in shallow water. CAL jigs with shad tails, grubs or jerk worms and gold spoons should work well for reds in shallow water. Fly anglers may score with lightly weighted flies, such as Clousers, spoon flies or my Grassett Flats Minnow fly.
You may also find big trout along with reds in shallow water this month. The same lures and flies that you use for snook and reds in shallow water will also work for trout. You'll also find trout on deep grass flats in water from 3' to 7' deep. I like to drift and cast quartering ahead of my drift with CAL jigs, DOA Deadly Combos or weighted flies on sink tip fly lines to locate trout. In addition to making a series of drifts to find fish, look for baitfish on the surface or birds to find them.
You may also find blues, Spanish mackerel, flounder or pompano on deep grass flats this month. The techniques to find them is the same as for trout, although blues and Spanish mackerel may feed on the surface making them easier to find. Likewise with pompano, that may skip on the surface when you run or drift past them. When that happens, circle back upwind and drift back through the area, casting ahead of your drift. I like a 1/16 or 1/8-ounce chartreuse CAL jig head with a gold grub for pompano. You'll need to add wire or heavy fluorocarbon when toothy fish are around to keep them from biting you off. You may find flounder on a mixture of grass and sand, particularly on the edges of bars or in potholes.
There should be good action in the coastal gulf with false albacore (little tunny), Spanish and king mackerel, blues, tripletail or cobia. Look for Spanish mackerel, blues or false albacore feeding on the surface to find them. Diving terns or terns hovering just above the surface of the water and moving fast will give their presence away if they aren't on top. CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms and top water plugs will work well. Fly anglers should score with small white flies, Ultra Hair Clousers, poppers or Crease flies. Look for tripletail around crab trap floats and cast DOA Shrimp, CAL jigs with shad tails or DOA TerrorEyz to them. Cobia may also be found around crab trap floats, swimming on the surface or over structure. They will require medium-heavy spinning tackle or at least a 9-weight fly rod. Larger baits like DOA Baitbusters, CAL jigs with 5½" jerk worms or the DOA SnakeKoil should work well for cobia on spinning tackle. Fly anglers should score with wide profile baitfish patterns.
I will be the instructor for CB's Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Sat, Nov 18, 2023. The course, designed for beginning and intermediate fly casters, will focus on basic fly casting principles, improving casting skills and correcting faults. I will also cover saltwater fly fishing techniques, leader construction and fly selection Cost is $225 per person and includes the use of fly tackle, a workbook and lunch. Optional instructional guided fly fishing trips are also available for an additional fee. Contact CB's Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 or [email protected] to make reservations.
This a great month for fishing the flats or the coastal gulf. Since the action in the coastal gulf is seasonal and will end when it gets cooler, I like to fish there when conditions allow it. However, if that's not for you or if conditions won't allow it, there will be plenty of action for a variety of fish on shallow and deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Our natural resources are under constant pressure from red tides fueled by agricultural, industrial and residential runoff, toxic spills and discharges, freezes, increasing fishing pressure and habitat loss and degradation, please limit your kill, don't kill your limit!
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
FFI 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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