Good Action With Trout in Sarasota & Night Snook in Venice
Capt. Rick Grassett
December 29, 2012
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, caught and released trout and Spanish mackerel in Sarasota Bay, trout and redfish in Gasparilla Sound, snook and blues in the ICW near Venice and tripletail in the coastal gulf off Sarasota on lures and flies during the past couple of weeks.
Sarasota winter resident Tom Lamb and John Freeman, Jr. from Osprey, FL, fished Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor with me on Monday, 12/17. They caught and released trout to 18", including several slot sized trout, and a couple of reds on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos.
Bill Rhodes, from Hernando Beach, FL, fished the ICW near Venice with me on Tuesday night, 12/18. He caught and released 7 or 8 snook to 26" and a couple of blues to 5-pounds on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. We fished the coastal gulf on Wednesday, 12/19, where he caught and released a couple of tripletail on shrimp fly patterns and had numerous other shots at tripletail. Great sight casting opportunities!
A strong front moved through on Thursday evening and with the wind at 35 mph out of the northwest on Friday morning, 12/21, so we rescheduled that trip. Ryan Franco and his dad, Ned Franco, both from Atlanta, GA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Christmas Eve day, 12/24. With the water temperature 6 or 7 degrees cooler following the front and a slow tide in the afternoon, I wasn't sure what to expect. However they had steady action with Spanish mackerel and trout, including several slot size fish, on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails.
Another strong front pushed through early on Wednesday, 12/26, followed by 20-mph winds, so we didn't fish that day. Glenn Elia, from Milford, CT, and his son, Greg, fished Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor with me on Thursday, 12/27. They caught and released trout to 19" and had numerous shots at reds in shallow water with flies and CAL jigs with shad tails.
Andy Berman, from the Chicago area and his son, Scott, fished Sarasota Bay with me on an instructional fly fishing trip on Friday, 12/28. We covered the basic fly cast and shooting line and they did well enough to catch and release a few trout on Ultra Hair Clouser flies at the Middleground flat and Stephens Point.
You should find trout, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Shallow water fishing for reds and big trout should also be good next week as we head away from a full moon. Look for them in potholes and on the edges of bars when the tide is low or higher on shallow grass flats at the top of the tide. Catch and release snook fishing in the ICW at night 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 January 2013
Fishing can be good in January, especially if you are able to pick your days based on tides and weather. You may find reds and trout concentrated in potholes of Sarasota Bay or reds may tail on shallow grass flats. Snook should be in rivers, creeks and canals although docks in the ICW can also very good this month. You might also find sheepshead, reds and more around docks. Not much happening in the coastal gulf along the beach this month, although it's worth checking for tripletail, 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 and shad tails or 4" jerk worms and DOA shrimp. I like the ICW between Sarasota and Venice for night snook fishing. 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 and even largemouth bass in the same areas depending on salinity.
Reds are a hearty species that are comfortable in water in the 60's so they 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.
You may also find reds around docks, along with 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. You're likely to find big trout in many of the same areas that you find reds. The same lures 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, 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. Some of my favorite deep grass flats in Sarasota Bay; Middleground flat, Stephens Point, Bishop Point and near Buttonwood Harbor, have a good mix of grass and sand with a good tidal flow.
Migratory species such as king and Spanish mackerel and tripletail probably have moved further south this month, however during warm ups they could reappear. Even though there isn't much happening in the coastal gulf this month in the way of sight fishing it may be worth a look when it is warm.
January can be one of the toughest months of the year to fish. However, if you can choose when to fish it can be good. As fronts approach, fish will usually feed more. Following fronts, fishing may be tough for a couple of days, so fish afternoons or windows of good conditions between fronts for the best action. I also let the stage of the tide determine where I will look for fish. When the tide is low, look for reds, trout and more in potholes or around docks. Look for fish 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
Orvis Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB's Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
www.flyfishingflorida.net
Target Species:
snook, reds, trout, blues, flounder, sheepshead
More Fishing Reports:
