Good Action & Variety on Sarasota Bay Flats
Capt. Rick Grassett
January 26, 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, caught and released trout, Spanish mackerel, blues, pompano, flounder and snook in Sarasota Bay on lures and flies during the past couple of weeks. Water temperatures cooled to the low 60's following the last front but there was still good action and variety on deep grass flats.
Marshall Dinerman, from Atlanta, GA, and Roy Katz, from Greenville, SC, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Sunday, 1/13. They had steady action with trout to 19", several Spanish mackerel to more than 3-pounds, a flounder and a snook along the west side of the bay from Stephens Point to Long Bar on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails.
Cam Dilley, from Tampa, FL, and Steve Ritchie, from Bradenton, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 1/14. They caught and released several blues to 3-pounds and trout on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fishing deep grass near Buttonwood Harbor.
Sarasota winter resident, Tom Lamb, and Diane Muhlfeld and Roy Glah, also from Sarasota, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday afternoon, 1/16. They caught and released trout, Spanish mackerel to 3-pounds, bluefish and a flounder on CAL jigs with shad and grub tails along the west side of the bay from the Middleground flat to near Buttonwood Harbor.
Chris Lewington, from the UK, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday, 1/17. We started the day by fishing docks in Roberts Bay where he caught and released 4 snook to 24" and a black drum on CAL jigs with shad tails. With a fast approaching front, we moved to deep grass flats along the west side of the bay from the Middleground flat to Bishop Point where Chris caught and released trout, Spanish mackerel to 4-pounds and bluefish on CAL jigs with grubs.
Friday was cool and windy, so we bumped that trip back to Saturday which turned out to be a good move. Marshall Dinerman, his son Michael Dinerman and son-in-law, Alex Medeiros, from Atlanta, GA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday afternoon, 1/19. They had steady action with trout, including several in the slot, and a Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos.
Keith McClintock and Victor Feldman, both from IL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday, 1/22. They caught and released trout, including several in the slot, and Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails on deep grass flats near Long Bar. Nick Reding, from Longboat Key, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday, 1/23. We caught and released a few trout on deep grass flats near Buttonwood Harbor and at Stephens Point.
Conditions and action improved towards the end of the week. Bill Flader, from WI, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday, 1/24. He had great action catching and releasing numerous trout to 19", Spanish mackerel to 3-pounds, pompano and bluefish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies from the Middleground flat to Bishop Point along the west side of the bay. Fred Netherton, from Ontario, Canada, fished the same areas with me on Friday, 1/25. He caught and released trout to 19", several blues and a 3-pound pompano on Ultra Hair Clouser flies.
Look for trout, Spanish mackerel, blues, pompano and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Also look for reds around docks, in potholes and on the edges of bars when the tide is low or on shallow flats on sunny afternoons when the tide is high. 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 February 2013
Trout and redfish should be a good shallow water option in Sarasota Bay this month. You may also find trout along with blues, Spanish mackerel, pompano and flounder on deep grass flats. Silver trout may mix with spotted sea trout on deep grass flats close to passes. Look for sheepshead, flounder, reds and more around docks. Catch and release night snook fishing around lighted docks in the ICW may be a good option if it's not too cold. Spanish and king mackerel and cobia may show up in the coastal gulf by the end of the month.
Snook season remains closed this month, so use tackle heavy enough to catch and release them quickly. Since they are temperature sensitive, I won't target them following strong fronts when water temperatures dip below 60 degrees. However, I have had some great night trips catching and releasing snook on flies in the ICW at night this time of year. Since larger baitfish aren't that plentiful this time of year, snook will gorge themselves on glass minnows and shrimp. Small white flies, like my Grassett Snook Minnow, DOA shrimp or CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms will all work well.
You may also find snook in rivers, creeks or canals this month. Fishing may be good in these areas on a blustery day when it isn't fit to fish anywhere else. I like wider profile flies and lures in these areas due to the baitfish that may be found there. Fly anglers should score with wide profile baitfish patterns, such as Lefty's Deceiver, fished on a sink tip fly line. Spin anglers should do well with CAL jigs and jerk worms, DOA Baitbusters or suspending plugs. Fish the deep spots on outside bends during strong outgoing tides for the best action.
You might find reds in potholes or along the edges of bars and shallow flats when the tide is low. As the tide rises, they will feed higher on shallow flats, particularly on sunny afternoons. I like 1/16-ounce CAL jigs with shad tails or jerk worms for reds in shallow water. If it is too shallow or grassy to fish an exposed hook, a Mustad or Owner weedless hook will allow you to fish plastic baits in these areas. Fly anglers should score with lightly weighted flies, like Clousers or my Grassett Flats Minnow, with weed guards on floating lines with 10'-12' leaders. You may also find big trout in skinny water in the same places you find reds. The same lures, flies and techniques that you use to target reds will work for big trout in those areas. I release all trout over 20" since they are usually females and I feel that they are important to the health of our trout fishery.
You'll also find trout on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. I like flats that have a good mix of grass and sand and good tidal flow. Flats that are close to passes, such as the Midleground, Radio Tower and Marina Jack flats, are often good choices unless the water is dirty. Following fronts, silted up water will cover deep grass flats close to passes, often affecting fishing in those areas. You may also find silver trout on deep grass flats close to passes. Last January, the flats inside of Big Pass held lots of silver trout.
There are other good grass flats in Sarasota Bay that are on points or around bars, such as Stephens and Bishop Point and near Longboat Key Moorings, Long Bar and Buttonwood Harbor. I like to drift and cast ahead of my drift with CAL jigs and a variety of plastic tails, DOA Deadly Combos or weighted flies on sink tip fly lines to locate trout. Once you've located them you can shorten your drift or anchor on them.
In addition to trout, you may also find blues, Spanish mackerel, flounder or pompano, depending on water temperature and conditions, on deep grass flats. The technique to find them is the same as for trout, although there may be other clues. Pompano may "skip" on the surface when you drift or run past them giving their presence away. When that happens, set up a drift upwind of where you saw a pompano and cast ahead of your drift. Blues and Spanish mackerel may force bait out of the water or feed on the surface. You may need to add heavy fluorocarbon or wire when blues and mackerel are mixed with trout on deep grass flats.
Fishing docks is another good option this time of year, especially when the tide is low. You might find reds, sheepshead or flounder under docks. I like docks that are deep (3' or more) and have a good tidal flow. Fish the end of long piers to find the deepest water. Also, look for big boats moored on docks or on boat lifts, which is also an indication of deeper water. Older docks with lots of barnacle and oyster growth usually hold more baitfish and predators. I like CAL jigs with shad tails, grubs or jerk worms or weighted flies fished on sink tip fly lines when fishing docks. Be sure to let your jig or fly get down close to the bottom. Tipping a jig with small piece of fresh shrimp will up your odds for sheepshead. If you use too much it will ruin the action of your jig.
There may be some action in the coastal gulf by the end of the month with king and Spanish mackerel and cobia. When the water warms to the high 60's to low 70's, these fish will move into our area from the south as they migrate north. Look for Spanish mackerel on the surface or in passes. Cobia may be swimming on the surface, around buoys, channel markers and crab trap floats or over structure. You should find silver trout over grass or structure in areas such as Point of Rocks off Siesta Key.
February can be a tough month to fish. With frequent fronts and cool water, fish aren't always in an eating mood. If you're able to pick good tides combined with favorable weather conditions, you should be successful. If you don't have that luxury, you might do better by sleeping in and fishing later in the day when it's warmer. 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:
reds, trout, snook, Spanish mackerel, blues, pompano
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