Fast Action in Sarasota Bay and Coastal Gulf
Capt. Rick Grassett
November 26, 2011
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Action was good in Sarasota Bay and in the coastal gulf during the past couple of weeks. 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, reds, flounder, bluefish, pompano and Spanish mackerel on DOA and CAL lures and flies. Fly anglers had great action with albies (little tunny) in the coastal gulf.
"What is an albie?" a couple of people have asked recently. They are little tunny, known as false albacore or albies to anglers from the Carolinas to New England and called bonito in Florida. There is a pilgrimage of fly anglers every fall to Harker's Island, NC (Cape Lookout) where hundreds of anglers gather to fly fish for false albacore or albies, which is where I was introduced to fly fishing for them. They are one of my favorite fish to catch on a fly and we also have a great fishery for them here in the fall and spring. Unlike some other areas, we also have good options for bay and flats fishing if sea conditions in the coastal gulf are rough.
Tony Ryan, from Osprey, FL, and Rich Carroll, from North Port, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday, 11/12. Following a front the day before, it was cool to start but it warmed up quickly. They caught and released trout, blues, flounder and a nice red on CAL jig with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos at Stephens Point and near Buttonwood Harbor. Bill Moore and his son Mark Moore, from the Chicago area, fished the same areas with me on Sunday, 11/13. They had good action with trout, blues and Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs and DOA Deadly Combos.
Wes Demmon, also from the Chicago area, fished Sarasota Bay with me on a foggy morning on Tuesday, 11/15. We caught and released trout on CAL: jigs with shad tails near Bird Key while we waited for heavy fog to lift enough so we could go into the coastal gulf. He caught and released a few mackerel on flies and Diamond jigs and had some shots at albies. Wes also had a shot at a big tripletail as we ran a crab trap line on our way back.
Denis Clohisy, from WI, and Pat DeCastro, from OH, fished several days with me from Thursday through Saturday. With an approaching front, we were still able to get out into the coastal gulf on Thursday, 11/17. They had good action with Spanish mackerel and ladyfish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies in Big Pass and then we went and hunted albies in the coastal gulf. We located some feeding fish but they were still being picky like they were earlier in the week. We stuck with them and they had 3 hookups, one on a Clouser, one on a Crease fly and one on my Snook Minnow fly and landed one that day. The action ended that day with 2 or 3 big bait balls being crashed by mackerel, albies and sharks. An awesome sight!
Friday, 11/18 was very windy and we weren't able to fish the gulf that day so we fished the east side of Sarasota Bay. Despite winds gusting more than 20 mph they still had decent action. They caught and released numerous trout, 4 reds and a couple of flounder on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad and grub tails. Conditions improved on Saturday, 11/19 and we were able to get back into the coastal gulf. Albies were plentiful and in a better mood that day, staying up longer and giving us a chance to get a fly in front of them. They hooked 6 fish and landed 4, all on a tan Grassett Snook Minnow. The fish were mostly in the 10-lb class and went deep into their backing. A good day!
Albies were picky at first on Monday, 11/21 but as the day went by they stayed up longer and got more aggressive. We hooked 7 or 8 and landed 5 or 6 up to 10-lbs on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. Norm and Francie Boardman, from Sarasota, fished with me on Tuesday, 11/22. Macks and albies churned the water to a froth yet were very picky due to the size of the glass minnows they were feeding on. They hooked a couple and landed an albie and several Spanish mackerel on my Snook Minnow fly and CAL jigs with shad tails.
Everything came together on Weds, 11/23 when Everette Howell, from Nashville, TN and his son, Kirk Howell from NYC, fished the coastal gulf with me. An approaching front had macks and albies on a feeding binge and they ate our flies almost as well as the glass minnows they were feeding on. They hooked 14 or 15 albies and landed 10 or 11 up to 12-pounds on my Snook Minnow fly. A great day!
Bill Beauchamp, from Bradenton, FL, and his guests, son-in-law, Brian and Dakota, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 11/25. Conditions were good although the wind came up in the afternoon. We fished the east side of the bay and near Buttonwood Harbor where they caught and released numerous trout to 4-lbs, several flounder, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, pompano and a red on CAL jigs with a variety of plastic tails and DOA Deadly Combos.
Next week's negative low tides in the morning should concentrate reds and trout in potholes of Sarasota Bay. Fishing the coastal gulf should continue to be hot until there are significant changes in conditions.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
www.flyfishingflorida.net
Sarasota Fishing Forecast:
Capt. Rick Grassett's Sarasota, FL Fishing Forecast for December 2011
Reds, snook and trout will be in winter patterns this month. You should find snook around docks and bridges in the ICW or in rivers, creeks and canals. You might find reds and trout concentrated in potholes or around deep docks and flounder may be in potholes or the edges of bars. This should also be a good month for pompano on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay and close to passes. Look for Spanish mackerel and blues in Sarasota Bay or the coastal gulf. You might also find little tunny or late season tripletail in the coastal gulf depending on conditions
Snook season remains closed this month, so any snook caught must be released. Use tackle heavy enough to catch and release them quickly with minimal handling. You'll find them in the ICW around lighted docks and bridges at night where they'll eat jigs and small white flies. You might also find them around docks in Sarasota Bay during the daytime. Fish peak tidal flows for the best action. As the water temperature drops they will move into rivers, creeks and canals where you should find them in deeper areas such as outside bends. I like to fish the ICW near Venice for snook at night this time of year.
Trout season also remains closed in the south region this month, so the same logic should be applied to catching and releasing them. It is inevitable that you will find trout and snook in many of the same areas that you'll find other species. I bend barbs down on my lures and flies to make hook removal easier. Anglers using live bait should consider using circle hooks for trout and snook to avoid hooking them deeply. You may find big trout in shallow water this month. Look for them in potholes and drop offs along the edges of bars and shallow flats. You may be able to sight fish them in potholes or on top of bars when the tide is high. In shallow water, I like to cast flies, 1/16-ounce jigs or weedless rigged plastic baits. I try to fish light colored bottom when sight fishing since it is usually easier to spot fish over sand rather than grass.
When fishing deep grass flats, I like to drift and cast ahead of my drift with jigs, clacker float/plastic shrimp combos or flies. Look for surface activity such as bait scattering or diving birds to locate fish. I make a series of drifts to locate fish and after I've found them I will shorten my drift or anchor on the spot. When drifting deep grass flats, I'll use the same lures and flies, but I'll fish the flies on an intermediate sink tip fly line. The Marina Jack, Radio Tower and Middleground flats, as well as Stephens Point and near Whale Key should all be good deep grass flats this month.
Reds should be a good option this month. You'll find them in potholes and drop offs along the edges of bars and shallow flats when the tide is low. When the tide is high, they will move higher onto flat where you may find them on top of bars or along mangrove shorelines. They can be spooky in clear, shallow water, so make long casts to avoid spooking them. Fly anglers may do well by wading, since that makes it easier to get close to fish. I like to sight cast whenever possible, but you will have to blind cast along the way to be most effective. I like 1/16-ounce jigs with a variety of plastic tails or lightly weighted flies on a 12' or longer leader. When the tide is low, you may need to weedless rig your plastic baits to fish them through the grass. North Sarasota Bay and lower Tampa Bay should be great areas for reds in December.
There should also be lots of variety on deep grass flats. In addition to trout you should find bluefish, Spanish mackerel, pompano and flounder this month. I like deep grass flats that have a good tidal flow and a good mixture of sand and grass, such as the Middleground, Radio Tower and Marina Jack flats. Points such as Stephens Point and Bishop Point are also good areas with good tidal flow. I'm always looking for bait schools dimpling on the surface or bird activity to find fish, but in the absence of these things I treat the flat like a grid, making a series of drifts to find fish. I use a drift anchor when it is windy to slow my drift and shorten my drift or anchor up when I locate fish. I like 1/16-ounce jigs or lightly weighted synthetic fiber flies fished on intermediate sink tip fly lines. Pompano may skip on the surface when you drift or run past them. You may find flounder on both deep and shallow grass flats, but a good mixture of sand and grass is the key.
Look for Spanish mackerel, bluefish, false albacore (little tunny) and tripletail in the coastal gulf as long as it doesn't get too cold. Diving birds and surface activity will indicate feeding Spanish mackerel, blues or false albacore (little tunny) schools. Cast jigs with shad tails, small top water plugs and flies ahead of schools. The key is to watch the direction the birds are moving to get ahead of schools of fish and intercept them, much like tarpon fishing. You may find tripletail around crab trap floats, buoys or channel markers especially when we are in a southeast wind pattern. Cast live or plastic shrimp or flies that suspend or sink slowly to them.
Many species of fish will be in winter patterns this month so adjust accordingly. When fronts move through, fish the windows of good weather between fronts for the best action. You may find reds and trout in skinny water on sunny afternoons between fronts. On nice days, it is worth checking the coastal gulf for Spanish mackerel, albies, tripletail and more. Whatever you choose to do, please limit your kill, don't kill your limit!
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
www.flyfishingflorida.net
Capt. Rick Grassett's Sarasota, FL Fly Fishing Forecast for December 2011
Reds, snook and trout will be in winter patterns this month. You should find snook around docks and bridges in the ICW or in rivers, creeks and canals. You might find reds and trout concentrated in potholes or around deep docks and flounder may be in potholes or the edges of bars. This should also be a good month for pompano on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay and close to passes. Look for Spanish mackerel and blues in Sarasota Bay or the coastal gulf. You might also find little tunny or late season tripletail in the coastal gulf depending on conditions
Snook season remains closed this month, so any snook caught must be released. Use tackle heavy enough to catch and release them quickly with minimal handling. You'll find them in the ICW around lighted docks and bridges at night where they'll eat small white flies like my Snook Minnow. You might also find them around docks in Sarasota Bay during the daytime. Fish peak tidal flows for the best action. As the water temperature drops they will move into rivers, creeks and canals where you should find them in deeper areas such as outside bends. I like to fish the ICW near Venice for snook at night this time of year.
Trout season also remains closed in the south region this month, so the same logic should be applied to catching and releasing them. It is inevitable that you will find trout and snook in many of the same areas that you'll find other species. I bend barbs down on my flies to make hook removal easier. You may find big trout in shallow water this month. Look for them in potholes and drop offs along the edges of bars and shallow flats. You may be able to sight fish them in potholes or on top of bars when the tide is high. In shallow water, I like to cast lightly weighted flies like my Grassett Flats Minnow. Weed guards on flies are important in shallow water. They will allow you to let your fly drop all the way down into grass without snagging. I try to fish light colored bottom when sight fishing since it is usually easier to spot fish over sand rather than grass.
When fishing deep grass flats, I like to drift and cast ahead of my drift with Ultra Hair Clouser or my Deep Flats Bunny flies. Look for surface activity such as bait scattering or diving birds to locate fish. I make a series of drifts to locate fish and after I've found them I will shorten my drift or anchor on the spot. When drifting deep grass flats, I like an intermediate sink tip fly line to get my fly down in the water column. The Marina Jack, Radio Tower and Middleground flats, as well as Stephens Point and near Whale Key should all be good deep grass flats this month.
Reds should be a good option this month. You'll find them in potholes and drop offs along the edges of bars and shallow flats when the tide is low. When the tide is high, they will move higher onto flat where you may find them on top of bars or along mangrove shorelines. They can be spooky in clear, shallow water, so make long casts to avoid spooking them. Fly anglers may do well by wading, since that makes it easier to get close to fish. I like to sight cast whenever possible, but you will have to blind cast along the way to be most effective. I like lightly weighted flies on a 12' or longer leader. North Sarasota Bay and lower Tampa Bay should be great areas for reds in December.
There should also be lots of variety on deep grass flats. In addition to trout you should find blues, Spanish mackerel, pompano and flounder this month. I like deep grass flats that have a good tidal flow and a good mixture of sand and grass, such as the Middleground, Radio Tower and Marina Jack flats. Points such as Stephens Point and Bishop Point are also good areas with good tidal flow. I'm always looking for bait schools dimpling on the surface or bird activity to find fish, but in the absence of these things I treat the flat like a grid, making a series of drifts to find fish. I use a drift anchor when it is windy to slow my drift and shorten my drift or anchor up when I locate fish. I like lightly weighted Ultra Hair Clouser flies and my Grassett Deep Flats Bunny fly fished on intermediate sink tip fly lines on deep grass flats. Pompano may skip on the surface when you drift or run past them. You may find flounder on both deep and shallow grass flats, but a good mixture of sand and grass is the key.
Look for Spanish mackerel, bluefish, false albacore (little tunny) and tripletail in the coastal gulf as long as it doesn't get too cold. Diving birds and surface activity will indicate feeding Spanish mackerel, blues or false albacore (little tunny) schools. Cast flies ahead of moving schools. The key is to watch the direction the birds are moving to get ahead of schools of fish and intercept them, much like tarpon fishing. You may find tripletail around crab trap floats, buoys or channel markers especially when we are in a southeast wind pattern. Cast flies that suspend or sink slowly to them.
Many species of fish will be in winter patterns this month so adjust accordingly. When fronts move through, fish the windows of good weather between fronts for the best action. You may find reds and trout in skinny water on sunny afternoons between fronts. On nice days, it is worth checking the coastal gulf for Spanish mackerel, albies, tripletail and more. Whatever you choose to do, please limit your kill, don't kill your limit!
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
www.flyfishingflorida.net
Target Species:
trout redfish snook bluefish Spanish mackerel pompano flounder false albacore
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