Late Season Tarpon Rally in Sarasota
Capt. Rick Grassett
August 4, 2011
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Tarpon are thinning out in the coastal gulf off Sarasota although they got aggressive as we approached the new moon on July 30th. Fly anglers fishing the coastal gulf off Sarasota with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, jumped 5 tarpon and landed 2 to 75-lbs recently. However, tarpon action slowed during the past week as tides weakened as we headed away from the new moon, but we still averaged 5 or 6 shots at tarpon per trip. Fish were a little deeper in the water column, requiring quick casts to get the fly deep enough. We had several follows, a couple of bites and one brief hook up during the past week.
My brother, Kirk Grassett from Middletown, DE, and friend Nick Delle Donne, from Lancaster, PA, fished with me from 7/28 through 7/30. Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, joined us to fish in his Hells Bay skiff on Thursday, 7/28 (2 boats). It was rough on Thursday due to a tropical wave that passed through on Wednesday, but despite that Nick jumped and landed a 90-lb tarpon on a fly with Rusty that day.
We fished Sarasota Bay near Whale Key on Friday and Saturday morning,7/29 and 30 where we caught and released trout to 17", a bluefish and a pompano on Clouser and Nick's Motion Minnow flies. Tarpon action heated up those days as the numbers of fish increased and they got aggressive. Kirk and Nick each jumped a tarpon on Friday, 7/29 and Nick fought his fish for about 40 minutes before the hook pulled close to the boat. The action reached a peak on Saturday, 7/30 as we jumped 3 fish and landed 2 of them, each about 75-lbs. Kirk jumped and landed a fish late in the day that almost broke us off while he cleared his fly line. The fly line grabbed a zinger pinned to his shirt, almost ripping his shirt off and then wrapped around his foot. After making it past those hurdles, he battled the fish in rough seas. Despite all that, the fish was alongside the boat and DNA sampled within about 30 minutes. A memorable fish!
In addition to tarpon, we also fished Sarasota Bay a couple of days during the past week where we caught and released trout to 17"on DOA Deadly Combos and Grassett Deep Flats Bunny flies. We focused on glass minnow schools at Stephens Point and near Whale Key and Bishop Point to find feeding fish. Due to very warm water in the bay, the best action was early in the day.
Tarpon numbers in the coastal gulf are dwindling as fish move to inside waters. In addition to the coastal gulf off Sarasota you may also catch them around bridges or find them feeding in bait schools in deeper areas of Sarasota Bay, Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor. Action should also be good on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay for trout, blues and more and around lighted docks and bridges close to passes and in the ICW for snook.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
www.flyfishingflorida.net
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