Good Night Snook Fly Fishing Action in Sarasota on ICW Docks
Capt. Rick Grassett
July 28, 2018
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Anglers fishing with me recently, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with snook, trout and a juvenile tarpon on dock lights before daylight and trout to 4-1/2 lbs, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and a cobia on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay on flies, DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs with shad tails.
Jerry Poslusny and Bill Nesbitt, both from Rochester, NY, fished several days with me during the week of 7/16. We had multiple shots at tarpon with a fly before the blow on Monday, 7/16 but on Tuesday, 7/17 we saw very few tarpon. The wind turned west on Wednesday, 7/18 and the coastal gulf was unfishable for tarpon. We fished Sarasota Bay where they had good action with trout and a cobia on Ultra Hair Clouser flies, DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs with shad tails.
My brother, Kirk Grassett from Middletown, DE, fished with me later that week. With the wind still in a westerly pattern, we fished dock lights before dawn and had good action with snook, trout to 20" and a 10-lb juvenile tarpon on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. We also worked deep grass flats in Sarasota Bay after dawn and had good action with trout to 4-1/2 lbs, bluefish and a Spanish mackerel on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and DOA Deadly Combos.
John and DJ, from NY, fished several days with me during the week of 7/23. Our plan was to fly fish for tarpon in the coastal gulf all week, but with the wind still in a westerly pattern the coastal gulf was unfishable for tarpon most of the time. Instead we fished dock lights in the evening and before dawn and had good action catching and releasing snook on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly.
There should still be some tarpon fishing in the coastal gulf when conditions improve. There may be fewer fish but late season tarpon have already spawned and are more aggressive. There should also be good action with trout, blues and Spanish mackerel on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Fishing dock lights in the ICW at night is always a good option for snook and more. Our natural resources are under constant pressure, 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
Sarasota Fishing Forecast:
Capt. Rick Grassett's Sarasota, FL Fly Fishing Forecast for August 2018
Tarpon will move to inside waters of Sarasota Bay, Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay this month. You may also find juvenile tarpon in creeks, canals and turning basins. Reds should be schooling on shallow flats and big trout will prowl the same waters at dawn. Also, look for trout on deep grass flats mixed with blues, pompano, Spanish mackerel and more. Catch and release snook fishing should be good around lighted docks at night or in the surf. Look for false albacore (little tunny) to show up in the coastal gulf later in the month.
Tarpon addicts will still be able to get their fix this month. You should still find a few tarpon in the coastal gulf early in the month. As tarpon thin out along beaches, they will move to inside waters where you may find them schooling around bridges or rolling on deep grass flats. They will also feed in schools of ladyfish that are feeding on the surface. You should also find juvenile tarpon from 10 to 30-pounds in creeks, canals and turning basins. Fly anglers should score on juvenile tarpon with 8 or 9-weight fly rods, sinking lines and scaled down tarpon flies.
Snook season remains closed this month so handle them gently and use tackle heavy enough to catch and release them quickly. You'll find them around lighted docks and bridges in the ICW and in the surf. Small white flies, like my Grassett Snook Minnow or Gurglers, should all work well. The same flies will work at night and in the surf, although you should be observant of what size baits are in those areas.
Reds should school up this month, although their numbers have been thin for the past couple of years. You should find them on shallow flats of north Sarasota Bay, lower Tampa Bay and Gasparilla Sound. They'll be easier to find in shallow water when the tide is low. Look for "nervous" water when it is slick calm or a slick patch of water when there is a ripple on the water. They may push a wake that looks like a boat wake. I try to be as quiet as possible in shallow water, poling to locate them. Once you've located a school of reds, try to get ahead of them to intercept them, much like tarpon fishing. If you work around the edges of the school, you may be able to catch a few of them before they spook. We often also find big jacks, blues and other predators in the mix along with reds. Fly poppers or Gurglers may draw some big strikes!
Trout fishing should be good this month. You may find a big trout in skinny water at first light. Focus on mullet or bait schools to find them. Fly poppers or Gurglers should be very effective at that time of day. I always release big trout over 20", since they are usually females that may be full of roe. One of the largest trout that I have seen caught and released on a fly was a 7 ½-pound fish that blew up on a Gurgler, fished in glass minnow schools! I like the same areas for big trout that I like for reds.
After it gets bright and starts to warm up, drop out to deeper grass flats (4' to 8') for trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and more. I like to drift and cast ahead of my drift with an Ultra Hair Clouser fly fished on a sink tip fly line. I make a series of drifts to locate fish and then shorten the drift or anchor depending on conditions. Ladyfish may feed in glass minnow schools and if they stay up long enough, it will attract trout, blues, mackerel, tarpon or sharks. Wide profile flies, such as Enrico Puglisi style flies, fished slowly around the edges of breaking fish will help keep ladyfish off your lure or fly and give you a chance to catch a tarpon. When blues, Spanish mackerel or sharks are in the mix add 6" of wire or heavy fluorocarbon. Also look for tripletail around crab trap floats, buoys or channel markers in inshore waters this month. My Grassett Flats Minnow fly with a weed guard should work well for tripletail. A weed guard is important since it may help you avoid hooking the crab trap float or line.
You might find false albacore (little tunny) or Spanish mackerel starting to show up in the coastal gulf this month. Look for baitfish to find them. The Tampa Bay ship channel from the Skyway Bridge to Egmont Key is often one of the first areas that they will show up early in the season. Small white flies, like my Grassett Snook Minnow, poppers or Crease flies should all work well. You'll need to add wire or heavy fluorocarbon when toothy fish are in the mix.
Even though it is one of the hottest months of the year, there are lots of options this month. I usually tarpon fish as long as I can either in the coastal gulf or in inside waters. An early start for snook or tarpon around lighted docks or bridges and then on to the flats for reds, trout and more is a good option. Our natural resources are under constant pressure, 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:
tarpon, snook, reds, trout, bluefish, tripletail & false albacore
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