 |
Sarasota and Venice
Capt. Rick Grassett
January 25, 2004
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Sarasota & Charlotte Harbor, FL Fishing Report for 1/18 through 1/25/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict had good action during the past week with trout and reds in Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor. Anglers caught reds to 10 ½-lbs and trout to 4-lbs on CAL jigs with jerk worms and Cotee jigs with grubs. The best trip of the week was in Bull and Turtle Bays where anglers caught numerous big reds.
Mark Dickson, from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. It was a damp, foggy morning as we left the dock, but the fog burned off by mid morning. Mark caught about 15 trout, a bluefish and a small red on CAL jigs with jerkworms near Buttonwood Harbor. Many of the trout were in the slot and about 18”. We got off the water just ahead of an impressive front that looked like a curtain approaching from the northwest.
Harry Beaty and Paul Rotz, both from Ontario, Canada, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. They caught about 15 trout to 4-lbs, including many in the slot from 17”-20”, on CAL jigs with jerk worms on the grass flats just inside Big Pass, near markers 5 & 7, and on the east side of Sarasota Bay along the bar north of the Ringling mansion. We saw some big trout in the 4-lb to 5-lb class in skinny water.
Dale Vollrath, from Sarasota, FL, and Steve Chung, from San Francisco, CA, fished Bull and Turtle Bays in Charlotte Harbor with me on Thursday. They caught and released about a dozen or 15 trout to 18” and 7 reds to 10 ½-lbs on CAL jigs with jerk worms. A great day!
Rusty Chinnis and I fished with our friend, Capt. Rick DePaiva, near Matlacha on Pine Island on Friday. The goal was tailing redfish on a fly and it was slow to start due to windy conditions. We caught several nice trout on DOA shrimp while hunting for reds and had some shots at reds with a fly in the morning. In the afternoon, the wind calmed and tails started popping up. I caught and released a beautiful red of about 9-lbs that was sight-fished in crystal clear water. We had numerous shots and hooked 3 other fish on an olive bendback that I have been having good success with. A great day! If you are interested in fishing the Pine Island Sound area, Capt. Rick can be reached at www.saltwaterflyfishing.org
I fished Sarasota Bay with outdoor writer and guide, Capt. Bill Faulkner, from Naples, FL and his guest, Rick Paolillo from Venice, FL on Saturday . The goal was reds and trout on flies and jigs for an article on Sarasota Bay. We fished flats on the east side of Sarasota Bay and caught and released 5 reds to 28” and only one trout. Most of the reds were rats, but we saw numerous big reds and trout. As is often the case in the winter, we found them very spooky in the clear, shallow water.
You can also get my daily fishing reports on www.flyfishingflorida.net and view current and archived photos on both web sites. Next week’s tides will be favorable for reds and trout on the flats and snook at night. With water temperatures as cold as they are now, in the high 50’s to low 60’s, fishing the flats may be better in the afternoon and early evening, which is when the water will be warmest.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail [email protected]
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.net
More Fishing Reports:
|
|
|
|
