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Sarasota and Venice
Capt. Rick Grassett
April 18, 2004
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
SW Florida Fishing Report for 4/11 through 4/18/2004
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released snook and trout during the past week. A strong front pushed through the area on Monday morning forcing the cancellation of the next couple of days of fishing.
John Wolfstaetter, from New York, NY and his dad, Paul Wolfstaetter from Valley Stream, NY, fished the Terra Ceia Bay area with me on Monday for a short time. We awoke to a strong, fast approaching squall line that looked like it should clear our area before dawn. After waiting it out for more than an hour at the boat launch ramp, we decided to go home and see if it would clear later in the day.
The skies cleared and the wind eased up, so we headed for the water again at 11 AM. John quickly caught and released a snook and a redfish on a brown over tan Clouser fly. However, it proved to be only a short-lived window of opportunity, as the winds cranked up to tropical storm force within a couple of hours. We called it quits only 3 hours into our second attempt and none too soon. Seas were very rough even though we were in fairly protected waters. Mother nature can get angry fast!
Tuesday and Wednesday’s fly fishing trips were cancelled due to 20 to 30-mph winds. Fly angler, Charlie Alexander from Osprey, FL, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday morning. We found the water temperature had fallen to 65 degrees, a 7 degree change from prior to the front. As a result we found the fishing slow. Charlie hooked a nice snook on a brown over tan Clouser fly along an oyster bar, but the fly line wrapped around the handle of his fly reel as he was clearing line and the fish broke off with a nice jump as the leader parted. Murphy’s Law! Charlie caught and released a couple of trout, also on Clouse flies, but we couldn’t get much else going.
Fly angler, Bill Crelin from Waukesh, WI, and his dad, Bill Crelin from Venice, FL, joined me for an evening snook trip in Venice that evening. Snook were feeding selectively on a variety of baits and eyed our flies and lures cautiously. They caught and released several snook to 22” on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies and DOA Tiny TerrorEyz.
Fly angler, Mel Green from Denver, CO, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday morning. We caught and released more than a dozen trout to 16” on a brown over tan Clouser fly at Stephen’s Point. The water in north Sarasota Bay was fairly clear despite the 3 days of wind earlier in the week.
I attended a fly casting clinic in Sarasota on Saturday morning with fly fishing legend and outdoor writer, Lefty Kreh. Lefty taught me his snake cast, which allows you to pick up your fly line from the water and change directions with only one false cast. This is a cast that will be invaluable when sight-fishing on the flats. Lefty dazzled the audience that evening at the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers annual banquet with his quick wit and a great slide show that included fishing destinations around the world. He is truly a gem in the sport of fly fishing!
Next week’s tides are favorable for snook fishing at night. Flats fishing should take off again when the water temperature returns to the low 70’s.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
www.flyfishingflorida.net
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