Tarpon Action Continues in Sarasota
Capt. Rick Grassett
August 3, 2012
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Conditions were good for tarpon fishing late in the week of 7/22. However early that week we had lots of cloud cover, saw only a few tarpon and didn't have any good shots at all. By the end of the week, tarpon became more plentiful and returned to their normal patterns. The action continued into the week of 7/29. Anglers fishing Sarasota Bay and the coastal Gulf of Mexico off Sarasota with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released snook and redfish on top water plugs, snook and trout on flies, jumped 5 tarpon and landed 1 on flies.
Late in the season, tarpon fishing can be inconsistent, with them being plentiful and aggressive one day and disappearing the next. However if tarpon is your goal, persistence will often pay off. My brother Kirk Grassett from Middletown, DE, and our friend Nick Delle Donne, from Lancaster, PA, fished with me Thursday through Saturday, 7/26-7/28. We decided to hedge our bet and do some bay fishing in Sarasota Bay a couple of days since tarpon had been thin early in the week. We caught and released trout to 17" on Ultra Hair Clouser flies, a snook and a red on surface walking top water plugs near Buttonwood Harbor. The best action in shallow water is early in the day this time of year for trout, reds, etc, so we spent a few hours fishing the bay from first light in the morning until about 9:30 AM before tarpon fishing. With a very high tide, casting top water plugs and fly poppers and Gurglers is a good way to locate fish.
We were pleasantly surprised on Thursday, 7/26 when we checked the gulf and found tarpon plentiful and aggressive that day. Although it was rough in the coastal gulf, visibility was good. Kirk was first to hook up. His catch was one the more memorable ever on my boat. With his tarpon almost whipped and alongside the boat, the fish surged hard and ripped the 12-weight fly rod out of his hands. Kirk dropped to his knees in an attempt to save the rod as it skipped off the deck of the boat and became airborne. Without hesitation, Kirk dove in and came up with the rod held high over his head. He passed the rod to me and I helped haul him back in the boat with my free hand.
With Kirk back on the bow, he got the fish to the boat again only to have the tip section of the 12-weight fly rod come apart and slide down the leader to the tarpon's head. We were afraid that the fish may break off and take the tip section of the rod with him, but Kirk again worked the fish back to the boat so that I was able to grab the leader, retrieve the tip section and reattach it. After a 30-minute battle the tarpon, estimated at 100-pounds, was DNA sampled, measured and successfully released. What a catch!
We jumped another tarpon a fly on Thursday and had the fish close to the boat after about a 20 minute battle. We had numerous up close jumps before the hook pulled loose. We had plenty of shots at tarpon Friday, 7/27, but they were not very interested. We had fewer shots on Saturday, 7/28 but they were more aggressive and we hooked another tarpon.
Tarpon action continued into the next week when Dean Hanneman, from Sarasota, FL, fished the coastal gulf off Sarasota for tarpon with me on Monday, 7/30. It was rough, but visibility was good. We had a dozen or more shots at tarpon with a fly and jumped 2, which were each on for about 15-minutes and numerous jumps. He also had another bite on a fly that day. This time of year tarpon fishing can be inconsistent. We waited for more than 4-hours before tarpon started to move and then we had fast action for a couple of hours. If you've got the patience to wait them out it may be worth it.
Nick Coote and his son, George, from the UK, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday morning, 7/31. They caught and released a few trout near Buttonwood Harbor on Ultra Hair Clouser flies. We tried to tarpon fish later in the morning but it was just too rough to fish in the coastal gulf. Wednesday's tarpon trip was also cancelled due to rough water.
Conditions were better in the coastal gulf on Thursday, 8/2. We opted for a late start for tarpon since the majority of fish that we saw and had shots at earlier in the week, came later in the day. The pattern held up as we didn't see many fish at first and then had a push of fish resulting in a dozen or so shots with a fly, and 1 fish jumped. We had a couple of other awesome bites! We don't hook every fish that bites, but its fun watching them try to eat.
Fly anglers Doug Burns, from Sarasota, FL and Dan Bolin, from TX, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday morning. 8/3. With a good outgoing tide we worked lighted docks on Siesta Key before daylight and had good action with snook and trout. They caught and released 8 snook and a half dozen trout on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. They also caught and released trout and jacks on Ultra Hair Clouser flies near Buttonwood Harbor.
Tarpon fishing should continue next week as we head away from a full moon. As tarpon thin out along beaches, they will move to inside waters where you may find them rolling early in the day. Spin anglers may score with a ½-ounce DOA shrimp or Baitbuster. Catch and release snook before dawn and then moving to the flats for trout and reds in Sarasota Bay should also be good options.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis- Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB's Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
www.flyfishingflorida.net
Sarasota Fishing Forecast:
Capt. Rick Grassett's Sarasota, FL Fishing Forecast for August 2012
Tarpon will thin out along beaches as they move to inside waters this month. Big reds should school up in skinny water and there should be a good bite with big trout at dawn. Catch and release snook action should be good in the surf and around lighted docks and bridges close to passes. Look for false albacore (little tunny) in the coastal gulf along with a stray cobia or tripletail.
There should still be a few tarpon, mostly singles, doubles and small schools in the coastal gulf early this month, but many tarpon have moved to inside waters of upper Charlotte Harbor, Sarasota Bay and lower Tampa Bay. Sight fishing may still be good in the coastal gulf although there will be fewer shots. Tarpon have changed from their spawning mode to a feeding mode now and the change in attitude is obvious. Also look for tarpon rolling on deep grass flats and along bars of Sarasota Bay and lower Tampa Bay. You might also find them in 10'-20' of water in upper Charlotte Harbor. The same lures and flies that work for tarpon on the beach will also work in inside areas, especially DOA Baitbusters, DOA Swimming Mullet and wide profile, dark flies.
You may also find juvenile tarpon from 15 to 30-pounds in creeks and canals of upper Charlotte Harbor. You may find them rolling at first light in the morning or feeding around bridges or on deep grass flats. I do best with a DOA TerrorEyz fished slowly along the bottom on medium spinning tackle. Fly anglers should score with scaled down, traditional tarpon flies fished on sinking fly lines with 8 or 9-weight fly tackle.
Snook season remains closed, so any snook must be caught and released quickly with minimal handling. One of the best chances for snook this month is sight fishing them in the surf. Walk along the beach, about 10' from the water's edge to spot them cruising in the surf. A 7 or 8-weight fly rod with a clear intermediate sink tip should get the job done. Small white flies, like my Grassett Snook Minnow, String Beans or DT Specials should all work well. Spin anglers should score with medium spinning tackle and a DOA shrimp or CAL jig with a shad tail.
You may also find snook around docks and bridges close to passes. Cast the same small white flies, CAL jigs with shad or jerk worm tails and DOA shrimp to them on the same fly or spinning tackle that you would use for fishing the surf. Focus on shadow lines where dark meets light at night.
Big reds should be schooled up in shallow water this month. Look for them pushing water, almost like a boat wake, to find them in shallow water. If they are sitting still, you may see a nervous patch of water when it is calm or a slick patch of water when there is a chop on the water. They can be very spooky in shallow water and if you spook one, you may spook all of them. Once you've located a school of reds, or sometimes they find you, get ahead of the school and move into casting range by using a push pole or trolling motor. Trolling motors should be used sparingly to avoid spooking fish. A constant, low speed is better than turning the motor on and off or varying the speed. Cast to fish on the edge of the school to minimize spooking other fish. Surface walking top water plugs, CAL jigs with jerk worms and DOA Baitbusters should all work well. Fly anglers should connect with poppers, Gurglers and wide profile baitfish fly patterns like Lefty's Deceiver or my Grassett Deep Flats Bunny. Avoid lining fish or blind casting over them by working the edge of the school.
You'll also find big trout in shallow water this month and the best time to catch them is at first light in the morning. Cast surface walking top water plugs, CAL jigs with jerk worms, DOA Baitbusters or DOA shrimp in and around bait schools at first light for the best chance to catch a "gator". I release all big trout (over 20") on my boat, even though the law allows one fish per angler over 20". I feel it's important to leave these big fish in the water, since they are usually females that may be laden with roe.
Later in the day you should find trout on deep grass flats. I like to drift and blind cast ahead of my drift with CAL jigs and shad tails or jerk worms and DOA Deadly Combos to locate fish. Also, focus on bait schools, diving birds or breaking fish. Ladyfish, jacks and blues may feed in bait schools on the surface and if it continues for a few minutes, it may attract trout, tarpon or sharks. Keep a tarpon rod with a DOA shrimp or Baitbuster ready to cast to tarpon that may join the fray. You'll need to move it very slowly to keep the ladyfish off of it, but it could pay off big! Fly anglers should score on trout, blues, jacks and more with Ultra Hair Clousers or Grassett Deep Flats Bunny flies fished on an intermediate sink tip fly line. Wide profile tarpon flies such as Lefty's Deceiver fished on an intermediate sink tip fly line should work for tarpon in these areas, but remember to strip slowly to keep the ladyfish off your fly. I have also caught and released tarpon on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly tied on a 2/0 Owner AKI hook when they were feeding in glass minnow schools. Some of my favorite deep grass flats in Sarasota Bay this time of year are the Radio Tower, Marina Jack and Middleground flats, which are all close to passes and get a good tidal flow across them. Stephens Point and near Buttonwood Harbor are also good deep grass flats in August.
Look for false albacore (little tunny) in the coastal gulf and in Tampa Bay in the ship channel from Egmont Key to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Diving birds or baitfish being forced out of the water may indicate predators below. You will also see them feeding on the surface in baitfish schools. Get ahead of them and let the schools come to you. Small plugs or CAL jigs with shad tails should work for spin anglers. Fly anglers should do well with an Ultra Hair Clouser or my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. You might also find tripletail in the coastal gulf or in bays. Look for them around buoys, channel markers and floating debris. A DOA shrimp, CAL jig with a shad tail or a Grassett Flats Minnow fly should work well.
The early bird gets the worm this month. Hit some lighted docks and bridges for snook or tarpon before dawn and then move to the flats for reds, trout, blues and more. You'll still find some big tarpon in the coastal gulf and although they are fewer, they are more aggressive. Smaller versions in upper Charlotte Harbor are also a good option this month. Whatever you choose to do, please limit your kill, don't kill your limit!
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
Orvis Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB's Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
www.flyfishingflorida.net
Target Species:
Tarpon, snook, reds, trout, false albacore, tripletail
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