Tarpon Action Hot in Sarasota
Capt. Rick Grassett
July 17, 2009
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, continue to have good action fly fishing for tarpon. A couple of trips last weekend had more than 20 shots per day and a total of 5 fish jumped and 2 landed in 2 days of fishing. We fished shallow water off Lido and Longboat Keys with a variety of flies on intermediate sink tip fly lines. I fished with my friend, Rusty Chinnis from Longboat Key, FL, on Saturday. He hooked up a couple of times on a brown Toad and I landed a tarpon on a black Deceiver. My son-in-law, Capt. Andy Cotton, jumped one on a chartreuse Toad and landed one on a traditional style Purple Death tarpon fly while fishing with me on Sunday.
The action continued into this week. We fished shallow water off Lido and Longboat Keys and action was slower at the beginning of the week. However, it picked up later in the week. My friend, Steve Gibson from Sarasota, FL, fished with me on Tuesday. The wind was up out of the west again and we only had a few shots. Richard Taylor, from Mobile, AL, fished with me on Wednesday and with the wind back out of the east he had more than a dozen shots. Tarpon were back in an eating mood on Thursday when Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, and Orvis store manager, Paul Range from Atlanta, GA, fished with me. They had more than 20 shots at tarpon, 1 hookup and another bite, both on a tan Toad. After our trip they snook fished in the surf (from the beach) on their own off Siesta Key and landed several snook on my Grassett's Snook Minnow fly.
This my favorite time of the year to fly fish for tarpon. With most fish already spawned out, their focus changes from spawning to eating. Large schools give way to singles, doubles and small schools that are prowling shallow water looking for something to eat. We use intermediate sink tip fly lines on12-weight rods with a variety of crab and baitfish fly patterns. I look for this action to continue for the rest of the month and possibly into early August, although fish will start to thin out at some point. After that, snook before dawn around lighted docks and bridges and tarpon of all sizes in some of the same areas will be good options. Fishing deep grass flats for trout, bluefish and pompano should also be good and reds will begin schooling at any time.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
www.flyfishingflorida.net
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