Big Trout Action Hot in sarasota
Capt. Rick Grassett
April 26, 2010
Sarasota - Saltwater Fishing Report
Anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with snook, big trout, Spanish mackerel and scattered pompano and blues on CAL jigs with shad tails, DOA Deadly Combos and flies during the past couple of weeks. The best action was with big trout on the flats and snook at night.
Fly anglers Pete Kazmier, from Lakeland, FL, and Tracy Baker, from Homestead, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Sat, 4/10. They caught and released numerous trout, including several large trout weighing 3, 3 ½ and 4 ¼ lbs, and several Spanish mackerel on Grassett Deep Flats Bunny and Ultra Hair Clouser flies. One of the big trout was sight-fished in skinny water.
Jack Sinton and Dave Duerson, from Bend, OR, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Mon, 4/12. They had steady action with trout, including several in the slot, and Spanish mackerel on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay on Clouser and Deep Flats Bunny flies.
Denis Clohisy, from Hudson, WI and Brian McInnis, from Sarasota, FL, fished with me the next 3 days. The best trip was when we fished the flats of Blackburn Bay at dusk on Tuesday evening. They caught and released 5 big trout from 2 ½ to 4 ¼-lbs on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails. We moved to lighted docks after dark and the action was fast. They caught and released more than 20 snook to 26" on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. We also caught a nice trout and bluefish out of the lights.
After cancelling several night snook trips in Jan and Feb due to the freeze and subsequent extended cold weather, we were pleasantly surprised to find snook plentiful and feeding aggressively in the lights. We spent the next couple of days fishing both deep and shallow flats of Sarasota Bay where they had steady action with trout and scattered blues, Spanish mackerel and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails and Clouser and Deep Flats Bunny flies.
Keith Peplinski, his wife, Becky and dad, Don, all from MI, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. They had fast action with trout to 3-pounds, blues, Spanish mackerel, pompano and a flounder on CAL jigs with shad tails at the Middleground flat, Stephens Point and near Long Bar. A 30-pound cobia swam up to the boat and gave us a shot, but it didn't eat. Matt Murray and his son, RJ, from CT, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning. They caught numerous Spanish mackerel, blues and a 2-pound trout on CAL jigs with shad tails and Grassett Flats Bunny and Clouser flies at the Middleground flat and Bishops Point.
John Freedman and Dan Roach, from Venice, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 4/19. They had some action with trout along the east side of the bay on Flats Bunny and Clouser flies fished on intermediate and intermediate sink tip fly lines. Orvis's Royal Oak, MI store fishing manager, Rich Merlino, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. We checked the coastal gulf off Siesta Key and found beautiful conditions but no action. However, we did find a few snook in the surf along Siesta and north Casey Key. We came back into Big Pass where we had fast action with blues and large ladyfish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies for a couple of hours. With the sea breeze up in the afternoon, we worked the west side of the bay near Bishop's Point and caught and released trout and ladyfish on Flats Bunnies and a variety of other flies.
Long time friends and customers, Les and Kimball Beery, from North Port, FL and Estes Park, CO, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. They had a great day with large trout on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. They caught a few blues and ladyfish in Big Pass to start the day, but the action wasn't as fast as Tuesday. We moved to deep grass flats along the east side of Sarasota Bay where they had steady action with trout on CAL jigs with gold shad tails. The action got faster and fish got bigger throughout the day. They finished the day with several slot size trout and 6 trout over the slot. Kimball ended the day with a "gator" trout of over 4-pounds on a DOA Deadly Combo.
My son-in-law, Capt. Andy Cotton, and I fished Sarasota Bay together on Friday to scout for the 15th annual Sarasota CCA Photo All-Release Challenge fishing tournament. We caught several snook, trout to 4-pounds, Spanish mackerel and blues on Clouser and Flats Bunny flies and located some reds to come up with a plan for the next day. On Saturday we fished the tournament and although things didn't go quite as planned, I won the Fly Fishing division with a snook and a trout. We had 15-20 mph SSE wind by 10 AM, which is straight up Sarasota Bay, causing very rough conditions! More than 120 anglers, in divisions for anglers, youth, fly and ladies fished the tournament. The event is low key and fun for the whole family and also raises money for CCA's conservation efforts.
Next week's tides are good as we head towards a full moon on Wednesday, although daytime flats fishing can sometimes be slow as a result. Fishing deep grass flats, snook at night and the coastal gulf for Spanish mackerel, cobia or tripletail should be good options. Keep your eyes open for the first tarpon of the season along the beaches.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
www.flyfishingflorida.net
Sarasota Fishing Forecast:
Capt. Rick Grassett's Fishing Forecast for May 2010
Tarpon will come on strong this month as their yearly migration begins. There may also still be some other migratory species around, such as Spanish mackerel and cobia. As fishing pressure shifts towards tarpon, anglers fishing bay waters should have fast action with trout, reds, pompano and more. Snook will move to passes and will also be found in the surf this month.
Tarpon should be plentiful by the middle of the month as we head towards a full moon on May 27th. They will school along our beaches after they arrive from offshore and may be heading either north or south depending on their destination. Observe the route they are traveling and set up ahead of them. Tarpon schools will often follow the same route from day to day, so once you figure that out you may get multiple shots at fish. Anglers using conventional tackle should do well with live crabs or a variety of baitfish. Plastic or hard body baits should also be good options for conventional anglers. Fly anglers should do well with intermediate fly lines in deeper water and floating or intermediate sink tip lines in shallow water. A variety of colors and styles of tarpon flies may work depending on conditions. A good presentation is critical!
There are a few basics that will help you be successful at tarpon fishing. Set up ahead of tarpon schools and take your shots at them as they pass. Depending on their demeanor you might want to take another shot at them by running several hundred yards out and around the school and set up again. Avoid running an outboard within several hundred yards of them. Also, use electric trolling motors sparingly especially in shallow water. Patience is a virtue when tarpon fishing!
Reds should be more active in May due to warmer water and plentiful bait. Look for them along mangrove shorelines and around oyster bars when the tide is high or in potholes and edges of sand bars when the water is low. I like to fan cast with jigs to locate fish. Fly anglers may be successful blind casting weighted flies in the same areas. Of course, sight casting is both challenging and rewarding. Try to find reds on light colored bottom such as sand bars and potholes for the best sight fishing opportunities. North Sarasota Bay, lower Tampa Bay and Gasparilla Sound have some great shallow grass flats for reds.
Snook season remains closed this month. They had a rough winter this year with the freeze we had in January, so handle them gently and use tackle heavy enough to land them quickly. They should move towards passes this month preparing for their annual spawn. You'll also find them in the surf where you can sight fish for them. Walk along the beach with a spinning rod and jigs or plastic baits or a fly rod and a variety of baitfish fly patterns and you should have lots of opportunities. A pair of polarized sunglasses is a must along with a hat with a dark underside bill. Your best visibility will usually be from mid morning until about noon.
Trout should be plentiful on deep grass flats this month. Drift and cast ahead of your drift with jigs or flies to locate them. You might also find pompano, Spanish mackerel and blues in the same areas. You'll need to use wire or heavy fluorocarbon when toothy fish are around. I do well on pompano with jigs or weighted flies fished on sinking fly lines. Birds or baitfish being forced out of the water are good indications that Spanish mackerel and bluefish may be present. Sarasota Bay has some great deep grass flats-Middlegrounds, Stephens Point, Bishops Point and the Whale Key bar. Big trout may also be found in skinny water along with reds where they might eat top water plugs or fly poppers. The best time for big trout in skinny water is usually when light conditions are low such as dawn, dusk or when it is overcast.
You might find Spanish mackerel along with king mackerel, little tunny, cobia and tripletail in the coastal gulf this month. Look for breaking fish, diving birds (especially terns) or bait being forced out of the water to find little tunny, blues and mackerel. You'll need at least a medium heavy spinning rod or a 9 or 10-weight fly rod for cobia. Tripletail could be targeted with medium spinning or 8 or 9-weight fly tackle. Look for them on crab trap floats or around buoys and cast live or plastic shrimp or fly patterns that sink slowly or suspend to them.
There are lots of options this month. Tarpon will be in the limelight and many anglers will have "tarpon fever". If pulling on a 100-pound fish isn't for you, there are plenty of other options in both bays and the coastal gulf. Whatever you choose to do, remember to always limit your kill, don't kill your limit!
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
www.flyfishingflorida.net
Target Species:
tarpon, snook, reds, trout, Spanish mackerel, cobia, tripletail
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