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Sarasota and Venice, FL Fishing Report for 4/6-4/11/2003

PostPosted: Fri Apr 11, 2003 10:30 am
by Capt. Rick Grassett
Anglers on the Snook Fin-Addict caught trout, redfish, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and snook during the past week. The highlight of the week was a tarpon, the first of the season, which was jumped on Wednesday. Wind was a problem on Thursday and Friday as another front pushed through the area. Hopefully it will be the last, but that’s what the weather forecasters said about the last front.

Charlie Alexander, from Longboat Key, FL, and his guest fished Monday and Tuesday with me in Sarasota Bay. They managed a pair of reds, several trout and a flounder on Clouser flies and CAL jigs near Buttonwood Harbor on Monday. We fished further south on Tuesday and they caught and released numerous trout on flies and jigs near the Ringling flats.

Fly anglers, Larry Ford from Longboat Key, FL, and Pete Moilinari, from Sarasota, FL, fished an evening trip in Venice with me on Tuesday evening. They caught and released 7 or 8 snook to 23” on Grassett’s Grass Minnow flies in Blackburn Bay.

The best trip of the week was on Wednesday morning with Sarasota winter residents, Ernie Gray and Roger Lalonde. They caught about 30 trout, including 6 slot-size trout to 18”, bluefish and a Spanish mackerel near the Ringling flats. Roger jumped an estimated 90-pound tarpon on a DOA shrimp. The tarpon hit close to the boat, left a huge boil and almost spooled his 2000 size Shimano Stradic reel on its initial run. Roger fought the fish with 10-pound test Power Pro line on a 6 ½ foot light-spinning rod for 30 minutes. After 4 jumps, the fish broke off. That’ll make your heart thump!

Wednesday evening, Thursday and Friday’s trips were cancelled due to up to 30 mph winds. There was also a touch of red tide in the ICW north of the Venice Inlet on Wednesday evening. Next weeks tides are favorable for flats fishing as we head toward a full moon.

Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail [email protected]
www.snookfin-addict.com or www.flyfishingflorida.net