FLY FISHING THE WEST CENTRAL, FLORIDA

West Central details

Interactive map of the West Central and related businesses Is the water pin in the wrong place? Click here to let us know. Add a new map Anglers who fish the West Central Capt. Rick Grassett craigcrumbliss Eric Picard oldfloridaflyfishing tonysav1 Trip reports 1 - EXCELLENT on 07/17/2010 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 7/4 through 7/17/2010 Fishing continues to be good in the coastal gulf for tarpon and in Sarasota Bay for trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and more. Fly anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action towards the end of the week of 7/4. Conditions were poor early that week with rain and overcast skies, however they improved to near perfect at the end of the week and tarpon responded favorably. Jerry Poslusny, from Rochester, NY and Jay Peck, from Spencerport, NY, tarpon fished with me on Thursday and Friday, 7/8 and 9. Jay is a fly fishing guide for trout, salmon and steelhead in upstate NY and couldn’t wait to pull on a big tarpon! They jumped 3 tarpon off Longboat and Lido Keys and got a couple of them to the boat, including one that Jerry caught and released that was 100-pounds or more. Another fly angler fished the same areas with me on Saturday. We had more than 20 shots at fish and a couple of bites but didn’t hook up. Gary and Tyler Mintz, from CO, fished several days with me this past week. Tarpon on a fly was our goal, but we fished Sarasota Bay on Monday due to rough conditions in the coastal gulf. They caught and released trout, bluefish and Spanish mackerel near Bishop Point on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on sink tip fly lines and a popper/dropper combo consisting of a Bubblehead popper and a Clouser fished on a floating line. With a similar forecast for Tuesday, we headed for more protected waters of the Peace River where we had a few shots at tarpon in the 20 to 30-pound class. However, conditions improved so much by 9 AM that we headed back to Sarasota to fish the coastal gulf. We had numerous shots at tarpon in the coastal gulf off Sarasota over the next couple of days and several hard follows, but no bites. It all came together for them on Thursday when Tyler made “the right cast to the right fish”. He hooked up with an estimated 75-pound tarpon on a black Deceiver and fought the fish for about 45-minutes. The fish broke off on a jump close to the boat, but we’d already had our fun! Another fly angler jumped and landed a similar size fish, also on a black Deceiver, in the same area on Friday. Although tarpon schools have thinned to more singles, doubles and small schools of fish rather than large schools, they are aggressive now. This should hold up through July or into early August. Tarpon are also beginning to move to inside waters where you may find them on deep grass flats or around bridges. DOA baits on spinning tackle, especially those that land gently such as the DOA shrimp and CAL shad tails, will also work well for tarpon during July. Fish the flats for trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and reds early in the day for the best action. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com (07/17/2010 at 11:10 AM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 2 - GOOD on 07/03/2010 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 6/20 through 7/3/2010 Tarpon continue to be plentiful along Sarasota beaches. Despite tough conditions, anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, jumped and landed several tarpon during the past couple of weeks. Fly anglers also scored on tarpon, snook, trout, blues and jacks. Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL and his mom, Andrea Lutz from Atlanta, GA, tarpon fished a couple of days with me on 6/23 and 24. Andrea jumped a pair of tarpon on live crabs off Lido and fought one of about 75-pounds to the boat. Hal fly fished and had a bite on a black Deceiver. Dave Macomber and Ted Kottom, both from MN, tarpon fished several days with me from 6/25-6/27. We fished lighted docks on Siesta Key a couple of mornings before dawn where they caught and released several snook to 24” and numerous trout to 18” on Grassett Snook Minnow flies. Dave jumped his first tarpon on a fly, a 75-pound fish, on a black Deceiver off Lido on Saturday. Despite having a knot come up in his fly line, he successfully cleared the line, got the knot back onto the reel and fought the fish to the boat in about 20-minutes. Ted landed a pair of tarpon, a 70-pounder on Saturday and a huge, 140-pound fish on Sunday on live crabs off Lido and Longboat Keys. Conditions were not good during the week of 6/28. Fish weren’t showing on the surface due to a big swell and overcast conditions made it tough to see them below the surface. Terry Notari, from Longboat Key, his son Craig Notari, from the Chicago area, and grandsons, Josh and James, fished a couple of days with me on 6/30 and 7/1. We had a small window of improved conditions each day at about noon when we had some visibility and swells laid down a little. They had a great day on Thurs, 7/1, landing 2 out of 4 fish including one on a fly. Both fish, about 75-pounds, were caught on Longboat Key-James got one to the boat on a crab and his dad, Craig, landed the other fish on a fly. His fish ate a black Deceiver only about 15 feet from the boat in one of the coolest bites of the season! Accuracy is often more important than distance when fly fishing. Craig’s fish was caught with only about a 20’ cast. Fly angler Jon Yenari, from Sarasota, FL, fished with me on Friday, 7/2. Our plan was to tarpon fish and we were surprised that conditions had deteriorated even further due to swells from Hurricane Alex finally reaching us. After spending a couple of hours in the gulf hunting tarpon, we headed into Sarasota Bay where we caught and released trout to 18”, blues to 2-pounds and jacks on Grassett Flats Bunny and Clouser flies. We fished the west side of Sarasota Bay near Bishop Point where we encountered several feeding frenzies of breaking blues and jacks. Jon caught a pair of 2-pound blues at the same time out of one of the frenzies on a popper/dropper combo! Tarpon should feed more aggressively as we head into July, which is my favorite month to fly fish for tarpon in shallow water. DOA baits on spinning tackle also work well this time of the year. Since many fish have already spawned, tarpon schools will be smaller and more willing to eat. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com (07/03/2010 at 02:00 PM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 2 - GOOD on 06/21/2010 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 6/7 through 6/20/2010 Tarpon fishing continues to be good along Sarasota beaches. Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action the last couple of weeks along Siesta and Longboat Keys. The DOA Baitbuster has been a hot bait! Dickie Herbst, from Bradenton, FL, fished a couple of days with me during the week of 6/7. Wind was out of the west on Monday, so we chose to fish more protected water in Tampa Bay near Terra Ceia. Rob Brady, from Sarasota, joined Dickie that day and caught and released a 115-pound tarpon on a live crab. Dickie also fished with me on Thursday, 6/10 with a guest. They jumped a pair of fish, one on a DOA Baitbuster and another on a live crab. One fish was fought to the boat after 20 to 30-minutes only to have a hook break. John Isard and his son, Jesse, from Osprey, FL, tarpon fished with me on Tuesday, 6/8. They fought an estimated 90-pound fish to the boat along Longboat Key after about 45 minutes on a DOA Baitbuster. It was a hot fish, almost spooling us on its initial run! Fly anglers had lots of shots and several hard follows on a couple of trips, but no eats. When fly fishing for tarpon it is a matter of the right presentation to the right fish. Don Moberg and sons, Dave and Doug, from MN, fished with me on Monday and Tuesday, 6/14 and 15. They had a great day casting live crabs on Monday along Siesta Key. They had 4 bites, jumping and bringing 3 fish to 110-pounds to the boat. The next day had plenty of shots but no bites. Newlyweds Kyle and Sarah Maddox, from Mobile, AL, fished Longboat Key with me on Wednesday, 6/16. They had 3 bites, jumped 2 of them and brought one about 90-pounds to the boat. Tarpon stayed in deep water towards the end of the week making it tougher for fly anglers to get a fly in front of fish. Action should continue to be good next week as we head towards a full moon on June 26th. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com (06/21/2010 at 01:31 AM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 1 - EXCELLENT on 06/06/2010 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 5/24 through 6/6/2010 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 tarpon off Sarasota beaches during the past couple of weeks. We jumped more than 15 fish and fought 4 or 5 to the boat. Anglers scored with live crabs, DOA Baitbusters and baitfish fly patterns along Lido and Longboat Key. Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, and Andrea Lutz, from Atlanta, GA, fished several days with me during the week of 5/24. One of the best trips of the week was with them on Thursday. Andrea had the hot hand jumping several tarpon on live crabs that day. Hal jumped a pair of fish on Enrico Puglisi Bronze Mullet flies and fought another fish that ate a live crab to the boat. Another angler jumped a tarpon on an Enrico Puglisi Black Mullet fly on Tuesday 5/25. David Sugar and his son, Max, from Sarasota, FL, had a great trip on Saturday, 5/29. He jumped 4 tarpon on live crabs and had numerous shots on his first ever tarpon trip! Tarpon were schooled tightly and “happy” that day even though it was a holiday weekend. A group of 6 anglers fished several days with Capt. Kelly Stilwell, Capt. Jack Hartman and me last week. Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, Steve Liska, from NJ, Dave Kinnamon, from Milwaukee, WI and Paul Browring, from the UK, fished various days on my boat. They jumped a total of 7 tarpon and landed 2, to 90-pounds, on live crabs and DOA Baitbusters. Other anglers in the group had similar action, jumping and landing several tarpon to 140-pounds, with a variety of live baits and flies. West wind forced us to fish inside waters of Sarasota Bay with the group on Friday. We had a great trip catching and releasing trout and bluefish to 2 ½-pounds on DOA Deadly Combos near Bishop Point. Nick Misischia, from Bend, OR, and his dad, Bill Misischia, from Sarasota, fished with me on Saturday. Nick caught and released about 6 trout on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly on a Siesta Key dock before dawn. We tried to fish the gulf for tarpon but Friday’s blow had the water too stirred up to spot fish. Bill caught and released a few trout on a DOA Deadly Combo at the Middleground flat and near Bishop Point in Sarasota Bay. Tarpon schools have been moving slowly and high in the water column giving us good shots at them. If conditions are rough in the coastal gulf, fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay should produce lots of variety and action. Bay fishing should be best early in the day before heat affects the bite later in the day. Tarpon fishing should continue to be strong as we approach the new moon on June 12th. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com (06/06/2010 at 10:41 AM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 1 - EXCELLENT on 05/23/2010 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 5/9 through5/23/2010 Anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and tarpon during the past couple of weeks. After warming up quickly, more than 10 degrees in a week or so, bay fishing slowed. However, tarpon showed up in force along our beaches. Fly anglers Lynn Skipper, from Brandon, FL and Robert Fischer, from Tampa, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on 2 different days during the week of 5/10. We spent some time tarpon fishing early both days, but they weren’t showing well enough to give us any decent shots at them. Sarasota winter residents, Norm and Francie Boardman, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday. Action in the bay was slow with a few trout and scattered blues and Spanish mackerel on a variety of flies and DOA Deadly Combos. I turned my attention to tarpon last week and conditions were great. The pattern has been for a push of tarpon schools at first light in the morning, although they haven’t been showing that well on the surface. Jim Festa and Bob Benson, both from Sarasota, FL, fished with me on Monday. We jumped a pair of tarpon off Siesta Key on live crabs and Jim landed the first tarpon of the season on my boat, an estimated 60-pounder. A couple of other fly tarpon trips had numerous shots at fish but no bites. Accuracy is very important when fly fishing for tarpon. The fly must be in the right place at the right time to be successful. Fly angler Jamie Grow, from Washington, DC, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday. We had some action for the first couple of hours of the day at Stephens Point, catching and releasing several trout to 18” and getting cut off by a blue or mackerel. Due to the success we’ve been having with the DOA Deadly Combo, we opted for a popper/dropper fly combo with my Grassett Flats Bunny fished behind a Bubblehead popper. Jamie caught the largest trout using this technique as well as had several exciting strikes. All fish were attracted by the popper in the off color water, but ate the bunny fly. Tarpon should be plentiful next week as we approach a full moon on May 27th. Drift live baits in their travel lane along beaches and cast live baits or DOA Baitbusters, Swimming Mullet and BFL’s to tarpon schools passing by. Fly anglers should do best later in the day when visibility is best. It is usually a matter of the right presentation to the right fish. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com (05/23/2010 at 09:43 AM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 1 - EXCELLENT on 05/11/2010 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 4/26 through 5/1/2010 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 trout to 22” and scattered bluefish to 3-pounds on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay and catch and release snook to 24” in the ICW at night near Venice during the week of 4/26. Jack Sinton and Dave Duerson, from Bend OR, caught and released more than 15 snook to 24” in the ICW at night near Venice on Monday night. They caught their fish on Grassett Snook Minnow flies fished on sink tip fly lines. Randy Ruskey, from Peoria, IL, had steady action with trout to more than 2-pounds and bluefish to 3-pounds on Grassett Flats Bunny and Ultra Hair Clouser flies on Tuesday. We fished deep grass flats on the west side of the bay near Bishop Point. Ed Martin, from Shanty Bay, ON, Canada, and his son Mike, also from Canada, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. They had good action with trout to more than 3-pounds, bluefish and a nice flounder on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos. Kirk Grassett, from Middletown, DE, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. We caught and released trout, jacks and ladyfish on Clouser and Flats Bunny flies at Stephens and Bishops Point. Next week’s tides will improve towards the end of next week as we get further away from the full moon. Fishing deep grass flats for trout and the ICW for snook at night should continue to be good options. Tarpon should start to show up along our beaches any day now. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com (05/11/2010 at 03:40 PM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 1 - EXCELLENT on 04/10/2010 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 3/29 through 4/9/2010 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 trout, Spanish mackerel and pompano during the past couple of weeks. The best action was on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Action improved as weather got better and water temperatures continued to warm. Mark Torkos, from Jacksonville, FL, fished several days with me in Sarasota Bay during the week of 3/29. The best action was at Stephens Point, Bishops Point and near Buttonwood Harbor where he caught and released trout and Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails and Grassett Deep Flats Bunny flies. Greg Smith and his son, Alex, from the Detroit, MI area, fished the same areas with me on Friday morning of that week. They caught and released more than a dozen trout to 3-pounds on the same lures and flies. Don and Rose Johnson, from Indianapolis, IN, fished with me that afternoon. They also caught trout to 17” and ladyfish on jigs and flies. Dale Bluman, from PA and Art Dauria, from NY, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning, 4/3. They caught and released numerous trout and a Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails at Stephens Point, Bishops Point and near Bayshore Gardens. Bill Beauchamp, from Bradenton, FL and Phil Belmore fished Sarasota Bay with me last Monday. They had fast action with trout to 3 1/2-pounds, Spanish mackerel to 7-pounds and pompano to 2-pounds on CAL jigs with shad tails at Stephens Point and along the west side of Sarasota Bay. The Spanish mackerel were some of the largest that I have ever caught. Fly anglers Perry Greene and his son, Dirk, from the Detroit, MI area, had also fast action with trout and Spanish mackerel on Grassett Deep Flats Bunny flies and Ultra Hair Clousers at Stephens Point, Bishops Point and near Buttonwood Harbor. Pierre Fortier and Alexandre Brassard, both from Quebec, Canada fished the same areas with me on Wednesday. They had similar action with trout, Spanish mackerel and pompano on Grassett Deep Flats Bunnies and CAL jigs with shad tails. Sarasota winter resident Nick Reding and I waded several flats in north Sarasota Bay on Thursday. Reds have been tough on lures and flies lately, but Nick did get one to eat a chartreuse Clouser fly. Fishing in skinny water for reds and snook and in the coastal gulf for Spanish and king mackerel, cobia and more should improve as the water continues to warm. Action should continue to be good on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com (04/10/2010 at 03:13 AM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 1 - EXCELLENT on 03/28/2010 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 3/13 through 3/28/2010 Anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had steady action during the past couple of weeks with trout and ladyfish on jigs and flies on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay and Gasparilla Sound. Most trips averaged 15 -20 trout and a few ladyfish. Fly anglers scored with Grassett’s Flats Bunnies and Super Hair Clousers on intermediate and intermediate sink tip fly lines while anglers using light spinning tackle caught their fish on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos. Steve Koerner, from CO, and Peter Widmann, from CA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday, 3/13. They caught and released trout and ladyfish on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails along the west side of the bay. Dick Hume, from MN, and his son-in-law, Chris Leu from TX, caught and released trout to 18” on Grassett’s Flats Bunnies, Super Hair Clousers, CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos in Gasparilla Sound with me on Monday. The best action was over deep grass outside of Bull Bay. Rick Peregord, from MI, fished Sarasota Bay with me a couple of days that week. He caught and released trout and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails along the west side of Sarasota Bay from Bishops Point to Buttonwood Harbor. Greg Baumeyer, from Chicago, IL, caught and released trout to 17” at Stephens Point and near Buttonwood Harbor on Grassett’s Flats Bunny and Clouser flies on Wednesday, 3/17. Ladd Weinberg, from CT, and his son-in-law, Dave from MA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 3/19 and caught and released trout and ladyfish on Grassett’s Flats Bunny flies and CAL jigs with shad tails. The best action was near Buttonwood Harbor. Rich Hunter and Tony Booth, both from NJ, caught and released trout to 18” on Grassett’s Flats Bunny flies and CAL jigs with shad tails at Stephens and Bishops Point on Saturday morning, 3/20. Fly anglers Nick Reding and Jim Ewoldt, both from St. Louis, MO, fished Sarasota Bay with me last Monday, 3/22. They caught several nice trout to 19” on Grassett’s Flats Bunny flies near Buttonwood Harbor. Fly angler Ladd Weinberg, from CT, fished a couple of days in the Terra Ceia Bay area with me last week. We strictly sight fished for reds and he had lots of shots, but they wouldn’t eat our flies. Stephen Lewis and his sons Danny and Sam, all from New York City, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday afternoon. They had fast action with trout on CAL jigs with shad tails at Stephens Point and near Bishops Point. Denny Parker, from Lake Wales, FL, and his son Jeff, from VA, also had fast action with trout in the same areas on Friday with flies. They caught and released more than 15 trout including a 3-pound and a 2 ½ pound trout on Ultra Hair Clouser and Grassett’s Flats Bunny flies. It seems as if spring has finally arrived and fishing should only get better. Next week’s tides are favorable as we head towards a full moon on March 30th. Fishing may be better late in the day if fish feed at night. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com (03/28/2010 at 05:47 PM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 2 - GOOD on 03/12/2010 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 2/22 through 3/12/2010 Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout and ladyfish on jigs and flies during the past couple of weeks. The best action was on deep grass flats of Gasparilla Sound, Little Sarasota Bay and Sarasota Bay. Martin Marlowe, from NY and his son, Bruce, from RI, fished Little Sarasota Bay near Midnight Pass with me on Weds, 2/24 and had steady action with trout to 18” and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails. Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL and Jack McCulloch, from Englewood, FL, fished Gasparilla Sound with me the following day. We found water temperatures in the low 50’s in skinny water, however it didn’t bother trout. They caught more than a dozen trout to 18”, with most of them in the slot, on CAL jigs with shad tails. Weather conditions were poor the following week. We had 20 to 30 mph winds on Weds and Thurs, 3/3 and 3/4 which forced me to reschedule trips on those days. I was on the casting pond giving a seminar on “Saltwater Fly Fishing” at the Tampa Tribune’s Frank Sergeant Outdoors Expo on Friday afternoon and Capt. Ed Hurst and I were instructors for a CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Saturday. I was back on the water on Sunday, 3/7 with Dave Kinnamon and Jim Russ, both from WI. We fished deep grass flats in Gasparilla Sound and near Bull Bay, and caught more than 25 trout to 17” on CAL jigs with shad tails. The action was slow to start but turned on in the afternoon. Ryan Morse, from VA, and his dad, Eric Morse, fished the same area with me on Monday. They had similar results with trout to 21” on CAL jigs with shad tails and Clouser flies. Martin Marlowe, from NY, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday afternoon. He caught and released a dozen or more trout and a couple of blues on Clouser flies near Buttonwood Harbor. We found lots of reds near Long Bar, but they ignored our flies and jigs. Harry Beaty, from Canada, and Tom Schalk, from MI, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. They had steady action with trout to 20” on CAL jigs with shad tails, including 4 slot-size fish. Mike Sprague, from NJ, fished a few hours with me on Thursday morning before high winds, associated with an approaching front, forced us off the water. He caught and released more than 20 trout and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails near Stephens Point. Next week’s tides are good as we approach the new moon on March 15th. Water temperatures have finally warmed to about 60 degrees, so action should continue to improve. The best action should be with trout on deep grass flats, although reds should also become more active as the water warms. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com (03/12/2010 at 04:19 PM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 3 - FAIR on 02/21/2010 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 2/8 through 2/21/2010 Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had action with trout, ladyfish and redfish on deep grass flats of Little Sarasota Bay and Gasparilla Sound during the past couple of weeks. The bigger trout have been coming from the edges of bars, channels and troughs. Mike Sprague and Kep Philips, both from NJ, fished Little Sarasota Bay near Midnight Pass with me on Monday, Feb. 8th. They caught and released a dozen or more trout to 18” and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails. Keith McClintock and Hal D’Orazio, both from Lake Forest, IL, fished Gasparilla Sound with me on Tuesday, Feb. 9th with similar results. We caught and released about a dozen trout to more than 20”and a redfish also on CAL jigs with shad tails. A trip on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 14th, in Little Sarasota Bay produced several trout and ladyfish on the same lures. On a couple of trips in Little Sarasota Bay last week, with water temperatures persisting in the low 50’s, we caught and released trout and ladyfish in the ICW channel, on channel edges or on deep grass flats close to channel edges. One of the best trips of the week was on Tuesday with Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, and John Freeman, Jr., from Venice, FL. They had good action catching and releasing about 10 trout and numerous ladyfish on deep grass near Spanish Point. Next week’s tides will improve towards the end of the week as we head towards a full moon on Feb. 28th. With water temperatures still in the low to mid 50’s, afternoons should continue to fish better than mornings due to warmer water. Trout on deep flats or in channels and reds or sheepshead around docks should continue to be the best options. When the water warms a few degrees it should make a big difference. There are still some spots available for CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on March 6th. Contact CB’s at (941) 349-4400 to sign up. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com (02/21/2010 at 02:03 PM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 2 - GOOD on 02/07/2010 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 1/24 through 2/7/2010 Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released mostly trout and ladyfish during the past couple of weeks. Action wasn’t too fast but was steady. However, there were a couple of great trips. In addition, we also caught a few ladyfish, a snook, flounder and redfish. The water has warmed to the low 60’s and fishing has been improving as a result. Gary and Robbyn Hehe, from IN, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, Jan. 25th. They caught and released several ladyfish and trout on CAL jigs with shad tails. My sister, Michelle Mumford and her boyfriend, Bill Walterhoefer, both from DE, fished the same area with me on Wednesday with similar results. Michelle and Bill also fished with me on Friday and caught and released about 20 trout to 18” in Zwick’s Channel and a red and a snook in Roberts Bay all on CAL jigs with shad tails. Fly angler Josh Fine, from CT, fished a couple of days with me in Sarasota and Terra Ceia Bays. He caught and released trout and ladyfish on Clouser and a bend back style rattle fly. We found some reds cruising a shallow grass flat but couldn’t get them to eat our flies. The action heated up last week as we headed away from the full moon. Harry Beaty and Paul Rotz, both from Ontario, Canada, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, Feb. 1st. They caught more than 20 trout, including 8 slot-size trout on CAL jigs with shad tails. We also released a 23” trout that weighed over 3-pounds. We fished the east side of the bay from Stephens Point to Long Bar. We found the biggest trout in skinny water. Keith McClintock and Larry Stillman, both from IL, fished the same area with me the next day. The trout were smaller than the previous day but we had one slot size trout and a nice flounder on CAL jigs with shad tails. Fly anglers Ron Cordes, from ID, and Dusty Sprague, from North Port, FL fished Blackburn and Little Sarasota Bays with me on Wednesday afternoon. They caught and released a few trout and ladyfish on Clouser flies fished on an intermediate fly line. It was a pleasure to have a couple of great fly casters like Ron and Dusty on board. Fly angler Jerry Poslusny, from Rochester, NY, fished the Terra Ceia Bay area with me on Thursday. Jerry is the new owner of my previous Action Craft, so we were on a fishing trip and a shakedown “cruise”. We caught a dozen or more trout to 17” on a Clouser fly and had a few shots at reds in Terra Ceia. Jim Cox, from IL, and his sons, Mike and Jason, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning. A front passed through on Friday evening and the forecast was for high winds on Saturday, but that didn’t materialize until late in the trip. They caught and released about 20 trout to 19”, including 7 or 8 nice slot size trout on CAL jigs with shad tails. We also worked some docks in Blackburn Bay and hooked a big red that couldn’t be turned Sadly, I learned that my friend, Capt. Mel Berman, passed away at the age of 81 on Friday due to complications from heart surgery. He had a radio program on Saturday mornings in the Tampa Bay area for 25 years. He was friend to conservation and an advocate of fishing with artificial baits. I was fortunate to have been a guest on his radio program numerous times over the years. Mel and I fished many days on Sarasota Bay over the years and always ended it with a “shore lunch” at The Old Salty Dog Restaurant on New Pass. He always had a joke or a story to share. He was also an animal lover, so we always enjoyed catching up on our “furry kids”. There will be a big void on Saturday mornings now. He will be missed. Tides will improve towards the end of next week as we head towards a new moon on Feb. 14th. Unless the water gets colder, fishing should improve. Reds may tail on shallow grass flats of Gasparilla Sound on negative low tides at the end of next week. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com (02/07/2010 at 08:47 PM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 3 - FAIR on 01/24/2010 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 1/10 through 1/23/2010 Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout and reds in Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor recently. Water temperatures have warmed to close to 60 degrees and fish are starting to feed again. The week of Jan. 10th was still very cold and there wasn’t much action. Dennis Stehlik, from IL, and Ron Mosetich, from RI, fished Charlotte Harbor with me on Friday, Jan. 15th. With the water temperature still in the low 50’s, they managed a few trout on CAL jigs with shad tails. The action picked up during the week of Jan. 17th. Tom Lamb, from Geneva, Switzerland and John Freeman, Jr., from Venice, FL, fished Charlotte Harbor with me on Monday. They caught and released 10 or 12 trout to 17” and 3 reds to 28” on CAL jigs with shad tails. Fly angler Dave Wahl, from IL, fished north Sarasota Bay near Long Bar with me the next day. He caught and released about 10 trout on Clouser flies, including a 3-pound trout that he sight-fished out of a pothole. He also fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday and caught and released a pair of trout on Clouser flies before wind ran us off the water. Keith McClintock and Victor Feldman, both from IL, fished north Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. They caught and released about 10 trout, including a 3 ½ and a 5 ½-pounder, and a redfish on CAL jigs with shad tails. The bigger trout and redfish have been in skinny water in the afternoon. Unfortunately, the recent freeze claimed more fish (snook, jacks, pompano and ladyfish) than we had hoped. Further south in the Keys, bonefish, permit and tarpon were killed. In response, the Florida FWC has instituted and emergency statewide closure on snook, bonefish and tarpon. Snook season will remain closed through the spring and will not reopen until Sept. 1st. Bonefish and tarpon will be closed through March 31st. These measures were necessary to protect species already extremely stressed due to the recent freeze. Catch and release fishing is allowed for these species during the closure, although anglers should use good judgment and handle fish gently. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend targeting snook in the near future. They will need all the help they can get for a while. For more details, go to www.myfwc.com . Next week’s tides, as we head towards a full moon on Jan. 30th, are favorable for reds and trout in skinny water. Reds may tail on shallow grass flats of lower Tampa Bay or Gasparilla Sound on negative low tides towards the end of the week. Although our recent freeze was the worst in decades many fish survived. We are fortunate to have a variety of species, such as trout reds, bluefish and sheepshead, which can handle the cold water. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com (01/24/2010 at 06:42 AM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 3 - FAIR on 01/10/2010 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 12/26/2009 through 1/9/2010 Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released redfish, Spanish mackerel, blues, flounder, pompano, trout and ladyfish on flies and jigs during the past couple of weeks. We’ve been catching some of the biggest blues (up to 5-pounds) that I’ve seen in years. However, we are also experiencing some of the coldest weather that we have seen in quite a while which has affected fishing lately. Denis Clohisy, and his son, Denis, from WI, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning, 12/26. The tide was poor, but they still managed to catch several nice blues, a Spanish mackerel and a nice trout on CAL jigs with shad tails and Ultra Hair Clouser flies. Jack McCulloch, from Englewood, FL, and his son, Mike, from St. Louis, MO, fished Gasparilla Sound with me on Monday, 12/28. They caught and released trout and blues around spoil islands in Gasparilla Sound on CAL jigs with shad tails. They also caught several reds, a snook, flounder and numerous trout in skinny water in Bull and Turtle Bays. With the water temperature hovering in the mid 50”s, we had some action with blues and trout on CAL jigs with shad tails and Clouser flies on several other trips in Sarasota Bay later that week. We also caught and released scattered Spanish mackerel and pompano. The best trip of the week was on New Year’s Eve day with Scott and Scottie Heidler, from Hudson, OH. With a strong front approaching, we fished the Middleground flat for more than 5-hours and had nonstop action catching and releasing blues, Spanish mackerel, trout, pompano and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails. We spent the last couple hours of the day in skinny water catching several nice trout, a pompano and hooked a snook that couldn’t be turned! I had to cancel several trips from Friday through Monday (1/1 through 1/4) due to wind and cold. However, with the water temperature in the low 50’s I got back on the water later in the week on Thursday with Kevin Graham and his wife, Beverley, from Ontario, Canada. We fished Longboat Key canals looking for warmer water and found more than 20 dead or dying jacks due to cold water. Fortunately, we didn’t see any snook or other species that were being affected by the extreme cold. They caught a pair of trout, one on a fly and the other on a jig, on a deep grass flat near Bayshore Gardens. Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL and Victor Feldman, from Champagne, IL, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 1/9. Despite tough conditions, they managed to catch 3 reds to 30”, including a pair of nice slot-size fish, and a pair of trout to 16” on CAL jigs with shad tails. With water temperatures now in the low 50’s, subtropical species such as snook and members of the jack family are now in a survival mode. The good news is that due to a series of fronts, the water temperature came down slowly, so fish have been able to move to safer (warmer) areas. However, if it gets much colder they still could be in trouble. In the meantime, you may be successful by changing your tactics or targeting species that are more tolerant of cold water, such as bluefish, sheepshead, trout or reds. Fish protected shorelines on sunny afternoons and you should have more action due to slightly warmer water. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com (01/10/2010 at 09:29 AM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 2 - GOOD on 12/25/2009 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 12/12 through 12/25/2009 Merry Christmas! Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released snook, redfish, Spanish mackerel, blues, flounder, pompano, trout and ladyfish on flies and jigs the past couple of weeks. We’ve been catching some of the biggest blues (up to 5-pounds) that I’ve seen in years. The best action continues to be on deep grass flats along the east side of Sarasota Bay from Stephens Point to Long Bar. Bob Harness, from St. Louis, MO, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. He caught and released several trout, Spanish mackerel and blues on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on an intermediate sink tip fly line. Great fun on 6 and 7-weight rods! CB’s Saltwater Outfitters manager, Doug Forde, and outdoor writer, David Brown from Tampa, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. With a negative low tide, we focused on potholes and sand bar edges for most of the morning. Doug caught and released a mid 20” snook and we caught numerous trout including several in the 18”-20” class on CAL jigs with shad tails. In the afternoon, we had decent action with Spanish mackerel, blues and pompano on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails on deep grass flats. Norm and Francie Boardman, from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. With a strong front approaching, I thought fish would be feeding heavily, but they weren’t. It was slow, but they caught several trout, ladyfish, bluefish and a Spanish mackerel on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails. A front pushed through over the weekend causing cool, windy conditions for a few days. On Monday morning it was 45 degrees with a brisk north wind, but by afternoon conditions were better. Eric Everett and his wife, Julie, from VA, and brother-in-law, Antone, from Ireland, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday afternoon. They caught and released several trout and bluefish on CAL jigs with shad tails on the east side of the bay. Rob Thompson and his dad, Jeff, from the Baltimore area, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday morning. They had fast action with blues, trout and Spanish mackerel on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails at the Middleground flat. John Shoup and his friend Mark, from the Detroit, MI area fished with me in the afternoon. The action slowed, but they managed several trout, ladyfish and a nice pompano on flies near Stephens Point. John and Susan Weiss, from GA, fished the same areas with me on Wednesday. We found the action slower, but John managed a few blues and Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails. Scott and Scottie Heidler, from Hudson, OH, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Christmas Eve day. The morning was slow, but they finished strong. They caught trout to 18”, blues to 4 ½-pounds, Spanish mackerel, flounder and a nice red on CAL jigs with shad tails along the east side of the bay. Tides will improve as we head towards a full moon next week. Action may be better later in the day if it is cold in the morning. I’d like to thank all of you who have fished with me this year and over the years. Hope everyone has a happy and prosperous New Year! Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com (12/25/2009 at 06:13 PM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 2 - GOOD on 12/11/2009 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 11/30 through 12/11/2009 Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had fast action with pompano and bluefish during the week of 11/30. Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, and I fished the east side of Sarasota Bay on Tuesday, 12/1 and caught and released more than 15 pompano to 3-pounds and several blues to 4-pounds on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on intermediate sink tip fly lines. Wind was an issue on Wednesday as a front moved in, but Jordan Hechtman and Frank Neubauer, both from Longboat Key, managed to catch a pompano, bluefish and several trout on CAL jigs with shad tails before we called it an early day. Jim Festa and Bob Benson, both from Sarasota fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. The action slowed as the front drifted back to the north; however they still caught a pompano, a couple of blues, a nice flounder and several nice trout near Long Bar on CAL jigs with shad tails before a steady rain ran us off the water. Capt. Ed Hurst and I were instructors at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Sat. Dec. 5th. The school covers fly casting basics, line control, shooting line and the roll cast. Winter/spring 2010 dates have been established and are Jan. 23, Feb. 20, Mar. 6, Mar. 27 and Apr. 17. Capt. Ed Hurst and I will also cover leader construction, fly selection and saltwater fly fishing techniques. The course, designed for beginning and intermediate fly casters, will also cover correcting problems and improving casting skills. Cost for the school, which will run from 9 AM to 4 PM, is $150 per person and includes the use of premium Orvis fly tackle, a text book, instructional DVD and lunch. Contact CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 or cbsoutfitters@verizon.net to make reservations. Mike Sprague and Kep Phillips, both from NJ, and their friend, Warner, from Naples, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. They caught a couple of pompano and bluefish, numerous trout and a red on CAL jigs with shad tails. The best action was near Long Bar. Walt Poxon, from MN, and Bill and Sue Poxon, from Sarasota, FL, fished the east side of Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. They had fast action with blues to 4-pounds, Spanish mackerel and numerous trout on CAL jigs with shad tails. A front pushed through late Thursday, but I expect action to pick back up when the weather stabilizes by the weekend. Negative low tides, as we approach the new moon on Weds, Dec. 16th, should concentrate fish in potholes and along sand bars. Snook at night should also be a good option especially towards the end of next week when evening tides improve. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com (12/11/2009 at 12:51 PM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 2 - GOOD on 11/30/2009 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 11/23 through 11/29/2009 Anglers fishing Sarasota Bay with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, during the past week had good action with trout, blues and pompano on jigs and flies. A couple of trips in lower Tampa Bay also had action with trout, snook and reds. Deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay have been the best option for variety and action. George Alberici, from Sarasota, FL, and Sal DeVita, from Valrico, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. They caught numerous trout to 23” (4 ½ lbs), blue fish and pompano on CAL jigs with shad tails from Stephens Point to Long Bar. Keith Roessler and Kevin Hunter, from Albuquerque, NM fished the same area with me on Tuesday except we also fished the coastal gulf. We spent a couple of hours off Lido Key and found lots of little tunny and Spanish mackerel feeding on tiny baits and being very picky. Keith hooked a nice little tunny on a white Clouser, but the rod broke, due to an equipment malfunction, as the fish made a blistering run, causing the fish to also break off. We came back into Sarasota Bay where they caught and released numerous trout, 4 bluefish (to 4-pounds) and 4 pompano (to 3-pounds) and a bonnethead shark on Clouser flies near Stephens Point. Nick Frederick, from Lakewood Ranch, FL, and his son, Nick, from Arizona, fished the Terra Ceia Bay area with me on Wednesday morning. It rained hard until early afternoon as a front pushed through our area. It was young Nick’s first venture in saltwater with a fly rod. He caught and released several trout on Clouser flies while his dad did well with a CAL jig and a shad tail. That afternoon I fished the same area with part of a family group along with my friend, Capt. Ray Markham. Justin Barnes, his wife, Meredith (from Atlanta, GA) and her sister, Joy, from Dayton, OH, fished on my boat. We had steady action with trout to 23” (4-pounds), several snook to 22” and a 17”red. All fish were caught on CAL jigs with shad tails. Capt. Ray’s group also did well, catching a slam that included a legal snook, numerous trout, a red and a Spanish mackerel. Bill Beauchamp, from Bradenton, FL, and his brother-in-law, Chuck Kushto, also from Bradenton, fished the Terra Ceia area with me on Friday. The previous day’s cold front had dropped the water temperature and slowed the action. They worked hard and we caught a few trout, a flounder and a small red on CAL jigs with shad tails. Friday’s trip in Sarasota Bay was similar. Fly angler Paul Stokes, from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning. We took a look in the gulf off Lido and found a big swell and dirty water. We saw a school of mackerel or little tunny, but they were up and gone fast. We came back into Sarasota Bay, where Paul caught and released several Spanish mackerel, a bluefish and several trout on a chartreuse/white Ultra Hair Clouser. Action was slow at first until we found a protected area, which was a couple of degrees warmer than surrounding waters and had some activity. Next week’s negative low tides should be good for reds, snook and trout in potholes and along sandbars. Deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay should continue to be one of best options for variety and action. When the gulf calms down and the water clears up, action should heat up again for Spanish mackerel and little tunny. Remember that snook season closes on Tuesday, Dec. 1st and trout season remains closed in the south region through December. For details, go to www.myfwc.com. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com (11/30/2009 at 06:54 AM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 2 - GOOD on 11/13/2009 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 11/7 through 11/13/09 Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, bluefish and pompano on jigs and flies on a couple of trips this week. We fished deep grass flats on both sides of the bay as we dodged wind from Hurricane Ida, which was passing us by in the gulf. Dick Meeker, from Aspen, CO, and his son-in-law, Jeff, fished Sarasota Bay from Stephens Point to Long Bar with me on Tuesday. They caught and released a dozen or more trout to 22” on CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms. Jeff also hooked a large bluefish, but it was able to bite through our heavy fluorocarbon leader before we put out hands on it. With the wind clocking around to the west, Norm and Francie Boardman, from Sarasota, fished the west side of the bay with me on Wednesday. The afternoon was better than the morning, but they caught and released 12 or 15 trout to 22” and a 4-pound pompano on CAL jigs with shad tails and Clouser flies. Next week’s negative low tides in the morning should be good for reds, snook and catch and release trout in potholes of Sarasota Bay. Look for action with little tunny and Spanish mackerel to get hot off the beaches when the coastal gulf calms. CB’s Saltwater Outfitters will be holding their Fishing Extravaganza on Saturday, November 21st from 9 AM to 4 PM. The event will feature seminars, including Mark Nichols of DOA Fishing Lures, fly casting, fly tying, fishing boats on display and clothing and fishing tackle on sale. Contact CB’s at (941) 349-4400 for more info. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com (11/13/2009 at 04:12 PM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 2 - GOOD on 11/06/2009 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 10/26 through 11/6/2009 Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had great action with little tunny, Spanish mackerel, jacks, trout, bluefish and pompano during the past couple of weeks. The best action was in the coastal gulf with little tunny, Spanish mackerel and jacks on flies. Jason Rhind and Ryan Bellittera, both from Bradenton, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, Oct. 26th. They caught and released trout to 18”, bluefish to 3-pounds and jacks on CAL jigs with shad tails and grubs on the east side of Sarasota Bay from Stephens Point to Long Bar. My brother Kirk Grassett, from Middletown, DE, and a friend, Nick DelleDonne from Lancaster, PA, visited and fished with me the rest of the week. Nick owns The Evening Rise fly shop in Lancaster, PA (www.theeveningrise.com). Nick, Kirk and I fished albies together in the fall with a group of guys at Harker’s Island, NC for several years. Since that area is much more prone to bad weather in November than we are here in Sarasota, this trip was planned as an alternative to fishing there and it didn’t disappoint! We fished several days in the coastal gulf off Sarasota, Boca Grande and Tampa Bay. The best action was off Lido and Longboat Keys and at the mouth of Tampa Bay near Egmont Key. They caught and released numerous little tunny to more than 10-pounds, Spanish mackerel to 5-pounds and jacks to 4-pounds on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on intermediate fly lines. They caught more than a dozen little tunny on one of their best trips of the week off Lido. A couple of trips in Sarasota Bay produced trout to more than 20”, blues to 4-pounds, Spanish mackerel and pompano to 3-pounds on Clouser flies fished on intermediate and intermediate sink tip fly lines. I fished the 5th annual MCFF/CCA “Fall Fly Fishing Challenge” on Saturday, Oct. 31st. A total of 33 fly anglers competed in 2 divisions in the catch-photo-release format tournament. The event, which promotes the sport of fly fishing and benefits MCFF”s scholarship fund and CCA’s conservation efforts, was sponsored by Orvis, CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, Economy Tackle, Discount Tackle Outlet, Cook’s Sportland, Fisherman’s Edge, New Pass Grill and Bait Shop, Tampa Angler and Simms. It’s a great day of fly fishing fun and friendly competition. Larry Jamieson, from Sarasota, FL, took a fly casting lesson with me and then fished a ½ day in Sarasota Bay on Thursday, Nov. 5th. We worked on casting different types of fly lines from floating to intermediate sink tip and full sinking intermediate. We fished the east side of the bay from Stephens Point to Long Bar, where he caught and released trout, bluefish, catfish and ladyfish on Clouser flies. Action should continue in the coastal gulf and deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay through November. In addition, shallow water action should pick up as the water cools. I will be the instructor at an Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Saturday, November 7th. Cost for the school, which includes the use of premium Orvis fly tackle, a text book, instructional DVD and lunch is $150 per angler. Contact me for more info or CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 to sign up. CB’s Saltwater Outfitters will also be holding their Fishing Extravaganza on Saturday, November 21st from 9 AM to 4 PM. The event will feature seminars, including Mark Nichols of DOA Fishing Lures, fly casting, fly tying, fishing boats on display and clothing and fishing tackle on sale. Contact CB’s for more info. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com (11/06/2009 at 02:23 PM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 2 - GOOD on 10/25/2009 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 10/10 through 10/25/2009 Hey! Hey! Hey! Fat Albert! Anglers fishing with me recently on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released snook, trout, reds, Spanish mackerel and little tunny. The best action was with Spanish mackerel and little tunny in the coastal gulf off Sarasota and Boca Grande. Bob Cole and a friend, from Venice, FL, and Bob’s son, Neal, from Boston, MA, fished Little Sarasota Bay and Blackburn Bay with me on Saturday, Oct. 10th. They caught and released trout and a couple of snook on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos. Chad Allen, from the Detroit area, and his brother Brett and daughter, Lauren, from Bradenton fished with me on Sunday, Oct. 11. We fished the coastal gulf off Siesta Key where they caught and released several Spanish mackerel to 4-pounds on top water plugs. Numerous sharks, mixed with the mackerel, attacked our hooked fish making for some exciting action! Mike Sprague, from NJ, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. He caught and released several trout to 21” on CAL jigs with shad tails and a nice red on a gold spoon near Bishops Point. Peter Varga, from Sarasota, FL and a guest, Joshua Miller, fished Sarasota Bay with me the next day. We found very little surface activity in the coastal gulf with Spanish mackerel, so we fished Sarasota Bay. The action was slow, but they caught a few trout on CAL jigs with shad tails and flies. Fly angler Alex Ericsen, from CT, fished Blackburn Bay with me before dawn on Friday morning. He caught and released 8 or 10 snook to 23” and a redfish on Grassett’s Snook Minnow and Skitterbug flies. The Skitterbug is similar to a Gartside Gurgler, but tied to resemble a shrimp. A front blew through late Friday causing windy conditions for a few days, forcing me to cancel a couple of fly fishing trips. Fly angler Nick Reding, from Sarasota, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. We mainly waded and targeted reds, but the action was slow. However, Nick caught and released a slam near Long Bar consisting of a red, a snook and several trout on my Grassett’s Flats Minnow and Clouser flies. The best trips of the week were with little tunny (a.k.a. bonito, false albacore or fat Albert). One trip was in the Boca Grande area with Jon Yenari and Kyle Ruffing, both from Sarasota, FL. We fished the coastal gulf outside of Gasparilla Pass on Wednesday and found lots of little tunny. They were moving fast and were hard to get on, but once we got dialed into them we had fast action. They caught and released numerous little tunny to more than 10-pounds on Enrico Puglisi style and Crease flies. We headed into Gasparilla Sound for the last couple of hours of the day and waded a sand bar where Jon caught and released a nice red on a black crab fly pattern that was swimming on the back of a large ray. Sweet! Ed Chiles and Skip Raddick, from Anna Maria Island, got in on the action with me on Friday. This was a trip that I donated to a silent auction for the “Slaw Dog” fishing tournament to benefit Mote Marine Laboratory and Ed was the successful bidder. We fished the coastal gulf off Anna Maria Island and had fast action with little tunny and Spanish mackerel on Clouser flies. Friends Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, and Jim Knowles, from Bradenton, FL, fished along with us in Rusty’s boat and also had fast action. We are in one of my favorite times of the year for fishing the coastal gulf, flats and snook at night. Water temperatures have cooled into the mid 70’s and many species of fish are on the move. There are a few upcoming events that you may be interested in. I will be hosting a group of fly anglers at Andros South bonefish lodge from May 1-8, 2010. Please contact me if you are interested in joining the group or for more info. I will also be the instructor at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Nov. 7th. Cost for the school, which includes the use of premium Orvis fly tackle, a text book, instructional DVD and lunch is $150 per angler. Contact me for more info or CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 to sign up. If you are looking for something fun to do, the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers/Coastal Conservation Association’s “Fall Fly Fishing Challenge” is Saturday, Oct. 31st. Anglers will fish for snook, reds, trout and more in a digital photo-release format. Cost for the event is $50 per angler and includes an awards BBQ. Contact me for more info. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com (10/25/2009 at 03:05 PM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 2 - GOOD on 10/09/2009 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 9/23 through 10/9/2009 Anglers fishing with me on the Snook fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released Spanish mackerel and trout on a couple of trips recently. The best action was with Spanish mackerel in the coastal gulf. I also spent some time in Delaware visiting family and had an opportunity to fish the Chesapeake Bay for stripers. My brother, Kirk Grassett from Middletown, DE, and I fished the mouth of the Choptank River out of Tilghman Island, MD in his new 18’ Jones Brothers Cape Fisherman, which is a great boat for light tackle and fly fishing in bigger bodies of water such as Chesapeake Bay. We were on “breaking” stripers and blues most of the day. Although they weren’t large, they were plentiful and great fun on 6 and 7-weight fly rods. We caught them on Crease flies, Clouser Floating Minnows and Clouser Deep Minnow flies. A great day! After returning to Florida, fly angler Ladd Weinberg from CT, fished with me on Sunday, Oct. 4th. He caught a Spanish mackerel and several trout on Ultra Hair Clouser flies. We were feeling the effects of the full moon, which sometimes causes fish to feed at night rather than during the day. The action picked up later in the week when Greg French and Justin Stewart, from Newfoundland, Canada, fished with me. We found Spanish mackerel plentiful in the coastal gulf off Siesta Key. There were also lots of sharks mixed in with them. They caught and released more than 20 Spanish mackerel to 4-pounds on Crease flies, poppers and surface walking top water plugs. Justin had a big Spanish mackerel eaten by a large shark and had it on for a few minutes until it chewed the mackerel off his fly. Great action! Fishing flats and the coastal gulf should improve as we get further away from the full moon. Fish the coastal gulf for Spanish mackerel, little tunny, cobia and more or Sarasota Bay for trout, blues, Spanish mackerel, snook and reds. I will be the instructor at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters first Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school of the season on Nov. 7th. The school will cover fly casting basics, line control, shooting line and roll casting. Hours of the school are from 8:30 AM to 4 PM and will also cover leader construction, fly selection and saltwater fly fishing techniques. Cost is $150 per angler and includes the use of premium Orvis fly tackle, a text book, instructional DVD and lunch. Contact CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 to sign up. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com (10/09/2009 at 02:56 PM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 2 - GOOD on 09/22/2009 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 9/14 through 9/22/2009 Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had action with a variety of species during the past 10 days. Fly anglers caught and released snook, trout, bluefish, little tunny (false albacore), Spanish mackerel, jacks and ladyfish. Spin anglers also got in on the action catching and releasing snook. Frank Angelona, from Oak Hill, WV, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tues, Sept. 15th. He caught and released trout, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, jacks and ladyfish on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly fished on an intermediate sink tip fly line near Buttonwood Harbor. Jeff Bell, from Sarasota, FL and his son, Tom Bell, just back from a tour of duty in Iraq, snook fished with me in “snook alley” near Venice before dawn on Saturday morning. We found snook feeding selectively on glass minnows and small shrimp. They caught and released 5 or 6 snook to 23” on DOA Tiny TerrorEyz and CAL jigs with jerk worms. Jim and Angela Labauve, from Tuscaloosa, AL, fished the same area with me on Sunday morning. Snook were even pickier than the day before, but they caught and released 2 or 3 snook on my Grassett’s Snook Minnow fly. Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, FL, and I fished Tampa Bay on Monday, 9/21. We fished Tampa Bay near Egmont Key and found schools of Spanish mackerel and little tunny (false albacore) marauding bait schools. We caught and released 8 or 10 little tunny and about a dozen Spanish mackerel on Grassett’s Snook Minnow, Ultra Hair Clousers, Crease flies and Bubblehead poppers. Fish fed throughout the entire incoming tide and we left them biting after 3 PM. A great day! Action should improve on both flats and in the coastal gulf as days continue to get shorter and the water cools. Snook usually feed more aggressively as we head into fall and deep flats should have plenty of action with trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and more. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com (09/22/2009 at 03:52 PM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 2 - GOOD on 09/13/2009 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 9/4 through 9/13/2009 Anglers fishing with me recently on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, snook, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, mangrove snapper, ladyfish and jacks on jigs and flies. The best action and variety continues to be on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Ladyfish will begin feeding in glass minnow schools and if they stay on the surface long enough other predators will join the fray. Out of these feeding frenzies, we have caught ladyfish, jacks, trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and even had shots at tarpon. Look for diving terns, clustered low to the surface of the water to find the action. Best conditions are after the sun gets bright when there isn’t much wind. Anglers fishing with me have also caught a few snook on the flats and around lighted docks. We have also had shots at tarpon feeding on shadow lines before dawn, but they have been very finicky. Jack Satterfield, from St. Petersburg, FL, fished the Terra Ceia Bay area with me on Friday, Sept. 4th. He caught and released trout to 18” and a 23” snook on CAL jigs with shad tails. One of the best trips was on Sunday, Sept. 6th with fly angler Gary Mintz, from CO. Gary fished Sarasota Bay with me and caught and released snook before dawn on Siesta Key docks with my Grassett’s Snook Minnow fly. We moved to the flats near Buttonwood Harbor where he caught and released numerous trout to 23”, bluefish to 3-pounds, ladyfish, jacks and mangrove snapper on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly. Pete Walacko and Richard Ives, both from MI, fished the same area with me the next day. We found the action a little slower than the day before. Windy and overcast conditions kept the bait down and the feeding action never got started. This is a great time of the year to fish. Even though there aren’t a lot of people around now, fishing can be very good. Generally speaking you need to fish early in the day for the best action. Some of the best action will be before dawn around lighted docks and bridges for snook and tarpon. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com (09/13/2009 at 02:22 PM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 2 - GOOD on 08/23/2009 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 8/13 through 8/23/2009 Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released snook, trout, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and jumped a tarpon on several trips recently. The best action continues to be with trout on deep grass flats. We are also catching ladyfish and the occasional bluefish or Spanish mackerel on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Tarpon are feeding in glass minnow schools in the same areas. Snook and tarpon before dawn around lighted docks and bridge fenders are also a good option when there is a good tide. Fen Sartorius and Steve Machen, both from NM, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 8/14. They caught and released a few trout on flies deep grass flats near Buttonwood Harbor. Mark Desimone and his son Aaron, from Florida’s east coast, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday, 8/15. We worked some tarpon for a couple of hours in the morning, but didn’t get them to bite. We moved to deep grass flats near Buttonwood Harbor where ladyfish schools had glass minnows “balled up”. They caught and released trout and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails. Tarpon also joined the fray as they gorged themselves on glass minnows. I attended the annual DOA Fishing Lures Writer’s Festival (www.doalures.com) in Stuart, FL from Aug. 16-18. The event pairs DOA Pro Staffers with outdoor writers from around the country for a couple of fun days of fishing and socializing. There were many noteworthy catches including snook of 25 and 30-pounds and numerous tarpon. The new 5 ½” BFL (Big Fish Lure) accounted for many of the big fish. We had a good bite on Tuesday morning when Capt. Pat Dineen, from Destin, FL, and outdoor writer, Pete Barrett, from Jupiter, FL fished with me. We caught and released numerous trout to 3-pounds and a couple of snook on CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms while wading a flat in the Indian River near River Palm Cottages and Fish Camp. If you’ve never stayed at River Palm Cottages and Fish Camp (www.riverpalmcottages.com) you should check it out. It is “a cool place to stay”! Justin Mills, from Bradenton, FL and his dad, Mike Mills from Pittsburgh, PA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Weds, Aug. 19. They caught and released trout on CAL jigs with shad tails near Buttonwood Harbor and Bayshore Gardens. I was the guest of my friend, Steve Gibson (www.kayakfishingsarasota.com), on a beach snook fishing trip near Englewood, FL on Friday, 8/21. Gibby is a master at beach snook fishing and kayak fishing in both fresh and saltwater. He had the hot hand that day catching and releasing 5 snook to 27” on DT Special flies. Fly angler Dave Barger, from NY, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday, 8/22 and had a good trip. Dave was a student in my April ’09 Orvis Endorsed Fly Casting School at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters. We started our day at 4:30 AM and jumped a tarpon on my Grassett’s Snook Minnow fly around a bridge. Although this fly was designed for snook, it will catch whatever is feeding on glass minnows (tarpon, little tunny, trout, Spanish mackerel, etc). I tie the fly on a 1/0 Owner AKI hook when targeting larger fish. We moved to lighted docks on Siesta Key where Dave hooked up a couple of times and landed a snook on a smaller version of the same fly. After dawn we hit the flats, where we caught a released trout, ladyfish, jacks and mangrove snapper with an Ultra Hair Clouser fly. This is a great time of the year for variety (tarpon, snook, reds, trout and more). The best action is early in the day so you can have great action and be home for lunch. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com (08/23/2009 at 12:52 PM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 2 - GOOD on 08/12/2009 Capt. Rick Grassett's Fishing Report for 7/31 through 8/12/2009 Anglers fishing with me the past couple of weeks on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught reds and had a few shots at tarpon. Although I was gone on a family vacation for most of this time frame, fly anglers continue to have anywhere from a few to more than a dozen shots at tarpon in the coastal gulf off Sarasota and Manatee counties per trip. Not bad for the middle of August! In addition, Sarasota Bay is still producing great action on deep flats for trout, Spanish mackerel and bluefish with jigs and flies. Snook fishing before dawn around lighted docks and bridge fenders with flies has also been a good option. Reds, mixed with large blues and jacks, are beginning to school in Sarasota Bay but have been tough for anglers to get on. Capt. Tom Stephens, Sr. from Bradenton, FL, and his son-in-law, Brian, from Riverview, FL, fished Charlotte Harbor and Gasparilla Sound with me on Tuesday, 8/11. We worked some juvenile tarpon from 10 to 30-pounds for a couple of hours first thing in the morning. Although we had a couple of “bumps” on DOA TerrorEyz and DOA shrimp, we didn’t hook up. We moved to skinny water, where they caught and released a pair of reds on CAL jigs with shad tails. This was a trip that I donated to the Sarasota chapter of Coastal Conservation Association’s fund raising banquet last fall, which raises money for their conservation efforts. Tarpon numbers are diminishing along the beaches, but anglers are still seeing as many as 20 tarpon per trip and getting shots at many of them, which I feel is still worth the effort. They are also starting to show in areas of Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor, so anglers fishing those areas should be prepared for big fish. A good option this time of the year is to fly fish for snook before dawn, hit shallow or deep flats at first light for reds, trout, blues, pompano and more. Since tarpon are least affected by warm water, you could spend some time tarpon fishing at mid day when the light and visibility are best. This is a time of the year when you might get a “super slam”-tarpon reds, snook and trout on the same trip. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com (08/12/2009 at 12:12 PM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 2 - GOOD on 07/30/2009 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 7/18 through 7/30/2009 Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with tarpon, trout and snook recently. Tarpon are still fairly plentiful and are a good option; particularly fly fishing for them in shallow water. In addition, we also caught a few bluefish and Spanish mackerel while fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Justin and Melissa Jones, from TX, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Sunday, July 19th. We fished deep grass flats near Buttonwood Harbor where they caught and released trout on DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs with shad tails. My friend Capt. Bryon Chamberlin, from Land O’Lakes, FL, tarpon fished with me on Monday, July 20th. We fished shallow water near Siesta and Lido Keys and had excellent action. Tarpon were plentiful and we probably had more than 30 shots at fish, 6 bites, 4 jumped and one of them landed. A great day! My friend, Steve Gibson from Sarasota, FL, tarpon fished with me the next day but the tarpon weren’t as aggressive. We had almost as many shots with a fly but no bites. Nick Coote and his son, George, both from near London, England fished with me on Tuesday. We spent half of our trip fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay near Buttonwood Harbor where they caught and released trout to 22”, bluefish and a Spanish mackerel on Clouser flies, DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs. Once we had good sunlight, we headed for the gulf to try our hand at tarpon. They had a couple of shots, but no takers. The action continued on Thursday when my son-in-law, Capt. Andy Cotton joined me to tarpon fish. Andy put a fish in the air with a traditional style tarpon fly (chartreuse grizzly with an olive collar) and we had more than 20 shots. Alfredo Hernandez and his friend, Santiago, both from Miami, FL, tarpon fished with me on Friday. We snook fished around lighted docks on Siesta Key for an hour or so before dawn and they caught and released 4 or 5 snook before we headed for the gulf. Alfredo jumped a tarpon on a threadfin off Siesta Key, but that was the only action we had. Fly angler, Al Cuneo from Ellenton, FL, tarpon fished with me on Saturday. We had more than a dozen good shots but no bites. We had a hard follow but the fish ran out of water and spooked off the boat before he had a chance to eat. The action continued into this week. I was off on Monday and planned to do some errands and office work but conditions were too good for me stay home. With an afternoon appointment to work around, I only had a couple of hours to spare but it was worth it. I had more than 20 shots at tarpon off Siesta, Lido and Longboat Keys and landed one on a black Deceiver. My friends Capt. Rick Depaiva and David McCleaf, both from Ft. Myers, joined me to fish on Tuesday. We had great conditions and more than 30 shots at tarpon with a fly in shallow water. David had the hot hand that day with 2 hook ups, one on a black Deceiver and the other on a black and red Tarpon Rat fly. One came unbuttoned right away, but the other fish gave us 5 jumps and a 10 minute battle before the leader somehow broke with the fish close to the boat. I was the guest of friend and client Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, on Wednesday. The day started off great with good conditions and we had 6 or 8 good shots. Then the clouds rolled in and ruined our visibility. We stuck it out, even though the shots we were getting were not good ones. I got lucky when I jumped a fish that showed up right at our transom and flared off the boat. I made a cast to where the fish was headed with a black and red Tarpon Rat fly and hooked up. A knot came up and snagged a finger as I was clearing line and broke the fish off on a jump. Oh well! Tarpon are starting to thin a little, but this action should continue for another week or two, possibly longer. After that, tarpon will move to inside waters where you may get a shot at them around bridges or on deep grass flats. Snook before dawn and reds, trout and more on shallow grass flats early in the day will also be good options. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com (07/30/2009 at 06:53 PM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 2 - GOOD on 07/17/2009 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 7/6 through 7/17/2009 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 at tarpon each 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 landed a tarpon on Saturday on a black Deceiver and my son-in-law, Capt. Andy Cotton, jumped one on a chartreuse Toad and landed one on a traditional style Purple Death tarpon fly on Sunday. We also jumped tarpon with brown Toads and black and purple Tarpon Bunnies. The action continued into this week. It was slower at the beginning of the week, but picked up later in the week. We had anywhere from 10 to 20 shots per day. Richard Taylor, from Mobile, AL, fished with me on Wednesday and had more than a dozen shots. Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, and Orvis store manager, Paul Range from Atlanta, GA, fished with me on Thursday. We fished shallow water off Lido and Longboat Keys. They had more than 20 shots at tarpon and a couple of bites, 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 is 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 Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com (07/17/2009 at 12:55 PM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 2 - GOOD on 07/05/2009 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 6/22 through 7/5/2009 Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had action with tarpon, snook and trout during the past couple of weeks. A persistent west wind has forced us to fish in areas other than the coastal gulf. Although we spent some time fishing bridges and passes for large tarpon, the best tarpon action was with juvenile tarpon from 10 to 35-pounds in canals. Anglers fishing Sarasota Bay with me had good action with snook before dawn and trout on deep grass flats. Wayne Dedyne, from MI, and his friend, Paul Broughton, fished canals in Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda with me on Monday, 6/22. Since fishing the coastal gulf was not an option due to west winds, we chose to target smaller tarpon with lighter tackle. Wayne had the hot hand that day with a pair of fish jumped and one landed, a 35-pounder. Both fish ate rootbeer DOA TerrorEyz fished slowly along the bottom. Tuesday was blown out so fly angler Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, bumped back to Wednesday due to a cancellation that day. Since Hal was fishing the Sarasota Sportfishing Anglers Club All-Release tarpon tournament, big tarpon were our target. He already has a good one entered in the fly fishing division of the tournament and was hoping to upgrade, but it wasn’t in the cards that day. We fished shallow water near the mouth of the Manatee River and only had a few shots. Dan Bryant and his young son, Adam, both from NJ, fished with me on Friday and Saturday. We drifted big Pass early each day and had no bites. They jumped a pair of fish in the 10 to 20-pound class in a basin with live pinfish, but we couldn’t get it going with the larger fish. Craig Notari and his son, James, both from IL, tarpon fished with me on Monday. We targeted large tarpon early and moved to the flats later in the morning due to no tarpon action. James tried his hand at fly fishing and did well, catching and releasing several trout to 18” on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly. Double hauling can be challenging for beginners, but James grasped the concept and was successfully double hauling before the end of our trip. I was blown out of tarpon fishing a couple of more days on Tuesday and Wednesday, but was back on the water on Thursday morning with Clark Keator, from Orlando, FL. We fished lighted docks along Siesta Key before dawn and caught and released 6 or 7 snook to 6-pounds on my Grassett’s Snook Minnow fly. Mark Torkos and sons, Evan and Ross, from Jacksonville, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning. They had fast action near Buttonwood Harbor with trout to 3-pounds on DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs with shad tails. When the wind decides to switch back to the east and allows us to fish the coastal gulf, we should have some great tarpon action remaining during the month of July. Although tarpon schools will be smaller and will require different fishing techniques, they usually feed better after they have finished spawning. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com (07/05/2009 at 03:30 PM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 2 - GOOD on 06/23/2009 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 6/7 through 6/21/2009 Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with tarpon from Siesta Key to Anna Maria Island on both fly and spinning tackle during the past couple of weeks. The best action was towards the end of this week as we approached a new moon on June 22nd. George and Laura Kommick, from Palmetto, FL, fished off Siesta Key with me on Monday, June 8th. We dodged a few thunderstorms that morning, but it was worth it. Although tarpon weren’t showing very well on the surface that day, they were plentiful. They jumped 4 tarpon and got two of them to the boat on live pinfish drifted under a float. A fly trip on Longboat Key on Wednesday had 3 hookups and one fish to the boat. The fish that was landed was only 75-pounds but was ornery. It ate a black and red Toad while the other two fish ate chartreuse and yellow Toads. Fly angler, Hal Lutz from Parish, FL, fished a couple of days with me at the end of that week and had plenty of shots at fish from Longboat Key to Anna Maria Island. Jon Yenari, from Sarasota, FL, joined Hal on Friday. Jon was up first and jumped a tarpon on a black and purple Toad at first light. Although tarpon were plentiful that day, they got smart after that. Jon also had another eat on Candy Corn Toad (yellow and orange) in shallow water. A couple of fly trips earlier this week had lots of shots but no bites. That changed on Wednesday when Aledia Tush, owner of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, and her son, Mason Tush, fished Longboat Key with me. The fish were plentiful but challenging that day. We worked several beautiful schools of tarpon with live crabs, pinfish and DOA 4” shrimp and Baitbusters for hours with no bites. Finally we gave them up to search for some new fish. With only 15 minutes of time left and Mason with a flight to catch, we returned to one of the original schools and Mason immediately hooked up on a live crab. Go figure. He landed the fish, a 75 or 80-pounder, in 10 or 15 minutes and made his flight on time! Fly angler, Dennis Desmond from New Jersey, fished the same area with me on Thursday and Friday. We plenty of shots at fish on Thursday, but no takers. Dennis persisted and hooked up early on Friday morning on an Enrico Puglisi Black Mullet fly (black and purple). He fought the fish close to the boat for almost an hour and a half before the fish wore through his 80-pound bite tippet with the sink tip in his tip top rod guide. Close enough! Hal Lutz was back on the boat on Saturday morning with a little luck from his sister, Lyndi Lutz, from Dallas, Texas. They also fished Longboat Key with me and had lots of shots. Hal jumped and landed a 90-pound tarpon (31” girth X 69” length) on an Enrico Puglisi Black Mullet fly. It was a single, swimming down the edge of a bar and Hal’s fast, accurate cast resulted in an eat and an aerial display right next to the boat. He kicked the fish’s butt in less than 15 minutes as a crowd cheered him on from the beach! Lyndi wasn’t about to be left out of the action, getting 3 bites or hookups including one jumped tarpon on a pinfish under a float. When fly fishing for tarpon, it must be the right presentation to the right fish. The beauty about fly fishing for tarpon in shallow water is that you can see the body language of the fish as it reacts to your fly. Most times you’ll get a little wiggle right before the bite. Although many people think tarpon fishing will be winding down soon, we are in the best part of the season. July is a great month! With many tarpon finished spawning, schools will be smaller but hungrier providing great shallow water action with a fly. I look for tarpon action to continue as long as the weather cooperates, i.e. predominantly east wind and good sunlight. West winds make it rough and difficult to fish the coastal gulf waters. Also, fish don’t show well on the surface in those conditions. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com (06/23/2009 at 10:41 AM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 2 - GOOD on 06/07/2009 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 5/25 through 6/6/2009 Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with tarpon the past couple of weeks. Tarpon schools have been plentiful in the coastal gulf off Sarasota. Some tarpon schools were as large as more than 100 fish, which are more common early in the season as they prepare to spawn. These schools of fish are sometimes difficult to get to eat since they are more focused on spawning than feeding. However, anglers fishing with me the last couple of weeks had good action. Larry Ford, from Longboat Key, FL, fished a couple of days with me during the week of 5/25. Pete Molinari, from Sarasota, FL, joined Larry on Tuesday. They had several hook ups with live bait and jumped one. Tom Creel, from Sarasota, FL, joined Larry on Thursday, had several bites and jumped 2 tarpon, one on a pinfish and another on a threadfin. Rough conditions in the gulf on Thursday kept us in the bay for most of the morning, where one of the tarpon was jumped around a bridge. A tarpon fly trip that week had lots of shots and several follows, but no takers. West winds forced the cancellation or rescheduling of a couple of tarpon trips towards the end of that week. Fly angler Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, fished with me on Sunday, May 31st. We had lots of shots at tarpon, a couple of bites and one in the air with a black and chartreuse Deceiver type tarpon fly. Cliff Ondercin, from Sarasota, FL, and his dad, Dennis Ondercin, from Middleburg Heights, OH, fished with me Monday through Friday of last week. They had lots of action fishing the coastal gulf from Siesta Key to Lido Key. They had a total of 15 bites or hook ups with a variety of live baits, DOA baits and a fly. They jumped 7 tarpon and landed one, a 95-pounder, on a live pinfish under a float. Tarpon ate live crabs, pinfish, threadfins, DOA baits and a fly. They ate DOA shrimp and Baitbusters almost as often as live baits. We spent only a couple of hours one afternoon fly fishing for tarpon, had 7 or 8 shots and one bite on a black and chartreuse tarpon bunny fly. The wind switched to the west again on Friday, roughing up the gulf. We were able to fish for a few hours in the gulf, but it was very tough handling the boat in those conditions. Tarpon will probably be less plentiful early next week due to tomorrow’s full moon. Many tarpon will be offshore spawning, however as we get further away from the full moon they will return to normal patterns along the beaches. With a front passing through this weekend, by the time winds switch back to the east we should be returning to a normal pattern with tarpon. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com (06/07/2009 at 09:55 AM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 2 - GOOD on 05/14/2009 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 4/27-5/09 & Andros South Report 5/2-5/9/09 Anglers fishing with me during the week of 4/27 on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with snook and trout. Reds continued to be challenging but we caught and released a couple. Bill Beauchamp and his brother-in-law, Chuck, both from Bradenton, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, April 27th. They had good action with trout along the east side of the bay, including several in the slot, on CAL jigs with shad tails. We spent a lot of time targeting reds that wouldn’t eat and finally caught one on a CAL jig with a shad tail. Renno Peterson and Jay Crouse, both from Sarasota, FL, fished the same area with me on Wednesday with similar results. Renno fly fished while Jay threw CAL jigs and they caught and released trout on deep grass flats along the east side of the bay. We were on a “pile” of reds in north Sarasota Bay, had several follows on my Grassett’s Flats Minnow fly and Jay finally caught one on a CAL jig with a shad tail. One of the best trips of the week was when Pat Campbell, from Toronto, OH, fished Blackburn Bay with me on a night snook trip on Thursday evening. We fished my Grassett’s Snook Minnow and epoxy shrimp fly patterns on intermediate sink tip fly lines with 6-weight rods. The light fly rods and small flies allowed us to make delicate presentations around docks. We caught and released more than a dozen snook to 26”, including a couple that weighed 6-pounds. I spent the last week from Saturday, May 2nd through Saturday, May 9th, hosting a group of friends and customers at Andros South bonefish lodge on south Andros in the Bahamas. Nick Reding, Bob Harness and Bob Reynolds, all from St. Louis, MO, Frank Rhodes, from Auburndale, FL, Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL and Jon Yenari and I, from Sarasota met in Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday afternoon, May 2nd. We had a smooth, one hour flight over on a Lynx Air twin engine Cessna 402 and were greeted by managers Rick Sisler and Kateri Clay. The weather and fishing were near perfect! I had an opportunity to fish with each member of the group and fish a variety of areas. Some days were better than others and some days were fantastic! Anglers fishing the vast sand flats to the south fished near Jackfish Channel, the Water Cays, Curly Cut Cays, Fish Key and the “airport flat”. Some of these flats are so big they go all the way to the horizon. Frank and Jon had a great day at the “airport flat” one day catching and releasing more than 50 bones. Hal and I fished the south end one day and had a great morning wading along a mangrove shoreline on a flood tide. We caught 15 or 20 fish before noon. Frank, Jon, Hal and Kateri went offshore one day and landed more than 30 mahi mahi (dolphin) to 12-pounds on flies and conventional tackle. Their first mahi’s on fly! Jimmy Buffet was also on south Andros last week in his 130’ yacht, Continental Drifter. He and his guests fished with Andros South guides the day we arrived and Hal, Jon, Frank and Kateri ran into them on their offshore trip. Several creeks; Deep Creek, Little Creek and Grassy Creek all cut through to the west side, crossing the ”Devil’s Backbone” ridge and open up into large flats and salt ponds with smaller creeks feeding into them. We caught lots and lots of bonefish to 6-pounds with most of them in the 2 to 3-pound class. Some were smaller and a few were even bigger. Another angler at the lodge, John from British Columbia, landed an 8-pounder one day. Bob Reynolds and I had a great day on a huge school over on the west side one day with guide, Fredlon. We waded and doubled and tripled for more than an hour. I also landed a 30-pound ‘cuda that day! Nick and I fished with Torrie one day and learned a lot about targeting big bonefish. Even though catching lots of fish out of a big school is a lot of fun, the most rewarding to me is stalking singles, doubles and smaller schools. A couple of the most rewarding fish I caught were tailing on a slick, calm morning when we had to wade like a ”heron” and make a perfect cast to catch them! Top flies were Gotchas, Peterson’s Spawning Shrimp and variations of them. We also encountered lots of sharks and ‘cudas. Several ‘cudas, up to 30-pounds, were landed on flies and conventional tackle. I hated to come back to the real world, but the good thing is that tarpon fishing is getting ready to take off back at home in Sarasota. I have already received several reports of tarpon being jumped and landed from Tampa Bay to Sarasota. I’ll be on the water this week hunting tarpon, which should get even better as we get further away from last week’s full moon. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com (05/14/2009 at 08:57 PM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 2 - GOOD on 04/12/2009 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 3/30 through 4/12/2009 Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, continue to have fast action with trout on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay, reds and snook recently. A persistent wind has made fishing tough lately. Bill Moore, from Libertyville, IL, and his step-grandson, Shane, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, March 30th. They had steady action on the east side of the bay with trout and jacks. The following day Sarasota winter residents, Harry Beaty and Tom Schalk, fished the same areas with me. They caught more than 20 trout, including 7 or 8 in the slot, and a bluefish. Best areas were at Stephens Point, Bayshore Gardens and near Long Bar. Fly angler Nick Reding, from Longboat Key, FL, fished with me on Wednesday, April 1st. It was a windy day, but we found some protection from it. We waded a mangrove shoreline north of Long Bar and had lots of shots at reds and snook. Nick caught and released a snook on a Clouser fly. Late in the day we made a couple of drifts near Buttonwood Harbor and caught several trout to 4-pounds and a Spanish mackerel on Ultra Hair Clouser flies. Bruce Kulp and his wife, Ronna Romney, from Longboat Key, fished the west side of Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. They did well on trout, catching and releasing more than 15 trout to 21”, including 6 or 7 in the slot, on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos near Buttonwood Harbor. Friday’s fly trip was blown out and we had our last Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school of the season at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Saturday. We should have the schedule for next year’s schools completed by late summer or early fall. Info will be posted on my web sites as soon as it is available. Wind and another front passed through early in the week causing a couple of more cancellations. Perry Greene and his son Dirk, from MI, fished Sarasota Bay with me a couple of days later in the week. The action was steady with trout and Spanish mackerel. They caught and released about 15 trout, a Spanish mackerel and a nice red on Thursday. It was Perry’s first red on a fly. Congratulations! On Saturday, the action was similar except no reds. Dirk caught the big fish that day, an over-slot trout. All fish were caught on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails along the west side of Sarasota Bay. The best areas were near Buttonwood Harbor and Long Bar. We are at a prime time for reds, snook and trout on shallow flats. In addition, resident tarpon should begin showing up on deep grass flats. Deep grass flats will have the most variety and action with trout, Spanish mackerel and pompano. If you’re looking for bigger fish, fish shallow water for reds and snook. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com (04/12/2009 at 09:17 PM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 2 - GOOD on 03/29/2009 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 3/16 through 3/29/2009 Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with trout on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. In addition, we also caught Spanish mackerel and pompano on deep grass flats, a few reds is skinny water and snook at night. The most consistent action continues to be on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Longtime friend and customer, Rick Peregord from Southgate, MI, fished 3 days with me during the week of March 15th. We fished a couple of days in Sarasota Bay and a day in Terra Ceia Bay. We found plenty of reds, but they weren’t very aggressive. Rick caught and released a couple of reds, trout and a pompano on CAL jigs with shad tails. Stephen Lewis and his son, Danny, from New York City and brother-in-law, Murray, from Austin, TX, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Weds, 3/18. They had fast action with trout, Spanish mackerel and pompano on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails. The best action was at Stephens Point and near Bayshore Gardens. On Friday, 3/20, Greg Baumeyer, from the Chicago area and Jeff Farris from Sarasota, fished Sarasota Bay with me in the morning and Al Kraska, from Venice, FL, and his son, Tim Kraska, from CT, fished with me in the afternoon. They caught and released trout, ladyfish and Spanish mackerel on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails fishing deep grass flats. Sarasota winter resident Frank Watson and his grandson, Eric Watson, from St. Petersburg, FL, fished with me on Sunday morning, 3/22. They had fast action in Big Pass with large Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails. Dick Egan, from Chicago, fished with me that afternoon. He had steady action with trout to more than 20” on Ultra Hair Clouser flies at Stephens Point, Bayshore Gardens and near Long Bar. Bob Harness and Nick Reding, both from St. Louis, MO, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 3/23. It was an overcast, windy day and we almost quit at noon when it started sprinkling rain. Then the sun popped out and we had some good shots at reds with flies in the afternoon, but none of them wanted to eat. We caught and released a few trout on Ultra Hair Clouser flies at Stephens Point and near Long Bar. Sarasota winter residents, Norm and Francie Boardman, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. The action wasn’t fast, but they caught Spanish mackerel and a few trout on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails. The last trout of the day was a 4-pound, 23” trout caught and released on a CAL jig with a shad tail near Long Bar. Dave Macomber and his guest, Dave, both from MN, fished Blackburn Bay with me on Wednesday afternoon and evening. The action was slow to start, but they caught a few ladyfish on flies before dark. After dark, they caught and released about 6 snook to 24” on my Grassett’s Snook Minnow and Enrico Puglisi’s Micro Minnows. The biggest fish of the night couldn’t be turned as it made a long run and pulled the hook as it got up against a bridge fender. Dave Laubisch, from NY, and his son Scott Laubisch, from Oldsmar, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. They had steady action with trout to more than 20” and Spanish mackerel on DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs with shad tails. Wind was an issue as an approaching front caused the wind to blow hard from the south. It was more of an issue on Saturday morning when fly angler Bill Hettrick, from CT, fished the same area with me. By 11:00 AM the wind was above 20 mph, so we invoked the “fun rule”, if it’s not any fun, don’t do it! Action should get even better as we head into April. Look for reds and snook feeding on shallow flats and trout, pompano Spanish mackerel and more on deep grass flats. Keep your eyes open and be prepared for early season tarpon, which will start to gather on deep grass flats and around bridges close to passes. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor (941) 923-7799 E-mail snookfin@aol.com www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com (03/29/2009 at 01:38 PM by Capt. Rick Grassett) 2 - GOOD on 07/31/2008 finally made contact with tarpon on oklahoma flats off Bayport 60 mlies north of tampa. blind fly casting in 10 feet of water with black death streamer fly. Small but active fish 3 hook ups none landed. (07/31/2008 at 05:48 PM by sinktip) 1 - EXCELLENT on 07/26/2008 Excellent on the flats- early and late - Trout hitting topwater poppers on the flats - concentrate on edges where the grass meets the sand. Snook and Reds laying in the mangrove shadows and concentrated at the passes during the moving tide. (07/26/2008 at 10:45 AM by REDFISH) 1 - EXCELLENT on 07/21/2008 Summer brings tarpon on the beach, snook close to the beaches and passes, redfish and trout on the flats. (07/21/2008 at 08:08 PM by pat4jaws) Descriptions 1. West Central Florida fly fishing on the clear grass flats of the Gulf Of Mexico bordering Hernando County and from Tampa Bay north to Crystal River is excellent. The area is famous for some of the best sight casting opportunities for giant tarpon, and spotted sea trout. Cobia and jack crevalle are available as well. There are hundreds of miles of shoreline, oyster bars and acres of sea grass that attract fish. (06/14/2008 at 04:41 PM by aidema) Add your description Pictures Posted By: Rick Grassett Comment: "Jerry Poslusny, from Rochester, NY, battles a tarpon caught and released on a black Deceiver off Sarasota while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett." Water: West Central, Florida Picture added: 07/17/2010 Posted By: Rick Grassett Comment: "Ted Kottom, from MN, with a 140-lb tarpon caught off Sarasota while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett." Water: West Central, Florida Picture added: 07/03/2010 Posted By: Rick Grassett Comment: "Andrea Lutz, from Atlanta, GA, fights a tarpon she caught off Sarasota while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett." Water: West Central, Florida Picture added: 07/03/2010 Posted By: Rick Grassett Comment: "Paul Browring, from the UK, caught and released this big trout in Sarasota Bay while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett." Water: West Central, Florida Picture added: 06/06/2010 Posted By: Rick Grassett Comment: "Steve Liska, from NJ, caught and released this tarpon off Longboat Key while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett." Water: West Central, Florida Picture added: 06/06/2010 Posted By: Rick Grassett Comment: "Jamie Grow's Sarasota Bay Grassett Flats Bunny fly trout caught while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett." Water: West Central, Florida Picture added: 05/23/2010 Posted By: Rick Grassett Comment: "Jim Festa's Siesta Key tarpon caught and released while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett" Water: West Central, Florida Picture added: 05/23/2010 Posted By: Rick Grassett Comment: "Mike Martin's Sarasota Bay Deadly Combo trout" Water: West Central, Florida Picture added: 05/11/2010 Posted By: Rick Grassett Comment: "Randy Rusky's Sarasota Bay fly bluefish" Water: West Central, Florida Picture added: 05/11/2010 Posted By: Mike Locklear Comment: "Largest Tarpon on Fly" Caught with: custom Fly size: 3/0 Inches: 80 Pounds: 217 Water: West Central, Florida Picture added: 04/18/2010 Posted By: Dan Forssell Comment: "First fish on fly! No shame that its a lady." Caught with: Deceiver Fly size: 1 Inches: 11 Water: West Central, Florida Picture added: 09/25/2009 Posted By: Rick Grassett Comment: "Dennis Ondercin and Capt. Rick Grassett with 95-pound tarpon." Pounds: 95 Water: West Central, Florida Picture added: 06/07/2009 Posted By: Rick Grassett Comment: "Dennis Ondercin's tarpon jump with Capt. Rick Grassett." Pounds: 95 Water: West Central, Florida Picture added: 06/07/2009 Posted By: Joseph Heer Comment: "Largemouth Bass, caught in private pond, Pasco County, 4/09" Caught with: firetiger colored wooly bugger Fly size: 8 Inches: 13 Pounds: 2 Water: West Central, Florida Picture added: 04/17/2009 Posted By: Pat Damico Comment: "Jack crevalle" Date caught: 11 - - 2007 Caught with: popper Fly size: 1/0 Pounds: 4 Water: West Central, Florida Picture added: 10/06/2008 Posted By: Pat Damico Comment: "Snook around lighted docks" Date caught: 06 - - 2008 Caught with: Glass minnow Fly size: 4 Pounds: 6 Water: West Central, Florida Picture added: 10/06/2008 Posted By: Pat Damico Comment: "Sight fish snook along the beach" Date caught: 07 - 21 - 2007 Caught with: Bead Butt Baitfish Fly size: 1 Pounds: 8 Water: West Central, Florida Picture added: 10/06/2008 Comments Add a new comment Ratings Add your rating 10 (best) 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 (worst)

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Other members fly fishing this destination art harris Robby Brown (Trip date: 07/31/2010) Eric Picard (Trip date: 12/27/2010)

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