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Anglers who fish the Southwest
Trip reports
3 - FAIR on 01/03/2010
Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing took a week off and spent the holidays in the Caribbean. We flew to George Town, Grand Cayman, 480 miles southwest of Miami. We flew out of Tampa at 2:05 p.m. on Christmas Eve and arrived at 3:50.
Our target was bonefish. A friend of mine, Capt. Al White of Boca on the Fly, had visited the island about 14 months prior and reported good bonefish action. He gave us a few tips on locations and fly selection.
I Google-earthed the island and saw several choices of prime bonefish flats.
I spent Christmas Day scouting the island for spots. First stop was South Sound, but the water there was just a little too deep. So, I head east and ended up at a beach just south of Morritt’s Tortuga Club and Resort. I quickly spotted a bonefish swimming off the heavy turtle grass into a sandy spot. A few minutes later, I saw a couple of more bones.
I headed up the coast to Grape Tree Point. I stood on the side of the road and peered out over the lush, turtle-grass flat. I saw a big bonefish in a sand hole. I then saw a monster bone tailing the grass.
Realize this was a scouting trip, so I wasn’t even carrying a rod. I just wanted to have a few spots for the next few days.
I drove back to the other end of the island to Barkers. There are some really lush turtle grass flats there. I didn’t spot any bonefish, but did see a couple of snook swimming along the beach.
Next morning, I hit the beach at Morritt’s at dawn. I stayed for about three hours, but only saw one tailing bone. I headed up the road to Grape Tree Point. There were two bonefish in a sand hole, but they had moved on by the time I got my rod put together.
The sun was behind the clouds, so visibility was limited. I waded out onto the flat and stood at the edge of a sand spot. About 20 minutes later, two bonefish swam off the grass and over the sand. I literally flicked the fly out because the fish were no more than 10 feet away. When my Gibby’s Bonefish Fly landed in front of the fish, two feet of leader was still inside the rod tip.
Didn’t matter. The fish were hungry and aggressive. The smaller of the two quickly inhaled the fly.
The fish might have been small, but it was strong and fast. It quickly took me into the backing, but I was able to land the bone in just a couple of minutes. I took a few photos, removed the fly and released the fish.
Ten minutes later, a larger fish came off the grass. I put the fly in front of it and hooked up immediately. The battle was one once again. This fish took me a little deeper into the backing and fought a little harder. But I was able to landed it with little problem.
I cast to 20 more fish, but didn’t hook up. But as quickly as the blitz began, it ended.
Next morning, I head for Barkers. I got quite a few shots at bones, but didn’t hook any. I encountered four schools of at least 10 tailers in each. I also had a few shots at singles and doubles.
During a break at midday, I found some mosquito ditches and explored them. I found virtually every one of them contained baby tarpon. I made a couple of casts and had one diminutive tarpon follow. I thought it was going to eat, but the fish turned off at the last second.
I didn’t hook any bonefish, but had shots at about 40 fish.
The final morning, I headed back to the east side of the island. I fished Morritt’s and Grape Tree Point. I didn’t see a single fish. I ended up at Prospect Point in South Sound and waded that fishy-looking area for 90 minutes, but didn’t see any bones.
It was then time to call it a day and play tourist that afternoon.
Grand Cayman is a wonderful place to visit. George Town is very clean and the people are very friendly and helpful. We found the restaurants to be exceptional. We had Christmas dinner at Papagallo Ristorante. The meal was a bit pricey, but worth every penny. I had an 18-ounce ribeye that was done to perfection and succulent.
The jury is still out on bonefishing on the island. But I would like to give it another try before I make a final judgment.
Fishing around Sarasota has been very slow because of a severe cold front. The cold is expected to last all week. It slows the action down considerably and makes it very uncomfortable to be on the water.
(01/03/2010 at 07:45 AM by SteveGibson)
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2 - GOOD on 12/23/2009
The deep-grass pattern produced for Geoff Piehler of New Jersey and Mike Zimmerman of Massachusetts.
Using D.O.A CAL Jigs and D.O.A. Deadly Combinations, the duo landed bluefish to 5 pounds, pompano to 3, spotted seatrout, jack crevalle, flounder and ladyfish on a half-day outing on the east side of the bay.
Spanish mackerel were absent on this outing. We had been getting macks to 5 pounds on recent trips.
Fly fishing works well over the deep grass. Using my Big-Eye Baitfish Fly and Super Hair Clousers, we’ve been taking blues to 6 pounds, pompano to 5, Spanish mackerel to 5, spotted seatrout, jack crevalle, ladyfish, mutton snapper, flounder and gag grouper.
When spin fishing, we use medium to medium-light rods and 10-pound PowerPro. For fly fishing, we use 6-weight rods and sinktip lines.
Freshwater fishing in The Everglades is resulting in largemouth bass, bluegill, stumpknocker, oscar, Mayan cichlid, warmouth perch, speckled perch and peacock bass. Most of the action is taking place in canals off Alligator Alley. These all-day trips usually produce at least 150 fish per anglers, with a majority of them being pugnacious oscars.
Now is the time for an Everglades outing. The water is low and the fish are hungry. In addition, the air temperature in comfortable and there are no bugs.
This trip can be either fly or spin. Fly anglers should use 3- and 4-weight rods with floating lines. Ultra-light and light spin tackle will work.
Closer to home, freshwater fishing is resulting in largemouth bass, bluegill, speckled perch, shellcracker and channel catfish at Lake Manatee.
I have a few openings remaining in January. Let me know if you’d like to catch fish!
Kathy and I will fly to Grand Cayman tomorrow . I plan to target bonefish around the island for five days. I hope to fly over to Little Cayman for a day of fishing.
I will let you know how I do.
Happy holidays to all!
(12/23/2009 at 11:49 AM by SteveGibson)
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1 - EXCELLENT on 12/16/2009
We made our first trip to The Everglades on Monday and it was nothing short of spectacular. The stars were align, the weather perfect and the fish were plentiful and hungry.
Capt. Pete Greenan of The Gypsy Guide Service in Sarasota was my guest. It was the second time Greenan fished The ‘Glades with me. On his last outing in January, we did very well.
But not as good as this time around.
Using a 3-weight fly rod and a No. 10 popping bug, Greenan hooked up on his first cast. After a great battle, he landed a feisty oscar, an exotic that is one of the hardest fighting fish in all of Florida’s fresh waters. It was the first of more than 150 oscar we caught on the day.
We switched to my Myakka Minnow after the topwater bite ended and did extremely well. In addition to oscar, we caught largemouth bass, bluegill, stumpknocker, Mayan cichlid and warmouth perch.
We also caught two species that we had never caught in this particular stretch of water: speckled perch and peacock bass. We landed eight speckled perch (black crappie) and five peacocks.
By our conservative estimate, we landed 300 fish.
We fish The Everglades from December through April. The water level is down during this period and it concentrates the fish. During the rainy season, the water level is up and the fish spread out over millions of acres. In addition, the air temperature is quite comfortable and there are no bugs during winter.
Obviously, this is an all-day trip. We depart around 4:30 a.m. and get back about 6:30 p.m. Often, we’ll stop for dinner at the Islamorada Fish House at Bass Pro Shop in Fort Myers.
Saltwater fishing has been fair. I fished Tuesday and landed a pair of pompano and a Spanish mackerel on my Big Eye Baitfish Fly. I used a 6-weight fly rod and sinktip line.
I fished off Stephens Point in Sarasota Bay. There were plenty of fish on the deep grass, but they weren’t aggressive. We probably need four or five days of decent weather to spark the bite.
If we get some good negative tides, I’ll head for Charlotte Harbor, Matlacha or Pine Island Sound to target tailing redfish. This is a thrilling way to fish – although it can be frustrating.
This is probably my last fishing report of the year. Kathy and I will fly to Grand Cayman on Christmas Eve. I’m planning on fly fishing for bonefish, permit and tarpon for five days.
Happy Holidays to each and every one of you.
(12/16/2009 at 09:20 AM by SteveGibson)
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2 - GOOD on 12/02/2009
Fall fishing has been fabulous.
That’s the only way I can describe it.
We’ve been getting tailing redfish on the negative low tides in Pine Island Sound and off Charlotte Harbor. In addition, we’ve been getting snook and trout in the backcountry.
The tailing redfish have been going for my new First Cast Crab, an impressionistic crab imitation that has performed extremely well. We’ve also been scoring on Clouser Deep Minnows.
For redfish and snook, we’ve been using 8-weight fly rods with full floating lines and 10-foot fluorocarbon leaders. We lighten up to 6 weights for other smaller species.
Hottest action has been in Sarasota Bay where we’ve been getting loads of pompano, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, jack crevalle, spotted seatrout, ladyfish, gag grouper and mutton snapper.
I had Sarasota’s Bob Parker out last week on a fly-fishing expedition. Parker, president of Sarasota’s Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers, did well on a number of species. We combined for pompano, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, spotted seatrout and jack crevalle.
Ken Taylor, a spinning enthusiast from North Port, Fla., joined me for an outing over the deep grass flats and we had a great day. We totaled 40 pompano to 4 ½ pounds, a dozen bluefish to 3, two Spanish mackerel, a couple of spotted seatrout, several ladyfish and a 17 ½-inch gag grouper.
Ken used jigs while I fished with a big-eyed fly designed with pompano in mind.
The fly produced as well as the jig.
Earlier in the week, I fish on my own and caught and released 25 pompano to 4 pounds, two Spanish mackerel to 5, bluefish to 6 and several spotted seatrout and ladyfish.
A day after the latest cold front, Chip Petty of Virginia and I fished the deep grass of Sarasota Bay and caught spotted seatrout to 17 inches, ladyfish, jack crevalle and snook. We hooked a couple of pompano and bluefish, but didn’t land any. The fishing was surprisingly decent, considering the weather.
We’ve got another cold front on the way. So, I don’t expect to get back on the water until early next week. When I do, I expect the same type of action in Sarasota Bay.
For those stuck in the cold, check out my blog to keep up on Florida fishing action at http://gibbysfishingblog.blogspot.com/
KAYAK FISHING TIP: I fish out of a Native Watercraft Ultimate 14.5. The advantage this kayak gives me is three-fold: It’s fairly fast, tracks extremely well and stable enough to stand in. I’ve been doing a majority of my fly fishing while standing. That enables me to make longer casts with the fly rod than when I’m sitting.
(12/02/2009 at 09:14 AM by SteveGibson)
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2 - GOOD on 11/17/2009
The wind finally settled and the tide was predicted to be extremely low. So, that meant a trip to Pine Island Sound was in order.
The Sound is a great place to look for tailing redfish on a negative low tide.
Launched the kayak just before dawn and began paddling to a lush turtle grass flat that often holds tailers. Took about an hour before I saw my first tail.
In all, I saw about 12 tailing reds. I hooked up one briefly on my First Cast Crab. The fly, a crab imitation, was named First Cast Crab because I hooked a nice spotted seatrout the first time I cast it.
The FCC also produced several more spotted seatrout and a bunch of mangrove snapper. I found trout, snapper and snook in cuts on the outgoing tide in the backcountry. I caught a snook and some snapper on a chartreuse and white Super Hair Clouser.
Later in the afternoon, I hooked up a nice red on the Clouser. The red was in a foot of water on sand. There were a number of reds back there as the tide turned to come in.
Sightfishing has been pretty good, although the fish haven’t been large. Still, small snook, reds and trout are great when you see them before you cast and watch them eat the fly.
The beauty about fishing out of the Native Watercraft Ultimate 14.5 is that I can stand up, pole and spot fish. It’s a very stable kayak and I love fly fishing out of it.
Tides are good the rest of the week for tailing reds.
(11/17/2009 at 07:22 AM by SteveGibson)
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2 - GOOD on 11/03/2009
Fall is my favorite time of year to fish in Florida. Both freshwater and saltwater species seem to be invigorated by the change in water temperature.
Over the past week, I’ve caught a variety of fish.
In preparation for the fifth annual Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers/Sarasota CCA Fall Fly Fishing Challenge, I spent a few days checking out Bishop Harbor off southern Tampa Bay. I managed a 30-inch snook on fly and several spotted seatrout to 17 inches. The outside sand bar also is holding redfish, snook and large spotted seatrout. In addition, jack crevalle, ladyfish and bluefish are available.
I fished the inshore Gulf of Mexico with Capt. Pete Greenan the day before the tournament. We landed four of five false albacore that we hooked on Super Hair Clousers. The heaviest was an 9-pounder that I landed on 6-week. The albies were chasing flying fish. We also managed a couple of nice Spanish mackerel.
We left when the bite slowed and headed into Gasparilla Sound and Bull Bay to see if we could find redfish and snook. The sand bar outside Bull Bay had plenty of reds on it and we didn’t cast to them. Saw a couple of snook, too.
We caught spotted seatrout to 21 inches on Clousers. At Uncle Henry’s Marina, we landed marauding jack crevalle to 5 pounds.
On tournament day, we had to settle for trout. Pete won the Trout Division with 147 inches. I had 130 inches. I hooked one snook , but lost it on the jump. I did land a 4-pound black drum on a black crab fly.
With an hour left, we hit a sand hole in Whidden Creek. We caught all of our trout from one hole.
Freshwater fishing is picking up nicely, with bass, bluegill, shellcracker, shellcracker and channel catfish are cooperating. Small poppers are taking bass and panfish early. Myakka Minnows, nymphs and Wooly Buggers are working later in the day.
We’ll start our Everglades trips in about a month when the water level is down. That concentrates the fish and makes 300-fish days very possible. We target oscar, Mayan cichlid, bass, bluegill, speckled perch, stumpknocker and occasionally peacock bass.
(11/03/2009 at 10:10 AM by SteveGibson)
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2 - GOOD on 09/30/2009
Redfish, snook and spotted seatrout have been the name of the game during recent visits to Bishop Harbor off southern Tampa Bay.
We have taken slams at that location over the past three outings. Fishing along the northeast side of the harbor, we’ve landed snook to 26 inches, redfish to 28 and spotted seatrout to 16 on Rapala Skitter Walks and plastic-tailed jigs. Most of the action has been around mangrove islands during the incoming tide.
The area also has been producing ladyfish, jack crevalle, mangrove snapper and flounder.
Trout also are prominent over and around grass patches throughout the harbor.
At high tide, we’ve been paddling out the mouth of the harbor into southern Tampa Bay. There we like to fish the sand bars and have been experiencing good sight-fishing for redfish and small sharks. We’ve taken reds to 28 inches and bonnethead shark to 36 on plastic tailed jigs and jerk worms. We’ve also been encountering spotted seatrout and pompano to 4 pounds.
With a change in weather (cooler) expected and good tides, we anticipate continued decent action over the next week or so.
In Sarasota Bay, we’ve been working deep grass flats on the east and west sides. Spotted seatrout to 21 inches, bluefish to 3 pounds, ladyfish, jack crevalle, Spanish mackerel to 4 pounds and an occasional pompano are cooperating on topwater plugs, jigs and flies (Super Hair Clousers).
This action can be fast and is a lot of fun. It’s especially good for novice anglers who just like to experience hits on every cast.
Redfish are on the flats. Snook can be found along mangroves on the flood tide. It’s a good time for sight-fishing in north Sarasota Bay.
(09/30/2009 at 07:27 AM by SteveGibson)
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2 - GOOD on 09/18/2009
Cooling water means hot fishing action along Southwest Florida
(09/18/2009 at 11:03 AM by SteveGibson)
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2 - GOOD on 08/09/2009
We’ve had some excellent action despite hot weather. Easterly breezes and some overcast have made outings quite bearable.
The biggest news is that we found a mother lode of baby tarpon. Ken Taylor of North Port fished with me earlier in the week when we launched at Pineland and fished Pine Island Sound. We found the diminutive tarpon late in the day and cast at them for a couple of hours.
Ken put a 15-pounder in the air on a Sebile plug. In all, we cast at an estimate 75 little tarpon.
I’m convinced the fly rod is the way to go on these. Presentations are quite and you can imitate small baitfish with a variety of flies. I would recommend 6- to 8-weight rods, floating or sinktip lines, 9-foot fluorocarbon leaders with 25-pound fluoro shock tippets.
The tarpon show up on the incoming tide and can be found all along the mangroves.
Sarasota Bay is yielding a variety of fish for those casting at Stephen’s Point. Look for spotted seatrout, bluefish, ladyfish, Spanish mackerel and jack crevalle. Pompano are a possibility.
Beach snook season still is in high gear, and the action picked up considerably over the last two days. Anglers have been getting shots at several hundred fish per outing.
For sight-fishing the beach, we recommend 6-weight rods, sinktip or floating lines, 10-pound leaders with 20-pound fluoro shock tippets.
Fly choices include the D.T. Special (variation), Puglisi Minnows, Clouser Deep Minnows and Wide-Eye Snook Fly.
I fished Lake Manatee on Sunday morning at did well. I launched before daylight and quickly landed four bass to 4 pounds on a black popper.
When that bite ended at daylight, I switch to my 3-weight rod and Myakka Minnow. I caught 40 bluegill and most were hand-sized.
I fished several new areas of Lake Manatee on the west side of the bridge.
Baby tarpon, beach snook, bass and bluegill should cooperate for the next week or so.
(08/09/2009 at 03:27 PM by SteveGibson)
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2 - GOOD on 08/02/2009
Snook action has been good along the beaches. We’ve been seeing up to 400 snook per outing.
Most of the action has been via the fly rod. We use 6- to 8-weight rods, sinktip lines, 10-pound fluorocarbon leader and 20- to 25-pound shock leader.
I took Dr. John Healey of Fort Worth, Texas out recently. He caught his first snook and first spotted seatrout. We fished Manasota Key. All fish came on the D.T. Special (variation). John went three of seven on snook.
Not bad.
Before I left for Michigan to attend my father-in-law’s funeral, I fished with Ken Taylor of North Port, Fla. I caught three of the six I hooked. Biggest fish was 26 inches. I lost one that I estimated at 30 inches when the hooked simply pulled.
On two solo outings, I landed a total of 22 snook to 26 inches.
In addition to snook, other fish available in the surf include spotted seatrout, Spanish mackerel, jack crevalle and ladyfish.
Beach fishing should remain good through August.
In the bays, we’re getting spotted seatrout, bluefish, ladyfish, jack crevalle, flounder, redfish and a few snook.
When fly-fishing, Clouser Deep Minnows and Ultra-hair Clousers are producing.
Spin anglers are doing well on jigs, topwater plugs and MirrOlure MirrOminnows.
Top spots include Buttonwood Harbor, Harbourside Moorings, Whale Key, White Key, Stephen’s Point, Long Bar and the Ringling flats.
In fresh water, we’ve been getting bluegill and bass on poppers and nymphs. During my last trip, I caught and released 30 big hand-sized bluegill on poppers and nymphs.
(08/02/2009 at 07:42 PM by SteveGibson)
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2 - GOOD on 07/14/2009
West wind continues to plague fishing around the area, either forcing cancellation or forcing us to the west side of Sarasota Bay and surrounding waters.
When we have been able to get out, we’ve been concentrating around Buttonwood Harbor in north Sarasota Bay where we have been encountering spotted seatrout, redfish, flounder, jack crevalle, ladyfish and bluefish.
Spotted seatrout have been hitting plastic-tailed jigs, D.O.A. Deadly Combinations and flies. The trout have been running on the small side, but we have taken them as large as 22 inches. The top fly has been the olive-and-white Clouser Deep Minnow on a No. 1 hook.
Ladyfish, jack crevalle and bluefish have been attacking baitfish schools in open water just south of Whale Key. The hard-fighting blues have been averaging 3 pounds.
Redfish are cooperating just off sand bars and around mangrove islands. There aren’t great numbers of fish, but there are enough to make it a worthwhile venture.
Best area has been just off a mangrove island south of Whale Key. That’s where Mike Jensen of Peoria, lll., nailed four reds to 25 inches, including one on his first cast of the day.
Jensen went on to land several nice spotted seatrout, a few ladyfish and jack crevalle.
Fly-fisher Kevin Hill of Ashland, Ky., had a sub-par day around Buttonwood Harbor. Fishing was slow and we landed a few spotted seatrout, flounder, ladyfish and jack crevalle. Late in the day, Hill did get the opportunity to cast at four redfish and a snook just off the mangroves of White Key.
On July 13, I head out into the Gulf of Mexico aboard the Snook Fin-Addict with my good friend, Capt. Rick Grassett. Our goal was to jump a few tarpon on fly. Grassett had enjoyed good success over the weekend, landing two of five fish that he jumped.
We were greeted by rough seas caused by an overnight wind shift. We did get a few shots, but didn’t hook up.
Deep grass flats around Sarasota should continue to produce spotted seatrout, bluefish, ladyfish, jack crevalle and possibly Spanish mackerel.
We expect beach snook action to be good when the west winds settles and the east winds begin. Snook are in the surf and hitting a variety of flies and lures. Top flies include the D.T. Special (variation), Gibby’s Snook Minnow, Clouser Deep Minnow, Wide-Eye Snook Fly and Puglisi Minnow. Top lures are jigs with plastic tails, D.O.A. Shrimp, Sebile Stick Shads and MirrOlure MirrOminnows.
Baby tarpon are available in canals in Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte, in addition to a couple of spots in north Sarasota Bay.
(07/14/2009 at 08:54 AM by SteveGibson)
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2 - GOOD on 07/08/2009
West winds have been the standard for the past six weeks, limiting fishing locations around the area.
Thankfully, action has been good along the west side of Sarasota Bay. Fishing in and around Buttonwood Harbor, Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing anglers have been catching redfish, snook, spotted seatrout, bluefish, ladyfish and jack crevalle.
Mike Hansen of Peoria, Ill., recently fished with me and did well. In fact, Hansen hooked and landed a 25-inch redfish on his first cast. That set the tone for a good day.
Admittedly, I didn’t think it would turn out so good. We faced a very high tide and full moon. But the fish apparently weren’t aware.
Fishing just off a sand bar south of Whale Key, we saw a shrimp jump from the water with a predator fish behind. Hansen and I cast jigs toward the boil and immediately hooked up. We landed a pair of 24-inch reds.
Spotted seatrout have been hitting 1/8-ounce jigs and D.O.A. Deadly Combinations. If you’ve never used the Deadly Combo, you should give it a try. It’s a D.O.A. Shrimp below a special popping cork. All you do is cast it out, let the shrimp sink and then “pop†the float a couple of times. Keep repeating. When the bobber goes under, reel in any slack and set the hook.
It’s just that simple.
Topwater plugs have been producing redfish and decent spotted seatrout inside of Buttonwood Harbor.
The Longboat Key perimeter canals has been yielding redfish to 30 inches. Most of the reds are taking jigs in cuts along the canal.
While paddling along the canal back to the launch, I noticed some breaking fish just offshore. Hansen and I paddled out and got into fish. He caught a couple of nice trout. We also managed a pair of 3-pound bluefish.
The weather has been hot, with frequent thunderstorms. We try to get out early to avoid the heat and storms.
We advise six-hour trips this time of year. We’ll hit the water a little after 6 a.m. and we’re back at the launch around noon.
Redfish, snook, spotted seatrout, bluefish, ladyfish and jack crevalle should cooperate over the next month. In addition, there’s a possibility of large Spanish mackerel and a few pompano.
In fresh water, bass, bluegill, shellcracker and channel catfish are the main fare. Speckled perch (crappie) won’t get going until late fall.
Fly anglers are doing well in the salt on Clouser Deep Minnows, benbacks, rattle flies and Puglisi-style flies.
Bass, bluegill, shellcracker and channel catfish are hitting poppers, nymphs and Wooly Buggers.
(07/08/2009 at 09:47 AM by SteveGibson)
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2 - GOOD on 06/07/2009
Sight-fishing for snook along the beaches is very good right now. There are plenty of fish and many large snook. In addition, we're catching nice spotted seatrout, ladyfish and jack crevalle.
Last week, a school of 100-pound tarpon came close enough for a cast! Luckily, we didn't hook up.
On a typical day, my anglers are getting shots at as many as 500 snook.
Bay fishing has been good for redfish, snook, spotted seatrout, ladyfish, jack crevalle, Spanish mackerel, pompano and bluefish.
(06/07/2009 at 10:22 AM by SteveGibson)
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1 - EXCELLENT on 05/30/2009
Action has been very good on recent Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing outings. Buttonwood Harbor in north Sarasota Bay has been producing redfish to 27 inches, spotted seatrout to 21, bluefish to 3 pounds, jack crevalle, ladyfish, flounder, pompano and Spanish mackerel.
Reds and a few big trout are pounding poppers and minnow imitations early. When that bite subsides, we’ve been moving just outside and encountering fast action on blues, jacks, ladies, pompano and Spanish macks. Most of that action is taking place on Clouser Deep Minnow.
Last trip to Manasota Key produced eight snook to 35 inches. First five snook ranged from 18 to 21 inches. But then came fish of 26, 27 and 35 inches. They were caught D.T. Specials, Clouser Deep Minnows and poppers. The two largest snook came on the poppers.
Beach snook fishing is also heating up. Conditions haven’t been great, but the fish don’t seem to mind. This is perfect for fly anglers and spinning enthusiasts alike.
Fly anglers should use 6- to 8-weight fly rods, floating or sinktip lines, 12-pound leaders with 25-pound fluorocarbon shock leaders.
There’s no better fly than the D.T. Special.
JUNE FORECAST: Beach snook action will really heat up in June. These are perfect outings for those who like to fish for snook or who have never caught a snook. It’s all sight-fishing and anglers fishing with me usually get shots at least 100 snook during a typical morning.
Snook also should be cooperative in the backcountry, along with redfish and spotted seatrout.
The month should also be excellent for bass, bluegill, shellcracker and monster channel catfish in local lakes.
(05/30/2009 at 12:52 PM by SteveGibson)
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2 - GOOD on 05/24/2009
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 5/10 through 5/24/2009
Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, the past couple of weeks had plenty of shots at tarpon, numerous bites, a couple jumped and one landed. As is often the case early in the season, action was inconsistent.
Anglers fishing with me during the week of May 10th didn’t have many shots early in the week. On Tuesday and Wednesday, we only worked one school of tarpon each day off Lido and Longboat Key. I worked further north towards the end of the week and it paid off. Thursday’s fly trip had more than a dozen shots at tarpon, a couple of follows but no takers. That all changed on Friday and Saturday when Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, and his mom, Andrea Lutz from Atlanta, GA, fished with me. We worked a huge school of more than a hundred tarpon of Longboat Key both days, as well as several other smaller schools. When tarpon wouldn’t eat our live crabs or Tarpon Toad flies, we tossed in a live pinfish and Andrea immediately jumped a nice tarpon. We switched Hal to an Enrico Puglisi pinfish pattern and he hooked up right away and landed the first tarpon of the season on my boat!
Last week Keith McClintock and Barry Slee, from Lake Forest, IL, Barry’s nephew Paul, from England, Dave Kinnamon from Milwaukee, WI and John Freeman, Jr., from Venice, FL, fished with Capt. Kelly Stilwell, Capt. Jack Hartman and me. A front moved through and stalled for most of the week with rain, clouds and windy conditions. Fortunately the wind was out of the east, so we were able to tarpon fish in the gulf all but one day. We found fish moving fast and not showing very well most of the time, although we did have shots at several “happy†schools. The group had numerous bites on live crabs and pinfish, several jumped fish and 2 fish, a 90 and a 120-pounder, landed by Paul while fishing with Capt. Jack.
Conditions were much rougher in the gulf on Thursday, so we opted to fish Sarasota Bay. We caught and released trout on CAL jigs with shad tails and surface walking top water plugs at Stephens Point and near Bayshore Gardens. An extreme high tide made targeting reds and snook tough. Fly angler, Toby Newkirk from Atlanta, GA, fished with me on Saturday. We had shots at 3 or 4 schools and had one bite on a fly off Siesta Key and the action slowed. With a 4’-6’ swell due to thunderstorms churning in the gulf all week, tarpon just weren’t showing well.
I expect tarpon fishing to improve when sea conditions settle and we head towards the first quarter phase of the moon later in the week. Be ready at first light in the morning as there is usually a push of fish for the first hour or so and then it will slow down. Sunlight later in the morning or early afternoon may allow you to see tarpon schools below the surface. So far, they’ve been eating baitfish better than crabs so make sure you have a variety of baits, lures and fly patterns.
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
(05/24/2009 at 12:22 PM by Capt. Rick Grassett)
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2 - GOOD on 05/22/2009
After a week of much-needed rain, we're anticipating good action on spotted seatrout, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, jack crevalle, ladyfish and pompano.
Sight-fishing for snook and redfish has been decent for those able to see the fish and make accurate casts. Anglers have been getting up to a dozen opportunities per outing on snook and reds.
(05/22/2009 at 07:33 AM by SteveGibson)
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1 - EXCELLENT on 05/07/2009
It's beach snook time. That means excellent sight-fsihing for snook in the surf. It's my favorite time of year.
(05/07/2009 at 01:27 PM by SteveGibson)
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2 - GOOD on 04/26/2009
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 4/13 through 4/26/2009
Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action recently with trout on CAL jigs with shad tails and flies on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. In addition, we also caught a few snook, pompano, blues and reds.
Fly angler Paul Dixon, from MI, and Todd Banner, from Bradenton, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 4/13. They had steady action with trout on Ultra Hair Clouser flies, CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos along the west side of the bay near Buttonwood Harbor. The next day fly angler Terry Rychlik, from CT, fished the same area with me. He caught and released several trout on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on an intermediate fly line. A front was bearing down on us and forced us off the water by 10 AM. My new Garmin 545s GPS/Sounder combo unit with XM weather is great! We monitored the approaching front on the radar screen on my boat and were safely on the trailer as the front punched through. What a valuable tool!
The next day’s trip was blown out as a strong northwest wind churned the area of the bay we had planned to fish. I was back on the water on Thursday with Marc Chiapperino and his son, Marc, from NJ. They had steady action with trout and a bluefish on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails. Marc caught and released a big red on my Grassett’s Flats Minnow fly along a mangrove shoreline north of Long Bar.
Howard and Jason Rosenbecker, from Bradenton, FL, fished with me on Friday morning. Wind was an issue as it has been most of this spring, but they still had some action. They caught and released several trout on CAL jigs with shad tails and Clouser flies along the east side of the bay from Stephens Point to Bayshore Gardens. Jason used his new Orvis TLS fly rod and Battenkill Mid Arbor reel and christened it by catching a few fish. Detlev and Stephen Korff, from Germany, fished the same area with me that afternoon. The wind dropped a little and the action picked up. They caught and released numerous trout to 21†and a pompano on CAL jigs and Clouser flies. Longtime friend and customer Pat Campbell, from Toronto, OH, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday. The action was slow to start but it finally picked up when the wind shifted to the west and allowed us to fish the west side of the bay. We caught and released several trout on CAL jigs and Clouser flies near Buttonwood Harbor.
We found reds and snook on the flats to be very challenging last week. Fly angler Jim Strouth, from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. We caught a few trout on Clouser flies near Buttonwood Harbor, but couldn’t get reds and snook to bite. Fly angler Denis Clohisy, from WI, and his friend, Brian McInnis, from Sarasota, FL, fished with me for the next 3 days. We fished Little Sarasota Bay on Tuesday afternoon and evening. They caught and released trout, jacks and ladyfish before dusk on flies and jigs and 6 or 8 snook after dark on my Grassett’s Snook Minnow fly. We fished hard for reds and snook the next couple of days, but just couldn’t get it going. They caught and released mostly trout with a few other species (jacks, ladyfish and blues) along the way.
My friends Mark Nichols, owner of DOA Fishing Lures, and his wife, Jenny, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday and Saturday. On Saturday, we participated in the 14th annual Sarasota “All Release Challenge†fishing tournament. This is a fun, low stress tournament that also raises money for conservation. DOA has been a sponsor or donor, since the beginning of this event. You couldn’t fish any harder for reds and snook than we did, but they didn’t cooperate. We caught and released trout to 21 ½â€, jacks, ladyfish and bluefish on CAL jigs with grubs, jerk worms and shad tails.
Next week’s two tide days are strong early next week and will get weaker by the end of the week. Trout fishing has been strong and reds and snook will have to begin eating sometime. Keep your eyes open for the first tarpon of the season, which should start showing around Sarasota Bay any time 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
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
(04/26/2009 at 09:22 PM by Capt. Rick Grassett)
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1 - EXCELLENT on 12/31/2008
Happy New Year, it's got to be better than the old one!
Fishing this week has been a real pleasure. The fish were happy and the anglers were successful. What more can you ask for?
Redfish have been the target species due to the super low tides we've been experiencing. Seatrout are beginning to get more active and there is a plethora of ladyfish and small jacks around. Most redfish came on the beginning of the incoming tide, but for a couple of days the fish were tailing as late as 4:00PM. Harry Davis and Fen Sartorious fished early last week taking redfish and seatrout on fly and jig. I've attached a picture of them with a double. Harry also took a very nice seatrout over 20 inches. The Cox family caught trout, ladyfish, seabass, flounder and more while fishing with me, Capt. Ed Hurst and Capt, Kelly Stillwell in Sarasota Bay. Big family, lots of fun. Ted Mariner and his day fished Boca Grande on Saturday taking seatrout and ladyfish, but hooking and losing a really nice redfish. Darren Wright, from Bampf, Alberta Canada, a fishing guide on the Babbine river and his lovely lady, Missy, fished Monday taking lots of ladyfish, a few seatrout and four nice redfish. Darren is an accomplished caster and his talent helped take two tailing reds in Whiddens Creek. ( see attached pic.) Drew Miller and his wife Laura spent a day in Boca Grande on Tuesday. Laura learned the ins and outs of saltwater fly casting taking her first saltwater fish ever. Drew, fishing the salt for the first time, was thrilled with the diversity of our fishery and caught dozens of ladyfish, hooked and lost (cut off) a big bluefish and a couple of seatrout. The weather is predicted to remain constant for the next week or so. That means little rain, continued warm, sunny days and good fishing. Now that the holidays are behind us there will be very few anglers on the water. If you like to fish where you see almost no one else, now is the time in Boca Grande.
Fish Hard,
Capt. Pete
(12/31/2008 at 10:51 AM by captpete)
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1 - EXCELLENT on 12/25/2008
Warmer weather and the new moon will make fishing improve next week. Redfish are abundant in the back country pot holes and along the mangroves. Little Tunny are showing well in the near shore gulf taking the Estaz marabou, Crease flies and smallish brown backed baitfish imitations like a Puglisi.
Bluefish, ladyfish and Spanish mackerel are in the deeper portions of the harbor. Clouser minnows work well for them all. A few pompano have been showing up in and near the passes. A bright chartreuse Clouser is excellent.
The morning low tides will see more tailing redfish in the next few days. Small crab and shrimp imitations are the most popular choices, but try a larger white fly in the surface film fished quickly to draw an agressive response.
Fish hard,
Capt. Pete Greenan
(12/25/2008 at 04:32 PM by captpete)
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2 - GOOD on 12/04/2008
Fishing has been very good.
(12/04/2008 at 08:16 PM by SteveGibson)
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2 - GOOD on 12/04/2008
Fishing has been fair to good.
(12/04/2008 at 08:15 PM by SteveGibson)
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1 - EXCELLENT on 11/30/2008
Boca Grande, Fl.
20 Nov. 2008
Winter fishing can be tricky, but this week proved to be as stable as the mid-summer. The weather was cool every morning and warm every afternoon. We had abundant sunshine all week. That is changing this morning. A cold front is approaching and the weather will be warm and wet this afternoon. The dropping barometer will make fishing very good. I've added a picture of Al White with a nice redfish we took this week.
I was privileged to fish with Dr. Gary Eaton this week. Gary is a surgeon from Missouri who spends a lot of time working with disabled people teaching them how to fly fish and tie flies. He is very active in Project Healing Waters, an organization the Federation of Fly Fishers supports that helps veterans learn better life skills through fly fishing. Gary caught seatrout, ladyfish and redfish in the basins behind Bull & Turtle bays.
Earlier in the week Dusty Sprague, John Hand and I tested Dr. Eaton for his Master Certification. He passed easily. The MC is the FFF Master Certified Casting Instructor test. It put Dr. Eaton among the 160+ Masters in the world.
The weather and tides indicate it is time to look for snook in the creeks and rivers that feed Charlotte Harbor. For the next two weeks I'll be fishing the redfish in the back country and searching the creeks for snook. It can be very exciting stuff. Why don't you come and join me.
Fish Hard,
Capt. Pete Greenan
(11/30/2008 at 08:33 AM by captpete)
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1 - EXCELLENT on 11/28/2008
Lemon Bay - November 27th, 2008
RECORDED: 77 ° FISHING: Excellent
The weather was absolutely gorgeous today, and the forecast is for more of the same Friday and Saturday.
THEN the wind and rain is supposed to assault us again. BROTHER! Just what we don't need when the Spanish mackerel and bonito are crashing bait just off the barrier islands around Venice.
If you can get on the water during the next couple of days you should have exceptional fishing. Monday and Tuesday look iffy, but by Wednesday conditions might lay down and put the fish back into Feeding Mode.
Sorta like I was today. Fellow guide KO Corl invited me and Kate to join him and his wive Ev at his family's T-Day feast in Fort Myers.
We didn't have any other plans, KO told me his family were a bunch of miscreants just like me and Kate, and I got off the hook for cooking--except for a batch of pate I contributed to the appetiser platter.
Fifteen of us made a yoeman's effort in denting the spread, but the food overwhelmed us. Turkey, spuds & gravy, yams, stuffing, rice, pasta with pork/sausage/meatballs (from Ev, who's a good Dago Girl from Jersey), beans, peas, biscuits, and Godonlyknows how many pies and assorted desserts.
We failed miserably, however. There still was so much food left over (isn't that one of the main ingredients in a Thanksgiving Day feast?) we even brought some of the pate home.
Which, I might add, Kate and I are going to spread on some warm French bread as soon as the pate softens.
I might even be able to walk by the time I get to Casey Key Anglers & Outfitters tomorrow morning. It's "Black Friday'" as the Christmas Kickoff day is known in the retail trade, and I'm going to help out in the shop.
Then on Sunday I'm doing a casting clinic with FFF Master CCI Dusty Sprague. It's always easy to learn something new from Dusty no matter how long you've been flinging a fly line.
Talked with Lefty a couple of days ago and he's doing great. The man's tougher than the Energizer Bunny--just keeps going and going and going. I've got 20 years on him and even with his knee surgery last year I have a hard time keeping pace!
ENGLISH SETTER UPDATE
Ghost is like Lefty--never slows down and nothing EVER stops her. Incredible to realize she'll be more than TWELVE years old by next grouse season! Can't wait to get her--and the puppy--up to Dream Lakes for some quail.
Heart, by the way, is still growing. Still SKINNY as a split-rail fence, but healty and happy. I know he'll be exstatic to get a whiff of quail. He's still dreaming about his first grouse November 3. So am I!
Tight Loops,
Capt. Tony
(11/28/2008 at 08:49 PM by Capt. Tony)
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2 - GOOD on 11/21/2008
Once cold fronts settle, action will heat up.
(11/21/2008 at 12:53 AM by SteveGibson)
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1 - EXCELLENT on 11/07/2008
Tailing Refish and Snook are the most sought after species now. Many Redfish are also in the back-country over sand bottom flats. Excellent sight fishing.
Jimmy Harris of Unicoi Fly Shop in Helen, Ga. caught reds to 6 lbs. this week.
Spanish mackerel and False Albacore are in the near shore gulf and will take flies regularly. Ladyfish, bluefish adn seatrout are also plentyful.
(11/07/2008 at 12:31 PM by captpete)
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1 - EXCELLENT on 08/15/2008
Boca Grande, Fl.
13 August 2008
Boca Grande shows off its best stuff in the summer. Recent trips have produced excellent tarpon and snook fishing. The weather can be iffy because of the isolated rainstorms, but they usually pass in a few minutes. Is it hot? Yes, it is, unless good cloud cover surrounds the area. Then it is down-right pleasant. So we fish early and get off the water before it gets too hot.
If you look at the home page of my web site you'll see some pics of recent catches. See www.floridaflyfishing.com
Brendan Roberts and his brother Shann had a great day on Monday last catching tarpon and ladyfish in the upper harbour. Shann had never cast a fly before but managed a bunch of ladyfish and 40 lb. tarpon. Brenden hammered a big 'poon and put it to the boat in only 45 minutes. Not bad for his second tarpon ever.
Last week I traveled to Hernando Beach, Fl. to fish with FFF Board of Director member, Roger Maler. Roger, originally from Memphis, was looking for help finding fish in his new home area. After an unsuccessful attempt to find tarpon offshore, I took him into the estuaries and rock outcroppings near the mainland. We found snook in less than two feet of water and a few big redfish in water just covering their backs. Roger was surprised at how spooky big fish in clear, shallow water can be. Unfortunately, we were not successful at landing any, but it was sure fun all the same.
I recently had luck finding school redfish on the grass flats of Whiddens Creek. As the summer progresses, we will find more and bigger schools in the same area.
Snook are moving around a bit now. Some are still on the beach at the surf line and others have mved into the back country. My best catches are on an Estaz marabou and a sand/white Puglisi fly. Outgoing tides have been the best for snook. Pre-daylight fishing under lights is still an excellent way to take snook. Trips often start at 4:00 am so we can snook fish before going after tarpon. It can be a hard day, but very rewarding.
I hope to see you all this summer.
Fish Hard,
Capt. Pete
(08/15/2008 at 08:26 AM by captpete)
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1 - EXCELLENT on 07/13/2008
Tarpon and snook are fishing very well right now and will continue until the first cold fronts this fall. Redfish are beginning to school. Reports of a few bonito (false albacor) are coming in from the Venice and Boca Grande areas.
(07/13/2008 at 10:40 AM by captpete)
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1 - EXCELLENT on 05/29/2008
This Weeks Fishing Report On Pine Island Sound the Lee County beaches, from Capt. John Kumiski 5/29/08
For Sale- 2008 Mitzi 17, slightly and gently used. Yamaha 60 four stroke, EZ Loader aluminum trailer, MinnKota trolling motor, $17,900. I love this boat for a variety of reasons but am upgrading to the new Mitzi 17 Guide model. Call me at 407.977.5207 for more information.
I got down to Fort Myers on Monday about 9:30 AM, and met up with David McCleaf. We launched the Mitzi in Bokeelia and checked all the tarpon spots on the west side of Pine Island Sound. The wind was howling out of the east. So checking the west side of the Sound was not practical. Needless to say, since it was Memorial Day there was lots of boat traffic, even with the wind.
There were no tarpon that we could find along the east side of Pine Island Sound, so we went out to the beach. It was nice there, with the islands blocking the wind. While we didn’t see a lot of fish, we did see some tarpon and had a few shots. We checked from Redfish Pass all the way up to Boca Grande. The day was dedicated more to looking around than to trying to catch fish, although I would certainly loved to have gotten a bite. Maybe next week. David and I got back to Tarpon Lodge around 7 PM.
Tuesday Dr. Mike Collins and Dr. Mike Collins Jr. joined me for a day’s fly fishing for tarpon. We again had an east wind, still strong but not as bad as Monday. We checked a couple of spots in the Sound and then went to the beach. Things were slow at the first few spots but then we hit a shoal that was just covered with fish. Mike cast one of his own Peanut Bunker flies in black and purple at a daisy chain. A fish came out of the chain and tracked it for about ten feet, then sucked it in. Mike stuck him. The fish exploded from the water and the fly went flying. Hey, it’s a bite! Even if the fight was way too short.
Mike Jr. was now up. We got a good angle another chain of fish and he tossed his own brown and purple Tasty Toad into them. A fish rolled on its side and took. Mike stuck him. He came flying out of the water and the fly went flying. Hey, it’s a bite! Even if the fight was way too short.
We had several other fish almost nose the fly and not take, and had at least 50 shots. Altogether it was an excellent afternoon of fishing.
Wednesday Dr. Mike went with Capt. Rick DePaiva and Dr. Mike Jr. came with me. The two boats split up to cover more water, and Mike and I went back to the scene of the crime from the previous day. We got on a daisy chain almost immediately but did not get bit. For the remainder of the morning we saw some scattered fish but only had one other good shot. Once we finished lunch though, the fish showed up pretty strong, and we had shots more or less continuously for three hours or so. Mike jumped a fish on the Toad, but when the fly went flying it had a large scale stuck to the point- not a bite! We had LOTS of refusals, and began changing flies to see if that would change our luck. A single tracked a yellow and orange Keys streamer. Mike thought he took. I couldn’t tell. There was no contact that I could see, so I guess we’ll never know. The fly kept fouling, so I took it off and put on a Borski Slider, which also generated some interest but no strikes.
In the mean time, Dr. Mike, out with Rick, jumped a fish and had him on for ten minutes before breaking him off. The fly was a Toad.
We finally ran out of time without putting a fish in the air, and then I drove home, a long drive during which I fought to stay awake more or less continuously. I have several trips here before returning to Fort Myers next week.
Life is short- enjoy it!
Life is great and I love my work!
John Kumiski
www.spottedtail.com
(05/29/2008 at 05:03 PM by spottedtail)
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1 - EXCELLENT on 05/06/2008
Tarpon are a hot bite now in SW Florida. Schools of fish are pushing the beaches in route to Boca Grande Pass.
(12/30/2008 at 03:15 PM by fishinmagician)
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Descriptions
1. Southwest Florida has some of the best backwater fishing in the state. The
fly angling in the extensive network of bays, mangrove islands, and tidal
creeks can be challenging and rewarding. There are many oyster bars and
acres of seagrass beds that attract an abundance of salt water fish.
Snook, redfish, spotted seatrout, and tarpon can all be taken on the fly.
(06/14/2008 at 04:41 PM by aidema)
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2. Sight fishing for Tarpon, Snook and Redfish in the 10,000 Island/Eveglades
of Southwest Florida.
We provide all tackle, flies, leaders, lunches and
refreshments and can accomodate all skill levels.
We provide on the water
instruction on casting, knots & leaders, flies, baitfish/prey and the fish
we target.
(07/06/2010 at 03:51 PM by bbaldus)
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3. Fishing the Eveglades National Park/Chokoloskee for close to 30 years
(08/13/2010 at 06:50 PM by Lostmans5)
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Add your description
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News articles
Pictures
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Posted By: Bill Baldus
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 07/06/2010
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Bonefish at Grand Cayman"
Caught with: Gibby's Bonefish Fly
Fly size: 4
Inches: 17
Pounds: 2
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 01/03/2010
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Gibby's Bonefish Fly"
Caught with: Gibby's Bonefish Fly
Fly size: 4
Inches: 17
Pounds: 2
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 01/03/2010
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Bonefish at Grand Cayman"
Caught with: Gibby's Bonefish Fly
Fly size: 4
Inches: 17
Pounds: 2
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 01/03/2010
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Bonefish at Grand Cayman"
Caught with: Gibby's Bonefish Fly
Fly size: 4
Inches: 17
Pounds: 2
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 01/03/2010
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Bonefish at Grand Cayman"
Caught with: Gibby's Bonefish Fly
Fly size: 4
Inches: 17
Pounds: 2
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 01/03/2010
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Bonefish at Grand Cayman"
Caught with: Gibby's Bonefish Fly
Fly size: 4
Inches: 17
Pounds: 2
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 01/03/2010
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Nice speckled perch from The Everglades"
Caught with: Myakka Minnow
Fly size: 10
Inches: 11
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 12/16/2009
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Capt. Pete Greenan of Sarasota hooks a feisty oscar on his first cast."
Caught with: Popping bug
Fly size: 10
Inches: 11
Pounds: 2
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 12/16/2009
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Largest pompano of the season on fly: 4 1/2-pounder."
Caught with: Big Eye Bait Fly
Fly size: 1
Inches: 19
Pounds: 5
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 12/02/2009
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Big Eye Bait Fly takes another Sarasota Bay pompano."
Caught with: Big Eye Bait Fly
Fly size: 1
Inches: 16
Pounds: 3
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 12/02/2009
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing owner Steve Gibson battles a pompano on fly rod while standing in his Native Watercraft Ultimate 14.5 fishing machine."
Caught with: Big Eye Bait Fly
Fly size: 1
Inches: 18
Pounds: 4
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 12/02/2009
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Shallow-water redfish"
Caught with: Super Hair Clouser
Fly size: 1
Inches: 23
Pounds: 3
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 11/17/2009
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Backcountry snook"
Caught with: Clouser Deep Minnow
Fly size: 1
Inches: 15
Pounds: 2
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 11/17/2009
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Spotted seatrout"
Caught with: First Cast Crab
Fly size: 2
Inches: 15
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 11/17/2009
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Mangrove snapper on First Cast Crab"
Caught with: First Cast Crab
Fly size: 2
Inches: 10
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 11/17/2009
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Sunrise on Pine Island Sound"
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 11/17/2009
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Bishop Harbor snook"
Caught with: Clouser Deep Minnow
Fly size: 1
Inches: 26
Pounds: 6
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 09/30/2009
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Bishop Harbor redfish"
Caught with: Crease Fly
Fly size: 1
Inches: 26
Pounds: 6
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 09/30/2009
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Bishop Harbor snook"
Caught with: Clouser
Fly size: 1
Inches: 25
Pounds: 6
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 09/18/2009
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Bishop Harbor snook"
Caught with: Popper
Fly size: 1/0
Inches: 24
Pounds: 5
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 09/18/2009
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Bishop Harbor redfish"
Caught with: Clouser Deep Minnow
Fly size: 1
Inches: 23
Pounds: 5
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 09/18/2009
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Steve Gibson of Southern Drawl Kayak Fishing caught this redfish on a bendback"
Caught with: Bendback
Fly size: 1
Inches: 24
Pounds: 4
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 07/14/2009
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Mike Jensen of Illinois shows off a fine Sarasota Bay redfish."
Caught with: n/a
Fly size: 1
Inches: 25
Pounds: 5
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 07/14/2009
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Curtis Boggs with a nice beacch snook."
Caught with: D.T. Special
Fly size: 1
Inches: 30
Pounds: 10
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 06/07/2009
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Snook in the surf"
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 06/07/2009
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "S R Evans shows off a nice beach snook."
Caught with: Gibby's Snook Minnow
Fly size: 1
Inches: 25
Pounds: 5
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 06/07/2009
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Amy Evans of North Carolina intently fly fishes for snook in the surf."
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 06/07/2009
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Posted By: Rick Grassett
Comment: "Capt. Rick Grassett lands a tarpon caught by Hal Lutz from Parrish, FL."
Caught with: Enrico Puglisi pinfish
Fly size: 3/0
Pounds: 75
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 05/25/2009
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Posted By: Rick Grassett
Comment: "Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, battles a tarpon caught while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett."
Caught with: Enrico Puglisi pinfish
Fly size: 3/0
Pounds: 75
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 05/25/2009
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Posted By: Rick Grassett
Comment: "Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, jumps a tarpon on an Enrico Puglisi pinfish fly that was later landed while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett."
Caught with: Enrico Puglis pinfish
Fly size: 3/0
Pounds: 75
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 05/25/2009
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Snook in the surf."
Caught with: D.T. Special
Fly size: 4
Inches: 26
Pounds: 5
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 05/07/2009
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Jerry Pazar of Colorado shows off a fine Sarasota Bay redfish"
Inches: 28
Pounds: 8
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 05/07/2009
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Kirk Klingensmith of New York and a nice Sarasota Bay snook"
Inches: 28
Pounds: 8
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 05/07/2009
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Posted By: Kyle Giampaoli
Comment: "Nice Beach Snook"
Caught with: White Puglisis
Fly size: 4
Inches: 34
Pounds: 11
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 12/09/2008
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Posted By: Kyle Giampaoli
Comment: "Colorado boy gone Everglades, nice work JP"
Caught with: Muddler Variation
Fly size: 1
Inches: 28
Pounds: 10
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 12/09/2008
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Largemouth bass"
Caught with: Myakka Minnow
Fly size: 10
Inches: 18
Pounds: 3
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 12/04/2008
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Nice speckled perch (black crappie)"
Caught with: FLY Nymph
Fly size: 8
Inches: 15
Pounds: 2
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 12/04/2008
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Five-pound tilapia"
Caught with: FLY Nymph
Fly size: 8
Inches: 22
Pounds: 5
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 12/04/2008
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Posted By: Capt. John Stark
Comment: "Angelo with a nice snook. "
Inches: 27
Pounds: 6
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 12/01/2008
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Posted By: Capt. John Stark
Comment: "Pat with his first big Everglades snook. "
Caught with: Black
Fly size: 2/0
Inches: 31
Pounds: 8
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 12/01/2008
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Posted By: Capt. John Stark
Comment: "Gearman with a nice redfish. Photo courtesy of Capt John Stark 239 248-5142"
Caught with: Brown Tantrum
Fly size: 2/0
Inches: 24
Pounds: 5
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 12/01/2008
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Wes Kean with a nice snook to complete his Slam."
Inches: 25
Pounds: 4
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 11/21/2008
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Posted By: Steve Gibson
Comment: "Pete Greenan with a tough tailing redfish"
Caught with: Greenan Redfish Fly
Fly size: 1
Inches: 30
Pounds: 9
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 11/21/2008
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Posted By: Pete Greenan
Comment: "taken on sand flat sight fishing"
Caught with: Mer-Quan
Fly size: 2
Inches: 25
Pounds: 5
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 11/07/2008
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Posted By: Pete Greenan
Comment: "130 lb by Brenden Roberts of Salt Lake City"
Date caught: 08 - 11 - 2008
Caught with: Greenan's Weinie
Fly size: 3/0
Inches: 76
Pounds: 130
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 10/06/2008
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Posted By: Pete Greenan
Comment: "Early morning back country tarpon"
Date caught: 06 - 28 - 2008
Caught with: Ron's Greenan Wienie
Fly size: 3/0
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 10/06/2008
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Posted By: john kumiski
Comment: "This is why we try!!!"
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 10/11/2008
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Posted By: john kumiski
Comment: "Maxx throwing to a school of tarpon."
Water: Southwest, Florida
Picture added: 10/11/2008
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