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Fly angler Jeff Romine, from Tulsa, OK, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, Oct. 24th. It rained hard in the morning but we finally got our trip underway at about 11 AM. We fished into the afternoon and caught a few fish on deep grass flats with Ultra Hair Clouser flies before conditions deteriorated again later in the day. John Skivington, from NY, fished the coastal gulf off Siesta Key with me on Mon, Oct. 27th. He had fast action with big Spanish mackerel and little tunny on flies, CAL jigs and top water plugs. Cliff Ondercin, from Sarasota, FL, and his dad, Dennis Ondercin, from OH, fished the same area with me the next morning but the wind kicked up and forced us to fish inside after catching a couple of little tunny on a top water plug and a CAL jig. They caught a couple of reds and trout on CAL jigs in Roberts Bay in the afternoon. Finding a spot to fish out of the wind was a challenge. Brenda Sandifer, from Tampa, FL, and her brother Jimbo Sandifer, from Lithia, FL, fished Gasparilla Sound with me on Wednesday. They had steady action catching numerous trout and 5 reds on DOA Deadly combos and CAL jigs with shad tails. Fly angler Clark Keator, from Orlando, FL, fished with me on Thursday. We fished deep and shallow grass flats and while the action wasn’t fast we caught a few fish. Fly anglers Mark Eddy, from CO, and his guest Andy, fished the coastal gulf off Sarasota with me on Friday. They caught numerous Spanish mackerel on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on intermediate fly lines. I fished the 4th annual Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers/Coastal Conservation Association’s “Fall Fly Fishing Challenge” on Saturday. I was also a co-director of the tournament along with Steve Gibson. MCFF club president, Bob Parker and former president, Capt. Pete Greenan also were part of the tournament committee. 33 anglers competed in two divisions and caught good numbers of a variety of species. At least 5 slams (snook, red and trout) were reported from north Sarasota Bay and Gasparilla Sound. The event was followed by an awards BBQ, catered by The Oaks, at the Sarasota Outboard Club. Winners received handsome plaques and gift certificates from tournament sponsors Orvis, CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, Economy Tackle, Casey Key Anglers & Outfitters, Cook’s Sportland, All About Fishing, Fisherman’s Edge, Discount Tackle Outlet and New Pass Grill & Bait shop. The top prize in each division was an 8-wt Orvis Helios fly rod donated by Orvis. The event, which is designed to be a low key, friendly fly fishing tournament, also raises money for CCA’s conservation efforts and MCFF’s Scholarship Fund. Full results can be viewed at http://mangrovecoastflyfishers.com/tournaments.php. The following day Orvis held their Southeastern Guide rendezvous in Sarasota. Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing guides and dealers from all over Florida and as far away as South Carolina were brought up to date on new products and received schooling in guide techniques. A special thanks to Orvis ELOG director (Endorsed Lodges, Outfitters and Guides) for the eastern US, Scott Mcenaney, for making the donation of the Orvis Helios rods for the ”Fall Fly Fishing Challenge” possible. I was back on the water Tuesday morning with outdoor writer Frank Sargeant. Frank is recently semi-retired from the Tampa Tribune, but will still write a weekly column, as well as being an editor for Florida Sportsman Magazine. We fished the coastal gulf off Lido Key for a couple of hours and caught a few mackerel on top water plugs and CAL jigs before it got sloppy. We headed into Sarasota Bay where we caught and released more than 15 trout to 23”, bluefish and a red on DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs with shad tails. Wednesday’s fly fishing trip in Sarasota Bay produced a couple of hookups with a red and bluefish. Thursday’s trip was a lot of fun when Jerry Clapp, from IN, and his friend, Gary Burbank, from OH, fished Sarasota Bay with me. Gary is a talented DJ and musician whom you may know as radio’s “Earl Pitts, Umerikan”. They caught and released numerous trout and an estimated 26” snook on DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs with shad tails. Jon Yenari and Kyle Ruffing, both from Sarasota, FL, fished Gasparilla sound with me on Friday. The action wasn’t fast but they caught a few quality fish including bluefish, a jack and a nice redfish on flies. We waded during the afternoon and cast to lots of reds that weren’t interested in eating. Bryan Beebe and his friend, John Damico, both from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday. They had fast action with trout to more than 22” and bluefish to more than 4-pounds at Stephens Point, north of Long Bar and Bishops Point on flies, fly poppers and CAL jigs with shad tails. Fishing should be good as tides will improve as we head towards a full moon on Nov. 13. The coastal gulf and deep and shallow grass flats of Sarasota Bay and Gasparilla Sound should all be good options. Tight Lines, A ROUGH DAY ON THE WATER IS STILL A GOOD DAY - Capt. John Hand Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 10/13 through 10/23/2008 Luther Penny, from NC, and Beth Harrison, from VA, had good action in the coastal gulf and PHOTO: Beth Harrison, from VA, with one of many Spanish mackerel caught and released off Siesta Key while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett. Phil and Brenda Rever, from Sarasota, FL, fished the coastal gulf with me on Monday, Oct. 20th. They had fast action in the coastal gulf off Siesta Key with Spanish mackerel on Diamond jigs and CAL jigs. They also hooked a pair of little tunny and landed one. The little tunny have been much tougher to fool than the Spanish mackerel due to their keen eyesight and selective feeding on glass minnows. I was the guest of my friend, Steve Gibson from Sarasota, FL, on Wednesday. In addition to being the Outdoors Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Steve is also a successful kayak fishing guide (www.kayakfishingsarasota.com). We fished Lake Manatee, east of Bradenton on Rt. 64, and caught numerous bluegill and stump knockers on 1 through 5-wt fly rods on popping bugs and nymphs. The freshwater fishing in our area is virtually untapped and Steve knows it well. In addition to fishing many freshwater locations, he also does well fishing many other areas in saltwater. Next week’s tides are favorable for fishing the flats as we head towards a new moon on Tuesday, Oct. 28th. In addition, the action in the coastal gulf should continue for Spanish and king mackerel and little tunny. If you are looking for something fun to do, you might consider fishing the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers/Coastal Conservation “Fall Fly Fishing Challenge” on Nov. 1st. The event, which pits fly anglers fishing against each other in a catch, photo and release format for a variety of species, is a laid back, low stress fishing event that also features an awards BBQ and a raffle. Contact me for more info. Boca Grande Report -
18 Oct. 2008 - Capt. Pete Greenan Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 9/22 through 10/12/2008
Brighthouse Sports Network’ “Hooked On Fishing” host, Capt. Bill Miller and I fished on Wednesday, Sept. 24th. It was blowing more than 20 mph out of the northeast that day, so fishing was challenging. However with the barometer moving, fish responded favorable. We had non stop action with trout to 18” on DOA Deadly Combos at Stephens Point. I joined Bill in the studio the following Tuesday when the show aired live in the Tampa/Orlando area. Fly angler, John Evans from the UK, fished with me the next day. We started before dawn and hit lighted docks for snook at the north end of Siesta Key. John hooked several and landed a couple on my Grassett’s Snook Minnow (a.k.a. Grass Minnow) fly. After that we fished deep grass flats on the east side of the bay and at the Middleground flat where John caught and released several trout and bluefish on a popper/dropper combination consisting of a Bubblehead popper and a small Clouser fly about 30” behind it. Capt. Jack Hartman and I fished a group of anglers from the Chicago and WI areas on Friday and Saturday. Jeff
Higgins and Greg Swanson fished with me one day and Greg and their friend, Pat, fished with me another day. Greg and Pat fished the coastal gulf with me and caught and released several little tunny, jacks and Spanish mackerel on Diamond jigs, top water plugs, fly poppers and Clouser flies. The LT’s were the most challenging, but we finally got them figured out. David Sugar, his young son, Max and family friend, Campbell Fee, all from Sarasota, fished with me on Sunday, Sept. 28th. We caught and released a few trout and small grouper at Stephens Point before heading into the gulf. They finished the day with several nice Spanish mackerel and a few jacks caught with Diamond jigs and top water plugs. I was in Delaware visiting family from Oct. 1-7 and had an opportunity to do some fishing while I was there. My
brother, Kirk Grassett from Middletown, DE, and I fished a couple of days in the Chesapeake Bay out of
Crisfield, MD. We were the guests of our friend, Capt. Matt Tawes (www.chesapeakeangling.com) one day and had great action. We fished points and cuts in shallow water with Clouser flies and jigs and caught more than 20
stripers to 20”, bluefish and several nice flounder. Kirk and I fished the same area on our own another day with
similar results. Kirk also caught a 20” spotted sea trout, which was a noteworthy catch for that area, since it I was back on the water right away after I returned from DE. Rick Happle, from Tampa, FL and Marc Fratello, from Tierra Verde, FL, fished with me on Weds, Oct. 8. We found lots of little tunny feeding on the surface in the gulf just off Siesta Key. They landed 7 or 8 little tunny and a couple of bluefish on Diamond jigs, top water plugs and a Crease fly. We spent the last hour or so of our trip catching a few trout on flies and DOA Deadly Combos near Bishops Point. The action was still hot the next day when Bob Kahlor, from SC, fished with me off Siesta Key. He caught and released several little tunny and Spanish mackerel on Diamond jigs and top water plugs. Even though fish were in a feeding frenzy, we had to “match the hatch” with something the same size as the glass minnows that they were eating. Fridays’ trip was similar with numerous Spanish mackerel and several little tunny caught on Clouser flies, Crease flies, diamond jigs and top water plugs. We finished the day catching more Spanish mackerel and several trout on deep grass flats near Bishops Point. I look for this action to continue in the near future as long as there isn’t a significant change in weather. Tides improve next week as we head towards a full moon on Tuesday, so flats fishing should also be good. Tight Lines, My good friend, Capt. Mel Berman of 970 WFLA’s Capt. Mel radio show, spent a day fishing Sarasota Bay with me and we had fast action. We fished deep grass flats along the west side of the bay from Longboat Key Moorings to Buttonwood Harbor. We caught and released trout to 18”, bluefish to 3-pounds, gag grouper to 17”, jacks and ladyfish on a variety of jigs, plastic baits and flies. I also took Sarasota residents, David Sugar and Don and Campbell Fee, out to fish Sarasota Bay on Labor Day weekend. David and Campbell had recently returned from an Orvis fly fishing school in North Carolina and wanted to give it a shot in the salt. The wind was out of the east that day, so we fished the east side of the bay from Stephens Point to Bayshore Gardens. They caught and released trout, bluefish, jacks and ladyfish on Clouser flies, DOA Deadly combos and CAL jigs with shad tails. My wife, Karen, and I headed for the Keys on Tuesday morning where I would participate in the Islamorada-Sarasota Shootout fishing tournament. It is a low stress, fun fishing tournament with lots of social activities in the evening hosted by a group of anglers headed up by Capt. Pete Lutz in Islamorada and members of the Sarasota Sportfishing Anglers Club from Sarasota. My wife, Karen, and Judy Lutz, from Islamorada, run much of the festivities handling all the weigh ins, raffle prizes, etc.
Aledia Tush, owner of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, and I fished 3 days with good friend and fellow Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing guide, Capt. Duane Baker, from Tavernier, FL (www.keysflatsguide.com). Next week’s tides improve as we head towards a full moon on the 15th. Fishing deep flats for a variety of fish, reds in skinny water, snook around lighted docks and tarpon in upper Charlotte Harbor should all be good options. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 8/11 through 8/16/2008 Charlie and Linda Alexander, from Osprey, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. We had steady action with trout to 4 ½ pounds and bluefish on DOA Deadly combos, CAL jigs and Clouser flies along the west side of Sarasota Bay near Buttonwood Harbor and Long Bar. A couple of other fly fishing trips later in the week produced tarpon and snook. After a 4-hour trip on Wednesday morning, I scouted Sarasota Bay and found tarpon feeding on glass minnows that they had balled up around bridge pilings. I jumped a pair of 75-pound tarpon on my Snook Minnow (a.k.a. Grassett’s Grass Minnow). I tie this fly on a 1/0 owner AKI hook, instead of the normal Mustad 34007 #4 hook, when I throw it at larger fish.
This type of action should continue into September. There should also be good action with schooling reds in lower Tampa Bay, north Sarasota Bay and Gasparilla Sound and with tarpon of all sizes in upper Charlotte Harbor. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 7/28 through 8/10/2008 Fly angler Hugh Scott, from Atlanta, GA, fished a couple of days with me during the week of July 28th. We fished around bridges before dawn and found tarpon feeding on shadow lines. Hugh had several bites, hooked 3 fish and landed one about 15-pounds on a chartreuse Toad fly. We were actually able to sight fish to tarpon, ranging in size from 10 to 75-pounds, as they cruised and fed along shadow lines. He also had action with trout and bluefish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and Enrico Puglisi flies near Buttonwood Harbor. Fly angler Rick Happle, from Tampa, FL, fished the same areas with me on Thursday of that week. The tide was poor before dawn and tarpon didn’t feed very well. However, after daylight the tide began to move and we found tarpon crushing glass minnows that they had in a tight ball under a bridge. It was tough to “match the hatch” but after changing flies about 5 or 6 times, I finally tied on my Snook Minnow night snook fly (a.k.a. Grassett’s Grass Minnow). I warned Rick that the #4 Mustad 34007 hook probably wouldn’t hold a big tarpon. Despite long odds, Rick hooked and fought a tarpon of about 60-pounds through numerous jumps while running a gauntlet of crab trap gloats and bridge pilings. After about 30-minutes, we had her alongside the boat. Great job! Rick also caught and released several trout on Ultra Hair Clouser flies near Buttonwood Harbor. Fly anglers Carl Bettinger, from Albuquerque, NM, and Dave Mayers, from MO, fished with me on two different trips during the week of Aug. 4th. They had action with trout, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, jacks and ladyfish on Ultra hair Clouser flies from the Middleground flat to Buttonwood Harbor. We found tarpon busting ladyfish as they fed on the surface one morning but they were up and down too quickly to get on them. Bill Colton, from Longboat Key, FL, his son, Bill, and son-in-law, Paul, had similar action using spinning tackle with CAL jigs and DOA Deadly Combos. Later in the week Allen, Angie & Tori Anaya, from Albuquerque, NM, fished Sarasota Bay with me. They had steady action with trout, bluefish, ladyfish and jacks on DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs near Buttonwood Harbor. Fly angler Braton Machleit, from TN, fished for the 1st time in saltwater with me on Friday. He started the day off with a 10-pound or more juvenile tarpon caught from under a dock on a Grassett’s Snook Minnow fly. The fish banged its head under a boat lift when it jumped, but Braton successfully fought the fish out from under the dock. We fished deep grass flats later in the morning near Buttonwood Harbor where he caught and released ladyfish and trout on Ultra Hair Clouser flies. Saturday’s trip was plagued with thunderstorms and wind. We had a few shots at feeding tarpon before dawn and spent the rest of the trip running away from rain and lightning before cutting the trip short just before a big downpour. Next week’s tides are favorable for tarpon and snook before dawn and fishing deep grass flats for trout, bluefish and more. Fishing action usually slows by late morning unless it is overcast, so start and finish early for the best action. Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 7/14 through 7/27/2008 Visibility was poor and the wind blew from the west most of the week of July 14 slowing tarpon action. We spent portions of each day fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Anglers fishing with me caught trout to 21”, bluefish to 3-pounds and mangrove snapper on flies, CAL jigs and DOA Deadly Combos. We spent the early part of each day fishing the flats and shifted to the coastal gulf for tarpon by mid morning when the sunlight was the best. Conditions improved the following week, but only for a day. Fly anglers jumped a pair of tarpon on Monday, one on a chartreuse Toad and another on a floating Enrico Puglisi fly. Another boat fishing nearby also jumped a tarpon on an Enrico Puglisi fly. We were surprised to find the gulf very rough on Tuesday morning due to Hurricane Dolly churning the gulf all the way from Texas. We fished the bay the rest of the week taking a look for tarpon each day. Fly anglers Mike Delaney, from WA, and his brother Bob Delaney, from NY fished with me on Wednesday. They had steady action with trout on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and Enrico Puglisi flies along the west side of Sarasota Bay. Sea conditions were still rough through Friday, but visibility improved drastically. Fly angler Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, fished the coastal gulf off Sarasota with me a few days last week. On Friday we counted about 50 tarpon, mostly singles, doubles and a few triples-not bad for the end of July. He got shots at about a third of them, had several follows and a bite on a chartreuse Toad fly. Conditions were even better on Saturday, but we only saw about a dozen tarpon. However, we got shots at most of them, had a couple of follows and another bite also on a chartreuse Toad fly. We made sure we were off the water in time to attend the Sarasota Sportfishing Anglers Club Tarpon tournament awards banquet that evening. Hal was the winner of the fly fishing division with a fish that he caught while fishing with me earlier in the season. Hal is a dedicated tarpon fly angler and works hard to be successful. Congratulations, Hal! Although tarpon fishing can be inconsistent in the gulf in late July, it can also be fantastic. It is always worth spending some time to see what’s happening. I always say, you don’t know unless you go. Fishing the flats for trout, bluefish, reds and more early in the day and snook in the surf or around lighted docks and bridge fenders should also be good options the next couple of weeks. Tight Lines, Snook hit the surf in the spring when the water temperature reaches 75 degrees. They'll remain there until the first severe cold front of fall. The average beach snook is about 21 inches. However, this year has been exceptional for large snook. In eight trips, clients have taken several snook of 28 inches or more, including a 32-incher. Tackle for beach snook is simple. A 6- to 8-weight rod, sinktip line, 10-pound fluorocarbon tippet and 25-pound fluoro shock is all you need. As far as flies go, you won't go wrong with a D.T. Special on a No. 4 hook.
The snook you want to target are cruising fish. The real eaters can be found within four feet of the beach. They,re either swimming to the south or to the north. Your objective is to determine which direction the fish are swimming, then position yourself for a cast. If the fish is coming toward you, just wait. If it's swimming away from you, then you'll have to overtake it. Don't run, however. Simply move up on the beach and walk just fast enough to overtake the fish. As far as diagonal casts go, forget about them. There's a good chance that you'll overshoot the fish. Then, you'll be stripping the fly toward the fish. Snook do not like that. Remember, baitfish don't attack snook. A perpendicular cast works best. Cast straight out, allow the fly to sink to the desired depth, then time your retrieve so that the fly and snook meet at the same place at the same time. At that point, the snook will do one of two things: swim away or turn toward the fly. If the latter occurs, speed your retrieve to trigger a strike. Remember, you can't strip fast enough to get your fly away from a snook that wants it.
In addition to your fly rod, leaders and flies, you'll need a cap or hat, quality polarized sunglasses, sunscreen, flats boots and water. On recent charters, clients did fairly well. Curtis Boggs of Indiana caught and released three snook to 30 inches. He hooked six total and had a few others try to eat. Doug Kabush of Virginia hooked two, landed one and had some close calls. Things changed overnight for Bob McCain of Indiana. He had about 150 shots at snook and landed three out of six hooked. Capt. Jack Hartman of the Lucky Dawg out of Sarasota joined me for his first beach fly-rod outing recently. Hartman, better known for live-baiting tarpon in the inshore Gulf of Mexico, caught and released 25. Not bad for a first-timer. There has been a weather system offshore that has been making things a little tough. Although the Gulf has been fairly calm, there have been some rollers breaking right on the beach. That stirs the water up and makes sight-fishing tough. When the system departs, we could be in for the best beach snook fishing in the last 20 years. Steve Gibson Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 6/30 through 7/13/2008 The Notari’s tarpon fished a couple of days with me on June 30 and July 1st. They always seem to have good action and a high percentage of fish landed. Terry Notari, from Longboat Key, FL, his son, Craig, and grandson, James, both from IL, fished with me on Monday, June 30th. They had great action landing 3 out of 3 tarpon jumped including a 110-pounder that Craig landed on a chartreuse Toad fly. On Wednesday, James sat out and his younger brother, Josh, got in on the action. We had 3 bites that day, 2 on live crabs including one that Josh double teamed with his dad, Craig, and another hook up on a chartreuse fly that broke off when the fly line wrapped around the foot of the reel. They landed a total of 4 out of 6 fish over 2 days, which is far above average. Justin and Brandon Bunting, both from CO, fished with me on July 4 and 5. We spent a couple of hours in the morning each day tarpon fishing and had a few shots, but no bites. They opted to fish Sarasota Bay near Bishops Point later in the morning each day. They caught and released trout, bluefish, mangrove snapper and a big red on CAL jigs with shad tails, DOA Deadly Combos and Ultra Hair Clouser flies. Fly tarpon trips on Monday and Tuesday, July 7 and 8, had lots of shots at tarpon in shallow water, several follows and one fish jumped, again on a chartreuse Toad fly. If you’ve never cast a fly at a 100-pound fish in clear shallow water, you won’t understand the thrill that it is. It’s not for everyone, but it is definitely how I prefer to catch them! I had a group of 4 anglers on Wednesday. Steve and Liz Stallard, from MI, fished with me and Freddie Parish and Cece Woolf, from Land O’Lakes, FL, fished with Capt. Jack Hartman. Anglers fishing with Capt. Jack jumped 6 fish and landed a pair of tarpon of 100 and 130-lbs. Liz landed a 120-pound fish right away on my boat with a live crab and had another hook up that resulted in 4 or 5 beautiful jumps before the fish jumped off. We headed for shallow water by 9 AM, where Steve had numerous shots at tarpon in shallow water. We had a couple of follows, but no bites. We had lots of shots at tarpon with a fly in shallow water over the next couple of days, several follows but no hook ups. I subscribe to the theory that being successful with tarpon on a fly is making the right presentation to the right fish. The best candidates are usually high in the water column and moving slow. I prefer singles, doubles and small schools since they are usually post spawn fish at this time of the year. Bill and Sandy King, from Osprey, FL, fished with me on Saturday. Sandy hooked up right away with a nice fish that was making a long run when it wrapped the line around a half submerged crab trap float and cut us off. Sandy also hooked up with what appeared to be a 7’ or 8’ tiger shark that ate a live threadfin twice. The first time the hook pulled and the second time the big fish chewed through the 80-pound leader. Bill also had some action, getting a couple of bites on the same cast from an aggressive tarpon that tried to eat his Dinner Mint Toad fly (black, chartreuse and olive). Hopefully tarpon action will continue for the rest of the month. As we get later in the month, tarpon numbers will dwindle as they move to inside waters to feed. Snook in the surf and around lighted docks before dawn or reds, trout and more on shallow flats will also be good options. Tight Lines, Ron Whiteley's July 7th Fishing Report -----------------------><> Ron Whiteley We were plagued with west wind for a few days during the week of June 16th, which caused us to fish the bay a couple of days. Fly angler Glenn Maddalon, from Danville, CA, tarpon fished with me Friday, Saturday and Monday. He landed a feisty 60-pounder on a black and red bunny fly with bead chain eyes off Lido Key. It was the perfect fish to catch late in the day- a couple of jumps, one long run and then back on the fly line and landed in about 30-minutes. I had a chance to stand on the bow on Wednesday when Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, fished with me. After several fish spooking on dark and chartreuse flies, we switched to a small tan shrimp pattern. I had a head on shot at a single that pounced on the fly the first time I cast it. I got the fish, an estimated 90-pounder, to the boat in about 35 or 40-minutes. My first of the season! A strong line of thunderstorms chased us off the water early on Thursday. The rest of the week had numerous shots at tarpon with flies, but no eats. Visibility was poor, so many of the fish were on top of us before we could see them, making it tough. Tarpon will probably thin out as we head away from Tuesday’s new moon, but should resume their normal patterns later in the week. I usually tarpon fish most of July, which offers some of the best fly fishing action of the season for tarpon. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett
Rex Gudgel, of Jefferson, Ga. and Ron Whiteley of Rotunda, Fl. jumped 11 tarpon in three days to 140 lbs. on chartreuse flies. Rex also caught 30 snook on Gasparilla Island beaches in one day. Flies we used imitate the Cuban anchovies that are schooling along the shore now. Ron Whiteley's & Pete Greenan's Report From Ron: Press release from Motel Marine who are treating the Pygmy Killer Whales Well done, Ron and Pete! Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 6/8 through 6/15/2008 With the 1st quarter of the moon last Tuesday and a full moon on June 16th, tarpon were plentiful and aggressive. We saw numerous large schools of tarpon of 50 or more fish as well as singles, doubles and small schools traveling both north and south. The pattern has been to have a push of tarpon schools at first light for an hour or so and then the action slows until late morning. Once we get a good angle with sunlight, tarpon schools can be spotted crossing light colored bottom in shallow water (4’ to 10’). We also found “laid up” schools of tarpon (sitting still with tails and fins out of the water) at first light several mornings. Cliff Ondercin, from Sarasota, FL, and his dad, Dennis Ondercin from Middleburg Heights, OH, fished their annual tarpon week from Monday through Friday with me. We had steady action all week long with lots of fish and opportunities. They landed 4 out of 12 tarpon hooked/jumped for the week. We also ran into a big school of nice jacks one day and caught one on a top water plug. Instead of eating mostly live crabs, tarpon switched their diet preference to live pinfish. We only hooked up a couple of times with live crabs and all of the rest of the bites were on live pinfish or a threadfin. Since tarpon were not always showing well on the surface, a live pinfish drifted under a float scored numerous times. Several fish that we cast to were caught or jumped in shallow water, so we got to see the fish eat! The fish landed ranged from 60 to 90-pounds. The most memorable trip of the week was on Saturday with Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, his sister, Lyndi Lutz and her boyfriend, Trent DeWald, both from Dallas, TX. The main goal was to get Lyndi and Trent, who experienced their first saltwater and tarpon fishing trips that weekend, hooked up. Lyndi was first, jumping and landing a feisty 60-pounder on a live crab in about 15-minutes off Siesta Key. She also had another hook up on a live crab in the same area. With a fish under Lyndi’s belt, we headed for shallow water at about 10:30 AM to try and get Trent hooked up and Hal a fish on a fly. Hal hooked up out of a big school with a black and purple Enrico Puglisi Peanut Butter fly only to have the fish come unhooked after it ate the fly and continued to swim toward the boat. With only 15-miutes left in our trip, Trent had expressed a desire to learn to cast a fly rod, so I gave him a short course. I stood on the bow with him and after 5 or 10-minutes had him false casting about 25 or 30 feet of line with the proper form. That’s when it happened-a single tarpon approached at 10 o’clock position to the bow giving him a perfect “head on” shot. With the fly line already in the air, I had Trent drop the fly in front of the fish and strip it (we hadn’t even covered stripping the fly yet). However, due to his watching Hal fish earlier in the day and watching “Chasing Silver” videos, he instinctively knew what to do. The fish charged the fly and ate only about 15 feet from the boat, Trent strip struck the fish, successfully cleared the line and we were tight! After a 15 or 20-minute battle including numerous jumps, the estimated 90 or 100-pound fish wore through 80-pound bite tippet with the fish only 20-feet from the boat. Awesome! They finished the day landing one out of 4 tarpon hooked/jumped, including 2 on flies. We are having a good tarpon season so far. Tarpon have been plentiful, although not always eating. If you’ve ever tarpon fished, you know that being successful is a matter of the right presentation to the right fish. Except for a couple of weeks of west wind during the middle of May, conditions have been good and we have had good shots most days. There are more tarpon this year than I can remember recently. Tarpon action should be good as we approach next week’s full moon on Wednesday. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett
The action continued into the following week when fly anglers Mike Merritt and Ron Gager, both from Boulder, CO, fished with me on Monday. Mike had the hot hand that day as he jumped a pair of tarpon on a black Deceiver. One of the fish was on for about 20-minutes and broke off on a jump. The other fish ate the fly in shallow water, so we got to see the bite. Very cool!
We are entering a good time frame for tarpon. As we move further away from the new moon towards the 1st quarter next week, tides will improve and tarpon should bite better. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for good fishing conditions in the gulf. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 5/12 through 5/25/2008
PHOTO: Kirk Grassett, from Middletown, DE, caught and released this 26" snook on a Crab Clouser fly while fishing north of Long Bar in Sarasota Bay with his brother, Capt. Rick Grassett. Patrice Camillieri, from France fished with me on Thursday and Friday and the wind kicked back up out of the west. We did get into the gulf briefly one day and he landed a nice king mackerel on a free-lined blue runner. Although catching a tarpon on a fly was our goal, conditions wouldn’t allow it. In addition to the king, Patrice caught and released snook and trout on Clouser flies in Sarasota and Terra Ceia Bays. Keith McClintock and Barry Slee, from Lake Forest, IL, Barry’s nephew Paul Browring from the UK, Dave Kinnamon, from Milwaukee, WI and Steve Liska from NJ fished with me, Capt. Kelly Stilwell and Capt. Jack Hartman during the week of May 19. The wind blew out of the west all week long ruining our chances for tarpon but fishing in Sarasota Bay was good. Keith, Steve and I got into the gulf briefly one morning and caught a nice false albacore on a jig and Keith landed an 80-pound tarpon in the bay another morning. The group had steady action with reds to 28”, snook to 26” and trout to more than 20” with CAL jigs with shad tails, DOA Deadly Combos and flies. When the weather calmed at the end of the week, we found tarpon plentiful in the coastal gulf but not eating very well. This should change by next week as we get further away from last week’s full moon.
Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett Everglades fly fishing for the Florida exotics - by Steve Gibson
Photo No. 1: Mystery cichlid. Not sure what exactly it is, but I caught three. After an hour, I switched to a Myakka Minnow and my action increased immediately. I convinced Parker to switch and he started catching fish. However, the exotics were not easy. In fact, our catch was made up largely of largemouth bass, bluegill, stumpknocker, shellcracker and three cichlids that I’ve never caught before. After a shore lunch of Italians subs, we set out to fish the afternoon. We tried a different canal and Parker managed to land a decent Mayan, his first. The fish put up an nice battle and he realized why they’re called “Atomic sunfish.” We then went back to the main canal. The bite was on. We caught a lot of fish and the oscars started cooperating. However, Parker was using light tippet and was broken off twice in a row by big oscars. If you’ve never tangled with an oscar, you wouldn’t believe the strength and speed of these fish. When you hook one, you need to get the fish away from the cover as quickly as possible. If you don’t, you’ll be hard-pressed to stop the oscar. His burst back into the structure is nearly impossible to prevent with light tippet. When the oscars are feeding, I would suggest a minimum of a 4-weight rod, floating line and 8-pound tippet. You need to be able to apply maximum pressure. Parker was amazed by the strength of the oscars. Mesmerized by the lack of exotic action, I even fell prey to the fish. I was using 4-pound tippet and broke three fish off over the course of the day.
Everglades action should continue hot through the first week of June. Then heat and rain will make thing unpleasant. We’ll begin returning to the ‘Glades in November.
Photo No. 2: Bob Parker shows off his first Mayan cichlid. Mayans are as strong, but they’re a little faster. They’re also tough to keep out of the structure. On a trip to the ‘Glades in March, we caught 15 Mayans over 2 pounds or more. I’m sure there are several world records swimming around down there. The reason the Myakka Minnow is so effective is that most canals in the Everglades have loads of small minnows. And the fly is perfect for the task.
Quent Daggett and his fishing partner Dave, both from Portland, OR, fished the same areas with me on Tuesday and Wednesday. Fish thinned out and the action slowed in skinny water following a front on Monday afternoon, but they had some action with trout and bluefish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies on deep grass flats near Buttonwood Harbor. Bill Beauchamp, from Bradenton, FL and his brother, Brian, fished the same areas with me on Thursday. They caught and released trout and bluefish on DOA Deadly combos and CAL jigs with shad tails in the same areas that produced for us earlier in the week. Despite fishing hard for reds and snook in skinny water, they didn’t cooperate. I spent Friday getting myself packed for my annual trip to Andros South Bonefish Lodge. The lodge is one of only a few lodges on the south end of Andros Island. I’ll follow up on that trip in a separate report within a few days. Ron Whiteley's Fishing Report - May 7-8 Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 4/13 through 4/27/2008 Fly angler Rob Cecil, from CA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on a blustery day on Monday, April 14. It was very windy, so we fished protected water south of the Ringling Causeway and in Roberts Bay. Rob caught and released a few trout and ladyfish on Clouser flies on his first saltwater fly fishing trip. We were plagued with wind most of that week. Tuesday’s trip was cancelled due to winds above 20-mph. Sarasota Herald-Tribune outdoors editor, Steve Gibson, and I traveled to Stuart on Tuesday afternoon to fish a day with DOA lure maker Mark Nichols. We were hopeful for good conditions, even though the forecast was bleak. Unfortunately the forecast was correct as the wind blew 25 to 30-mph. Our plan was to target trophy trout, but that wasn’t in the cards that day. We retreated to canals in the Indian River near Sewell’s Point where we caught and released several snook, jacks and a flounder on DOA shrimp and CAL jigs with shad tails. Bill and Sandy King, from Osprey, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. They had steady action with trout and bluefish on CAL jigs with a variety of plastic tails and Clouser flies. The best action was near Buttonwood Harbor. I was the instructor at an Orvis-Endorsed fly casting school out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Saturday, April 9. Several students participated and now have a solid foundation to build their fly casting skills on. I was back on the water on Sunday morning with fly anglers Peter and Nini Seaman, from CA. We caught and released ladyfish, trout and Spanish mackerel at Stephens Point and near Buttonwood Harbor before heading into skinny water north of Long Bar where they had numerous shots at reds and snook in skinny water. The highlight of the trip was when Nini landed a nice snook on a Clouser fly along a mangrove shoreline. Her first snook on a fly! Fly angler Dave Andrews, from El Jobean, FL, fished Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor with me on Tuesday. He caught and released a dozen trout to 18”, a nice Spanish mackerel and a red on Clouser flies near Devilfish Key. Lew Armitage, from Piney Point, FL and his son, Gary, from Texas fished snook on a night trip with me on Wednesday evening. They caught and released ladyfish and trout before dusk on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and one snook after dark on a Grassett’s Grass (Snook) Minnow fly in Blackburn Bay. I had the pleasure of having Mark Nichols of DOA Fishing Lures and his wife, Jenny, fishing with me on Friday and Saturday. We participated in the Sarasota CCA “Photo All-Release” Challenge on Saturday. Friday was a great day with over a dozen reds, numerous trout and several snook caught and released in Sarasota Bay. Trout were caught on deep grass flats at Stephens Point and near Buttonwood Harbor on DOA shrimp and CAL jigs and more than a dozen reds and snook were caught in skinny water on CAL jigs north of Long Bar. With a plan in place we fished the same areas on Saturday. Fishing was slower on Saturday, but we entered a few reds, snook and trout. I had a slam, but it wasn’t strong enough to win anything. This event, which is in its 13th year, is a fun filled, low stress fishing tournament that also raises money for CCA’s conservation efforts. Next week’s tides are favorable for fishing flats or the coastal gulf, particularly towards the end of the week. Look for tarpon fishing to take off as we approach a new moon on May 5th. Also, with water temperatures approaching the upper 70’s, tarpon should begin schooling along our beaches any day now. Tight Lines, April 13th Report from Ron Whiteley Dr. Fred Miller from Denver took seatrout to 18 inches on Estaz marabou flies along with several other minor species. On Tuesday, in windy conditions, Fred took a 70 lb. tarpon in Pine Island Sound on a Black Widow designed by Ron Whiteley. Phillip McCormick of Sarasota took his granddad, Jesse Jones, and his friend Steve Myers on Wednesday. Phillip, a super 12 year old angler, kicked their butt all day. It's enough to say they had dinner at Phillips expense. Thursday brought two ardent fresh water fly fishers to the salt for the first time. Tom Allen of Sarasota and his friend James of Bozeman, Mt. caught bluefish, seatrout and ladyfish too numerous to count on a variety of standard flies in Whidden's Creek and Turtle Bay. This week should bring increased numbers of snook and tarpon to the fly. During the last week we have observed a lot of fish moving to the passes and beaches. The dock lights are beginning to show large numbers of snook feeding heavily on the outgoing tide. Early morning top water fishing for snook and seatrout will be excellent.
Tampa Bay Fly Fishing Club members, Nick Colantonio and John Cornacchia, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. They caught and released trout, ladyfish, bluefish and Spanish mackerel at the Middleground flat, Stephens Point and near Buttonwood Harbor on a variety of flies. The action wasn’t particularly fast, but was steady. A couple of fly trips proved to be very challenging. Sight casting to reds and snook in skinny water in Sarasota Bay and Gasparilla Sound was tough. We had numerous shots, particularly in Sarasota Bay, and only got a pair of reds to eat. Sarasota winter residents, Harry Beaty and Tom Schalk, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. They had good action with trout to 18”, bluefish and ladyfish at the same spots we fished on Monday. The best action in Sarasota Bay was with reds at the end of the week. Jim Essig and Ken Kolinski, both from OH, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. We found lots of reds in Sarasota Bay north of Long Bar. There was a mix of rat reds (17” to 20”), which were much more aggressive and large reds up to 30”, that were much smarter. Ken and Jim caught and released a dozen reds on CAL jigs with shad tails. Sight casting CAL jigs to reds in skinny water and working them slowly along the bottom was most effective.
John Freeman, Jr., from Venice, Fl, and his daughter, Chris Ryan, fished the same area with me on Saturday morning. After watching the reds behavior for several days, we really got dialed into them that day. Smaller reds wanted a CAL jig crawled slowly along the bottom in skinny water and bigger reds were less spooky and easier to catch in deeper water. They had a banner day, catching and releasing numerous trout and a pompano at the Middleground flat and Stephens Point before moving on to reds in skinny water. We fished the same shallow area north of Long Bar where they caught and released 20 or 25 reds to 30”. With a very high tide, reds were tight to a shoreline and feeding on crabs around oyster bars. A great day! Next week’s tides will improve towards the end of the week as we head towards a full moon next weekend. Fishing should be good in shallow water for a variety of species. Many anglers are still waiting for the coastal gulf to turn on after a few spurts of activity recently. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 3/26 through 4/6/2008 The next 2 days we fished Stephens Point, the Middleground flat and near Buttonwood Harbor in Sarasota Bay where they had good action with trout, bluefish and Spanish mackerel on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails. The best action was on Friday when we got on a large school of oversize reds in north Sarasota Bay near Bayshore Gardens. They caught and released more than 10 reds to 30” with 7 of them caught on large white flies (Clousers, Deceivers and Mirrolure flies). The flies matched the white bait (pilchards) that the school was feeding on. The reds, one of a couple of schools that had been around for a couple of months, finally disappeared due to excessive pressure. I was a seminar speaker at the National Fly Fishing Exposition in Lakeland, FL, on the weekend of March 29 and 30. The successful event featured fly tackle vendors, seminars and casting demonstrations. Sarasota winter resident, Gary Wagner, and a guest fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, March 31st. They had fast action with trout, bluefish and Spanish mackerel caught on CAL jigs with shad tails on both sides of the bay at Stephens Point, the Middleground flat and along the west side of the bay from Longboat Key Moorings to Buttonwood Harbor. The rest of the week was spent with fly anglers mostly fishing the Terra Ceia area and it proved to be a challenging week. Sight casting to reds and snook in shallow water was our goal and we found them very finicky. Numerous fish would put their nose right on the fly and follow it but wouldn’t bite. They were in a better mood on Wednesday when Longboat Key winter resident and friend, Nick Reding, fished with me. We fished the Terra Ceia area where Nick hooked 4 reds and landed 3 of them on a chartreuse over white Clouser fly. He sight cast to cruising reds while I poled my flats skiff and while we waded shallow flats. Although this is one of the most challenging types of fishing, it is also one of the most rewarding. It requires accurate casting, but when everything is right you can watch a fish’s body language as it reacts to your fly and eats. Tides are good as we head into the first few days of next week. I expect flats fishing for reds, snook and trout to get better as the weather gets more stable and baitfish become more plentiful. April is usually one of the best months of the year for fishing the flats. In addition, action in the coastal gulf waters should get better with Spanish and king mackerel, cobia and tripletail. There is still space available in CB’s Saltwater Outfitter’s Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Saturday, April 19. Cost is $150 and includes a textbook, instructional video and lunch. I will be the instructor, so you can contact me or CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 to sign up. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 3/16 through 3/26/2008
Fly angler, Stephen Lewis, and his son, Danny, from Brooklyn, NY and brother-in-law, Murray, from Austin, TX, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Sunday morning, March 16th. They caught and released ladyfish, trout, Spanish mackerel and pompano, including a 4 ½ pounder that Murray caught on a CAL jig with a shad tail at the Radio Tower flat. That afternoon fly anglers, Dick Stevens, from Enfield, CT and his son, Sean Stevens, from WY, fished Sarasota Bay with me. They had fast action with Spanish mackerel, trout and ladyfish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies at Stephens Point. We then headed to the west side of the bay near Buttonwood Harbor where they caught and released a 4-pound pompano and a 30” red, both on Ultra hair Clouser flies. We encountered a large school of oversized reds, much like you would find in late summer. It’s good to be in the right place at the right time! Long time customer and friend, Rick Peregord from Southgate, MI, fished with me on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday (March 17, 18 and 20). Rick fishes 3 days with me every year in the middle of March. He is a bass angler and can cast well around docks, etc, which means he is usually successful targeting snook and reds. We fished the Terra Ceia area on Monday where he caught and released 7 snook to 23” on CAL jigs with shad tails. The following day we fished Sarasota Bay where he caught and released 4 reds and 3 or 4 snook to 27”. On Thursday conditions were perfect with a good tide and a front just passing through. Rick had a personal best day in Sarasota’s Roberts Bay with about 15 snook to 25” and 3 reds to 24”, all on CAL jigs with shad tails. Best colors were Arkansas Glow Shiner and Stark Naked. The tally for the 3 days was about 25 snook and 7 reds. Fly angler Kirk Norris, from Des Moines, IA, fished Charlotte Harbor with me on Wednesday. We had a south wind of 15 to 25-mph, which made things very challenging. Kirk caught a few ladyfish and trout, but reds and snook were too tough that day due to conditions. Fly angler, John Wolfstaetter and his dad, Paul Wolfstaetter, both from NY, fished the Terra Ceia area with me on Saturday, March 22nd. It rained most of the day and poured for the last 4 hours of the trip. Despite miserable conditions, they hung in there all day. It paid off for John with a red and a nice trout on a chartreuse/white Clouser fly. Fly angler, Dave Macomber from St. Paul, MN, fished Blackburn Bay and “snook alley” with me on Monday afternoon and evening. Despite 20 to 25-mph winds, fishing was good. Dave caught and released about a dozen ladyfish and a couple of trout before dark with an Estaz Marabou fly. We shifted to fishing docks after dark where he caught and released more than 10 snook to 24” on my Grass (Snook) Minnow fly. The next morning, fly angler Marc Chiapperino, and his son, Marc, from NJ, fished Sarasota Bay with me. It was cold, 49 degrees, when we started at 9 AM but fishing was steady. They caught and released ladyfish, about a dozen trout to 18” and a bluefish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails at Stephens Point. The weather should be more stable as we head into April, which will make fishing more dependable. With fronts still pushing through, water temperature fluctuating up and down and lots of wind, fishing has been challenging especially after the passing of a front. Both skinny water and coastal gulf fishing should improve with more stable weather in April. Tight Lines, Ron Whiteley - March 15th, report Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 2/25 through 3/15/2008 Dick Reece, from Dayton, OH, and Brian Green, from Ontario, Canada fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, Feb. 25th. They had steady action with bluefish in Big Pass and trout, Spanish mackerel and blues at the Middleground Flat and at Stephens Point on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad and grub tails. Mike Perez, from Richmond, IN, and Jeff Hanna, from MI, fished Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor with me on Tuesday, Feb. 26th that week. They caught and released trout, ladyfish and a red with CAL jigs and flies on deep grass flats and around sand bars. Mike also fished Sarasota Bay with me later that week. We found the action a little slower, but the best action was on deep grass flats with Ultra Hair Clouser flies.
I attended the Florida Guides Association’s annual meeting and did a Saltwater Fly Fishing seminar at the Frank Sargeant Show on Sunday, March 2nd. Sarasota winter residents, Harry Beaty and Tom Schalk, fished Sarasota Bay with me and had fast action with blues in Big Pass and bluefish, Spanish mackerel and trout at the Middleground flat and Stephens Point on CAL jigs on Monday, March 3rd. Dick Reece fished the next day with me in Sarasota Bay before heading back north. The action was a little slower but included trout, ladyfish and Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs. Fly anglers Nick Reding and Jim Ewoldt, both from St. Louis, MO, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday and Thursday that week. The best action was on deep grass flats near Buttonwood Harbor, Stephens Point and the Middleground flat where they caught pompano, Spanish mackerel and trout on Ultra Hair Clouser flies. Friday’s trip got blown out after only 2-hours when 25-30-mph winds swept in ahead of a front. That meant good weather for a fishing show that weekend as I spoke at the Sarasota Florida Sportsman Show and helped DOA Fishing Lures out at their booth on Saturday and Sunday, March 8 and 9. I was back on the water on Monday morning with fly anglers Jeff Wagner, from UT, and his uncle, Chub Bortz from PA. They caught and released trout, ladyfish, bluefish and Spanish mackerel on a variety of flies in Sarasota Bay. Firman Schlabaugh and Junior Miller, both from Sarasota, fished Charlotte Harbor with me on Tuesday. They had a banner day catching about a dozen trout to over 20”, with most fish in the upper end of the slot, around sand bars in Gasparilla Sound. We spent the afternoon targeting reds and they caught 7 reds to 30” along mangrove shorelines and sand bars in Turtle Bay. All fish were caught on CAL jigs with shad or grub tails. Joe Scotti and Bill Crowley, from Nokomis, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me the next day. The best action was with trout on deep grass flats from the Radio Tower flat to Buttonwood Harbor. They caught and released 25 or 30 trout, including several over 20”, bluefish and Spanish mackerel with CAL jigs and shad or grub tails. Trout action came on strong in both Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor last week. I have been asking clients to release all trout in Sarasota Bay to help their recovery. Following the red tides of 2005 and 2006, trout were just about wiped out in Sarasota Bay. It was only last fall that they began to recover and are now on their way to a healthy level. Mike Stehlik, from MN, and his brother Dennis Stehlik, from Chicago, fished Charlotte Harbor with me on Friday. They caught and released about a dozen trout to 18” in Gasparilla Sound and 4 reds to 24” in Turtle Bay on CAL jigs with shad and grub tails. Tides will improve next week as we head toward a full moon on Friday. Fishing deep grass flats for trout, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and pompano in Sarasota Bay and reds and trout in Gasparilla Sound should continue to be good options. Tight Lines, For Archives of Older Fishing Reports, Click here... |
Photo - Capt. Al White fishing with Capt. Pete Greenan
Sarasota Bay on a couple of days. They caught Spanish mackerel off Siesta Key and trout and bluefish in Sarasota Bay from the Marina Jack flat to Stephens Point on the east side on Diamond Jigs, top water plugs and flies.
A large school of hound fish showed up along Casey Key. Some were four feet long. More attacks and follows, but again unsuccessful. Even the large barracuda didn't seem to show a lot of interest. Steve and I concluded the full moon and high pressure kept the fish from feeding during the day. An early morning foray would undoubtably produce better catches.
PHOTO: Rick Happle, from Tampa, FL, caught and released this big little tunny with a Crease fly while fishing
off Siesta Key with Capt. Rick Grassett.
PHOTO: Capt. Rick Grassett with a 10-pound bonefish caught and released on a crab fly pattern while fishing Florida Bay near Islamorada with Capt. Duane Baker.
PHOTO: Harrison King, from Bozeman, MT, with a 28" snook caught and released with a Grassett's Snook Minnow fly while fishing north Siesta Key docks with Capt. Rick Grassett. 
PHOTO: Fly angler Al Cuneo, from Ellenton, FL, caught and released this trout on a Clouser fly while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Although I have fished all over and caught a lot of different fish, I have to admit that sight-fishing for snook in the surf is my favorite. It's a game that requires the ability to spot fish, decent casting and lots of accuracy.
You'll get all sorts of advice when you ask about beach snook. Some people will tell you that the snook are mainly in the first trough. Some will advise you to make diagonal casts. 
Where to find snook? Most any barrier island from Anna Maria Island to Naples will have snook in the surf. Experience will dictate what areas are best. The trick is to get out and fish several different areas until you find a beach that's your favorite.
Fished the area around Sand Fly Key for tarpon. We found a few tight lipped ones there. After someone pulled real close to us we decided to try Turtle Bay. 
Being Monday, the Fishery was closed so we headed over to the Rum Bay restaurant on Palm Island and picked up Judy on the way. Had a couple of really well made gin & tonics and a great burger. 
PHOTO:
Capt. Rick Grassett caught and released this estimated 90-pound tarpon on a tan shrimp fly while fishing off Lido Key. Rusty Chinnis photo.
Bob Spencer of Provo, UT and his
Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had action with tarpon during the past couple of weeks. Following a persistent west wind during the 2nd and 3rd weeks of May, the wind finally switched back to the east and allowed us to fish the gulf for tarpon. We had several bites, a couple of hook ups and one fish landed during the week of May 26th. 
My brother, Kirk Grassett from Middletown, DE, stayed over a couple of days after our Andros South trip and fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, May 12th. He caught and released a pair of snook to 26” and a nice trout near Buttonwood Harbor and north of Long Bar on Crab Clouser flies (olive, tan and white with lots of gold flash). Bill King, from Osprey, FL and Mike Mallod, from Sarasota, FL, fished with me the following day and caught and released about 15 trout on a DOA Deadly Combo near Buttonwood Harbor. 
Arriving at the dirt boat ramp at Picayune Forest State Park at 7 a.m., we were greeted by calm waters and deserted canals. We had the place to ourselves.
Photo No. 3: An oscar puts Parker to the test. Unfortunately, the oscar won.
It’s glorious fly fishing for fish that are unbelievably strong. If you’ve ever caught a hand-sized bluegill, multiply that fight by 10 and you now have an idea about the strength of oscars.
PHOTO: Jack Sinton, from Bend, OR, caught this 5-pound bluefish on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly while fishing Sarasota Bay near Buttonwood Harbor with Capt. Rick Grassett.
PHOTO: Brian McInnis, from Sarasota, FL, and Capt. Rick Grassett with a nice red that Brian caught on a fly while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick. 
PHOTO: Sean Stevens, from WY, caught and released this 30" red on a Clouser fly while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
PHOTO: Chub Bortz, from Swiftwater, PA, caught this pompano with an Ultra Hair Clouser fly on an Orvis T-3 8-weight rod with an intermediate line while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett. 