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Fishing Reports from Club Members and Area Guides Boca Grande, Florida, - 29 April, 2008 by Capt. Pete Greenan 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: 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. 