Captain Favorite

Khara Geders holds up a gorgeous mahi-mahi she caught while deep water trolling

Catch of the Week

• NOAA Fisheries Service reminds fishermen of recreational measures for golden tilefish, snowy grouper, and black sea bass. These measures include annual catch limits (ACLs) on the amount of fish that can be caught in pounds or numbers, and possible adjustments to ACLs and fishing seasons if ACLs are exceeded.

Temporary Regulations to Reset the 2011 Gulf of Mexico Commercial Gag Quota and Set a Recreational Gag Fishing Season
Small Entity Compliance Guide

• NOAA Fisheries Service announces a temporary rule to reset the commercial quota of gag at 430,000 pounds, continue the suspension of the use of red grouper multi-use individual fishing quota commercial allocation, and set a gag recreational season from September 16 through November 15. The final rule will be effective June 1, 2011.
• Gag is considered overfished (population abundance is too low) and undergoing overfishing (rate of removal too high). The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act requires that overfished stocks be rebuilt and that overfishing be halted. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) requested NOAA Fisheries Service implement this temporary rule to revise 2011 commercial and recreational measures in light of the rerun of the gag update stock assessment. The Council is developing a long-term plan address gag stock rebuilding through Amendment 32 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico

Firming up recreational seasons for Gulf red snapper, gag

• The recreational harvest season for red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico will open on June 1. Also on June 1, the recreational seasons for gag grouper and greater amberjack in the Gulf of Mexico will close. Gag grouper will remain closed throughout 2011, except that there will be a two-month opening in the fall, from Sept. 16 through Nov. 15. Greater amberjack will reopen on Aug. 1.
• The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will discuss the closing date for red snapper in state waters of the Gulf on June 9 at its meeting in St. Augustine. Commissioners will consider adopting a closing date consistent with the federal date of July 18. More details are available in the meeting agenda, at MyFWC.com/Commission.

Clark Keator, from Orlando, Fla., caught and released this 90-lb tarpon on a live crab while fishing the coastal gulf off Sarasota with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Weekly Fishing Report by Captain Rick Grassett
 
Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had lots of shots at tarpon with both fly and spin tackle during the past week. Tarpon are plentiful and many are in large schools along Sarasota beaches. As is sometimes the case, they become finicky and focused on migrating and spawning rather than eating, especially early in the season. We worked everything from singles, doubles and small schools to a couple of massive schools of hundreds of fish.
           
Clark Keator and his son, Clark, from Orlando, Fla., fished a couple of days with me last week. Young Clark, jumped and landed a 90-pound tarpon on a live crab on Monday. We measured both length and girth to get an accurate weight estimate and took a DNA sample of the fish for Mote Marine Laboratory’s tarpon research program. I had a couple of experienced tarpon anglers who have caught and released numerous tarpon with me in the past, on Wednesday and Thursday. We had lots of good shots at tarpon with both fly and spin tackle but they ignored us.
           
Conditions were great for sight fishing on Friday and tarpon got in a better mood. We jumped a tarpon on a fly and had a couple of hard follows. We also had a tarpon try to eat a CAL shad tail fished at the surface on a weedless hook. A very exciting strike!
           
Next week’s tides are great, particularly the outgoing tides in the afternoon, as we approach the new moon on June 1.  Fishing tarpon along the beaches, trout, reds and more on both shallow and deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay and snook in the surf or in the ICW at night should all be good options next week.
 
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
 

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Fishing Forecast
High pressure will hold across the waters with a moderate easterly flow across the region. A sea breeze will develop near the coast this afternoon and Monday afternoon with a few thunderstorms possible. An easterly surge will develop with winds close to cautionary levels during the evening hours, subsiding after midnight.

Monday
East winds around 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. There will be isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon. Monday night east winds around 15 knots, but gusty during the evening hours. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop.
Tides: High at 1:17 a.m. (1.39), low at 5:10 a.m. (1.16), high at 11:00 a.m. (2.35), low at 7:24 p.m. (-0.14)

Tuesday
Northeast winds around 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. There will be isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon. Tuesday night will bring east winds around 20 knots becoming northeast 5 to 10 knots after midnight. Bay and inland waters will be choppy.
Tides: High at 2:09 a.m. (1.38), low at 5:34 a.m. (1.22), high at 11:30 a.m. (2.46), low at 8:02 p.m. (-0.24)

Wednesday
Northeast winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Wednesday Night
Northeast winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop.
Tides: High at 2:55 a.m. (1.35), low at 5:56 a.m. (1.24), high at 12:02 p.m. (2.55), low at 8:40 p.m. (-0.31)

Thursday
East winds around 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. There will be isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon. Thursday night will bring east winds around 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop.
Tides: High at 3:37 a.m. (1.32), low at 6:22 a.m. (1.24), high at 12:39 p.m. (2.63), low at 9:19 p.m. (-0.35)

Friday
East winds around 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. There will be isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon.
Tides: High at 4:15 a.m. (1.31), low at 6:55 a.m. (1.23), high at 1:19 p.m. (2.66), low at 9:59 p.m. (-0.36)

Solunar Forecast