CATCH OF THE WEEK |
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Mark Wayde, from MI, with a snook caught and released on a Grassett Snook Minnow fly while fishing the ICW near Venice at night with Capt. Rick Grassett. |
FISHING UPDATES
Commission to meet April 15-17 near Tallahassee
Highlights of the agenda include:
Commission action Wednesday on these marine fisheries agenda items:
Look for gopher tortoises out on a spring stroll
Spring means return of Spanish mackerel to north Florida waters
Beach-nesting shorebirds need peace and quiet to survive
WEEKLY FISHING REPORT BY CAPT. RICK GRASSETT
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Capt. Rick DePaiva, from Ft. Myers, FL, battles a tarpon jumped on a fly while fishing the coastal gulf with Capt. 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, caught and released trout and flounder in Sarasota Bay on flies and DOA Shrimp and snook at night in the ICW near Venice on flies during the past week.
Siesta Key winter resident, Frank Watson and his grandson, Eric Watson, both from Ohio, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday morning. With an approaching front and a strong south wind, we headed south of the Ringling Bridge for some protection. The wind cranked up to more than 20-mph by the end of our trip and they had good action with trout to 18 inches, a nice black sea bass and flounder caught and released on DOA Shrimp. Anna Maria and Sarasota winter residents, Bill Morrison and Gary Marple, snook fished with me in the ICW near Venice that evening. We fished only a couple of spots and they caught and released a few snook and ladyfish on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly before a mechanical problem sent me to the dock early.
A front came through on Tuesday with heavy rain and wind and the wind continued to blow above 20-mph all day Wednesday, so we didn’t fish those days. David Morgan, from Sarasota, FL, fished Stephens Point in Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday morning and caught and released a few trout on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly. Mark Wayde, from MI, snook fished with me in the ICW near Venice that evening and had good action catching and releasing numerous snook on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly.
Longtime friend, client and Sarasota winter resident, Norm Boardman from Conneticut, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. We fished deep grass flats on both sides of the bay where he caught and released trout and ladyfish on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly. The action wasn’t fast but it was steady, with some decent trout to 18 inches.
I was the instructor for an Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Saturday. The school, which was the last one until fall, covered fly casting basics, shooting line, roll casting, leader construction and saltwater fly fishing techniques. Look for information on future Orvis-Endorsed Fly Fishing Schools and Orvis Fly Fishing 101 classes, a 2-hr introductory fly fishing class, at www.cbsoutfitters.com.
With a full moon on Tues, April 15, tides will be good next week, particularly outgoing tides in the afternoon. Look for reds, snook and big trout on shallow flats or edges of bars in Sarasota Bay. Fishing deep grass flats for trout, Spanish mackerel, blues, pompano and more should continue to be a good option. There should also be good action in the coastal gulf with Spanish and king mackerel, false albacore (little tunny) and tripletail depending on conditions.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis- Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB’s Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
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FISHING FORECAST
High pressure will continue across the area through Monday ... bringing east to southeast winds to the waters ... except for along the coast where an onshore sea breeze will develop Monday afternoon. A cold front will approach Monday night and Tuesday...then push into the waters Tuesday night before stalling across South Florida Wednesday. The lingering frontal boundary will bring showers and a few thunderstorms to the waters through the end of the week.
Monday
Southeast winds around 10 knots becoming southwest in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Monday night will bring south winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop.
2014/04/14Mon01:08 AM1.64H
2014/04/14Mon07:06 AM0.58L
2014/04/14Mon12:35 PM2.04H
2014/04/14Mon07:57 PM0.0L
Tuesday
South winds 10 to 15 knots becoming southwest around 20 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters choppy. A chance of showers and a slight chance of thunderstorms in the morning then showers likely and a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Tuesday night will bring northwest winds 5 to 10 knots becoming north around 15 knots after midnight. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. A chance of showers.
2014/04/15Tue01:49 AM1.59H
2014/04/15Tue07:30 AM0.69L
2014/04/15Tue12:58 PM2.19H
2014/04/15Tue08:35 PM-0.15 L
Wednesday
Northeast winds 10 to 15 knots diminishing to 5 to 10 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. A chance of showers. Wednesday night will bring northeast winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A chance of showers.
2014/04/16Wed02:32 AM1.53H
2014/04/16Wed07:53 AM0.79L
2014/04/16Wed01:25 PM2.32H
2014/04/16Wed09:17 PM-0.25 L
Thursday
East winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A chance of showers. Thursday night will bring east winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A chance of showers.
2014/04/17Thu03:20 AM1.44H
2014/04/17Thu08:18 AM0.88L
2014/04/17Thu01:57 PM2.41H
2014/04/17Thu10:03 PM-0.3L
Friday
Southeast winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A chance of showers.
2014/04/18Fri04:15 AM1.35H
2014/04/18Fri08:45 AM0.97L
2014/04/18Fri02:35 PM2.45H
2014/04/18Fri10:56 PM-0.29 L
SOLUNAR FORECAST