CATCH OF THE WEEK |
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Elizabeth Heidler, from Ohio, with a Sarasota Bay bluefish caught and released on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett. ![]() |
BRADENTON – Weather Underground is predicting winds around 15 knots and scattered thunderstorms during the week. There should still be some action with tarpon in the coastal gulf. However as they thin out in the coastal gulf, they are moving to inside areas where you may find them rolling on deep grass flats or in passes at first light. You also should find trout, blues and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Catch and release snook fishing should be good in the surf, in passes and around docks and bridges close to passes.
Monday
West winds 5 to 10 knots increasing to around 15 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. Isolated thunderstorms. Monday night
will bring west winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Isolated thunderstorms after midnight.
2014/08/11Mon02:21 AM1.7H
2014/08/11Mon07:35 AM0.96L
2014/08/11Mon01:31 PM2.74H
2014/08/11Mon09:07 PM0.14L
Tuesday
Southwest winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Isolated thunderstorms. Tuesday night will bring southwest winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Isolated thunderstorms.
2014/08/12Tue02:47 AM1.8H
2014/08/12Tue08:31 AM0.82L
2014/08/12Tue02:24 PM2.58H
2014/08/12Tue09:42 PM0.35L
Wednesday
Southwest winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms. Wednesday night will bring southwest winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Isolated thunderstorms.
2014/08/13Wed03:15 AM1.93H
2014/08/13Wed09:28 AM0.71L
2014/08/13Wed03:18 PM2.35H
2014/08/13Wed10:15 PM0.57L
Thursday
West winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms. Thursday night will bring west winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Scattered thunderstorms.
2014/08/14Thu03:46 AM2.07H
2014/08/14Thu10:29 AM0.63L
2014/08/14Thu04:15 PM2.08H
2014/08/14Thu10:46 PM0.8L
Friday
West winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms.
2014/08/15Fri04:21 AM2.19H
2014/08/15Fri11:35 AM0.6L
2014/08/15Fri05:21 PM1.81H
2014/08/15Fri11:19 PM1.0L
FISHING UPDATES
Amberjack, gray triggerfish reopen Aug.1 in Gulf state waters
In both state and federal Gulf waters, greater amberjack must be larger than 30 inches when measured from the tip of the lower jaw to the fork of the tail to be harvested when the season is open. There is a daily bag limit of one fish per person.
Red tide causes large fish kill in northeast Gulf of Mexico
Gulf recreational red snapper season closed July 15 in state waters
FWC moves to simplify saltwater rules in 3 counties
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, had good action with snook, blues and trout on CAL jigs with shad tails, DOA Deadly Combos and flies in Sarasota Bay during the past week. An angler also caught and released a big jack on a CAL 4” swim bait while tarpon fishing in the coastal gulf.
Denis Clohisy, from WI, and Jim Dempsey, from Ill., fished with me on Monday and Tuesday. We tarpon fished in the coastal gulf on Monday, which was our plan for both days. We had a west wind and rough water on Monday and with limited sunlight, it was tough to see fish. Jim made a quick cast and caught and released a 12-pounder on a CAL 4-inch shad tail/swim bait when we got blitzed by a big school of jacks. We often get shots at other species while tarpon fishing in the coastal gulf. We also had shots at several large cobia while tarpon fishing recently. It pays to be ready!
It was too rough to fish the coastal gulf for tarpon on Tuesday, so we fished the west side of Sarasota Bay, which offered some protection. They caught and released trout and blues on Clouser flies, DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs with shad tails.
Scott Heidler, his son, Scott and daughter, Elizabeth, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday before the kids went off to college. We started in the dark and they had good action catching and releasing a dozen snook to 24 inches on CAL jigs with shad tails. We moved to deep grass flats along the west side of the bay after dawn where they caught and released trout and blues on DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs with shad tails. Action with blues on deep grass flats has been good! They are also fun to catch with top water plugs or fly poppers.
There should still be some action with tarpon in the coastal gulf. However as they thin out in the coastal gulf, they are moving to inside areas where you may find them rolling on deep grass flats or in passes at first light. You also should find trout, blues and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Catch and release snook fishing should be good in the surf, in passes and around docks and bridges close to passes.
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
Fishing Forecast
High pressure across Florida and the Gulf waters will keep west to southwest winds in place. Showers and thunderstorms will develop during the overnight and early morning hours over the Gulf and coastal regions and shift inland each afternoon. The pressure gradient will be tighter across areas north of Tampa Bay where more numerous showers and storms will develop. Only hazards will be isolated waterspouts...lightning...and localized gusty winds in and near thunderstorms.
Monday
West winds 5 to 10 knots increasing to around 15 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. Isolated thunderstorms. Monday night
will bring west winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Isolated thunderstorms after midnight.
2014/08/11Mon02:21 AM1.7H
2014/08/11Mon07:35 AM0.96L
2014/08/11Mon01:31 PM2.74H
2014/08/11Mon09:07 PM0.14L
Tuesday
Southwest winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Isolated thunderstorms. Tuesday night will bring southwest winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Isolated thunderstorms.
2014/08/12Tue02:47 AM1.8H
2014/08/12Tue08:31 AM0.82L
2014/08/12Tue02:24 PM2.58H
2014/08/12Tue09:42 PM0.35L
Wednesday
Southwest winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms. Wednesday night will bring southwest winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Isolated thunderstorms.
2014/08/13Wed03:15 AM1.93H
2014/08/13Wed09:28 AM0.71L
2014/08/13Wed03:18 PM2.35H
2014/08/13Wed10:15 PM0.57L
Thursday
West winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms. Thursday night will bring west winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Scattered thunderstorms.
2014/08/14Thu03:46 AM2.07H
2014/08/14Thu10:29 AM0.63L
2014/08/14Thu04:15 PM2.08H
2014/08/14Thu10:46 PM0.8L
Friday
West winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms.
2014/08/15Fri04:21 AM2.19H
2014/08/15Fri11:35 AM0.6L
2014/08/15Fri05:21 PM1.81H
2014/08/15Fri11:19 PM1.0L