CATCH OF THE WEEK |
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Crane Meadow Lodge guide Tom Caffrey with a fat Ruby River cutthroat. Capt. Rick Grassett photo. ![]() |
BRADENTON – The subtropical ridge axis will remain parked over the Florida Peninsula and eastern Gulf of Mexico through forecast period. Catch and release snook fishing around lighted docks and bridges and trout, blues and more on deep grass flats should be good options. Reds should be schooling up on flats of Sarasota Bay and there should still be some tarpon in the coastal gulf. You should also find tarpon in upper Charlotte Harbor and areas of Sarasota and Tampa Bay. Juvenile tarpon in canals and creeks or around bridges are also good options.
FISHING UPDATES
Amberjack, gray triggerfish reopened 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.
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. |
I hosted a group of friends and clients on a fly fishing trip at Crane Meadow Lodge (www.cranemeadow.addr.com) in Twin Bridges, MT last week. We fished the Beaverhead, Big Hole, Jefferson, Ruby and Madison Rivers, a couple of spring creeks and a high altitude alpine lake, either wading or floating, where we caught and released numerous brown, rainbow, cutthroat and brook trout. Many fish were caught with a variety of hopper dry fly patterns.
This is an annual trip for me and was our 13th year at the lodge. Nick Reding, from the St. Louis, MO area, Mike Perez and Dennis Kinley, from IN, Tony Merlis from NH and I met up in Bozeman on Friday afternoon, 8/8 and made the 90-mile drive southwest to the lodge in Twin Bridges. We ran into Jimmy Carter in the airport. He was on the same flight from Atlanta with Tony, who said the former president traveled in coach and made his way through the entire plane shaking everyone’s hand on board. The fly fishing world is a small world!
I floated the Jefferson with Tony Merlis one day and the Big Hole with Nick Reding another day with guide Dan Allen. We caught and released rainbows and browns on both trips. We saw a moose along the Big Hole and a couple of eagles locked talons in a battle that almost put them in the river! Nick and I waded the Ruby with guides Tom Caffrey and Matt and I caught my first cutthroat! The variety of fishing available is one of the best things about Crane Meadow Lodge. As long as I have been going there, I fished new water every day except for one this trip.
Mike Perez and I floated the Beaverhead with guide Dave King and had good action catching and releasing browns to over 20”. Mike and Dennis Kinley also had a good day wading with guide Dave King, catching and releasing numerous rainbows and browns over 20”. Dennis and Nick had good action with brookies on the Big Hole with guides Tom and Matt another day. Tony had a couple of good days with guide Dan including some big brown trout.
The last day was one of the best when the entire group fished a high altitude alpine lake with guides Dave, Tom and Dan and Crane Meadow Lodge operator, Cody Meine. Cody and his staff of guides have become good friends over the years, which makes it even more enjoyable. The scenery was amazing as we took an hour-long drive up to about 7500’. We caught and released cutthroats and rainbows and grilled burgers for lunch. A great way to end our trip!
The weather and scenery in southwest Montana is outstanding. Temperatures ranged from a very comfortable low to mid-50’s in the morning to 80’s in the afternoon with low humidity, a welcome relief from SW Florida’s heat and humidity in August. In addition to beautiful valleys surrounded by rugged mountains, the wildlife is amazing! We saw whitetail and mule deer, hawks, eagles, ducks, geese and sand hill cranes to mention a few. We also saw numerous moose and lots of whitetails around the lodge most mornings. In addition to great fishing, we enjoyed some outstanding meals prepared by Chef Nick every evening.
Back in Sarasota, catch and release snook fishing around lighted docks and bridges and trout, blues and more on deep grass flats should be good options. Reds should be schooling up on flats of Sarasota Bay and there should still be some tarpon in the coastal gulf. You should also find tarpon in upper Charlotte Harbor and areas of Sarasota and Tampa Bay. Juvenile tarpon in canals and creeks or around bridges are also good options.
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
The subtropical ridge axis will remain parked over the Florida Peninsula and eastern Gulf of Mexico through forecast period.
Monday
Southwest winds around 5 knots then becoming west around 10 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon. Monday night will bring southwest winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth.
2014/08/18 Mon 12:35 AM 1.31 L
2014/08/18 Mon 06:52 AM 2.31 H
2014/08/18 Mon 03:34 PM 0.49 L
2014/08/18 Mon 10:32 PM 1.5 H
Tuesday
West winds 5 to 10 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Isolated thunderstorms. Tuesday night will bring southwest winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth.
2014/08/19 Tue 01:38 AM 1.41 L
2014/08/19 Tue 08:04 AM 2.31 H
2014/08/19 Tue 04:44 PM 0.41 L
2014/08/19 Tue 11:41 PM 1.57 H
Wednesday
West winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Isolated thunderstorms. Wednesday night will bring northwest winds around 5 knots in the evening then becoming variable less than 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Isolated thunderstorms after midnight.
2014/08/20 Wed 03:02 AM 1.45 L
2014/08/20 Wed 09:18 AM 2.34 H
2014/08/20 Wed 05:40 PM 0.34 L
Thursday
Northeast winds around 5 knots then becoming northwest in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters smooth. Isolated thunderstorms. Thursday night will bring north winds around 5 knots in the evening then becoming variable less than 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Isolated thunderstorms after midnight.
2014/08/21 Thu 12:22 AM 1.64 H
2014/08/21 Thu 04:20 AM 1.42 L
2014/08/21 Thu 10:22 AM 2.38 H
2014/08/21 Thu 06:25 PM 0.31 L
Friday
Wind variable less than 5 knots then becoming northwest around 5 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters smooth. Scattered thunderstorms.
2014/08/22 Fri 12:51 AM 1.68 H
2014/08/22 Fri 05:19 AM 1.34 L
2014/08/22 Fri 11:14 AM 2.42 H
2014/08/22 Fri 07:02 PM 0.31 L