Captain Favorite's Fishing Forum: Feb. 11, 2013

Catch of the Week
Deedra Reed gigged this monster sheepshead near a bridge during the night.

BRADENTON – The 31st annual Cortez Fishing Festival is this coming weekend! Also this weekend is the NOOD Regatta in St. Petersburg. Meteorologists say a cold front is coming this during the week and should reach the Tampa Bay Area by Saturday, but fishing action should be good next week as we head away from a new moon. Contributing Capt. Rick Grassett recommends looking for reds around docks, in potholes and on the edges of bars when the tide is low or on shallow flats on sunny afternoons when the tide is high. You should find trout, Spanish mackerel, blues, pompano and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay.

Fishing Updates

Saltwater game fish, sport fish designations Feb. 13

• Whether it’s the heart-pounding excitement and anticipation of the strike on a fly or a lure, or the thrill of a catch soon to be on your dinner table, the best place in the world to experience saltwater fishing opportunities is Florida – the Fishing Capital of the World.

• The recent proposal to create saltwater game fish and sport fish designations in Florida is about highlighting some of the state’s most valuable recreational fish for today and future generations. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will consider adopting these designations at its Feb. 13 meeting in Orlando.

Cortez Fishing Festival Feb. 16 -17

• The 31st annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival in the Village of Cortez — possibly Bradenton's most popular festival — takes place Feb. 16 and 17 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• The two-day festival is rich in local history, live music, nautical arts and crafts, children’s activities, environmental exhibits and, of course, more fresh seafood than imaginable. This year's theme is "Better Fish to Fry."
• The annual event held in the village of Cortez on the Gulf Coast of Mexico regularly draws more than 25,000 attendees. Admission is $3 for adults, children under 12 are free. Food and drinks are available for purchase.  
• Remote parking with shuttle service is available at G.T. Bray Park, 5502 33rd Ave. W. for $2 round trip. Shuttle service is also available from Coquina Beach on Anna Maria Island. Limited parking is available just east of the village off of Cortez Road.

Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regatta Feb. 15-17

• The Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regatta series opens its 2013 season Feb. 15-17, at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club near downtown St. Petersburg, Fla (11 Central Ave.). More than 1,000 sailors will hit the water for three days of competitive sailboat racing in conjunction with the largest and most popular sailboat racing series in North America.  
• Top sailors from around the world will compete against local skippers for the overall prize; a trip to the British Virgin Islands to race in the Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Championship Regatta.
• Races will be held on Tampa Bay, east of the St. Petersburg Municipal Pier. Boats will be launched from the St. Petersburg Yacht Club.
• Private boats for spectators allowed, limited viewing is available – best seen from the St. Pete Municipal Pier. There is no charge to view the races.
• Visit www.sailingworld.com/nood-regattas for more information.

CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed Fly Fishing School Feb. 16

• CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, Orvis Outfitter of the Year for 2011 (1249 Stickney Point Road, Siesta Key) will hold an Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Feb. The schools will cover fly casting basics, line control, shooting line and the roll cast. Federation of Fly Fishers Certified Casting Instructor, Capt. Rick Grassett, will also cover leader construction, fly selection and saltwater fly fishing techniques. The course, designed for beginning and intermediate fly casters, will focus on basics but also work with intermediate casters on correcting faults and improving casting skills. Cost for the schools, which will run from 9 AM to 3 PM, is $150 per person and includes the use of premium Orvis fly tackle, a text book and lunch. Contact CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 or info@cbsoutfitters.com to make reservations.

Weekly Fishing Report by Capt. Rick Grassett

Mike McGlennen, from MN, caught this nice Spanish mackerel on a fly while fishing Sarasota Bay 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, Spanish mackerel and blues in Sarasota Bay and trout, blues and reds in Gasparilla Sound on lures and flies during the past week.

Nick Reding, from Longboat Key, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. I poled several shallow flats and bars hunting reds and trout on both sides of the bay. After locating some nice trout in skinny water, we waded and caught and released a couple of trout to 22 inches on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly.

Minnesotans Mike and Jackie McGlennen, owners of Bill’s Fish Camp in Bradenton Beach, fished the Middleground flat and Stephens Point in Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. They used fly and spin tackle and caught Spanish mackerel and blues on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails. Bill’s Fish Camp is a historic 1939 fishing camp on an unbelievable waterfront location, renovated for vacation getaways. A very unique place to stay with a lot of character!

Bill Moore, from Ill., fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. He had steady action with trout, Spanish mackerel and blues at the Middleground flats, Stephens Point and Bishop Point on CAL jigs with shad tails.

Keith McClintock, Dan DiCaro and Chuck Hempfling, all from Ill., fished Gasparilla Sound near Boca Grande with me on Friday. Although there were some signs of red tide close to Gasparilla Pass, fishing was good. They had some sight casting opportunities for reds, snook and big trout on a shallow sand bar. They caught numerous trout to 22 inches, including 8 or 10 in the slot, several blues to three pounds and three reds to 23 inches on CAL jigs with shad tails in several different areas.

Action should be good next week as we head away from a new moon. Look for reds around docks, in potholes and on the edges of bars when the tide is low or on shallow flats on sunny afternoons when the tide is high. You should find trout, Spanish mackerel, blues, pompano and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay

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
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com

Fishing Forecast 

To create a forecast specific to your zip code visit www.wunderground.com

A ridge of high pressure over the eastern United States will fuel southeasterly flow across the waters. Winds and seas will diminish for the early part of the week...but increase once again during midweek as a cold front approaches from the northwest and moves across the waters. 

Monday

South winds around 10 knots then becoming southwest in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Monday night will bring south winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth.

2013/02/11Mon12:37 a.m.1.93H

2013/02/11Mon07:57 a.m.-0.32L

2013/02/11Mon01:45 p.m.1.39H

2013/02/11Mon07:46 p.m.0.28L

Tuesday

Southeast winds around 10 knots then becoming south in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Tuesday night will bring south winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A slight chance of showers and isolated thunderstorms after midnight.

2013/02/12Tue01:22 a.m.1.75H

2013/02/12Tue08:24 a.m.-0.13L

2013/02/12Tue02:06 p.m.1.52H

2013/02/12Tue08:35 p.m.0.17L

Wednesday

Southwest winds 10 to 15 knots then becoming west around 20 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters choppy. Showers likely and isolated thunderstorms. Wednesday night will brig north winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A slight chance of rain.

2013/02/13Wed02:08 a.m.1.54H

2013/02/13Wed08:49 a.m.0.06L

2013/02/13Wed02:30 p.m.1.64H

2013/02/13Wed09:26 p.m.0.09L

Thursday

North winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A chance of rain.

Thursday night will bring northeast winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A chance of rain.

2013/02/14Thu02:56 a.m.1.32H

2013/02/14Thu09:13 a.m.0.24L

2013/02/14Thu02:57 p.m.1.73H

2013/02/14Thu10:20 p.m.0.05L

Friday

North winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A chance of showers.

2013/02/15Fri03:52 a.m.1.11H

2013/02/15Fri09:38 a.m.0.42L

2013/02/15Fri03:29 p.m.1.78H

Solunar Forecast