Catch of the Week![]() |
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Deedra Reed gigged this monster sheepshead near a bridge during the night. |
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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
Cortez Fishing Festival Feb. 16 -17
Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regatta Feb. 15-17
CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed Fly Fishing School Feb. 16
Weekly Fishing Report by Capt. Rick Grassett
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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
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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