CATCH OF THE WEEK |
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Steve White, from Raleigh, NC, caught and released this nice blue on a Grassett Snook Minnow fly while fishing the ICW at night near Venice with Capt. Rick Grassett. |
Snook season reopened on February 1. Also, the FWC is reminding anglers that this year grouper seaon will not end on the first of the month. High pressure will remain across the region through Wednesday resulting in light winds and afternoon sea breezes. Warm and humid air moving over the cooler Gulf waters will result in periods of sea fog which may be dense at times.
FWC busy responding to manatee deaths
New FWC buoy in Tampa Bay to aid water quality, harmful algal bloom monitoring
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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, Spanish mackerel and pompano in Sarasota Bay on flies, CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos during the past week. Despite water in the low 60’s, Spanish mackerel are still around with blues, trout and pompano in the mix.
My sister, Michelle Mumford and nephew, Eli Mumford, both from Dagsboro, DE and my wife, Karen and I fished Sarasota Bay on Monday. We caught and released several nice Spanish mackerel on DOA Deadly Combos and Ultra Hair Clouser flies at the Middleground and Radio Tower flats. Bill Flader, from Madison, WI, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. He had a great day with a fly rod catching and releasing numerous trout, large ladyfish and Spanish mackerel to 4-pounds on Ultra Hair and Coyote Clouser flies, fishing deep grass flats on both sides of the bay. The last fish of the day was the largest mackerel which quickly took him into his backing. A great way to finish!
A front came through on Wednesday when Bill Moore, from Libertyville, IL, fished Sarasota Bay with me. It was cool and cloudy with a north wind so we fished Stephens Point on the east side of the bay. An antique WWII bomber buzzed us while we fished. The things you see on the water! Despite tough conditions, Bill had good action with trout, ladyfish and a couple of pompano to 3 ½-pounds on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos. Thursday and Friday were cool and rainy with not much sun, so no fishing.
I’ll be a seminar speaker at the Florida Sportsman Fishing Show at the Lee County Civic Center on Bayshore Rd (east of I-75) in Ft. Myers, FL this Saturday and Sunday, Feb 1 and 2. I’ll be on the Inshore Seminar Stage at noon each day with a Power Point presentation on "Winter Tactics with Lures and Flies". I'll also be at the DOA booth so stop by to say hello and check out the latest from Mark Nichols and DOA Fishing Lures. Show hours are 10 AM-5 PM on Saturday and 10 AM-4 PM on Sunday. For a discount coupon and more details visit www.FloridaSportsman.com/Expo.
Look for reds and big trout in potholes when the tide is low. They may also feed on shallow grass flats on sunny afternoons when the tide is high. Fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay for trout, Spanish mackerel, blues and more should continue to be a good option.
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 remain across the region through Wednesday resulting in light winds and afternoon sea breezes. Warm and humid air moving over the cooler Gulf waters will result in periods of sea fog which may be dense at times. Visibilities may frequently drop below a mile ... especially in the waters north of Tarpon Springs. A cold front will approach the waters Wednesday afternoon and move through the waters Wednesday night before stalling across South Florida. High pressure will build north of the waters behind the front Thursday with the stalled boundary lifting north over the area Friday.
Monday
South winds around 5 knots then becoming southwest around 10 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Areas of fog in the morning. Monday night will bring north winds around 5 knots then becoming northeast around 5 knots after midnight. Bay and inland waters smooth. Patchy fog after midnight.
2014/02/03Mon02:32 AM1.61H
2014/02/03Mon09:28 AM-0.04L
2014/02/03Mon03:13 PM1.55H
2014/02/03Mon10:01 PM0.15L
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 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Patchy fog after midnight.
2014/02/04Tue03:31 AM1.33H
2014/02/04Tue09:58 AM0.2L
2014/02/04Tue03:47 PM1.65H
2014/02/04Tue11:10 PM0.09L
Wednesday
South winds around 10 knots then becoming southwest in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A slight chance of showers. Wednesday night will bring west winds around 5 knots then becoming north around 10 knots after midnight. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A chance of showers.
2014/02/05Wed04:42 AM1.05H
2014/02/05Wed10:28 AM0.41L
2014/02/05Wed04:26 PM1.72H
Thursday
Northeast winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A chance of showers. Thursday night will bring east winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. A slight chance of showers.
2014/02/06Thu12:27 AM0.03L
2014/02/06Thu06:23 AM0.86H
2014/02/06Thu10:58 AM0.6L
2014/02/06Thu05:13 PM1.74H
Friday
Southeast winds around 10 knots then becoming south around 5 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A slight chance of showers.
2014/02/07Fri01:50 AM-0.06L
2014/02/07Fri08:45 AM0.82H
2014/02/07Fri11:34 AM0.77L
Solunar Forecast