Captain Favorite's Fishing Forum: Jan. 28, 2013

Catch of the Week
Fred Netherton, from Ontario, Canada, caught this nice pompano on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.

BRADENTON – Our contributing Capt. Rick Grassett will help people learn to fly fish on the weekend of Feburary 9. Also coming up is the Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regatta in St. Pete rom Feburary 15-17. Anglers are encouraged to look for trout, Spanish mackerel, blues, pompano and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Also 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. Catch and release snook fishing in the ICW at night should also be a good option.

Fishing Updates

CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Fly Fishing Day Feb. 9

• CB’s Saltwater Outfitters (1249 Stickney Point Road in Siesta Key) will hold a day of free fly fishing activities on Saturday, Feb 9th from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing guides will be on hand for fly casting instruction, Walt Plasson will demonstrate fly tying and there will be a raffle for all participants. Capt. Rick Grassett will do a seminar on saltwater fly fishing in our area at 10:30 a.m. There will also be a fly casting competition at 1 p.m. with a $100 CB’s gift certificate for the winner. Attendees will receive a 20 percent discount coupon (excluding sale items) and a $20 discount on future Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing schools. Stop by and see the latest fly fishing products from Orvis, Lamson and Temple Fork Outfitters (TFO). Call (941) 349-4400 for more information.

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

Bill Flader, from WI, caught this nice Spanish mackerel on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly while fishing a Sarasota Bay deep grass flat 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, blues and pompano in Sarasota Bay on lures and flies during the past week. Water temperatures cooled to the low 60s following the last front but there was still good action and variety on deep grass flats.

Keith McClintock and Victor Feldman, both from Ill., fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. They caught and released trout, including several in the slot, and Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails on deep grass flats near Long Bar. Nick Reding, from Longboat Key, Fla., fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. We caught and released a few trout on deep grass flats near Buttonwood Harbor and at Stephens Point.

Conditions and action improved towards the end of the week. Bill Flader, from WI, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. He had great action catching and releasing numerous trout to 19 inches, Spanish mackerel to three pounds, pompano and bluefish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies from the Middleground flat to Bishop Point along the west side of the bay. Fred Netherton, from Ontario, Canada, fished the same areas with me on Friday. He caught and released trout to 19 inches, several blues and a three-pound pompano on Ultra Hair Clouser flies.

Look for trout, Spanish mackerel, blues, pompano and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Also 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. Catch and release snook fishing in the ICW at night should also 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
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com

Fishing Forecast 

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

High pressure over the mid Atlantic region this afternoon will support a northeast to east wind flow over the Gulf waters tonight. The high will move off the mid Atlantic into the western Atlantic late tonight and Monday, then will sink south to near 30n ridging west across the north Central Peninsula and adjacent Gulf waters during Monday night and Tuesday with the flow veering into the southeast. The high will move southeast on Wednesday as a cold front moves through the Florida Panhandle during the day then through the coastal waters Wednesday night and early Thursday with increasing winds and seas expected. Surface high pressure will build in over the northern Gulf in the wake of the front during Thursday night and Friday.

Monday

Southeast winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Monday night will bring east winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop.

2013/01/28Mon12:23 a.m.1.91H

2013/01/28Mon08:05 a.m.-0.41L

2013/01/28Mon01:57 p.m.1.26H

2013/01/28Mon07:32 p.m.0.47L

Tuesday

Southeast winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop.

Tuesday night southeast winds 5 to 10 knots increasing to around 15 knots after midnight. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop.

2013/01/29Tue01:03 a.m.1.83H

2013/01/29Tue08:31 a.m.-0.31L

2013/01/29Tue02:17 p.m.1.38H

2013/01/29Tue08:19 p.m.0.35L

Wednesday

South winds increasing to 15 to 20 knots. Bay and inland waters becoming choppy. Wednesday night will bring west winds around 15 knots then becoming northwest after midnight. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. A chance of showers.

2013/01/30Wed01:47 a.m.1.7H

2013/01/30Wed08:59 a.m.-0.17L

2013/01/30Wed02:42 p.m.1.5H

2013/01/30Wed09:11 p.m.0.23L

Thursday

North winds around 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. Thursday night will bring northeast winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop.

2013/01/31Thu02:36 a.m.1.51H

2013/01/31Thu09:28 a.m.0.0L

2013/01/31Thu03:12 p.m.1.63H

2013/01/31Thu10:11 p.m.0.13L

Friday

North winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop.

2013/02/01Fri03:34 a.m.1.28H

2013/02/01Fri09:59 a.m.0.21L

2013/02/01Fri03:48 p.m.1.74H

2013/02/01Fri11:21 p.m.0.03L

Solunar Forecast