Captain Favorite's Fishing Forum: July 21, 2014

CATCH OF THE WEEK

Tim Graham, from Nokomis, FL, caught and released this bluefish on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing  Sarasota Bay  with Capt.  Ric k Grassett.

BRADENTON – Gulf recreational red snapper season closes July 15 in state waters. Weather Underground is predicting a weak high pressure will remain over the waters through the forecast period...keeping winds light and seas on the low side outside of any thunderstorms. Captain Rick Grassett says you should find trout, blues and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Look for reds and big trout on shallow flats or edges of bars early in the day. Catch and release snook fishing should also be good in passes and around docks and bridges close to passes.

FISHING UPDATES

Gulf recreational red snapper season closes July 15 in state waters

• The recreational red snapper season in Gulf state waters closes July 15, with the last day of harvest being July 14. Florida state waters in the Gulf are from shore to 9 nautical miles.
• To learn more about recreational red snapper fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater,” “Recreational Regulations” and “Gulf Snapper.”
• Several workshops on Gulf of Mexico recreational red snapper are planned for late July. The public is invited to discuss state and federal management of recreational red snapper and to explore future approaches for managing this fishery. Visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater,” “Rulemaking” and “Workshops” to learn more.

FWC moves to simplify saltwater rules in 3 counties

• The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved a measure at its June 18 meeting in Fort Myers that will remove several outdated or redundant localized regulations in Gilchrist, Indian River and Manatee counties. These changes will go into effect as soon as possible.

• The FWC has been working to streamline and clarify saltwater fishing rules since 2009 as part of a marine fisheries rule clean-up process. This includes reviewing existing localized rules known as Special Acts of Local Application and working with county governments to remove them if warranted. Many Special Acts were put in place before the Marine Fisheries Commission, one of the FWC’s predecessor agencies, was created, and are now no longer necessary due to more current, statewide fishing management.

• The governments from all three counties have been working with the FWC on these changes. The FWC will be working with other counties in the future to help streamline and reduce regulations throughout the state, increasing transparency and consistency while standardizing FWC saltwater fishing management and making it easier for fishermen to access and participate in Florida fishing. The repeal of the Special Acts for these three counties is not expected to have any negative effects on Florida’s fisheries.

• In Manatee County, seven Special Acts are slated to be removed, including ones that limit the types of gear that can be used within the waters of the county, set aggregate bag limits for saltwater fish on the Manatee River, and authorize Manatee County to regulate the harvest of finfish within the county. Current statewide regulations now address the use of gear and give the FWC the authority to regulate the harvest of saltwater fish. Repealing these conflicting and redundant rules will help clarify and simplify regulations in Manatee County.

• To learn more, visit MyFWC.com/Commission and “Commission Meetings.”

 

WEEKLY FISHING REPORT BY CAPT. RICK GRASSETT

Capt. Rick DePaiva, from Ft. Myers, FL, battles a tarpon jumped on a fly while fishing the coastal gulf with Capt. Rick Grassett.

 

Fly anglers fishing the coastal gulf in Sarasota with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, continued to have action with tarpon, getting numerous shots and jumping several. Spin fishing anglers caught and released trout and blues in Sarasota Bay on DOA Lures during the past week.

 

Dean Hannemann, from Sarasota, FL, fished with me on Monday. He had numerous shots at tarpon, jumped 1 and battled it through several jumps before the fish chewed through the 80-lb bite tippet. If the fish is hooked with the leader wrapped around the “clipper” portion of the jaw, they can sometimes wear through it quickly. Wind blew strong out of the west on Wednesday and Thursday and conditions were not fishable in the coastal gulf for tarpon those days.

 

Jerry Poslusny and Bill Nesbitt, both from Rochester, NY, tarpon fished with me on Friday and Saturday. Following a couple of days of west wind and rough water, we were pleasantly surprised to find good conditions and lots of tarpon. They had numerous shots both days but Friday was their best day with 3 bites and a couple of hook ups. One of the last casts of the day resulted in a hook up with a large female gave us some great jumps and a smoking run. A great way to end the day!

           

Tim Graham, from Nokomis, FL and Aaron Way, from St. Petersburg, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Sunday morning for a change of pace. We fished deep grass flats on the west side of the bay where they caught and released a few trout and blues on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos.

 

Tarpon fishing should be good next week as we head towards a full moon. Inshore you should find trout, blues and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Look for reds and big trout on shallow flats or edges of bars early in the day. Catch and release snook fishing should also be good in passes and around docks and bridges close to passes.

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

Weak high pressure will remain over the waters through the forecast period...keeping winds light and seas on the low side outside of any thunderstorms.

Monday

Southeast winds around 5 knots...becoming northwest around 10 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. Monday night will bring north winds around 10 knots becoming east around 5 knots after midnight. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Isolated thunderstorms in the evening.

2014/07/21 Mon 02:19 AM 1.17 L

2014/07/21 Mon 08:45 AM 2.32 H

2014/07/21 Mon 05:14 PM 0.25 L

2014/07/21 Mon 11:54 PM 1.39 H

Tuesday

Southeast winds around 5 knots becoming northwest 5 to 10 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters smooth. Scattered thunderstorms. Tuesday night will bring east winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Scattered thunderstorms in the evening.

2014/07/22 Tue 03:15 AM 1.26 L

2014/07/22 Tue 09:40 AM 2.39 H

2014/07/22 Tue 06:09 PM 0.13 L

Wednesday

Northeast winds around 5 knots then becoming west in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters smooth. A slight chance of thunderstorms in the morning then a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Wednesday night will bring southwest winds around 5 knots then becoming south after midnight. Bay and inland waters smooth. Scattered thunderstorms.

2014/07/23 Wed 12:53 AM 1.45 H

2014/07/23 Wed 04:14 AM 1.31 L

2014/07/23 Wed 10:32 AM 2.43 H

2014/07/23 Wed 06:54 PM 0.06 L

Thursday

South winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Numerous thunderstorms. Thursday night will bring southwest winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Isolated thunderstorms.

2014/07/24 Thu 01:34 AM 1.49 H

2014/07/24 Thu 05:09 AM 1.31 L

2014/07/24 Thu 11:18 AM 2.47 H

2014/07/24 Thu 07:32 PM 0.04 L

Friday

Southwest winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Scattered thunderstorms.

2014/07/25 Fri 02:04 AM 1.51 H

2014/07/25 Fri 05:57 AM 1.27 L

2014/07/25 Fri 11:58 AM 2.49 H

2014/07/25 Fri 08:05 PM 0.05 L

Solunar Forecast