Catch of the Week |
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Dave Reinhart, from Va., battles a tarpon in the coastal gulf off Sarasota. The fish was measured, DNA sampled and successfully released while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett. |
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BRADENTON – The 2013 Gulf of Mexico recreational red snapper season began June 1 in state and federal waters. The recreational harvest of greater amberjack in Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters has closed. There are two big fishing tournaments this weekend, and Capt. Rick Grassett delivers his Weekly Fishing Report in this week's Fishing Forum.
Gulf recreational red snapper season begins June 1
Gulf amberjack closes in state and federal waters
Atlantic snook to close in state and federal waters
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Nick Huff, from Utah, battles a "hot" fly rod tarpon in the coastal gulf off Sarasota while fishing 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, had great action catching and releasing several tarpon up to 110 pounds on live crabs in the coastal gulf early last week. In addition to tarpon, anglers fishing with me also caught and released trout to 3 pounds and blues and Spanish mackerel to 2 pounds on DOA Deadly Combos in Sarasota Bay.
Domenick Raschella and Dave Reinhart, both from Va., fished with me on Monday and Tuesday. They jumped and landed three tarpon on live crabs in the coastal gulf off Sarasota with me on Monday. We bumped into a big, happy school of tarpon as I was easing into my spot with my trolling motor. They were moving slowly which allowed us to get back on them several times and catch all of our fish out of the same school. A couple of the fish were young males, full of energy that put on quite a show jumping around the boat! All fish were measured to estimate weight, DNA sampled and successfully released.
Unfortunately the gulf was unfishable for tarpon in my boat on Tuesday morning. With a big swell out of the south as Tropical Storm Andrea brewed, conditions were unsafe for fishing there. We hit a tarpon spot in Sarasota Bay for a couple of hours and had a few shots with DOA TerrorEyz and Airheads while we floated a couple of live baits under floats but didn’t hook up. However with the wind out of the south, we were able to fish the west side of the bay. They had good action catching and releasing blues and Spanish mackerel to two pounds and trout to three pounds on DOA Deadly Combos on deep grass flats near Bishop Point and Buttonwood Harbor.
Weather went downhill on Wednesday and Thursday as Tropical Storm Andrea went from a tropical depression to a tropical storm and passed off shore from us with a lot of rain and wind. By Friday the sun was back out and the winds down but the coastal gulf was still very dirty and rough for tarpon fishing so we didn’t fish. Sometimes tarpon will push offshore for a few days following a weather event, so it may take a few days for them to return to their normal patterns.
Depending on conditions, tarpon fishing in the coastal gulf should be good next week. However if conditions aren’t good for tarpon in the gulf, there should be good action with trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Look for reds and big trout in shallow water early in the day. Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW near passes should also be a good option.
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
The subtropical ridge axis across northern Gulf waters will slip south and settle into the central waters through the early part of the week keeping winds and seas below headline criteria. Afternoon sea breeze circulations will become well defined once again for Monday and Tuesday afternoon.
Monday
Southeast winds around 10 knots then becoming west in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A slight chance of thunderstorms in the morning then a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Monday night
will bring southeast winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. A slight chance of thunderstorms in the evening.
2013/06/10Mon03:54 a.m.1.36H
2013/06/10Mon07:27 a.m.1.19L
2013/06/10Mon01:27 p.m.2.48H
2013/06/10Mon09:52 p.m.-0.16L
Tuesday
Southwest winds around 5 knots then becoming northwest around 10 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A slight chance of thunderstorms in the morning then a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Tuesday night will bring northwest winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A slight chance of thunderstorms in the evening.
2013/06/11Tue04:21 a.m.1.37H
2013/06/11Tue08:09 a.m.1.17L
2013/06/11Tue02:05 p.m.2.43H
2013/06/11Tue10:27 p.m.-0.11L
Wednesday
West winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A chance of thunderstorms. Wednesday night will bring west winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A slight chance of thunderstorms in the evening.
2013/06/12Wed04:49 a.m.1.42H
2013/06/12Wed09:00 a.m.1.16L
2013/06/12Wed02:47 p.m.2.33H
2013/06/12Wed11:03 p.m.-0.04L
Thursday
West winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A chance of thunderstorms.
2013/06/13Thu05:20 a.m.1.5H
2013/06/13Thu10:00 a.m.1.15L
2013/06/13Thu03:33 p.m.2.19H
2013/06/13Thu11:40 p.m.0.07L
Solunar Forecast