Catch of the Week![]() |
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Ken McElheny, from Ft. Myers, Fla., caught and released this slot red on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing skinny water in Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett. |
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BRADENTON – Bradenton's own DeSoto Heritage Seafood festival which will be held downtown from April 5-7. Tides are good next week as we approach a full moon. Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW from Sarasota to Venice should be a good option later in the week. Look for reds and big trout 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. There should also be good action with trout, Spanish mackerel, blues, pompano and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay.
DeSoto Heritage Seafood Festival April 5-7
Red tide bloom affecting manatees along southwest Florida coast
Headed to the beach? Help biologists monitor spawning horseshoe crabs
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Tony Merlis, from NH, with a nice Spanish mackerel caught and released on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett |
Weekly Fishing Report by 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, flounder, redfish and Spanish mackerel in Sarasota Bay on lures and flies during the past week.
I participated in fishing a large group of anglers organized by CB’s Saltwater Outfitters out of the Sarasota Hyatt on Tuesday afternoon. Vaughn Beasley, from Jacksonville, FL, and John Kelly and his daughter, Laura Kelly, both from MD, fished Sarasota Bay with me that afternoon. We fished the west side of the bay from the Middleground flat to Whale Key where they caught and released about a dozen trout to 19 inches and a Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos.
Wednesday’s trip was cancelled due to rain and wind that morning. We waited on it for more than an hour at the boat ramp, but conditions didn’t improve. Mike Perez, from Sarasota, Fla., and, Ken McElheny, from Ft. Myers, Fla. fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday afternoon. They had steady action with trout and Spanish mackerel on deep grass flats at Stephens Point and near Whale Key on CAL jigs with shad tails, DOA Deadly Combos and Ultra Hair Clouser flies. We also spent some time in shallow water hunting reds where they caught and released a red and a flounder on a CAL jig with a shad tail near Long Bar.
Anna Maria Island and Sarasota winter residents, Bill Morrison and Gary Marple, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. We fished deep grass flats on both sides of the bay. They caught and released trout and several nice Spanish mackerel, including a four-pounder on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on sink tip fly lines.
My niece, Hannah Mumford, and her friend, Lindsay Hardt, both from DE, visited Sarasota for spring break and fished Sarasota Bay with my wife, Karen, and me on Saturday. They caught and released trout and Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails at Stephens Point.
Tides are good next week as we approach a full moon. Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW from Sarasota to Venice should be a good option later in the week. Look for reds and big trout 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. There should also be good action with 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
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Fishing Forecast
A cold front will sweep southward through the waters tonight. High pressure will build back into the region on Monday...and will remain the dominant weather feature through the end of next week.
Monday
Northwest winds 15 to 20 knots. Bay and inland waters choppy. Monday night will bring northwest winds around 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop.
2013/03/25Mon06:52 a.m.0.11L
2013/03/25Mon12:34 p.m.1.64H
2013/03/25Mon07:01 p.m.0.32L
Tuesday
Northwest winds 10 to 15 knots increasing to around 20 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters choppy. Tuesday night will bring north winds around 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop.
2013/03/26Tue12:41 a.m.1.79H
2013/03/26Tue07:20 a.m.0.23L
2013/03/26Tue12:51 p.m.1.79H
2013/03/26Tue07:41 p.m.0.1L
Wednesday
North winds around 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. Wednesday night will bring north winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop.
2013/03/27Wed01:26 a.m.1.75H
2013/03/27Wed07:46 a.m.0.37L
2013/03/27Wed01:11 p.m.1.96H
2013/03/27Wed08:22 p.m.-0.09L
Thursday
North winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Thursday night will bring northeast winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop.
2013/03/28Thu02:13 a.m.1.66H
2013/03/28Thu08:11 a.m.0.52L
2013/03/28Thu01:37 p.m.2.12H
2013/03/28Thu09:07 p.m.-0.24L
Friday
Northeast winds around 10 knots then becoming north in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a light chop.
2013/03/29Fri03:03 a.m.1.53H
2013/03/29Fri08:36 a.m.0.67L
2013/03/29Fri02:07 p.m.2.26H
2013/03/29Fri09:57 p.m.-0.32L
Solunar Forecast
Merab is a writer at the Bradenton Times. She can be reached at merab.favorite@thebradentontimes.com