CATCH OF THE WEEK |
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Venice winter resident, Chub Bortz, caught this upper slot Sarasota Bay trout on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett. |
FISHING UPDATES
Spiny lobster season closes April 1
Beach-nesting shorebirds need peace and quiet to survive
For-hire captain, crew can retain recreational bag limits of reef fish in Atlantic soon
WEEKLY FISHING REPORT BY CAPT RICK GRASSETT
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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 and Spanish mackerel in Sarasota Bay on flies during the past week.
A front passed through on Monday with a soaking, all day long rain, so we chose to not snook fish on Monday evening. It was good choice because it rained all night. Venice and Lakewood Ranch, FL winter residents Chub Bortz and Jeff Wagner fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. The rain stopped by late morning and the wind blew 25-mph before the end of the trip, however they persisted and caught trout to 20”, including a couple of slot size fish, and ladyfish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies.
Weather was a problem again on Wednesday as cold air settled in and strong winds continued to blow, so we didn’t fish. Bill Fox, from Atlanta, GA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday and Friday. Bill prefers the action and variety found on deep grass flats, so we focused on those areas to keep his fly rod bent. He had good action both days catching and releasing numerous trout and a few Spanish mackerel on Ultra Hair Clouser flies. There were also ladyfish and jacks in the mix to keep things interesting.
I was the instructor for a CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed Fly Fishing School on Saturday. In addition to fly casting, students were also schooled on leader construction and saltwater fly fishing techniques. The next class will be on April 12th. Contact CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 to sign up.
Fishing deep grass flats for trout, Spanish mackerel, pompano and more should continue to be a good option Also, look for reds, snook and big trout on shallow flats or edges of bars in Sarasota Bay. When conditions improve in the coastal gulf, action with Spanish and king mackerel, false albacore (little tunny) and tripletail should also heat up.
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
Wind speeds to exercise caution criteria can be expected tonight mainly over the offshore Gulf waters south of Tarpon Springs and the near shore waters adjacent to southwest Florida. Both winds and seas are then expected to remain below headlines through mid-week.
Monday
Northeast winds around 10 knots diminishing to around 5 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a light chop.Monday night will bring northeast winds around 10 knots then becoming east after midnight. Bay and inland waters a light chop.
2014/03/31Mon01:59 a.m.1.71H
2014/03/31Mon08:00 a.m.0.46L
2014/03/31Mon01:31 p.m.2.07H
2014/03/31Mon08:52 p.m.-0.14L
Tuesday
East winds around 10 knots then becoming northeast around 5 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Tuesday night will bring northeast winds around 5 knots then becoming east after midnight. Bay and inland waters smooth.
2014/04/01Tue02:46 a.m.1.56H
2014/04/01Tue08:25 a.m.0.62L
2014/04/01Tue01:56 p.m.2.17H
2014/04/01Tue09:35 p.m.-0.2L
Wednesday
Southeast winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Wednesday night will bring east winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop.
2014/04/02Wed03:34 a.m.1.42H
2014/04/02Wed08:48 a.m.0.74L
2014/04/02Wed02:25 p.m.2.22H
2014/04/02Wed10:21 p.m.-0.19L
Thursday
South winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Thursday night will bring south winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop.
2014/04/03Thu04:26 a.m.1.28H
2014/04/03Thu09:12 a.m.0.85L
2014/04/03Thu02:56 p.m.2.22H
2014/04/03Thu11:10 p.m.-0.14L
Friday
South winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop.
2014/04/04Fri05:28 a.m.1.18H
2014/04/04Fri09:36 a.m.0.95L
2014/04/04Fri03:33 p.m.2.15H
SOLUNAR FORECAST