CATCH OF THE WEEK |
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Bill Moore, from Libertyville, IL, caught this nice blue on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett. ![]() |
BRADENTON -- Tarpon fishing should be good next week as we head away from a full moon. Our contributing captain Rick Grassett recommends looking for reds, snook and big trout on shallow flats or edges of bars in Sarasota Bay. He says fishing deep grass flats for trout, blues, flounder and more should also be a good option.
FISHING UPDATES
FWC makes temporary conservation-based changes to Apalachicola oyster harvest
Gulf snook to close in Gulf state, federal waters
Stone crab season closed May 16
Wanted: North Florida anglers to collect tarpon DNA
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, bluefish and jacks on DOA Lures in Sarasota Bay and had a few shots at tarpon with a fly in the coastal gulf on several trips during the past week.
Normally there is good tarpon action as they school up ahead of full and new moons to spawn, however there were fewer tarpon than expected as we approached a full moon on Wednesday. A fly angler tarpon fishing the coastal gulf with me on Monday and Tuesday had some shots, but fish weren’t that plentiful and were deep in the water column making it tough to get a fly into the strike zone fast enough.
Bill Moore, from Libertyville, IL, fished with me on Thursday and Friday. Our plan was to tarpon fish in the coastal gulf but a late season cold front roughed up the gulf and changed our game plan. We fished deep and shallow grass flats on both sides of the bay where he caught and released trout, bluefish and jacks on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos.
Tarpon fishing should be good next week as we head away from a full moon. Look for reds, snook and big trout on shallow flats or edges of bars in Sarasota Bay. Fishing deep grass flats for trout, blues, flounder and more 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
Fishing Forecast
High pressure will remain the dominant weather feature through the end of the work week. Evening easterly surges will result in exercise caution headlines over portions of the waters the next few nights. Otherwise winds and seas will remain below headline thresholds.
Monday
Northeast winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Monday night will bring east winds 10 to 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop.
2014/05/19Mon06:46 a.m. 1.37H
2014/05/19Mon10:06 a.m. 1.25L
2014/05/19Mon04:05 p.m. 2.33H
Tuesday
Northeast winds 5 to 10 knots increasing to around 15 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. Tuesday night will bring east winds 10 to 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop.
2014/05/20Tue12:44 a.m. -0.14L
2014/05/20Tue07:43 a.m. 1.45H
2014/05/20Tue11:45 a.m. 1.25L
2014/05/20Tue05:17 p.m. 2.08H
Wednesday
Northeast winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Wednesday night will bring northeast winds around 10 knots then becoming east around 5 knots after midnight. Bay and inland waters a light chop.
2014/05/21Wed01:42 a.m.0.04L
2014/05/21Wed08:29 a.m.1.58H
2014/05/21Wed01:40 p.m.1.14L
2014/05/21Wed06:50 p.m.1.82H
Thursday
East winds around 5 knots then becoming northwest around 10 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Thursday night will bring northwest winds around 10 knots diminishing to around 5 knots after midnight. Bay and inland waters a light chop.
2014/05/22Thu02:37 a.m. 0.23L
2014/05/22Thu09:07 a.m. 1.74H
2014/05/22Thu03:22 p.m. 0.9L
2014/05/22Thu08:35 p.m. 1.63H
Friday
Northwest winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop.
2014/05/23Fri03:27 a.m. 0.44L
2014/05/23Fri09:42 a.m. 1.92H
2014/05/23Fri04:40 p.m. 0.59L
2014/05/23Fri10:11 p.m. 1.53H
Solunar Forecast