Captain Favorite's Fishing Forum: May 26, 2014

CATCH OF THE WEEK

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 -- Sixty-two people lost their lives in Florida last year in boating accidents, and there have already been 11 deaths so far this year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 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 releases 2013 boating accident statistics, stresses safe boating

• Sixty-two people lost their lives in Florida last year in boating accidents, and there have already been 11 deaths so far this year, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), which has released its 2013 Boating Accident Statistical Report.
• The FWC is responsible for reviewing, analyzing and compiling boating accident data for the state. Its statistical report details boating accidents and their causes.

FWC makes temporary conservation-based changes to Apalachicola oyster harvest

• The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) made temporary changes today that will help conserve oyster resources in Apalachicola Bay.
• These changes come at the request of the Franklin County oyster industry due to concerns about fishing pressure on some remaining open areas of the bay during water-quality closures. The initial problem is that Apalachicola Bay oysters have significantly declined in population due to lack of fresh water flow in previous years.
• These proactive measures are meant to decrease the effect of concentrated fishing effort on certain areas while oyster stocks remain at low levels.

Gulf snook to close in Gulf state, federal waters

• Snook will close to all harvest in Gulf state, federal and inland waters, including all of Monroe County and Everglades National Park, starting May 1. Seasonal harvest closures protect Florida’s valuable snook populations and help sustain and improve the fishery for the future.
• Snook is open to harvest in Atlantic state, federal and inland waters, including Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River, through May 31, closing June 1.
• Both the Atlantic and Gulf will reopen for recreational harvest Sept. 1.

Stone crab season closed May 16

• The commercial and recreational harvest of stone crab claws in Florida closes on May 16, with the last day of harvest on May 15. This closure occurs each year during the species’ peak spawning season to help protect and sustain Florida’s valuable stone crab resource. Stone crab season will reopen on Oct. 15.
• Commercially harvested stone crab claws may be possessed and sold during the closed season but only if they have been placed in inventory prior to May 16 by a licensed wholesale or retail dealer.
• Stone crab traps must be removed from the water within five days after the close of the stone crab season unless a special extension is granted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
• Learn more about the stone crab harvest season by visiting MyFWC.com/Fishing and clicking on “Saltwater” and then either “Recreational Regulations” or “Commercial.”

Wanted: North Florida anglers to collect tarpon DNA

• Volunteer anglers in northern Florida are encouraged to catch and collect a DNA sample from every tarpon they catch that is 30 inches or longer. Since 2006, scientists from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) have partnered with Mote Marine Laboratory to use DNA fingerprinting as a way to track the movements, habits and recapture rates of Atlantic tarpon in coastal and inshore waters.
• Anglers can collect a DNA sample by scraping the outer jaw of the tarpon with a small, abrasive sponge. Immediately after collecting the DNA sample, the sponge should be placed in the prelabeled vial. DNA vials can be mailed to FWRI with the accompanying data slip so that geneticists can analyze and compare the DNA sample with cataloged samples to determine if someone caught and sampled the tarpon previously. This recapture information provides evidence of long-term survival and insight into the seasonal and regional movements of individual fish.

 

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.

 

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 to our north today and Monday will settle over the eastern Gulf of Mexico by mid week. Winds and seas are expected to remain low through the middle of the week...although sea breeze development each afternoon will lead to locally gusty winds near the coast. Boaters in the near shore waters this afternoon and evening should be alert to the potential for scattered but rapidly developing thunderstorms which will migrate westward off the coast. A few of these storms may contain strong winds and frequent lighting.

Monday

Southeast winds 5 to 10 knots then becoming northwest around 5 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Monday night will bring northeast winds 5 to 10 knots then becoming east after midnight. Bay and inland waters a light chop.

2014/05/26Mon12:37 AM1.46H

2014/05/26Mon05:25 AM0.94L

2014/05/26Mon11:18 AM2.37H

2014/05/26Mon07:17 PM-0.11 L

Tuesday

Southeast winds around 5 knots then becoming west around 10 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Tuesday night will bring northwest winds around 10 knots then becoming southwest around 5 knots after midnight. Bay and inland waters a light chop.

2014/05/27Tue01:33 AM1.43H

2014/05/27Tue05:56 AM1.04L

2014/05/27Tue11:48 AM2.46H

2014/05/27Tue07:58 PM-0.21 L

Wednesday

South winds around 5 knots in the morning then becoming variable less than 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. A slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Wednesday night will bring north winds around 5 knots then becoming northeast after midnight. Bay and inland waters smooth.

2014/05/28Wed02:23 AM1.4H

2014/05/28Wed06:25 AM1.11L

2014/05/28Wed12:18 PM2.5H

2014/05/28Wed08:35 PM-0.24 L

Thursday

Northeast winds around 5 knots then becoming northwest in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters smooth. A slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon.

2014/05/29Thu03:06 AM1.37H

2014/05/29Thu06:53 AM1.14L

2014/05/29Thu12:49 PM2.52H

2014/05/29Thu09:11 PM-0.24 L 

Solunar Forecast