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Captain Favorite's Fishing Forum: May 27, 2013

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Catch of the Weekhttps://www.thebradentontimes.com/clientuploads/fishing/052813_fish.jpg

Jon Yenari, from Sarasota, Fla., caught and released this nice Sarasota Bay bluefish on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett. 

 

BRADENTON – The sixth annual Fire Charity Fishing Tournament is coming up June 7-9 at the Bradenton Yacht Club. Gulf recreational red snapper season begins June 1, however that date also marks the close of the Gulf amberjack season and Atlantic snook season. Our contributing captain Rick Grassett says tarpon fishing in the coastal gulf should improve next week as we head toward the quarter phase of the moon. The best action in Sarasota Bay has been with trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and more on deep grass flats. Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW from Sarasota to Venice should also be a good option.

 
Fishing Updates

6th Annual Fire Charity Fishing Tournament

  • June 7-9, 2013 - Palmetto, Florida
  • We're a tournament with a heart for kids. Raising money for the Children's Burn Camp. Anglers win Cash Prizes and Trophies. Pre-Register NOW online and save 10%. Sunday is weigh-in, and the free public event will have an art auction, raffles, pool, food, face painting and more. View http://www.FireCharityFishing.com
  • Contact: Captain Erik Nicholson, sheryl@sheryl.com, 9419625873.

 

Gulf recreational red snapper season begins June 1

  • The 2013 Gulf of Mexico recreational red snapper season begins June 1 in state and federal waters.
  • This year’s state season is 44 days long and will be open through July 14 with the first day of the closure being July 15. The federal season off Florida will be 26 days long.
  • The state season was approved by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) at its April 17 meeting in Tallahassee. State waters are from shore to 9 nautical miles in Gulf waters; federal waters extend beyond that line to 200 nautical miles.
  • State and federal regulations require all commercial fishers and recreational anglers fishing for any reef fish species in the Gulf of Mexico to use circle hooks, venting tools and dehooking devices. In Gulf state and federal waters, the minimum size limit is 16 inches total length and the bag limit is two fish per person, per day, within a 10-fish snapper aggregate limit.
  • While the yearly quota for how many pounds of red snapper can be harvested has increased in recent years, the federal season length has gotten shorter over the past few years because of more fishing effort and larger fish, according to federal fishery managers.
  • The FWC Commission chose to go inconsistent with the 2013 federal season based on reports that the upcoming federal stock assessment would likely show red snapper populations are doing better than previously thought and reports from anglers that the fishery is improving.
  • More information about red snapper fishing is available online at MyFWC.com/Fishing by clicking on “Saltwater,” “Recreational Regulations” and then “Gulf Red Snapper.”

Gulf amberjack closes in state and federal waters

  • The recreational harvest of greater amberjack in Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters closes June 1. Greater amberjack will reopen for harvest in Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters Aug. 1.
  • State waters in the Atlantic extend from shore to 3 nautical miles and in the Gulf from shore to 9 nautical miles.
  • Seasonal harvest closures protect Florida’s valuable greater amberjack populations and help sustain and improve the fishery for the future.
  • Learn more about recreational fishing at MyFWC.com/Fishing by clicking on “Saltwater” and “Recreational Regulations.” 

Atlantic snook to close in state and federal waters

  • The recreational harvest of snook in Atlantic state and federal waters closes June 1.
  • Snook will reopen for harvest in Atlantic federal, state and inland waters, including Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River, on Sept. 1. Snook remains closed for harvest in Gulf of Mexico state waters, including Everglades National Park and Monroe County. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will decide at its June meeting in Lakeland whether to allow the Gulf snook harvest to reopen Sept. 1.
  • State waters in the Atlantic extend from shore to 3 nautical miles and in the Gulf from shore to 9 nautical miles.
  • Seasonal harvest closures protect Florida’s valuable snook populations and help sustain and improve the fishery for the future.
  • Learn more about recreational fishing at MyFWC.com/Fishing by clicking on “Saltwater” and “Recreational Regulations.”
Weekly Fishing Report by Capt. Rick Grassett
https://www.thebradentontimes.com/clientuploads/news_images/201212/052013_tarpon_250.jpg
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 shots at tarpon in the coastal gulf and caught and released one on a fly during the past week. We also caught and released a nice bluefish in Sarasota Bay on a fly.

            

Clark Keator, from Orlando, Fla., tarpon fished in the coastal gulf with me on Sunday and Monday. Conditions were good and he had several shots at tarpon with a fly each day. Hal Lutz, from Parrish, Fla., and Andrea Lutz, from Atlanta, Ga., tarpon fished with me on Tuesday and Thursday. We fished deep water with spinning tackle early each day and fly fished later in the day when visibility was best. Hal caught and released an estimated 70 pounder on a fly on Tuesday. Often young male tarpon are more ornery than larger fish and this one was no different. However, after a cool bite and a hard fight with lots of jumps he brought the fish to the boat!

            

We had a shot at a cobia estimated at 60 to 70 pounds with a fly on Wednesday. The fish was so big and light colored from being on a sand bottom that we thought it was a tarpon when we first spotted the fish! Jon Yenari, from Sarasota, Fla., fished with me on Friday. A front pushed through on Thursday and the wind switched to the northwest on Friday, roughing up the coastal gulf waters. We were able to fish the coastal gulf for tarpon for a few hours on Friday morning and had a couple of shots at a big school of tarpon with a fly. We moved into Sarasota Bay later in the day where Jon caught and released a nice bluefish on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly near Buttonwood Harbor.

            

Tarpon fishing in the coastal gulf should improve next week as we get head toward the quarter phase of the moon. The best action in Sarasota Bay has been with trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and more on deep grass flats. Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW from Sarasota to Venice 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

 

To create a forecast specific to

your zip code visit

www.wunderground.com

Fishing Forecast 

The axis of high pressure residing over the open Atlantic continues north of the coastal waters through Friday. This will keep an easterly...and at times robust...flow in place. Periods of exercise caution or advisory level winds can be expected, particularly during the evening and overnight hours.

 

Monday

East winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Monday Night

will bring east winds around 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop.

2012/05/28Mon01:17 a.m.0.14L

2012/05/28Mon07:40 a.m.1.66H

2012/05/28Mon01:29 p.m.1.05L

2012/05/28Mon06:32 p.m.1.77H

 

Tuesday

East winds around 15 knots diminishing to 5 to 10 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. A slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Tuesday night east winds around 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. A slight chance of thunderstorms.

2012/05/29Tue02:05 a.m.0.32L

2012/05/29Tue08:17 a.m.1.81H

2012/05/29Tue02:59 p.m.0.8L

2012/05/29Tue08:08 p.m.1.59H

 

Wednesday

East winds around 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. A slight chance of thunderstorms. Wednesday night will bring east winds around 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. A slight chance of thunderstorms.

2012/05/30Wed02:52 a.m.0.53L

2012/05/30Wed08:54 a.m.2.0H

2012/05/30Wed04:14 p.m.0.49L

2012/05/30Wed09:48 p.m.1.49H

 

Thursday

East winds around 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. A slight chance of thunderstorms. Thursday night will bring east winds around 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop.

2012/05/31Thu03:36 a.m.0.74L

2012/05/31Thu09:31 a.m.2.2H

2012/05/31Thu05:19 p.m.0.16L

2012/05/31Thu11:18 p.m.1.45H

 

Friday

Northeast winds around 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. A slight chance of thunderstorms.

2012/06/01Fri04:18 a.m.0.93L

2012/06/01Fri10:09 a.m.2.4H

2012/06/01Fri06:16 p.m.-0.14L

Solunar Forecast

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