Captain Favorite's Fishing Forum: Nov. 18, 2013

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 false albacore (little tunny), Spanish mackerel and jacks in the coastal gulf off Sarasota and trout, blues and jacks on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay on flies, CAL jigs with shad tails, DOA Deadly Combos and top water plugs during the past week. We also caught and released snook and trout in the ICW at night on flies. Schools of false albacore finally showed up in good numbers in the coastal gulf off Sarasota following last week’s fronts.

I fished with Todd Lashway, from Buffalo, NY, on Monday. The day started with a beautiful sunrise as we headed for the coastal gulf off Sarasota. Without much surface activity, he cast a fly popper over bait schools and caught and released several jacks. We also fished deep grass flats on both sides of Sarasota Bay where he caught and released trout, jacks and blues, including several jacks and a big blue in the 4 to 5-pound class, on fly poppers and Ultra Hair Clouser flies.

Todd also night snook fished with me near Venice as a front moved through on Tuesday evening. We fished lighted docks along the ICW where he caught and released 8 snook and several trout on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. Wind and tide moving in opposite directions had the tide stalled and snook were being picky. He did a good job of finessing them using different presentations and stripping speeds to get them to eat when conditions were tough.

Wind blew above 20-mph as cool air settled in on Wednesday and I rescheduled a couple of trips for Wednesday night and Thursday. I fished with Bill Henning and Ray Castro, both from Sarasota, FL, on Friday morning. I was pleasantly surprised when we found schools of false albacore working in the coastal gulf off Sarasota. They caught and released several albies to 12-pounds on surface walking top water plugs. Exciting strikes! With a little time left, we moved to Sarasota Bay where they caught and released trout on DOA Deadly Combos fishing deep grass flats near Marina Jack.

I fished the coastal gulf with Beale Ong, from St. Michaels, MD and John Mathis, from University Park, FL, on Friday afternoon. Conditions weren’t great with wind and light rain but due to the overcast conditions the albies were still feeding. Beale caught and released a 12-pounder on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly and he and John caught and released several nice Spanish mackerel on the same fly and a CAL jig with a shad tail.

I was the instructor for an Orvis-Endorsed Fly Fishing School at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Saturday. The comprehensive course provides a good foundation for beginning fly casters to build on and also works with more experienced fly anglers to improve casting skills or correct faults. Contact CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 to sign up for future schools beginning in January.

Look for false albacore, tripletail, king and Spanish mackerel in the coastal gulf. Fishing deep grass flats for trout, blues and Spanish mackerel or reds and snook on shallow flats of Sarasota Bay should be good inshore options next week. There should also be good action with snook around lighted docks in the ICW.

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