Captain Favorite's Fishing Forum: October 13, 2014

CATCH OF THE WEEK

Scott Heidler and his Dad, Scott Heidler, from OH, with a Sarasota Bay snook caught and released on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.

BRADENTON – My favorite time of year is almost here; stone crab season begins October 15! The FWC has announced a $4.5 million venture to restore oyster beds in the Gulf. Winds from a mid-week cold front will create light chop in marine waters at the beginning of the week. 

• Stone crab season opens Oct. 15 in state, federal waters
  Florida’s recreational and commercial stone crab claw harvest season opens Oct. 15 in state and federal waters. To ensure this valuable resource is available for generations to come, take care when removing crab claws, and follow all protective management guidelines for stone crab harvest.
• To be harvested, stone crab claws must be at least 2.75 inches in length when measured from the elbow to the tip of the lower immovable portion of the claw (see illustration). View a video on how to properly remove the claw, and increase the likelihood of survival of the released crab.

• DEO, FDACS, FWC announce investment of $4.5 million to enlist oyster fishermen in continuing efforts to restore the Apalachicola oyster fishery
  The Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) announced today an investment of $4.5 million to expand funding for hand-shelling operations that capitalize on the expertise of local oyster fishermen to aggressively continue oyster bed restoration efforts.

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, had good action, catching and releasing trout and bluefish on DOA Lures in Sarasota Bay during the past week.

We fished deep grass flats on the east side of Sarasota Bay on a trip early last week and caught and released numerous trout and a bluefish on CAL jigs with shad tails, DOA Deadly Combos and top water plugs.

Since it’s the right time of year for action in the coastal gulf to turn on, Capt. Andy Cotton and I scouted that area in his Action Craft Coastal Bay boat on Friday. It paid off when we found several schools of Spanish mackerel and false albacore (little tunny) feeding on the surface and Andy caught and released a nice albie on a CAL jig with 4” jerk worm. This action should get better over the next couple of months. One of my favorite things to do in the fall!

Look for Spanish mackerel and false albacore in the coastal gulf. Trout, blues, mangrove snapper and more should be good options on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Look for bait schools, diving birds or breaking fish to find them. You may find reds schooling on edges of bars or shallow grass flats when the tide is low. Snook fishing should be good around lighted docks and bridges at night or on shallow flats early in the day. You might also find reds and trout along with snook on lighted docks this time of year.  

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

Winds from a mid-week cold front will create light chop in marine waters at the beginning of the week. 

Monday

Southeast winds around 10 knots decreasing to 5 to 10 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms late in the afternoon.  Monday night will bring southeast winds 10 to 15 knots ... except around 15 knots near the mouth of the Bay. Bay and inland waters a light to moderate chop. Scattered thunderstorms in the evening.

2014/10/13 Mon 03:10 AM 2.5 H

2014/10/13 Mon 11:43 AM 0.29 L

2014/10/13 Mon 06:39 PM 1.63 H

2014/10/13 Mon 10:10 PM 1.5 L

Tuesday

South winds 10 to 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. Scattered thunderstorms in the morning ... then numerous thunderstorms in the afternoon. Tuesday night will bring southwest winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms.

2014/10/14 Tue 03:57 AM 2.36 H

2014/10/14 Tue 12:45 PM 0.4 L

2014/10/14 Tue 08:10 PM 1.64 H

2014/10/14 Tue 11:20 PM 1.55 L

Wednesday

West winds around 10 knots then becoming northwest in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms in the morning ... then isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon. Wednesday night will bring northwest winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Isolated thunderstorms.

2014/10/15 Wed 04:58 AM 2.18 H

2014/10/15 Wed 01:53 PM 0.48 L

2014/10/15 Wed 09:16 PM 1.71 H

Thursday

Northwest winds 5 to 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Thursday night will bring north winds around 10 knots diminishing to around 5 knots after midnight. Bay and inland waters a light chop.

2014/10/16 Thu 01:15 AM 1.55 L

2014/10/16 Thu 06:27 AM 2.03 H

2014/10/16 Thu 02:58 PM 0.54 L

2014/10/16 Thu 09:56 PM 1.79 H

Friday

North winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth.

2014/10/17 Fri 03:03 AM 1.42 L

2014/10/17 Fri 08:14 AM 1.95 H

2014/10/17 Fri 03:55 PM 0.59 L

2014/10/17 Fri 10:26 PM 1.88 H

Solunar Forecast