Captain Favorite's Fishing Forum: October 6, 2014

CATCH OF THE WEEK

Elizabeth Heidler, from OH, with a Sarasota Bay bluefish caught and released on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.

BRADENTON – Winds from the recent cold front will create light chop in marine waters at the beginning of the week. By Wednesday, conditions should improve for smooth sailing.Scallop season closed Sept. 25. Officials are putting together a $4.5 million investment toward oyster bed restoration efforts. Our contributing captain, Rick Grassett, suggests fishing for trout and snook off lighted docks during this time of year. 

FISHING UPDATES

• 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.

• Recreational bay scallop season closes Sept. 25
  The 2014 recreational season for bay scallops will close Thursday, Sept. 25. The final day of harvesting is Sept. 24.FWC scallop researchers will conduct underwater surveys after the season closes to reassess the scallop population.While the season is open, scallop harvesters can assist researchers by completing an online survey at http://svy.mk/bayscallops, indicating where they harvest scallops, how many they collect and how long it takes to harvest them. Participants can email BayScallops@MyFWC.com to ask questions or send additional information.Visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater,” “Recreational Regulations” and “Bay Scallops” to learn more.

• FWC furthers lionfish control measures, prohibits lionfish aquaculture
  At a Sept. 10 meeting in Kissimmee, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) acted to prohibit lionfish aquaculture.
• Lionfish are an invasive species that have a negative impact on native fish and habitat.
• The changes will go into effect by Dec. 1. Updates will be available at MyFWC.com/Lionfish.
• Management changes were developed in coordination with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and include:
• Prohibiting the harvest and possession of lionfish eggs and larvae for any purpose other than destruction;
• Prohibiting the intentional breeding of lionfish in captivity. 
• A scientific research exception will allow permitted research institutions to breed and cultivate lionfish for the purposes of researching population control and impact mitigation.

• • Limited harvest starts Sept. 1 for snook, a premier Florida fish
    The recreational harvest season for Florida’s premier game fish, snook, opens Sept. 1 statewide. Unique to the region, snook are one of the many reasons Florida is the Fishing Capital of the World. While the fishery is already more than 90 percent catch-and-release, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) encourages anglers to continue to use moderation when determining whether or not to take a snook home. Gulf snook populations were negatively impacted by a 2010 cold kill.
  • Gulf snook numbers currently exceed FWC management goals but are still rebuilding to pre-cold-kill levels, which is one of the reasons why it is important to handle fish with care in this region and use moderation when determining whether or not to harvest one. When releasing a snook, proper handling methods can help ensure the species’ abundance for anglers today and generations to come. To learn more about catch-and-release and the best way to handle a fish, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater” then “Recreational Regulations.”
•  
  • 1,000-plus TrophyCatch largemouth bass swim free
• • Considered by many to be a once in a lifetime dream catch, well over 1,000 largemouth bass exceeding 8 pounds have been caught, documented and released in Florida in less than two years. Want to know where and see photos? Simply go to TrophyCatchFlorida.com and select the “Gallery of Catches” or you can pick “Search Catches” to narrow down your results.

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 the recent cold front will create light chop in marine waters at the beginning of the week. By Wednesday, conditions should improve for smooth sailing. 

Monday
East winds 5 to 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Monday night will bring east winds 5 to 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop.
2014/10/06 Mon 06:02 AM 0.75 L
2014/10/06 Mon 11:55 AM 2.38 H
2014/10/06 Mon 06:37 PM 0.67 L

Tuesday
East winds around 5 knots then becoming southwest in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Tuesday Night will bring north winds around 5 knots then becoming east after midnight. Bay and inland waters smooth.
2014/10/07 Tue 12:07 AM 2.2 H
2014/10/07 Tue 06:53 AM 0.49 L
2014/10/07 Tue 12:51 PM 2.32 H
2014/10/07 Tue 07:10 PM 0.85 L

Wednesday
Northeast winds around 5 knots then becoming north around 5 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters smooth. Wednesday Night will bring north winds around 10 knots then becoming east after midnight. Bay and inland waters a light chop.
2014/10/08 Wed 12:32 AM 2.35 H
2014/10/08 Wed 07:40 AM 0.28 L
2014/10/08 Wed 01:44 PM 2.21 H
2014/10/08 Wed 07:40 PM 1.02 L

Thursday
Northeast winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Thursday night will bring east winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop.
2014/10/09 Thu 12:58 AM 2.48 H
2014/10/09 Thu 08:25 AM 0.15 L
2014/10/09 Thu 02:34 PM 2.07 H
2014/10/09 Thu 08:07 PM 1.16 L

Friday
Northeast winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop.
2014/10/10 Fri 01:26 AM 2.57 H
2014/10/10 Fri 09:11 AM 0.1 L
2014/10/10 Fri 03:25 PM 1.92 H
2014/10/10 Fri 08:33 PM 1.27 L

Solunar Forecast