Captain Favorite's Fishing Forum: Sept. 22, 2014

CATCH OF THE WEEK

Rob Merritt, from Springfield, MO, caught and released a slam including snook to 24 inches and a 28-inch red on a Grassett Snook Minnow fly while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett. He also caught and released a mullet on a chartreuse Clouser fly to end the day!

BRADENTON – A cold front from Tennessee may cause rainstorms throughout Florida on Tuesday. 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. Law makers have prohibited lionfish aquaculture in Florida. The changes will go into effect Dec. 1. 

FISHING UPDATES

• 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 snook, redfish and trout on DOA Lures and flies in Sarasota Bay during the past week. 

 

Fly angler Rob Merritt, from Springfield, MO, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. We fished lighted docks before dawn and it paid off when Rob caught and released several snook to 24” and a 28” red on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. We worked bait schools on deep flats on the east side of the bay after daylight where he caught and released trout and a couple more snook on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly. He finished with a bang when he caught and released a mullet on the same fly while we worked a mullet school looking for reds. Not only did he score a slam with a fly, he also caught one of only 3 or 4 mullet caught in the mouth with a lure or fly on my boat in more than 30 years of fishing here!

 

Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, fished with me on Wednesday. With heavy rain and a strong west wind most of the day, due to a front passing through, fishing was challenging. We fished skinny water from the mouth of the Manatee River to north Sarasota Bay where he caught and released trout and a snook on CAL jigs with shad tails and a top water plug. Saturday’s trip was rescheduled due to rain and thunderstorms.

 

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. 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.

 

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

Dry and mild weather will remain across the waters tonight as a stationary front erodes across central Florida. Unsettled weather starts on Monday as a cold front in the Tennessee Valley moves south into the northern Gulf waters late Monday and will stall across South Florida Tuesday. This will bring showers and thunderstorms and a slight increase in winds and seas.

Monday
Southeast winds around 5 knots then becoming southwest in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters smooth. Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms in the morning then numerous thunderstorms in the afternoon. Monday night will bring south winds
around 5 knots then becoming southeast after midnight. Bay and inland waters smooth. Numerous thunderstorms in the evening then scattered thunderstorms after midnight.
2014/09/22 Mon 12:31 AM 1.99 H
2014/09/22 Mon 06:42 AM 0.9 L
2014/09/22 Mon 12:31 PM 2.3 H
2014/09/22 Mon 07:16 PM 0.75 L

Tuesday
East winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Scattered thunderstorms. Numerous showers in the afternoon. Tuesday night will bring east winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Numerous showers in the evening. Scattered thunderstorms.
2014/09/23 Tue 12:45 AM 2.07 H
2014/09/23 Tue 07:17 AM 0.74 L
2014/09/23 Tue 01:08 PM 2.26 H
2014/09/23 Tue 07:39 PM 0.85 L

Wednesday
East winds 10 to 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. Scattered thunderstorms. Numerous showers in the afternoon. Wednesday night will bring east winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Numerous showers in the evening. Scattered thunderstorms.
2014/09/24 Wed 12:59 AM 2.17 H
2014/09/24 Wed 07:50 AM 0.6 L
2014/09/24 Wed 01:42 PM 2.21 H
2014/09/24 Wed 08:01 PM 0.95 L

Thursday
East winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms. Thursday night will bring east winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms.
2014/09/25 Thu 01:16 AM 2.28 H
2014/09/25 Thu 08:24 AM 0.48 L
2014/09/25 Thu 02:18 PM 2.13 H
2014/09/25 Thu 08:22 PM 1.04 L

Friday
Southeast winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms.
2014/09/26 Fri 01:38 AM 2.4 H
2014/09/26 Fri 09:01 AM 0.39 L
2014/09/26 Fri 02:57 PM 2.04 H
2014/09/26 Fri 08:46 PM 1.13 L

Solunar Forecast