Captain Favorite's Fishing Forum: Sept. 8, 2014

CATCH OF THE WEEK

Jerry Roth, from the Orlando, Fla. area, caught and released this over slot, 9.5-pound red, on a weedless-rigged CAL shad tail while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.

BRADENTON – The full moon on Monday will bring some of the best fishing of the month! Snook season opened statewide. Weather Underground offshore afternoon showers and thunderstorms. FWC researchers have reported that transplanted, nursery-raised corral has spawning for the fist time off of Marathon Key. Researchers are seeking tarpon data from Florida anglers by way of a "finger print," or DNA sample, taken from the tarpon during the catch. 

FISHING UPDATES

• • 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.”

  Nonnative fish provide exotic fishing alternatives; most have no bag limits!

  • Florida freshwater anglers target at least 25 species of native fishes. Most are within a 45-minute drive of anyone wanting to wet a line. In addition to those, the free Florida Big Catch angler recognition program (BigCatchFlorida.com) features six species of exotic fishes from other countries and several fish species that expanded their ranges from farther north.
  • Of those nonnative fishes, only butterfly peacock bass were stocked intentionally by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) predecessor, during the early 1980s. At the time, expansion of numerous nonnative fish species in south Florida was causing concern. Walking catfish and several types of tilapia were well established. Species, such as piranha, electric eels and freshwater stingray had the potential to be imported by the aquarium industry and posed a threat to native species and a concern to people. Accidental introductions were largely attributed to the aquaculture industry or to individual aquarists.
  • FWC, partners see ultimate coral reef-building success
    Researchers at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) observed transplanted nursery-raised staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) spawning for the first time this month at Tropical Rocks, just over 4 miles offshore of Marathon.
  • These corals were supplied by the Coral Restoration Foundation and Mote Marine Lab nurseries and outplanted by the FWC. The project was made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act via The Nature Conservancy.
  • The FWC, in collaboration with the Conservancy and other American Recovery and Reinvestment Act partners, began construction on the Middle Keys coral nursery in late 2009 but suffered setbacks due to a coldwater kill and, later, a warm-water bleaching event.
  • The goal of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act project was to expand the current nurseries, develop new nurseries and outplant high numbers of nursery-grown corals throughout the Florida reef tract and the U.S. Virgin Islands. “This is the first time that we have seen staghorn coral spawning at the reef tract that included corals grown as part of our nursery program,” said Caitlin Lustic, coral recovery coordinator for the Conservancy in Florida. “This spawning event shows that outplanted corals have the ability to reproduce just like a natural colony and furthers our goal of creating breeding colonies of coral that can repopulate reefs on their own.”
    

  FWC tarpon researchers seek data from north Florida anglers

  • The strength, stamina and fighting ability of a “silver king” make tarpon one of Florida’s most popular game fish. Experience the thrill! The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) wants people to reel one in to the side of their boat and help us with the Tarpon Genetic Recapture Study.
  • Tarpon DNA helps scientists learn more about the fish’s rich life history, from its anatomy to its catch history. Each year, willing anglers supply the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute with DNA “fingerprint” data from tarpon and then release them to jump and challenge anglers another day. The FWRI especially needs DNA samples from fish larger than 30 inches hooked in northeast and northwest Florida.

 

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, blues and jacks on DOA lures, top water plugs and flies in Sarasota Bay during the past week.

Since I was away most of August, I needed to get back on the water in Sarasota before a trip on Saturday. Steve Traves, owner of Anna Maria Island Outfitters and Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. We had some action catching and releasing trout and blues on DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs with shad tails on deep grass flats on both sides of the bay.

Pete Pedersen and his son Bill, from MA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday. We fished some of the same areas and had good action catching and releasing blues and trout on CAL jigs with shad tails, DOA Deadly Combos, top water plugs and flies. Bill also caught and released a couple of trout on my Grassett Flats Bunny fly, his first saltwater fish on a fly! I often use a “popper/dropper” rig when fly fishing on deep grass flats this time of year. The principle is the same as the DOA Deadly Combo, with the popper making noise and a smaller lightly weighted fly fluttering along 3’ behind it.

You should find trout, blues, mangrove snapper and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Look for bait schools, diving birds or breaking fish to find them. Reds are schooling on flats of Sarasota Bay. They may stage on edges of bars or shallow grass flats when the tide is low. Look for wakes or patches of nervous water when it is calm or slick spots when there is a chop to find schools.

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

A tropical disturbance in the Bahamas will move across South Florida and into the Gulf of Mexico through the weekend. Stronger winds and greater chances of thunderstorms will be farther south. The National Hurricane Center has a 30 percent chance of cyclone formation in the next five days.

Thursday
Southeast winds around 5 knots then becoming southwest around 5 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters smooth. Scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. Thursday night will bring north winds around 5 knots then becoming east around 5 knots after midnight. Bay and inland waters smooth. Isolated thunderstorms in the evening.
2014/09/11 Thu 2:16 a.m. 2.31 H
2014/09/11 Thu 9:21 a.m. 0.41 L
2014/09/11 Thu 3:20 p.m. 2.19 H
2014/09/11 Thu 9:25 p.m. 1.02 L

Friday
Northeast winds around 5 knots increasing to 5 to 10 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Isolated thunderstorms in the morning...then scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. Friday night
will bring east winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms in the evening.
2014/09/12 Fri 2:46 a.m. 2.42 H
2014/09/12 Fri 10:14 a.m. 0.38 L
2014/09/12 Fri 4:16 p.m. 1.97 H
2014/09/12 Fri 9:53 p.m. 1.18 L

Saturday
East winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. Saturday night will bring east winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms in the evening.
2014/09/13 Sat 3:20 a.m. 2.47 H
2014/09/13 Sat 11:11 a.m, 0.41 L
2014/09/13 Sat 5:21 p.m. 1.77 H
2014/09/13 Sat 10:22 p.m. 1.31 L

Sunday
Southeast winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. Sunday night will bring southeast winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Scattered thunderstorms in the evening.
2014/09/14 Sun 4:00 a.m. 2.46 H
2014/09/14 Sun 12:16 p.m. 0.47 L
2014/09/14 Sun 6:46 p.m. 1.64 H
2014/09/14 Sun 10:57 p.m 1.42 L

Solunar Forecast