Catch of the Week |
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Bryan Gibson, from St. Pete, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with his dad and Capt. Rick Grassett, and caught and released this 4-pound trout on a DOA Deadly Combo. |
The FWC has eliminated a supplemental recreational red snapper harvest, and a closure for several grouper species in Gulf waters, providing anglers with additional fishing opportunities. The FWC also passed two measures for catching tarpon: anglers can no longer snag a tarpon, nor use a weight that hangs lower than your hook when fishing for them. Capt. Rick Grassett says action in the coastal gulf is about to get hot! Baitfish are becoming plentiful and predators will be close behind them. Reds are schooling in Sarasota Bay.
FWC takes action on snapper, grouper
Tarpon statewide snagging definition, gear rules in Boca Grande Pass to change
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Capt. Rick DePaiva, from Ft. Myers, FL, battles a tarpon jumped on a fly while fishing the coastal gulf with Capt. Rick Grassett. |
My son, Bryan Gibson, and a coworker, Mike Phoenix, both from St. Pete, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. We fished deep grass flats along the west side of the bay and caught released trout, blues and jacks on DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs with shad tails. The largest fish of the day was a 4-pound trout that Bryan caught and released on the combo.
With a TV show shoot to do on Thursday and my boat in the shop for maintenance, I fished with Capt. Andy Cotton, also out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, in his boat on Wednesday to do some scouting. We found lots of bait with a few Spanish mackerel and albies (little tunny) feeding in them in the coastal first thing in the morning. We caught and released trout, blues and jacks on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos on deep grass flats in Sarasota Bay. We found a school of big reds and caught and released redfish and bluefish out of the school before they disappeared.
“Reel Animals” TV show hosts, Capt. Mike Anderson and Capt. Billy Nobles, fished with me on Thursday. We fished out of their Yellowfin 24 bay boat, an awesome fishing machine! We fished the coastal gulf off Sarasota first thing in the morning and had a couple of hookups on jigs and plugs. One was a jack that was hit by a shark and the other fish was probably a false albacore that was cut off before it could be landed. We also fished deep and shallow grass flats on both sides of Sarasota Bay and caught and released trout, blues and jacks on a variety of lures.
Action in the coastal gulf is about to get hot! Baitfish are becoming plentiful and predators will be close behind them. Reds are schooling in Sarasota Bay. Look for nervous patches of water or large wakes to find them. Beat the heat by catch and release snook fishing before daylight and then look for reds, trout, blues, Spanish mackerel, tripletail and more in Sarasota Bay.
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
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Fishing Forecast
A ridge of high pressure to the north of the region will strengthen through the early portion of the week ... helping to keep an easterly flow pattern in place over the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The ridge position and strength will be supportive of nocturnal easterly wind surges Monday night and Tuesday night that may approach cautionary levels ... especially away from the coast.
Monday
East winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon. Monday night will bring winds around 15 knots diminishing to 5 to 10 knots after midnight. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop.
2013/09/09Mon02:53 a.m.2.46H
2013/09/09Mon10:25 a.m.0.4L
2013/09/09Mon04:20 p.m.1.91H
2013/09/09Mon09:56 p.m.1.17L
Tuesday
East winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. Tuesday night will bring east winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop.
2013/09/10Tue03:30 a.m.2.54H
2013/09/10Tue11:26 a.m.0.39L
2013/09/10Tue05:29 p.m.1.72H
2013/09/10Tue10:26 p.m.1.3L
Wednesday
East winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Isolated thunderstorms in the morning then scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. Wednesday night will bring east winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Isolated thunderstorms in the evening.
2013/09/11Wed04:15 a.m.2.57H
2013/09/11Wed12:40 p.m.0.4L
2013/09/11Wed07:08 p.m.1.58H
2013/09/11Wed10:59 p.m.1.42L
Thursday
East winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Isolated thunderstorms in the morning then scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. Thursday night will bring east winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Isolated thunderstorms in the evening.
2013/09/12Thu05:12 a.m.2.55H
2013/09/12Thu02:05 p.m.0.4L
Friday
East winds around 5 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth. Isolated thunderstorms in the morning then scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon.
2013/09/13Fri06:27 a.m.2.5H
2013/09/13Fri03:29 p.m.0.36L
2013/09/13Fri10:52 p.m.1.64H
Solunar Forecast