ishing Captain Favorite's Fishing Forum: Feb. 9, 2015

CATCH OF THE WEEK

Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, Ill., with trout caught and released  on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing Gasparilla Sound near Boca Grande on a blustery day with Capt. Rick Grassett.

BRADENTON – NOAA is predicting a cold front this evening. The 33rd Cortez Fish Festival will be held over Valentines Day weekend. Gray triggerfish season concluded February 7. FWC commissioners are seeking input for a red snapper season change, and have also designated the Saturday after Mother's Day as lionfish removal day.

• 33rd Cortez Fish Festival to be held over Valentine's Day Weekend

The 33rd Annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival returns Saturday and Sunday, February 14 & 15. The theme of this year's festival will be: “I am in a Grouper Groupie.”

The festival will be held at the end of 119 Street and on the grounds of the Florida Maritime Museum. Festival Admission is only $3.00. children under 12 are admitted free.

• Gray triggerfish closing to recreational harvest in Gulf state waters Saturday, Feb. 7
• The recreational harvest of gray triggerfish will close in Gulf state waters Saturday, Feb. 7. The season will remain closed through Dec. 31 and will apply in 2015 only. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) discussed gray triggerfish at its February meeting in Jacksonville and received public testimony in support of a state waters closure.
  This closure is consistent with a federal closure also starting Feb. 7 and remaining closed through Dec. 31.

• Commission directs staff to hold public workshops on Gulf red snapper season
  At its meeting Feb. 5 in Jacksonville, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) directed staff to host several workshops prior to the April Commission meeting in an effort to gather additional stakeholder input on the 2015 recreational red snapper season in Gulf state waters.
  The 2015 season preferred by the Commissioners that will be discussed at workshops would start the Saturday before Memorial Day (May 23) and run through July 12, resume for all of Labor Day weekend (Sept. 5-7) and finish with Saturdays and Sundays throughout September and October, with the season ending Nov. 1. This proposed season would be 70 days.
  The 2014 season began the Saturday before Memorial Day and remained open through July 14 (a total of 52 days).
  Once finalized, a list of workshop locations, dates and times will be publicized in a news release and online at MyFWC.com/Fishing by clicking on “Saltwater,” “Rulemaking” and “Public Workshops.”

• FWC raises awareness on lionfish issue with creation of ‘Removal’ day
  The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) adopted a resolution to help raise awareness about the invasive-lionfish issue. At its meeting Feb. 5 in Jacksonville, the FWC designated the first Saturday after Mother’s Day each year to be Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day.
  On this day, through education and outreach, the FWC will encourage extra effort from the public to remove lionfish from Florida waters.

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, caught and released trout, jacks and ladyfish on flies in Sarasota and Little Sarasota Bays and reds, snook and trout on CAL jigs with shad tails during the past week.

A couple of fly fishing trips in Sarasota Bay and Little Sarasota Bay produced a few trout, jacks and ladyfish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on sinking fly lines. Fishing channel edges was most productive and getting the fly down in the water column was important.

Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, Ill., fished Gasparilla Sound near Boca Grande on Tuesday. Despite some tough conditions, fishing was good. Keith caught and released several reds, snook and slot size trout to complete his slam on a CAL jig with a shad tail.

There are still some spots available in CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed Fly Fishing School on February 21. I will be the instructor for the school which will cover fly casting basics, line control, shooting line and the roll cast. The course, designed for beginning and intermediate fly casters, will focus on basics but also work with intermediate casters on correcting faults and improving casting skills. Leader construction, fly selection and saltwater fly fishing techniques will also be covered. Cost for the school, which will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., is $150 per person and includes the use of Orvis fly tackle, a text book and lunch. Contact CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 or info@cbsoutfitters.com to make reservations.

You may find trout, blues, pompano or founder in channels, troughs or edges of flats, particularly when the tide is low. Look for reds and big trout mixed with mullet schools on shallow flats and edges of bars. Afternoons may fish better than mornings when water is cool.

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

Another cold front is scheduled to come through the area tonight, followed by an area of high pressure which will arrive in the later half of the week. This high will pass just in time for another cold front to move in before next weekend.

Monday


Southeast winds around 5 knots then becoming south around 10 knots in the afternoon. Seas 2 feet or less. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A slight chance of showers in the morning ... then showers likely and a slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Monday night will bring southwest winds around 5 knots then becoming northwest around 15 knots after midnight. Seas 2 feet or less. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. Showers likely and a slight chance of thunderstorms in the evening ... then a slight chance of showers after midnight.
2015/02/09 Mon 03:20 AM 1.27 H
2015/02/09 Mon 09:50 AM 0.22 L
2015/02/09 Mon 03:38 PM 1.66 H
2015/02/09 Mon 11:00 PM 0.16 L

Tuesday


Northwest winds 10 to 15 knots. Seas 3 to 5 feet. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. Tuesday night will bring north winds 10 to 15 knots then becoming northeast after midnight. Seas 2 to 4 feet. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop.
2015/02/10 Tue 04:20 AM 1.08 H
2015/02/10 Tue 10:20 AM 0.38 L
2015/02/10 Tue 04:16 PM 1.71 H

Wednesday


Northeast winds 10 to 15 knots then becoming north 5 to 10 knots in the afternoon. Seas 2 to 3 feet. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. Wednesday night will bring north winds around 10 knots. Seas 2 feet. Bay and inland waters a light chop.
2015/02/11 Wed 12:10 AM 0.09 L
2015/02/11 Wed 05:42 AM 0.91 H
2015/02/11 Wed 10:53 AM 0.56 L
2015/02/11 Wed 05:01 PM 1.75 H

Thursday


North winds around 10 knots then becoming northwest in the afternoon. Seas 2 feet or less. Bay and inland waters a light chop. Thursday night will bring northwest winds 10 to 15 knots then becoming north around 20 knots after midnight. Seas 2 to 4 feet. Bay and inland waters choppy.
2015/02/12 Thu 01:28 AM -0.01 L
2015/02/12 Thu 07:44 AM 0.84 H
2015/02/12 Thu 11:33 AM 0.72 L
2015/02/12 Thu 05:56 PM 1.79 H

Friday


North winds around 20 knots diminishing to 10 to 15 knots in the afternoon. Seas 2 to 4 feet. Bay and inland waters choppy.
2015/02/13 Fri 02:46 AM -0.16 L
2015/02/13 Fri 09:58 AM 0.9 H
2015/02/13 Fri 12:35 PM 0.85 L
2015/02/13 Fri 07:01 PM 1.84 H

Solunar Forecast