Catch of the Week | |
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Noelle Beauchamp and her dad Bill Beauchamp, from Bradenton, FL, fished potholes on a shallow Sarasota Bay grass flat with Capt. Rick Grassett where Noelle caught and released this big red on a weedless rigged CAL shad tail. |
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BRADENTON – As the weather cools, the FWCC warns boaters to be on the lookout for manatees. Becoming a commerical fisherman just got easier for veterans! There are tons of fishing related events on the forefront! With water cooling into the mid 60’s, shallow water fishing for reds should be good this week. Look for them in potholes and on the edges of bars when the tide is low or higher on shallow grass flats at the top of the tide. You may also find trout, bluefish, flounder and more on deep grass flats.
Fishing Updates
As weather cools, Florida manatees move to warmer waters
Becoming commercial fishermen to get easier for Florida vets
Swamp Heritage Festival Dec 1
Weekly Fishing Report by Capt. Rick Grassett
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Patrice Camillieri, from France, caught and released this tripletail on a Grassett Flats Minnow 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, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, flounder and reds in Sarasota Bay and tripletail in the coastal gulf on lures and flies during the past week.
Patrice Camillieri, of France, fished Sarasota Bay and the coastal gulf with me on Monday and Tuesday. Conditions were rough in the coastal gulf on Monday, but he still managed catch and release a couple of tripletail to four-pounds on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly. We also had a couple of shots at false albacore (little tunny) that day but they didn’t stay up very long. With a low tide about noon, we fished potholes on the east side of Sarasota Bay where he caught and released trout to 19-inch and a 23-inch red also on the same fly.
Conditions weren’t much better in the coastal gulf on Tuesday morning, cool and windy with a 2.5 feet swell. We had a few shots at a tripletail, but we didn’t see any albies at all. We found some protected shallow water to fish in Sarasota Bay where he caught and released another nice red on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly.
Scott Tilton, from MN, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday morning, his first time fly fishing in salt water. We fished deep grass flats close to the passes where he caught and released ladyfish and a nice bluefish on Clouser flies fished on a sink tip fly line.
Bill Beauchamp and his daughter, Noelle, from Bradenton, Fla., fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. We fished deep grass flats on the west side of the bay where they caught and released numerous bluefish to 4-pounds, trout to two-pounds, a Spanish mackerel and a flounder on CAL jigs with shad tails and grubs. We also fished shallow flats on both sides of the bay where they caught and released 4 reds to 7.5-pounds on CAL jigs with shad tails and weedless rigged CAL shad tails.
Tim Louis, from MI, and his dad, Don Louis from Nokomis, Fla., fished Sarasota Bay and the coastal gulf with me on Saturday. Despite being rough in the coastal gulf, we had shots at a couple of tripletail with a fly. We fished a couple of deep grass flats on the west side of the bay where they caught and released Spanish mackerel to 3-pounds and trout on Ultra Hair Clouser flies.
With water cooling into the mid 60’s, shallow water fishing for reds should be good this week. Look for them in potholes and on the edges of bars when the tide is low or higher on shallow grass flats at the top of the tide. You may also find trout, bluefish, flounder and more on deep grass flats.
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
www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
Fishing Forecast
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Surface high pressure will build in over the northern Florida Peninsula through tonight. The high will shift east into the western Atlantic on Monday with winds veering around to the east then southeast and south on Tuesday as the high moves further to the east over the Atlantic. Another cold front will move through the waters during Tuesday night and Wednesday with winds shifting to the north and northeast in the wake of the front. Strong high pressure will build in over the eastern U.S. Late Wednesday into Thursday...with an increasing northeast to easterly flow setting up over the waters as the gradient tightens.
Monday
East winds 5 to 10 knots then becoming northwest during the afternoon. Bay and inland waters smooth. Monday night will bring northeast winds around 5 knots then becoming southeast 5 to 10 knots after midnight. Bay and inland waters smooth.
2012/11/26Mon06:04 a.m. -0.21L
2012/11/26Mon12:42 p.m. 1.45H
2012/11/26Mon04:44 p.m. 1.17L
2012/11/26Mon10:19 p.m. 2.3H
Tuesday
East winds around 5 knots then becoming west 5 to 10 knots in the afternoon. Bay and inland waters smooth. Tuesday night will bring north winds 5 to 10 knots. Bay and inland waters smooth.
2012/11/27Tue06:39 a.m. -0.3L
2012/11/27Tue01:25 p.m. 1.42H
2012/11/27Tue05:10 p.m. 1.2L
2012/11/27Tue10:46 p.m. 2.34H
Wednesday
North winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop. A slight chance of sprinkles in the morning.Wednesday night will bring northeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop.
2012/11/28Wed07:12 a.m. -0.34L
2012/11/28Wed02:02 p.m. 1.39H
2012/11/28Wed05:35 p.m. 1.21L
2012/11/28Wed11:16 p.m. 2.36H
Thursday
northeast winds 10 to 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop. Thursday night will bring east winds 10 to 15 knots. Bay and inland waters a moderate chop.
2012/11/29Thu07:46 a.m. -0.35L
2012/11/29Thu02:34 p.m. 1.35H
2012/11/29Thu06:03 p.m. 1.19L
2012/11/29Thu11:49 p.m. 2.36H
Friday
East winds around 10 knots. Bay and inland waters a light chop.
2012/11/30Fri08:20 a.m. -0.34L
2012/11/30Fri03:04 p.m. 1.32H
2012/11/30Fri06:37 p.m. 1.16L
Solunar Forecast