Rick Grassett

Anglers fishing Sarasota Bay with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, during the past week had good action with trout, blues and pompano on jigs and flies. A couple of trips in lower Tampa Bay also had action with trout, snook and reds. Deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay have been the best option for variety and action.

George Alberici, from Sarasota, FL, and Sal DeVita, from Valrico, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. They caught numerous trout to 23" (4 ½ lbs), blue fish and pompano on CAL jigs with shad tails from Stephens Point to Long Bar.

Keith Roessler and Kevin Hunter, from Albuquerque, NM fished the same area with me on Tuesday except we also fished the coastal gulf. We spent a couple of hours off Lido Key and found lots of little tunny and Spanish mackerel feeding on tiny baits and being very picky. Keith hooked a nice little tunny on a white Clouser, but the rod broke, due to an equipment malfunction, as the fish made a blistering run, causing the fish to also break off. We came back into Sarasota Bay where they caught and released numerous trout, 4 bluefish (to 4-pounds) and 4 pompano (to 3-pounds) and a bonnethead shark on Clouser flies near Stephens Point.

Nick Frederick, from Lakewood Ranch, FL, and his son, Nick, from Arizona, fished the Terra Ceia Bay area with me on Wednesday morning. It rained hard until early afternoon as a front pushed through our area. It was young Nick's first venture in saltwater with a fly rod. He caught and released several trout on Clouser flies while his dad did well with a CAL jig and a shad tail. That afternoon I fished the same area with part of a family group along with my friend, Capt. Ray Markham. Justin Barnes, his wife, Meredith (from Atlanta, GA) and her sister, Joy, from Dayton, OH, fished on my boat. We had steady action with trout to 23" (4-pounds), several snook to 22" and a 17"red. All fish were caught on CAL jigs with shad tails. Capt. Ray's group also did well, catching a slam that included a legal snook, numerous trout, a red and a Spanish mackerel.

Bill Beauchamp, from Bradenton, FL, and his brother-in-law, Chuck Kushto, also from Bradenton, fished the Terra Ceia area with me on Friday. The previous day's cold front had dropped the water temperature and slowed the action. They worked hard and we caught a few trout, a flounder and a small red on CAL jigs with shad tails. Friday's trip in Sarasota Bay was similar. Fly angler Paul Stokes, from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning. We took a look in the gulf off Lido and found a big swell and dirty water. We saw a school of mackerel or little tunny, but they were up and gone fast. We came back into Sarasota Bay, where Paul caught and released several Spanish mackerel, a bluefish and several trout on a chartreuse/white Ultra Hair Clouser. Action was slow at first until we found a protected area, which was a couple of degrees warmer than surrounding waters and had some activity.

Next week's negative low tides should be good for reds, snook and trout in potholes and along sandbars. Deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay should continue to be one of best options for variety and action. When the gulf calms down and the water clears up, action should heat up again for Spanish mackerel and little tunny. Remember that snook season closes on Tuesday, Dec. 1st and trout season remains closed in the south region through December. For details, go to www.myfwc.com.

Tight Lines,

Capt. Rick Grassett

Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.

FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor

(941) 923-7799

E-mail snookfin@aol.com

www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com

Fish Species: trout, bluefish, pompano, reds, snook, flounder
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George Alberici's Sarasota Bay 4 1/2-lb CAL jig trout caught while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.
George Alberici's Sarasota Bay 4 1/2-lb CAL jig trout caught while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Sal Devita's Sarasota Bay 4-lb CAL jig bluefish caught while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Sal Devita's Sarasota Bay 4-lb CAL jig bluefish caught while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.


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Rick Grassett

About The Author: Captain Rick Grassett

Company: Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.

Area Reporting: Soutwest Florida

Bio: Capt. Rick Grassett, owner of Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc., is a full time fishing guide and outdoor writer based in Sarasota, FL. He has been guiding since 1990 and is an Orvis Endorsed Outfitter fly fishing guide at CB's Saltwater Outfitters in Sarasota. Specializing in fishing with flies and lures on light spinning tackle, Capt. Rick fishes the bays, back country and coastal gulf waters from Tampa Bay to Charlotte Harbor in his 18' Action Craft flats boat. He is a Federation of Fly Fishers certified fly casting instructor. Destination fishing trips are another specialty of Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service. Capt. Rick has lead groups of fly anglers to remote fishing locations around the world. Crane Meadow Lodge, MT, Los Roques, Venezuela, Andros Island Bonefish Club and Bonefish Bay Club in the Bahamas are several destinations where he has hosted groups in the past. Capt. Rick is a field editor for Saltwater Angler magazine and a monthly columnist for the Tampa Tribune. He has written articles for The Fisherman magazine and Orvis News. In addition to writing for these publications, he has been featured in articles in Florida Sportsman, Sportfishing, The Fisherman and Fly Fishing in Saltwater magazines. Capt. rick's web site, www.snookfin-addict.com features weekly fishing reports, current photos and and monthly fishing forecasts. He also maintains a second website that is specific to fly fishing and fly casting instruction, www.flyfishingflorida.net.

941-923-7799
Click Here For Past Fishing Reports by Captain Rick Grassett