Rick Grassett

Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with snook, tarpon and trout during the week of August 11. The best action continues to be on deep grass flats with a variety of species including trout, bluefish and mangrove snapper. We also had action fishing lighted docks for snook before dawn and large tarpon around bridges and on the flats after daylight.

Charlie and Linda Alexander, from Osprey, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. We had steady action with trout to 4 ½ pounds and bluefish on DOA Deadly combos, CAL jigs and Clouser flies along the west side of Sarasota Bay near Buttonwood Harbor and Long Bar.

A couple of other fly fishing trips later in the week produced tarpon and snook. After a 4-hour trip on Wednesday morning, I scouted Sarasota Bay and found tarpon feeding on glass minnows that they had balled up around bridge pilings. I jumped a pair of 75-pound tarpon on my Snook Minnow (a.k.a. Grassett's Grass Minnow). I tie this fly on a 1/0 owner AKI hook, instead of the normal Mustad 34007 #4 hook, when I throw it at larger fish.

Montana fly fishing guide, Harrison King from Bozeman, MT, fished with me on Friday. We fished lighted docks on the north end of Siesta Key before dawn and he landed several snook, including a 28" fish, on my Grassett's Snook Minnow. We headed for the tarpon that I had located on Wednesday at dawn and found them crushing glass minnows around bridge pilings. It required finesse and timing to connect with them, but Harrison was up to the challenge. I had him drop his fly in the fray when tarpon busted glass minnows at the surface and a fish inhaled his fly the instant it touched the water! After a 45-minute battle, including numerous jumps, Harrison had the estimated 60 to 70-pound tarpon alongside the boat. Great job!

This type of action should continue into September. There should also be good action with schooling reds in lower Tampa Bay, north Sarasota Bay and Gasparilla Sound and with tarpon of all sizes in upper Charlotte Harbor.

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: Tarpon, snook, trout, bluefish & trout
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Linda and Charlie Alexander, from Osprey, FL, with a 4 1/2-pound trout caught and released on a DOADeadly combo while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Linda and Charlie Alexander, from Osprey, FL, with a 4 1/2-pound trout caught and released on a DOADeadly combo while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.

HarrisonKing, from Bozeman, MT, with a 28
HarrisonKing, from Bozeman, MT, with a 28


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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