Rick Grassett

Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, continue to have good action fly fishing for tarpon. A couple of trips last weekend had more than 20 shots per day and a total of 5 fish jumped and 2 landed in 2 days of fishing. We fished shallow water off Lido and Longboat Keys with a variety of flies on intermediate sink tip fly lines. I fished with my friend, Rusty Chinnis from Longboat Key, FL, on Saturday. He hooked up a couple of times on a brown Toad and I landed a tarpon on a black Deceiver. My son-in-law, Capt. Andy Cotton, jumped one on a chartreuse Toad and landed one on a traditional style Purple Death tarpon fly while fishing with me on Sunday.

action continued into this week. We fished shallow water off Lido and Longboat Keys and action was slower at the beginning of the week. However, it picked up later in the week. My friend, Steve Gibson from Sarasota, FL, fished with me on Tuesday. The wind was up out of the west again and we only had a few shots. Richard Taylor, from Mobile, AL, fished with me on Wednesday and with the wind back out of the east he had more than a dozen shots. Tarpon were back in an eating mood on Thursday when Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, and Orvis store manager, Paul Range from Atlanta, GA, fished with me. They had more than 20 shots at tarpon, 1 hookup and another bite, both on a tan Toad. After our trip they snook fished in the surf (from the beach) on their own off Siesta Key and landed several snook on my Grassett's Snook Minnow fly.

This is my favorite time of the year to fly fish for tarpon. With most fish already spawned out, their focus changes from spawning to eating. Large schools give way to singles, doubles and small schools that are prowling shallow water looking for something to eat. We use intermediate sink tip fly lines on12-weight rods with a variety of crab and baitfish fly patterns. I look for this action to continue for the rest of the month and possibly into early August, although fish will start to thin out at some point. After that, snook before dawn around lighted docks and bridges and tarpon of all sizes in some of the same areas will be good options. Fishing deep grass flats for trout, bluefish and pompano should also be good and reds will begin schooling at any time.

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
Bait Used:
Tackle Used:
Method Used:
Water Depth:
Water Temperature: 88 degrees
Wind Direction:
Wind Speed:
Capt. Andy Cotton, from Sarasota, FL, battles a tarpon caught on a fly while fishing with his father-in-law, Capt. Rick Grassett.
Capt. Andy Cotton, from Sarasota, FL, battles a tarpon caught on a fly while fishing with his father-in-law, Capt. Rick Grassett.

Capt. Andy Cotton, from Sarasota, FL, caught and released this tarpon on a fly while fishing with his father-in-law, Capt. Rick Grassett.
Capt. Andy Cotton, from Sarasota, FL, caught and released this tarpon on a fly while fishing with his father-in-law, Capt. Rick Grassett.


Do you want to leave a comment? Login or register now to leave a comment.


No comments so far

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