Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with trout, blues and pompano during the past couple of weeks. In addition, we also caught a few reds.
I fished 3 days in Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor during the week of Dec. 22nd with Rick Happle and his family, from Tampa, FL, Damon Dunn, from IL and Harry Davis, from Dalton, GA and Fen Sartorius, from NM. We found the reds to be challenging. Fen connected with a red that was tailing on a bead chain Clouser fly on one trip and we had plenty of other shots. We caught a few trout and bluefish on deep grass flats with flies and jigs. Scott and Scotty Heidler, from Hudson, OH, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday of that week. They had good action with trout, blues and a redfish on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos at Stephens Point and along the east side of Sarasota Bay
Kevin Bonasera, from Bozeman, MT, his dad Tom, from OH and guest, Tim from Sarasota fished lower Tampa Bay with Reid Zoller, of Loop Fly Tackle and me on Saturday, Dec. 27th. Kevin is with Turneffe Flats Lodge and works for them in Bozeman. We had a brief window in the morning for tailing reds and Kevin and Reid had a few shots but no takers. Tom, Tim and I had some action with trout and ladyfish on jigs and flies in the Terra Ceia Bay area.
We had lots of action with trout, blues and a few pompano in Sarasota Bay last week. Brian and Joanne Shenstone, from MI, fished with me on Monday. Brian caught and released trout, ladyfish and a pompano on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly. Ray Hutchinson and his brother-in-law, Craig Kinzer, both from OH fished with me on Tuesday. They caught and released lots of trout, bluefish and a red on CAL jigs with shad tails, DOA Deadly Combos and Ultra Hair Clouser flies. Sarasota winter resident, Nick Reding, fished with me on Wednesday. We waded a flat near Long Bar where Nick caught and released a big trout on a black Grassett's Flats Minnow fly. In the afternoon, we picked up his two grandsons, Nicholas and Andrew, and they had fast action with trout, blues and ladyfish on DOA Deadly Combos at Stephens Point. On Friday, Jim Essig, his grandson, Chris and Ken Kolinski, from OH, had fast action with trout to 18", blues and pompano on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos at Stephens Point.
Next week's tides are favorable towards the end of the week for reds in potholes or tailing on shallow grass flats of Charlotte Harbor. Deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay should have plenty of action with trout, blues and pompano.
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
