Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action this week with Spanish mackerel, bluefish, trout and redfish. We also caught and released a few snook on an evening trip.
Dick Reece, from Dayton, OH, his son-in-law, Dave Reinhart, and grandson, Daniel Reinhart, both from Lennox, MA, joined me for a trip in Sarasota Bay on Monday. They caught numerous bluefish in Big Pass and Spanish mackerel, bluefish and trout at the Middleground flat on CAL jigs with shad tails. We moved to skinny water near Bishops Point for the last portion of our trip and they each caught and released a redfish, also on CAL jigs with shad tails.
The next day, Charlie Troccia, from Dalton, MA and sons, Travis and Dan, fished the same areas with me. The action was a little slower, but they still managed to catch bluefish in Big Pass and blues, Spanish mackerel and trout at the Middleground flat on CAL jigs with a variety of tails. That evening Firman Schlabaugh and Junior Miller, both from Sarasota, joined me for an evening trip. We found a mix of ladyfish and snook feeding heavily on glass minnows near the Venice Inlet, but they were being very selective. Firman and Junior caught and released 4 snook to 22" on CAL jigs with glow curly tails, one on my Grassett's Grass (Snook) Minnow fly and lost a couple more.
A mechanical problem sidelined me the next day. A seal failed on the lower unit of my outboard causing an oil leak, but I was up and running again by Thursday. Dennis Stehlik, from IL, and Ron Mosetich, from RI, fished with me on Thursday and Friday. We fished Sarasota Bay on Thursday and caught and released bluefish in Big Pass, bluefish, Spanish mackerel and trout at the Middleground flat and 3 reds near Bishops Point. We fished Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor on Friday where they caught more than 30 trout to 20", including 3 in the slot, on DOA Deadly Combos. We spent the afternoon fishing skinny water in Gasparilla Sound. We saw lots of nice reds and several snook on the flats and caught and released a 25" red on a CAL jig with an Arkansas Glow Shiner shad tail.
I was the instructor for an Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Saturday held out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters. If you are interested in learning how to fly cast or improving your fly casting skills we have several more schools scheduled on March 15th, April 5th and 19th. Contact me or CB's Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 to sign up. Cost is $150 per student and includes a textbook, instructional video and lunch. We are heading into a great time of the year for fishing the flats and coastal gulf waters. Fishing is good and should get even better in March.
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
