Anglers fishing with me for the past 10 days had good action with a variety of species. Reds, trout, bluefish and Spanish mackerel were caught and released by anglers using fly and spin tackle. The best action continues to be on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. A couple of schools of large reds provided fast action in Sarasota Bay until fishing pressure made them disappear. Fly anglers had limited success sight casting to cruising reds and snook.
Fly angler, Denis Clohisy from WI, and Brian McInnis, from Sarasota, FL, fished 3 days with me from March 26-29. We fished Little Sarasota and Blackburn Bays the first day on an afternoon/evening trip. They caught and released ladyfish and a few trout on flies and CAL jigs on deep grass flats late in the afternoon. After dark we fished lighted docks and despite a good outgoing tide, snook didn't cooperate.
The next 2 days we fished Stephens Point, the Middleground flat and near Buttonwood Harbor in Sarasota Bay where they had good action with trout, bluefish and Spanish mackerel on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails. The best action was on Friday when we got on a large school of oversize reds in north Sarasota Bay near Bayshore Gardens. They caught and released more than 10 reds to 30" with 7 of them caught on large white flies (Clousers, Deceivers and Mirrolure flies). The flies matched the white bait (pilchards) that the school was feeding on. The reds, one of a couple of schools that had been around for a couple of months, finally disappeared due to excessive pressure.
I was a seminar speaker at the National Fly Fishing Exposition in Lakeland, FL, on the weekend of March 29 and 30. The successful event featured fly tackle vendors, seminars and casting demonstrations. Sarasota winter resident, Gary Wagner, and a guest fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, March 31st. They had fast action with trout, bluefish and Spanish mackerel caught on CAL jigs with shad tails on both sides of the bay at Stephens Point, the Middleground flat and along the west side of the bay from Longboat Key Moorings to Buttonwood Harbor.
The rest of the week was spent with fly anglers mostly fishing the Terra Ceia area and it proved to be a challenging week. Sight casting to reds and snook in shallow water was our goal and we found them very finicky. Numerous fish would put their nose right on the fly and follow it but wouldn't bite. They were in a better mood on Wednesday when Longboat Key winter resident and friend, Nick Reding, fished with me. We fished the Terra Ceia area where Nick hooked 4 reds and landed 3 of them on a chartreuse over white Clouser fly. He sight cast to cruising reds while I poled my flats skiff and while we waded shallow flats. Although this is one of the most challenging types of fishing, it is also one of the most rewarding. It requires accurate casting, but when everything is right you can watch a fish's body language as it reacts to your fly and eats.
Tides are good as we head into the first few days of next week. I expect flats fishing for reds, snook and trout to get better as the weather gets more stable and baitfish become more plentiful. April is usually one of the best months of the year for fishing the flats. In addition, action in the coastal gulf waters should get better with Spanish and king mackerel, cobia and tripletail. There is still space available in CB's Saltwater Outfitter's Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Saturday, April 19. Cost is $150 and includes a textbook, instructional video and lunch. I will be the instructor, so you can contact me or CB's Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 to sign up.
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
