Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, blues, pompano and Spanish mackerel in Sarasota Bay on flies, CAL jigs with shad tails, DOA Deadly Combos and top water plugs and snook and blues at night on flies in the ICW near Venice during the past couple of weeks. Despite water in the low 60's, Spanish mackerel are still around with blues, trout and pompano in the mix.
Nick Reding, from Longboat Key, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 1/20. He caught and released trout, blues and ladyfish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies near Bishop Point. Anna Maria and Sarasota winter residents, Bill Morrison and Gary Marple, also fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday morning, 1/21. They had steady action fishing deep grass flats with Spanish mackerel and trout at Stephens Point on Ultra Hair Clouser flies.
The warmest water of the day is in the evening, especially when an outgoing tide flushes out water that is warmed on shallow flats by the afternoon sun. That was the case on Wednesday evening, 1/22, when Phil Rever, from Sarasota, FL and Steve White, from Raleigh, NC, fished the ICW near Venice with me. They caught and released a dozen or more snook on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. With the water temperature in the low 60's that night, snook were happy, healthy and swimming away strong when released. They also caught and released 5 or 6 blues in the 3 to 4-pound class and lost flies to a few others. Blues are often encountered in the cooler water that we have in winter in the same areas that we find snook at night. They are sometimes so aggressive in a spot that they can push the snook out, although it's not a problem since the blues fight as good as or better than the snook!
I monitor water temperature closely this time of year and when the water temperature dropped a little more on Thursday, 1/23, we decided it was best to cancel that night's snook fly fishing trip. Since snook may become stressed when water temperatures drop into the 50's, I avoid catching them at that time. More cold air poured in as another reinforcing front passed through on Friday morning, 1/24 and it was cold and windy. Since my fly fishing clients for that day are regulars who are here for several months we decided to wait for more civilized conditions.
It was a little warmer and less windy on Saturday, 1/25, when Marshall Dinerman, from Atlanta, GA, fished Sarasota Bay with me. We fished deep grass flats on both sides of the bay where he caught and released numerous trout and a few blues on CAL jigs with shad tails, DOA Deadly Combos and top water plugs.
My sister, Michelle Mumford and nephew, Eli Mumford, both from Dagsboro, DE and my wife, Karen and I fished Sarasota Bay on Monday, 1/27. We caught and released several nice Spanish mackerel on DOA Deadly Combos and Ultra Hair Clouser flies at the Middleground and Radio Tower flats. Bill Flader, from Madison, WI, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday, 1/28. He had a great day with a fly rod catching and releasing numerous trout, large ladyfish and Spanish mackerel to 4-pounds on Ultra Hair and Coyote Clouser flies, fishing deep grass flats on both sides of the bay. The last fish of the day was the largest mackerel which quickly took him into his backing. A great way to finish!
A front came through on Wednesday, 1/29 when Bill Moore, from Libertyville, IL, fished Sarasota Bay with me. It was cool and cloudy with a north wind so we fished Stephens Point on the east side of the bay. An antique WWII bomber buzzed us while we fished. The things you see on the water! Despite tough conditions, Bill had good action with trout, ladyfish and a couple of pompano to 3 ½-pounds on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos. Thursday and Friday, 1/30 and 31 were cool and rainy with not much sun, so no fishing.
I'll be a seminar speaker at the Florida Sportsman Fishing Show at the Lee County Civic Center on Bayshore Rd (east of I-75) in Ft. Myers, FL this Saturday and Sunday, Feb 1 and 2. I'll be on the Inshore Seminar Stage at noon each day with a Power Point presentation on "Winter Tactics with Lures and Flies". I'll also be at the DOA booth so stop by to say hello and check out the latest from Mark Nichols and DOA Fishing Lures. Show hours are 10 AM-5 PM on Saturday and 10 AM-4 PM on Sunday. For a discount coupon and more details visit www.FloridaSportsman.com/Expo .
Look for reds and big trout in potholes when the tide is low. They may also feed on shallow grass flats on sunny afternoons when the tide is high. Fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay for trout, Spanish mackerel, blues and more should continue to be a good option.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis- Endorsed Outfitter Guide
CB's Saltwater Outfitters-2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
(941) 923-7799
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
www.snookfin-addict.com
