Action continued in the coastal gulf Christmas week due to the unseasonable warm weather we've had during December. A couple of fronts passed through slowing action in Sarasota Bay for a couple of days , but action rebounded during warm ups following fronts. 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 false albacore (little tunny), Spanish mackerel, tripletail, snook, trout, pompano, bluefish, flounder and a small shark during the past couple of weeks.
Denis Clohisy, from WI, and Vic Heckler, from IL, fished the coastal gulf with me on Monday, 12/26. I had to cover a lot of water to locate the false albacore, but once I found them we stayed on them for several hours. They caught and released 7 or 8 "albies" to 8-pounds and Spanish mackerel to 1 ½-pounds on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. We ran some crab trap lines on the way back, had numerous shots at a couple of tripletail and Denis caught a 5 ½-pounder on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly. A great fish!
Chris Shuff, his 14-year old son, Devin and friend, John, all from OH, stopped off in Sarasota to fish with me on Tuesday, 12/27 on their way to the Keys. They caught and released a few trout and ladyfish on the west side of Sarasota Bay from the Middleground flat to Whale Key on CAL jigs with shad tails. We had an approaching front, so we got off the water just ahead of it. Dave Wahl, from IL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday, 12/28. Since it was cool that morning, we started at 9 AM and fished into the middle of the afternoon. He caught and released a few trout on a Clouser fly, but the action was slow.
Sarasota winter resident, Phil Rever, and Eric Dobkin, from NY, fished the ICW near Venice with me on Thursday evening, 12/29. The tide wasn't great, but action was steady with most spots giving up several fish. They caught and released more than 15 snook and a trout on my Snook Minnow fly. The last fish of the night was a 30", 7 ½-pound snook that Eric caught and released. It got wrapped in the trolling motor shaft twice, but due to using a heavy tippet we successfully got the fish out each time. A nice fish!
Kent Boulware and son-in-law, Eric Notestine, from IN, and son, Jon Boulware, from NC, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday afternoon, 12/30. They had steady action catching and releasing trout, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, a couple of pompano and a small shark on CAL jigs with shad and grub tails at Stephens Point and near Whale Key.
A strong front passed through our area early last week dropping air temperatures below freezing and plummeting water temperatures by almost 10 degrees. However, after a few days of sun, water temperatures climbed back into the 60's and action resumed. Keith McClintock and his grandson, Garrett Anderson, from IL, got out with me on Monday morning, 1/2 just as the front passed through. Due to a strong wind forecast, we fished Little Sarasota Bay from Point Crisp to Spanish Point. They caught and released trout to 17" and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails. Longboat Key winter resident, Nick Reding, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday,1/6. We waded a sand bar in north Sarasota Bay and Nick caught and released 5 reds to 24" on my Flats Minnow fly. A great trip!
Tom Lamb, from Geneva, Switzerland, his daughter Diane Muhlfeld, from Sarasota, and Roy Glah, from CT, fished the Middleground flat in Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning, 1/7. They caught some quality fish-3 pompano, 2 flounder, a Spanish mackerel and several trout on CAL jigs with grubs.
Next week's negative low tides in the morning should concentrate reds and trout in potholes of north Sarasota Bay. With Spanish mackerel still present in Sarasota Bay, it may be worth checking the coastal gulf for Spanish mackerel, false albacore (little tunny) and tripletail when conditions are good.
Happy New Year and a special thanks to all the customers that fished with me during the past year! After almost 22 years in business, many of you have become good friends and I've gotten to know and fish with your families as well. I appreciate your business and look forward to fishing with you again soon.
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
