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, snook and redfish in Gasparilla Sound, snook, blues and redfish in the ICW near Venice, trout, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and jacks in Sarasota Bay and false albacore (little tunny) in the coastal gulf on flies, CAL jigs with shad tails and top water plugs during the past couple of weeks.
Mike Penny, from Atlanta, GA and his guest, Jim, from TX, and Chip Bates, from CT, fished Gasparilla Sound near Boca Grande on a couple of different trips with me. The best trip was with Mike and Jim on Monday, 11/24 before conditions deteriorated. They caught and released about a dozen trout, a couple of snook and a red on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos to complete their slam.
Patrice Camillieri, from France, fished with me on Monday, 12/1. He caught and released a few trout and ladyfish on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly in Sarasota Bay and false albacore in the coastal gulf on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. We also spent some time sight fishing for tripletail and he hooked a big one. The tripletail went around the crab trap float and line and straightened the hook!
Sarasota winter resident Mike Perez fished the ICW near Venice with me on Tuesday night, 12/2. With a strong tide and water in the mid 60's, snook went on a glass minnow binge. He had fast action catching and releasing snook to 26" and a 5-pound blue on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly, which is a glass minnow imitation.
Bill Rhodes, from Hernando Beach, FL, did the same thing with me on Wednesday night, 12/3 and it was just as good. In addition to fast action with snook to 26", he also caught and released a 5-pound blue and a 24" red on my Grassett Snook Minnow and another glass minnow fly pattern. He fished Sarasota Bay the next day, Thurs 12/4 with me and caught and released trout and Spanish mackerel on a tandem fly rig consisting of a Clouser and a glass minnow fly pattern. Works well!
Randy Powell and Ben Hatcher, both from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday, 12/6. With a negative low tide in the morning, we worked edges of sand bars and flats. Later in the day we fished deep grass flats. They caught and released a few trout, jacks and bluefish on CAL jigs with shad tails and top water plugs.
Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW is a good option now. Fish peak tidal flows for the best action. Trout, blues, Spanish mackerel, jacks and more should also be good options on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Look for reds and big trout mixed with mullet schools on shallow flats. Tripletail and false albacore should be good options in the coastal gulf depending on conditions. Look for albies feeding near the surface and tripletail around crab trap buoys.
Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
IFFF 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
