Rick Grassett

Anglers fishing with me, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had some action with tarpon in the coastal gulf in Sarasota during the past couple of weeks. Spin fishing anglers hooked up several times and brought one fish to the boat. Sea conditions have been poor, with a lot of rough and cloudy water, making sight fishing for tarpon tough.

Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL and Andrea Lutz, from Atlanta, had good action fishing the coastal gulf with me last Monday. They hooked up a couple of times on a live crab with spinning tackle, jumping one and fighting another fish to the boat after a 45-minute battle. A strong front approached on Tuesday and Wednesday, roughing up the gulf and forcing the cancellation of the rest of the week of tarpon fishing.

Tarpon action will pick up as sea conditions improve. Snook season is closed on the west coast of Florida until Sep 1st, so please handle them gently and release them quickly. This is a good time frame to sight fish for snook in the surf when conditions are good. Fishing lighted docks and bridges in the ICW for snook with flies and DOA Lures continues to be a good option. You should also find larger trout in shallow water along with reds when conditions are good.

Tight Lines,

Capt. Rick Grassett

IFFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor

Orvis-Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide at CB's Saltwater Outfitters

Orvis Outfitter of the Year-2011

Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.

www.snookfin-addict.com, www.snookfinaddict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.us

E-mail snookfin@aol.com

(941) 923-7799

Fish Species: tarpon & trout
Bait Used: Flies and live bait
Tackle Used: fly & spin
Method Used: fly fishing & spin casting lures and live baits
Water Depth: 4'-8'
Water Temperature: 82
Wind Direction:
Wind Speed:
Andrea Lutz, from Atlanta, jumped this tarpon on a live crab whie fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Andrea Lutz, from Atlanta, jumped this tarpon on a live crab whie fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, battles a tarpon to the boat while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, battles a tarpon to the boat while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.


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Rick Grassett

About The Author: Captain Rick Grassett

Company: Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.

Area Reporting: Soutwest Florida

Bio: Capt. Rick Grassett, owner of Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc., is a full time fishing guide and outdoor writer based in Sarasota, FL. He has been guiding since 1990 and is an Orvis Endorsed Outfitter fly fishing guide at CB's Saltwater Outfitters in Sarasota. Specializing in fishing with flies and lures on light spinning tackle, Capt. Rick fishes the bays, back country and coastal gulf waters from Tampa Bay to Charlotte Harbor in his 18' Action Craft flats boat. He is a Federation of Fly Fishers certified fly casting instructor. Destination fishing trips are another specialty of Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service. Capt. Rick has lead groups of fly anglers to remote fishing locations around the world. Crane Meadow Lodge, MT, Los Roques, Venezuela, Andros Island Bonefish Club and Bonefish Bay Club in the Bahamas are several destinations where he has hosted groups in the past. Capt. Rick is a field editor for Saltwater Angler magazine and a monthly columnist for the Tampa Tribune. He has written articles for The Fisherman magazine and Orvis News. In addition to writing for these publications, he has been featured in articles in Florida Sportsman, Sportfishing, The Fisherman and Fly Fishing in Saltwater magazines. Capt. rick's web site, www.snookfin-addict.com features weekly fishing reports, current photos and and monthly fishing forecasts. He also maintains a second website that is specific to fly fishing and fly casting instruction, www.flyfishingflorida.net.

941-923-7799
Click Here For Past Fishing Reports by Captain Rick Grassett