Catch and release night snook action has been hot! 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 snook, reds, trout and Spanish mackerel during the past couple of weeks. Fly anglers fishing the ICW at night near Venice averaged more than 20 snook to 27" on several trips. Action slowed a little on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay following recent rains and wind. Anglers fishing Sarasota Bay with me caught and released trout and Spanish mackerel on Clouser flies, CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos.
Tom Allen, from Sarasota, and Jim Madson, from Phoenix, AZ and Bozeman, MT, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Sunday, 4/3. They caught and released numerous trout to 18" and a couple of Spanish mackerel on Ultra Hair Clouser flies along the east side of Sarasota Bay. Anna Maria Island winter resident, Dick Stevens, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 4/4. He also caught and released trout to 18" on Ultra Hair Clouser flies along the east side of the bay. Pierre Fortier and his friend, Alex, both from Quebec, snook fished with me that evening. They caught and released more than 20 snook to 24" on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly in the ICW near Venice.
Denis Clohisy, from Hudson, WI, and Brian McInnis, from Sarasota, also fished a couple of night snook trips with me that week. They caught and released more than 20 snook per trip to 27" on my Grassett Snook Minnow and Gurgler flies. They also fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday where they caught and released numerous trout to 18" on Clouser flies, CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos.
Everette and Sherry Howell, from Nashville, TN, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday afternoon, 4/8. The action wasn't fast, but they caught some quality trout to 2 ½-pounds in skinny water on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly and CAL jigs with shad tails along the west side of the bay. I was the instructor for a CB's Saltwater Outfitter's Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Saturday, 4/9. Due to the busy season ahead of us, this was the last school until fall. If you are interested in learning to fly fish or honing your skills you can contact me for private instruction or info on future schools.
Alain Dumouchel and Cindy McPherson, from Montreal, Quebec, fished 3 days with me last week. They were students of mine in the CB's Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school and they put their skills to test on the water with me during the past week. We fished Sarasota Bay on Monday, 4/11, Little Sarasota Bay and the ICW near Venice on Wednesday, 4/13 and the Terra Ceia Bay area on Friday, 4/15. They caught and released small trout on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails on Monday, snook to 24" and trout to 18" on my Grassett Snook Minnow flies and CAL jigs with shad tails around lighted docks in the ICW near Venice on Wednesday and trout and 3 reds to 5 1/2 -pounds on CAL jigs with grub and shad tails and Clouser flies in the Terra Ceia area on Friday.
Andrew Stiles, from Richmond, VA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday afternoon, 4/14 and caught and released trout on Clouser flies along the west side of the bay. Lewis Hanan and Al Katz, both from Sarasota, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning, 4/16. They caught and released numerous trout to 17" and a Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos at Stephens Point and near Bird Key. The wind came up out of the southwest that afternoon and Wes Demmon, from Chicago, IL, fished the west side of Sarasota Bay with me. We focused on skinny water where Wes caught and released a pair of reds to 8 ½-pounds and several trout to 3 ½-pounds on CAL jigs with shad tails. Despite challenging conditions the largest red was sight fished on top of a bar!
Next week's tides are good early in the week as we come off a full moon on Monday. There should be good action on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay with trout, Spanish mackerel and more, with reds and trout in skinny water and in the ICW near Venice for snook at night.
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
