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, redfish, trout and jacks in Sarasota Bay, false albacore (little tunny) and Spanish mackerel in the coastal gulf off Sarasota and in Tampa Bay and jumped and landed tarpon in Charlotte Harbor canals during the past couple of weeks.
I scouted tarpon in upper Charlotte Harbor on Wednesday, 9/12 and found them in a couple of areas. We had numerous shots at rolling juvenile tarpon and jumped 2 on gold/black DOA TerrorEyz. These "mini silver kings", usually between 10 and 30-pounds with some larger ones mixed in, jump higher and more often than their larger counterparts!
Jon Grimes, from Longboat Key, FL and Ernie Varvoutis, from Ft. Lauderdale, FL, fished lighted docks on the east side of Sarasota Bay before dawn with me on Friday morning, 9/14. They had a strong start, jumping an estimated 10-pound tarpon and catching and releasing a slam on the boat consisting of several snook to 24", trout and a red on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. We fished the coastal gulf off Sarasota after daylight and had good action with albies, hooking 7 or 8 including a couple of doubles and landed several up to about 8-pounds, also on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly.
I scouted the coastal gulf off Sarasota with my wife, Karen, on Sunday, 9/16. We had fast action with false albacore to 10-pounds and Spanish mackerel to 4-pounds on CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms, top water plugs, Grassett Snook Minnow flies and fly poppers. Lots of sharks in the 30 to 40-pound class fed in mackerel schools, biting one of our fish in half at the side of the boat and blowing up on a fly popper!
Nick Reding, from Longboat Key, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday and Wednesday, 9/17 and 19. We waded several bars on both sides of Sarasota Bay and caught and released trout and a couple of snook on Clouser and Grassett Flats Minnow flies. We also caught and released a few jacks that were feeding in glass minnow schools on the same flies.
Tim Haywood, from Longmont, CO, fished Charlotte Harbor canals for juvenile tarpon with me on Tuesday, 9/18. He had great action, jumping 5 tarpon and landing 1, on a gold/black DOA TerrorEyz. The 15-pound fish, was measured, DNA sampled and successfully released. Even though they're small tarpon, they're still big fish on medium spinning tackle or an 8 or 9-weight fly rod!
I fished with Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, FL, on Thursday, 9/20. He purchased a new Yamaha 70-HP, 4-stroke outboard for his Hell's Bay flats skiff and needed to begin breaking it in, so what better way to do it than by hunting for albies in the coastal gulf! We found a few Spanish mackerel widely scattered in the coastal gulf. However, there were schools of Spanish mackerel and albies feeding in bait schools near the mouth of Tampa Bay. We had good action catching and releasing several large albies in the 10 to 12-pound class on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly.
I'll be at the Florida Sportsman Fishing Show (www.FloridaSportsman.com/expo ) in Tampa this Saturday and Sunday, 9/22 and 23, speaking on Coastal Gulf Fishing with Lures and Flies on the inshore seminar stage at noon each day. The presentation will focus on Spanish mackerel, little tunny, cobia, tripletail and more. When I'm not speaking I'll be over at the DOA booth, so stop by to say hello and check out the latest from DOA Lures.
Fishing for false albacore, Spanish mackerel and more should be hot in the coastal gulf next week when sea conditions are good. Look for diving terns and breaking fish to find them. Tarpon of all sizes should be another good option in upper Charlotte Harbor depending on conditions. Catch and release snook fishing before dawn and then moving to the flats for trout and reds in Sarasota Bay should also be good next week.
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.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com
