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 and Spanish mackerel in Sarasota Bay and tripletail in the coastal gulf on lures and flies during the past week.
Capt. Chris Myers, of Central Florida Sight Fishing Charters (www.floridafishinglessons.com) , fished the coastal gulf off Sarasota with me on Tuesday. Chris guides in the Mosquito Lagoon area of Florida, focusing on sight fishing for big reds, trout and black drum with lures and flies. He was the speaker at the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers meeting that evening and gave a very nice presentation on fly fishing his area. We fished the coastal gulf off Sarasota for tripletail and found more than a dozen. He caught and released 4 tripletail to 9-pounds on DOA shrimp and my Grassett Flats Minnow fly. The 9-pounder is the largest tripletail caught on my boat so far this fall.
Phil and Brenda Rever, from Sarasota, FL, fished the coastal gulf with me on Wednesday. Conditions weren't great to start, foggy and windy, but by late morning the sun broke out and the wind dropped a little and gave us a chance. We had shots at 7 or 8 tripletail and Phil connected with several of them on my Grassett Flats Minnow and EP flies.
Sarasota winter resident Norm Boardman fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. We fished deep grass flats on the east side of the bay with an Ultra Hair Clouser fly on sink tip fly line. Norm caught and released numerous trout and a couple of Spanish mackerel including a 4-pounder.
Tripletail should remain a good option in the coastal gulf when conditions are good. You should find trout, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, flounder and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. With water now in the mid 60's, shallow water fishing for reds should also be good. Look for them in potholes and on the edges of bars when the tide is low or higher on shallow grass flats at the top of the tide.
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
