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, reds and flounder on jigs and flies during the past couple of weeks. A strong front with high winds came roaring through Sunday morning, 12/26, dropping water temperatures back into the low 50's and forcing the cancellation of a couple of trips. Cold water kept fish concentrated in channels, creeks and deep edges of flats. By the end of the week, conditions improved and water warmed back to the mid to high 50's.
Brian Glock, from Portland, OR, and his dad, Tim Glock from Cincinnati, OH, fished Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor with me on Wednesday, 12/29. We fished the edges of bars, creeks and potholes and they caught and released more than 15 trout to 18" on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails. Everette Howell, from Nashville, TN, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday morning, 12/30. Action was slow to start, but he caught and released about 6 trout on Clouser flies near Long Bar. Action improved that afternoon when Greg Smith and his son, Alex, from MI, fished the same areas with me and caught and released about 15 trout on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails.
Andy Rotherham, from Alexandria, VA, caught and released about 15 trout to 18" near Cortez with me on Friday, New Years Eve day. He fished a channel with a 300-grain Orvis Depth Charge fly line and a heavily weighted olive Clouser fly to stay in the strike zone.
Action improved last week as Sarasota Bay waters warmed to near 60 degrees. Trout moved into shallow water and fed more aggressively due to warmer water. Keith McClintock, Rick Andersen and Victor Feldman, all from IL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, 1/3. We fished both shallow and deep areas and found the best action in 2' to 3' of water. Fishing shallow grass and potholes along sand bars on the east side of the bay from Stephens Point up to Long Bar, they caught and released more than 25 trout to 19", 3 small reds and several flounder on CAL jigs with grub and shad tails. We used 1/16 ounce CAL jig heads to work our plastic baits over the shallow grass. We caught and released the flounder and a few ladyfish in deep channels.
I was the guest of my friend, Capt. Rick DePaiva (www.saltwaterflyfishing.org), on Tuesday, 12/4, to fish the fertile waters of Pine Island Sound. The lush grass flats, sand and oyster bars and mangrove shorelines are breathtaking, much like Gasparilla Sound to the north only vaster. The only thing better is the amount of shots we had at tailing, cruising and laid up reds. An amazing fishery! If you are in the Ft. Myers, Sanibel or Captiva area give Capt. Rick a call at 239-246-8726 or e-mail flynutt@aol.com .
If you are interested in learning to fly fish or improving your skills, I will be the instructor for a CB's Saltwater Outfitter's Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Jan. 15, 2011. Located at 1249 Stickney Point Rd., on Siesta Key in Sarasota, FL the school will cover fly casting basics, line control, shooting line and the roll cast. I will also cover leader construction, fly selection and saltwater fly fishing techniques. The course, designed for beginning and intermediate fly casters, will focus on basics but also work with intermediate casters on correcting faults and improving casting skills. Cost for the school, which will run from 9 AM to 3 PM, is $150 per person and includes the use of premium Orvis fly tackle, a text book and lunch. Contact me or CB's Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 or cbsoutfitters@verizon.net to make reservations.
Trout season is now open in the south region after a 2-month closure. Look for reds and trout in potholes and on shallow grass along sand bars, especially on sunny afternoons. Following a front, look for fish in deeper water such as creeks and channels. Happy New Year and special thanks to all of my customers that fished with me during the past year!
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
