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Martin Marlowe, from NY and his son, Bruce, from RI, fished Little Sarasota Bay near Midnight Pass with me on Weds, 2/24 and had steady action with trout to 18” and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails. Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL and Jack McCulloch, from Englewood, FL, fished Gasparilla Sound with me the following day. We found water temperatures in the low 50’s in skinny water, however it didn’t bother trout. They caught more than a dozen trout to 18”, with most of them in the slot, on CAL jigs with shad tails. Weather conditions were poor the following week. We had 20 to 30 mph winds on Weds and Thurs, 3/3 and 3/4 which forced me to reschedule trips on those days. I was on the casting pond giving a seminar on “Saltwater Fly Fishing” at the Tampa Tribune’s Frank Sergeant Outdoors Expo on Friday afternoon and Capt. Ed Hurst and I were instructors for a CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Saturday. I was back on the water on Sunday, 3/7 with Dave Kinnamon and Jim Russ, both from WI. We fished deep grass flats in Gasparilla Sound and near Bull Bay, and caught more than 25 trout to 17” on CAL jigs with shad tails. The action was slow to start but turned on in the afternoon. Ryan Morse, from VA, and his dad, Eric Morse, fished the same area with me on Monday. They had similar results with trout to 21” on CAL jigs with shad tails and Clouser flies. Martin Marlowe, from NY, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday afternoon. He caught and released a dozen or more trout and a couple of blues on Clouser flies near Buttonwood Harbor. We found lots of reds near Long Bar, but they ignored our flies and jigs. Harry Beaty, from Canada, and Tom Schalk, from MI, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. They had steady action with trout to 20” on CAL jigs with shad tails, including 4 slot-size fish. Mike Sprague, from NJ, fished a few hours with me on Thursday morning before high winds, associated with an approaching front, forced us off the water. He caught and released more than 20 trout and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails near Stephens Point. Next week’s tides are good as we approach the new moon on March 15th. Water temperatures have finally warmed to about 60 degrees, so action should continue to improve. The best action should be with trout on deep grass flats, although reds should also become more active as the water warms.
Mike Sprague and Kep Philips, both from NJ, fished Little Sarasota Bay near Midnight Pass with me on Monday, Feb. 8th. They caught and released a dozen or more trout to 18” and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails. Keith McClintock and Hal D’Orazio, both from Lake Forest, IL, fished Gasparilla Sound with me on Tuesday, Feb. 9th with similar results. We caught and released about a dozen trout to more than 20”and a redfish also on CAL jigs with shad tails. A trip on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 14th, in Little Sarasota Bay produced several trout and ladyfish on the same lures. On a couple of trips in Little Sarasota Bay last week, with water temperatures persisting in the low 50’s, we caught and released trout and ladyfish in the ICW channel, on channel edges or on deep grass flats close to channel edges. One of the best trips of the week was on Tuesday with Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, and John Freeman, Jr., from Venice, FL. They had good action catching and releasing about 10 trout and numerous ladyfish on deep grass near Spanish Point. Next week’s tides will improve towards the end of the week as we head towards a full moon on Feb. 28th. With water temperatures still in the low to mid 50’s, afternoons should continue to fish better than mornings due to warmer water. Trout on deep flats or in channels and reds or sheepshead around docks should continue to be the best options. When the water warms a few degrees it should make a big difference. There are still some spots available for CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on March 6th. Contact CB’s at (941) 349-4400 to sign up. Tight Lines, Fishing Report - Feb 19th - Ron Whiteley Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 1/24 through 2/7/2010 Gary and Robbyn Hehe, from IN, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, Jan. 25th. They caught and released several ladyfish and trout on CAL jigs with shad tails. My sister, Michelle Mumford and her boyfriend, Bill Walterhoefer, both from DE, fished the same area with me on Wednesday with similar results. Michelle and Bill also fished with me on Friday and caught and released about 20 trout to 18” in Zwick’s Channel and a red and a snook in Roberts Bay all on CAL jigs with shad tails. Fly angler Josh Fine, from CT, fished a couple of days with me in Sarasota and Terra Ceia Bays. He caught and released trout and ladyfish on Clouser and a bend back style rattle fly. We found some reds cruising a shallow grass flat but couldn’t get them to eat our flies. The action heated up last week as we headed away from the full moon. Harry Beaty and Paul Rotz, both from Ontario, Canada, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, Feb. 1st. They caught more than 20 trout, including 8 slot-size trout on CAL jigs with shad tails. We also released a 23” trout that weighed over 3-pounds. We fished the east side of the bay from Stephens Point to Long Bar. We found the biggest trout in skinny water. Keith McClintock and Larry Stillman, both from IL, fished the same area with me the next day. The trout were smaller than the previous day but we had one slot size trout and a nice flounder on CAL jigs with shad tails. Fly anglers Ron Cordes, from ID, and Dusty Sprague, from North Port, FL fished Blackburn and Little Sarasota Bays with me on Wednesday afternoon. They caught and released a few trout and ladyfish on Clouser flies fished on an intermediate fly line. It was a pleasure to have a couple of great fly casters like Ron and Dusty on board. Fly angler Jerry Poslusny, from Rochester, NY, fished the Terra Ceia Bay area with me on Thursday. Jerry is the new owner of my previous Action Craft, so we were on a fishing trip and a shakedown “cruise”. We caught a dozen or more trout to 17” on a Clouser fly and had a few shots at reds in Terra Ceia. Jim Cox, from IL, and his sons, Mike and Jason, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning. A front passed through on Friday evening and the forecast was for high winds on Saturday, but that didn’t materialize until late in the trip. They caught and released about 20 trout to 19”, including 7 or 8 nice slot size trout on CAL jigs with shad tails. We also worked some docks in Blackburn Bay and hooked a big red that couldn’t be turned Sadly, I learned that my friend, Capt. Mel Berman, passed away at the age of 81 on Friday due to complications from heart surgery. He had a radio program on Saturday mornings in the Tampa Bay area for 25 years. He was friend to conservation and an advocate of fishing with artificial baits. I was fortunate to have been a guest on his radio program numerous times over the years. Mel and I fished many days on Sarasota Bay over the years and always ended it with a “shore lunch” at The Old Salty Dog Restaurant on New Pass. He always had a joke or a story to share. He was also an animal lover, so we always enjoyed catching up on our “furry kids”. There will be a big void on Saturday mornings now. He will be missed. Tides will improve towards the end of next week as we head towards a new moon on Feb. 14th. Unless the water gets colder, fishing should improve. Reds may tail on shallow grass flats of Gasparilla Sound on negative low tides at the end of next week. Tight Lines, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Boca Grande Report - Captain Pete Greenan - 24 Jan. 2010 DISAPPOINTED! LITTLE COCKROACH WAS FULL OF FUNGUS BREAKING UP, MAKING IT A MESS. I DID SPOT ONE REDFISH AND ½ A DOZEN SHEEPSHEAD. I CONTINUED ON TO THE OUTSIDE FLAT. IT WAS A WESTERLY WIND AND AN INCOMING TIDE. I SET UP ON A SILENT DRIFT, NICE AND PEACEFUL UNTIL THE SILENCE WAS DISTURBED BY A JET SKI WHICH RAN IN FRONT OF MY DRIFT. NOW I REMEMBER WHY I DON'T CARRY WEAPONS ON MY BOAT. THE JET SKI LEFT AND THE FLAT BECAME QUIET AND PEACEFUL AGAIN. I SAW A FEW LARGE TROUT FOLLOW MY FLY IN THE CRYSTAL CLEAR WATER. AFTER CHANGING FLIES A COUPLE OF TIMES I FINALLY HOOKED UP. THEY ATE A WHITE SNOOK DESTROYER. DRIFTING AND ENJOYING THE AFTERNOON, I BROUGHT 20 TROUT TO THE BOAT FROM 12 TO 21 INCHES IN A 2 HOUR PERIOD. REMEMBER, THE WATER IS CRYSTAL CLEAR SO EXTEND YOUR LEADERS TO 12 OR 14 FT AND DOWNSIZE TO 12 # TEST FLOUROCARBON. FISH SLOWLY, ALLOWING THE FLY TO REMAIN CLOSE TO THE BOTTOM. THESE FISH ARE NOT GOING TO CHASE ANYTHING VERY FAR, OR RISE TO THE TOP. THEY ARE SAVING THEIR ENERGY. GET ON THE WATER –BEND A ROD !!!
The week of Jan. 10th was still very cold and there wasn’t much action. Dennis Stehlik, from IL, and Ron Mosetich, from RI, fished Charlotte Harbor with me on Friday, Jan. 15th. With the water temperature still in the low 50’s, they managed a few trout on CAL jigs with shad tails. The action picked up during the week of Jan. 17th. Tom Lamb, from Geneva, Switzerland and John Freeman, Jr., from Venice, FL, fished Charlotte Harbor with me on Monday. They caught and released 10 or 12 trout to 17” and 3 reds to 28” on CAL jigs with shad tails. Fly angler Dave Wahl, from IL, fished north Sarasota Bay near Long Bar with me the next day. He caught and released about 10 trout on Clouser flies, including a 3-pound trout that he sight-fished out of a pothole. He also fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday and caught and released a pair of trout on Clouser flies before wind ran us off the water. Keith McClintock and Victor Feldman, both from IL, fished north Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. They caught and released about 10 trout, including a 3 ½ and a 5 ½-pounder, and a redfish on CAL jigs with shad tails. The bigger trout and redfish have been in skinny water in the afternoon. Unfortunately, the recent freeze claimed more fish (snook, jacks, pompano and ladyfish) than we had hoped. Further south in the Keys, bonefish, permit and tarpon were killed. In response, the Florida FWC has instituted and emergency statewide closure on snook, bonefish and tarpon. Snook season will remain closed through the spring and will not reopen until Sept. 1st. Bonefish and tarpon will be closed through March 31st. These measures were necessary to protect species already extremely stressed due to the recent freeze. Catch and release fishing is allowed for these species during the closure, although anglers should use good judgment and handle fish gently. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend targeting snook in the near future. They will need all the help they can get for a while. For more details, go to www.myfwc.com . Next week’s tides, as we head towards a full moon on Jan. 30th, are favorable for reds and trout in skinny water. Reds may tail on shallow grass flats of lower Tampa Bay or Gasparilla Sound on negative low tides towards the end of the week. Although our recent freeze was the worst in decades many fish survived. We are fortunate to have a variety of species, such as trout reds, bluefish and sheepshead, which can handle the cold water. Tight Lines,
PHOTO: Denis Clohisy, from WI, caught and released this nice trout on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett. With the water temperature hovering in the mid 50”s, we had some action with blues and trout on CAL jigs with shad tails and Clouser flies on several other trips in Sarasota Bay later that week. We also caught and released scattered Spanish mackerel and pompano. The best trip of the week was on New Year’s Eve day with Scott and Scottie Heidler, from Hudson, OH. With a strong front approaching, we fished the Middleground flat for more than 5-hours and had nonstop action catching and releasing blues, Spanish mackerel, trout, pompano and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails. We spent the last couple hours of the day in skinny water catching several nice trout, a pompano and hooked a snook that couldn’t be turned! I had to cancel several trips from Friday through Monday (1/1 through 1/4) due to wind and cold. However, with the water temperature in the low 50’s I got back on the water later in the week on Thursday with Kevin Graham and his wife, Beverley, from Ontario, Canada. We fished Longboat Key canals looking for warmer water and found more than 20 dead or dying jacks due to cold water. Fortunately, we didn’t see any snook or other species that were being affected by the extreme cold. They caught a pair of trout, one on a fly and the other on a jig, on a deep grass flat near Bayshore Gardens. Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL and Victor Feldman, from Champagne, IL, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 1/9. Despite tough conditions, they managed to catch 3 reds to 30”, including a pair of nice slot-size fish, and a pair of trout to 16” on CAL jigs with shad tails. With water temperatures now in the low 50’s, subtropical species such as snook and members of the jack family are now in a survival mode. The good news is that due to a series of fronts, the water temperature came down slowly, so fish have been able to move to safer (warmer) areas. However, if it gets much colder they still could be in trouble. In the meantime, you may be successful by changing your tactics or targeting species that are more tolerant of cold water, such as bluefish, sheepshead, trout or reds. Fish protected shorelines on sunny afternoons and you should have more action due to slightly warmer water. Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 12/12 through 12/25/2009 Bob Harness, from St. Louis, MO, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. He caught and released several trout, Spanish mackerel and blues on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on an intermediate sink tip fly line. Great fun on 6 and 7-weight rods! CB’s Saltwater Outfitters manager, Doug Forde, and outdoor writer, David Brown from Tampa, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. With a negative low tide, we focused on potholes and sand bar edges for most of the morning. Doug caught and released a mid 20” snook and we caught numerous trout including several in the 18”-20” class on CAL jigs with shad tails. In the afternoon, we had decent action with Spanish mackerel, blues and pompano on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails on deep grass flats. Norm and Francie Boardman, from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. With a strong front approaching, I thought fish would be feeding heavily, but they weren’t. It was slow, but they caught several trout, ladyfish, bluefish and a Spanish mackerel on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails. A front pushed through over the weekend causing cool, windy conditions for a few days. On Monday morning it was 45 degrees with a brisk north wind, but by afternoon conditions were better. Eric Everett and his wife, Julie, from VA, and brother-in-law, Antone, from Ireland, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday afternoon. They caught and released several trout and bluefish on CAL jigs with shad tails on the east side of the bay. Rob Thompson and his dad, Jeff, from the Baltimore area, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday morning. They had fast action with blues, trout and Spanish mackerel on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails at the Middleground flat. John Shoup and his friend Mark, from the Detroit, MI area fished with me in the afternoon. The action slowed, but they managed several trout, ladyfish and a nice pompano on flies near Stephens Point. John and Susan Weiss, from GA, fished the same areas with me on Wednesday. We found the action slower, but John managed a few blues and Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails. Scott and Scottie Heidler, from Hudson, OH, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Christmas Eve day. The morning was slow, but they finished strong. They caught trout to 18”, blues to 4 ½-pounds, Spanish mackerel, flounder and a nice red on CAL jigs with shad tails along the east side of the bay. Sadly, I learned that a longtime close friend and customer, Pat Campbell from Toronto, OH, passed away at the age of 84 on Dec. 10th. You may have seen Pat’s name in my fishing reports over the years. He was a left-handed fly angler who often shared the boat with other customers and was one of my first fly customers. In addition to fishing with me in Sarasota, Pat traveled with my groups to destinations in the Bahamas and Montana. He caught everything with me over the years from snook, reds, trout and tarpon in Florida, bonefish in the Bahamas and brown and rainbow trout in Montana. He particularly enjoyed fly fishing for snook at night. According to his wife, Patricia, “he was never happier than when he was fishing”. He will be missed. Tides will improve as we head towards a full moon next week. Action may be better later in the day if it is cold in the morning. I’d like to thank all of you who have fished with me this year and over the years. Hope everyone has a happy and prosperous New Year! Tight Lines,
Mike Sprague and Kep Phillips, both from NJ, and their friend, Warner, from Naples, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. They caught a couple of pompano and bluefish, numerous trout and a red on CAL jigs with shad tails. The best action was near Long Bar. Walt Poxon, from MN, and Bill and Sue Poxon, from Sarasota, FL, fished the east side of Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. They had fast action with blues to 4-pounds, Spanish mackerel and numerous trout on CAL jigs with shad tails. A front pushed through late Thursday, but I expect action to pick back up when the weather stabilizes by the weekend. Negative low tides, as we approach the new moon on Weds, Dec. 16th, should concentrate fish in potholes and along sand bars. Snook at night should also be a good option especially towards the end of next week when evening tides improve. Ron Whiteley's Fishing Report - Dec. 8th Capt. Rick Grassett’s Turneffe Flats Lodge Report
Fen Sartorius and I fished together several days with guides, Dubs and Dion. We focused on larger bonefish and permit, staying ready for one species while targeting the other. Fen also scuba dived a couple of days. He hooked up with me and Dion at lunch one day and after a successful dive, he caught 3 nice bonefish in the afternoon! Les Fulcher also had good action with bonefish, including several 3-pounders he caught on his own while wading in front of the lodge. John LaManna had great action with bonefish, landing 7 bones to more than 6-pounds while fishing with guide, Dubs, one day. He was very successful with a fly of his own creation that featured a tuft of rabbit fur as a wing and a small pheasant tail. John and I fished together with Dubs on a rainy day, the only inclement weather day that we had. I caught a “tailer” at the end of the day that was very rewarding given the conditions. The more challenging the conditions the more rewarding the catch! This is one of the best run fishing lodges that I have visited. I had a chance to visit with the owner of Turneffe Flats, Craig Hayes, while at the lodge. He has done an outstanding job of constantly updating the lodge to make it one of the top destinations not only for fly anglers, but for divers, snorkelers and adventurers. Craig was also instrumental in getting the government of Belize to protect bonefish, permit and tarpon, which is rare in most tropical fishing destinations. This is definitely a place that you can bring your spouse and also experience great fishing!
"I went out the 17th to try a little tarpon fishing on fly and planned on taking the boat but wasn't able to get new batteries for my trolling motor so I decided to get some friends together and give it a shot in the kayaks. Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 11/23 through 11/29/2009 George Alberici, from Sarasota, FL, and Sal DeVita, from Valrico, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. They caught numerous trout to 23” (4 ½ lbs), blue fish and pompano on CAL jigs with shad tails from Stephens Point to Long Bar. Keith Roessler and Kevin Hunter, from Albuquerque, NM fished the same area with me on Tuesday except we also fished the coastal gulf. We spent a couple of hours off Lido Key and found lots of little tunny and Spanish mackerel feeding on tiny baits and being very picky. Keith hooked a nice little tunny on a white Clouser, but the rod broke, due to an equipment malfunction, as the fish made a blistering run, causing the fish to also break off. We came back into Sarasota Bay where they caught and released numerous trout, 4 bluefish (to 4-pounds) and 4 pompano (to 3-pounds) and a bonnethead shark on Clouser flies near Stephens Point. Nick Frederick, from Lakewood Ranch, FL, and his son, Nick, from Arizona, fished the Terra Ceia Bay area with me on Wednesday morning. It rained hard until early afternoon as a front pushed through our area. It was young Nick’s first venture in saltwater with a fly rod. He caught and released several trout on Clouser flies while his dad did well with a CAL jig and a shad tail. That afternoon I fished the same area with part of a family group along with my friend, Capt. Ray Markham. Justin Barnes, his wife, Meredith (from Atlanta, GA) and her sister, Joy, from Dayton, OH, fished on my boat. We had steady action with trout to 23” (4-pounds), several snook to 22” and a 17”red. All fish were caught on CAL jigs with shad tails. Capt. Ray’s group also did well, catching a slam that included a legal snook, numerous trout, a red and a Spanish mackerel. Bill Beauchamp, from Bradenton, FL, and his brother-in-law, Chuck Kushto, also from Bradenton, fished the Terra Ceia area with me on Friday. The previous day’s cold front had dropped the water temperature and slowed the action. They worked hard and we caught a few trout, a flounder and a small red on CAL jigs with shad tails. Friday’s trip in Sarasota Bay was similar. Fly angler Paul Stokes, from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning. We took a look in the gulf off Lido and found a big swell and dirty water. We saw a school of mackerel or little tunny, but they were up and gone fast. We came back into Sarasota Bay, where Paul caught and released several Spanish mackerel, a bluefish and several trout on a chartreuse/white Ultra Hair Clouser. Action was slow at first until we found a protected area, which was a couple of degrees warmer than surrounding waters and had some activity. Next week’s negative low tides should be good for reds, snook and trout in potholes and along sandbars. Deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay should continue to be one of best options for variety and action. When the gulf calms down and the water clears up, action should heat up again for Spanish mackerel and little tunny. Remember that snook season closes on Tuesday, Dec. 1st and trout season remains closed in the south region through December. For details, go to www.myfwc.com. Tight Lines, Fishing Report 11/20 - Ron Whiteley Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 11/7 through 11/13/09 Dick Meeker, from Aspen, CO, and his son-in-law, Jeff, fished Sarasota Bay from Stephens Point to Long Bar with me on Tuesday. They caught and released a dozen or more trout to 22” on CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms. Jeff also hooked a large bluefish, but it was able to bite through our heavy fluorocarbon leader before we put out hands on it. With the wind clocking around to the west, Norm and Francie Boardman, from Sarasota, fished the west side of the bay with me on Wednesday. The afternoon was better than the morning, but they caught and released 12 or 15 trout to 22” and a 4-pound pompano on CAL jigs with shad tails and Clouser flies. Next week’s negative low tides in the morning should be good for reds, snook and catch and release trout in potholes of Sarasota Bay. Look for action with little tunny and Spanish mackerel to get hot off the beaches when the coastal gulf calms. CB’s Saltwater Outfitters will be holding their Fishing Extravaganza on Saturday, November 21st from 9 AM to 4 PM. The event will feature seminars, including Mark Nichols of DOA Fishing Lures, fly casting, fly tying, fishing boats on display and clothing and fishing tackle on sale. Contact CB’s at (941) 349-4400 for more info. Tight Lines, Boca Grande, Florida Report by Capt. Pete Greenan Jason Rhind and Ryan Bellittera, both from Bradenton, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday, Oct. 26th. They caught and released trout to 18”, bluefish to 3-pounds and jacks on CAL jigs with shad tails and grubs on the east side of Sarasota Bay from Stephens Point to Long Bar. My brother Kirk Grassett, from Middletown, DE, and a friend, Nick DelleDonne from Lancaster, PA, visited and fished with me the rest of the week. Nick owns The Evening Rise fly shop in Lancaster, PA (www.theeveningrise.com). Nick, Kirk and I fished albies together in the fall with a group of guys at Harker’s Island, NC for several years. Since that area is much more prone to bad weather in November than we are here in Sarasota, this trip was planned as an alternative to fishing there and it didn’t disappoint! We fished several days in the coastal gulf off Sarasota, Boca Grande and Tampa Bay. The best action was off Lido and Longboat Keys and at the mouth of Tampa Bay near Egmont Key. They caught and released numerous little tunny to more than 10-pounds, Spanish mackerel to 5-pounds and jacks to 4-pounds on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on intermediate fly lines. They caught more than a dozen little tunny on one of their best trips of the week off Lido. A couple of trips in Sarasota Bay produced trout to more than 20”, blues to 4-pounds, Spanish mackerel and pompano to 3-pounds on Clouser flies fished on intermediate and intermediate sink tip fly lines. I fished the 5th annual MCFF/CCA “Fall Fly Fishing Challenge” on Saturday, Oct. 31st. A total of 33 fly anglers competed in 2 divisions in the catch-photo-release format tournament. The event, which promotes the sport of fly fishing and benefits MCFF”s scholarship fund and CCA’s conservation efforts, was sponsored by Orvis, CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, Economy Tackle, Discount Tackle Outlet, Cook’s Sportland, Fisherman’s Edge, New Pass Grill and Bait Shop, Tampa Angler and Simms. It’s a great day of fly fishing fun and friendly competition. Larry Jamieson, from Sarasota, FL, took a fly casting lesson with me and then fished a ½ day in Sarasota Bay on Thursday, Nov. 5th. We worked on casting different types of fly lines from floating to intermediate sink tip and full sinking intermediate. We fished the east side of the bay from Stephens Point to Long Bar, where he caught and released trout, bluefish, catfish and ladyfish on Clouser flies. Action should continue in the coastal gulf and deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay through November. In addition, shallow water action should pick up as the water cools. I will be the instructor at an Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Saturday, November 7th. Cost for the school, which includes the use of premium Orvis fly tackle, a text book, instructional DVD and lunch is $150 per angler. Contact me for more info or CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 to sign up. CB’s Saltwater Outfitters will also be holding their Fishing Extravaganza on Saturday, November 21st from 9 AM to 4 PM. The event will feature seminars, including Mark Nichols of DOA Fishing Lures, fly casting, fly tying, fishing boats on display and clothing and fishing tackle on sale. Contact CB’s for more info. Tight Lines, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We found some large schools of glass minnows and wade fished around them with a variety of flies, catching three redfish (to 26"), 6-7 trout (to 16"), 5-6 ladyfish, and a variety of other small fish. We tried to get a snook to finish off our inshore slams, but they were nowhere to be found, or at least weren't biting what we were offering. Rick did end up winning 2nd place in the overall division for the Challenge. Check out the Tournament page for the final results to be posted soon. 10/31 fishing report from Ron Whiteley 10/26 fishing report from Ron Whiteley Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 10/10 through 10/25/2009 Bob Cole and a friend, from Venice, FL, and Bob’s son, Neal, from Boston, MA, fished Little Sarasota Bay and Blackburn Bay with me on Saturday, Oct. 10th. They caught and released trout and a couple of snook on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos. Chad Allen, from the Detroit area, and his brother Brett and daughter, Lauren, from Bradenton fished with me on Sunday, Oct. 11. We fished the coastal gulf off Siesta Key where they caught and released several Spanish mackerel to 4-pounds on top water plugs. Numerous sharks, mixed with the mackerel, attacked our hooked fish making for some exciting action! Mike Sprague, from NJ, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. He caught and released several trout to 21” on CAL jigs with shad tails and a nice red on a gold spoon near Bishops Point. Peter Varga, from Sarasota, FL and a guest, Joshua Miller, fished Sarasota Bay with me the next day. We found very little surface activity in the coastal gulf with Spanish mackerel, so we fished Sarasota Bay. The action was slow, but they caught a few trout on CAL jigs with shad tails and flies. Fly angler Alex Ericsen, from CT, fished Blackburn Bay with me before dawn on Friday morning. He caught and released 8 or 10 snook to 23” and a redfish on Grassett’s Snook Minnow and Skitterbug flies. The Skitterbug is similar to a Gartside Gurgler, but tied to resemble a shrimp. A front blew through late Friday causing windy conditions for a few days, forcing me to cancel a couple of fly fishing trips. Fly angler Nick Reding, from Sarasota, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. We mainly waded and targeted reds, but the action was slow. However, Nick caught and released a slam near Long Bar consisting of a red, a snook and several trout on my Grassett’s Flats Minnow and Clouser flies.
Ed Chiles and Skip Raddick, from Anna Maria Island, got in on the action with me on Friday. This was a trip that I donated to a silent auction for the “Slaw Dog” fishing tournament to benefit Mote Marine Laboratory and Ed was the successful bidder. We fished the coastal gulf off Anna Maria Island and had fast action with little tunny and Spanish mackerel on Clouser flies. Friends Rusty Chinnis, from Longboat Key, and Jim Knowles, from Bradenton, FL, fished along with us in Rusty’s boat and also had fast action. We are in one of my favorite times of the year for fishing the coastal gulf, flats and snook at night. Water temperatures have cooled into the mid 70’s and many species of fish are on the move. There are a few upcoming events that you may be interested in. I will be hosting a group of fly anglers at Andros South bonefish lodge from May 1-8, 2010. Please contact me if you are interested in joining the group or for more info. I will also be the instructor at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Nov. 7th. Cost for the school, which includes the use of premium Orvis fly tackle, a text book, instructional DVD and lunch is $150 per angler. Contact me for more info or CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 to sign up. If you are looking for something fun to do, the Mangrove Coast Fly Fishers/Coastal Conservation Association’s “Fall Fly Fishing Challenge” is Saturday, Oct. 31st. Anglers will fish for snook, reds, trout and more in a digital photo-release format. Cost for the event is $50 per angler and includes an awards BBQ. Contact me for more info. Tight Lines, Boca Grande Fishing Report -
14 Oct. 2009 - Capt. Pete Greenan
After returning to Florida, fly angler Ladd Weinberg from CT, fished with me on Sunday, Oct. 4th. He caught a Spanish mackerel and several trout on Ultra Hair Clouser flies. We were feeling the effects of the full moon, which sometimes causes fish to feed at night rather than during the day. The action picked up later in the week when Greg French and Justin Stewart, from Newfoundland, Canada, fished with me. We found Spanish mackerel plentiful in the coastal gulf off Siesta Key. There were also lots of sharks mixed in with them. They caught and released more than 20 Spanish mackerel to 4-pounds on Crease flies, poppers and surface walking top water plugs. Justin had a big Spanish mackerel eaten by a large shark and had it on for a few minutes until it chewed the mackerel off his fly. Great action! Fishing flats and the coastal gulf should improve as we get further away from the full moon. Fish the coastal gulf for Spanish mackerel, little tunny, cobia and more or Sarasota Bay for trout, blues, Spanish mackerel, snook and reds. I will be the instructor at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters first Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school of the season on Nov. 7th. The school will cover fly casting basics, line control, shooting line and roll casting. Hours of the school are from 8:30 AM to 4 PM and will also cover leader construction, fly selection and saltwater fly fishing techniques. Cost is $150 per angler and includes the use of premium Orvis fly tackle, a text book, instructional DVD and lunch. Contact CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 to sign up. Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Although we didn't set the world on fire in terms of quantities of fish (partly due to high water from rains over the previous few days) we enjoyed some success catching these beautiful fish, and the scenery was breathtaking. We wouldn't have missed it for the world. To learn more about flyfishing in South Africa, check out the Fly Talk web site at www.FlyTalk.co.za or contact Gerald Penkler by email at gpenkler@gmail.com or by phone at
+27 82 670 3064. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Boca Grande Fishing Report -
28 Sept. 2009 by Pete Greenan Ron Whiteley's Fishing Report - Sept. 26th Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 9/4 through 9/13/2009
Pete Walacko and Richard Ives, both from MI, fished the same area with me the next day. We found the action a little slower than the day before. Windy and overcast conditions kept the bait down and the feeding action never got started. This is a great time of the year to fish. Even though there aren’t a lot of people around now, fishing can be very good. Generally speaking you need to fish early in the day for the best action. Some of the best action will be before dawn around lighted docks and bridges for snook and tarpon. Boca Grande, Fl. - Sept. 3, 2009 - Report by Captain Pete Greenan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 8/13 through 8/23/2009 Fen Sartorius and Steve Machen, both from NM, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 8/14. They caught and released a few trout on flies deep grass flats near Buttonwood Harbor. Mark Desimone and his son Aaron, from Florida’s east coast, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday, 8/15. We worked some tarpon for a couple of hours in the morning, but didn’t get them to bite. We moved to deep grass flats near Buttonwood Harbor where ladyfish schools had glass minnows “balled up”. They caught and released trout and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails. Tarpon also joined the fray as they gorged themselves on glass minnows. I attended the annual DOA Fishing Lures Writer’s Festival (www.doalures.com) in Stuart, FL from Aug. 16-18. The event pairs DOA Pro Staffers with outdoor writers from around the country for a couple of fun days of fishing and socializing. There were many noteworthy catches including snook of 25 and 30-pounds and numerous tarpon. The new 5 ½” BFL (Big Fish Lure) accounted for many of the big fish. We had a good bite on Tuesday morning when Capt. Pat Dineen, from Destin, FL, and outdoor writer, Pete Barrett, from Jupiter, FL fished with me. We caught and released numerous trout to 3-pounds and a couple of snook on CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms while wading a flat in the Indian River near River Palm Cottages and Fish Camp. If you’ve never stayed at River Palm Cottages and Fish Camp (www.riverpalmcottages.com) you should check it out. It is “a cool place to stay”! Justin Mills, from Bradenton, FL and his dad, Mike Mills from Pittsburgh, PA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Weds, Aug. 19. They caught and released trout on CAL jigs with shad tails near Buttonwood Harbor and Bayshore Gardens. I was the guest of my friend, Steve Gibson (www.kayakfishingsarasota.com), on a beach snook fishing trip near Englewood, FL on Friday, 8/21. Gibby is a master at beach snook fishing and kayak fishing in both fresh and saltwater. He had the hot hand that day catching and releasing 5 snook to 27” on DT Special flies. Fly angler Dave Barger, from NY, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday, 8/22 and had a good trip. Dave was a student in my April ’09 Orvis Endorsed Fly Casting School at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters. We started our day at 4:30 AM and jumped a tarpon on my Grassett’s Snook Minnow fly around a bridge. Although this fly was designed for snook, it will catch whatever is feeding on glass minnows (tarpon, little tunny, trout, Spanish mackerel, etc). I tie the fly on a 1/0 Owner AKI hook when targeting larger fish. We moved to lighted docks on Siesta Key where Dave hooked up a couple of times and landed a snook on a smaller version of the same fly. After dawn we hit the flats, where we caught a released trout, ladyfish, jacks and mangrove snapper with an Ultra Hair Clouser fly. This is a great time of the year for variety (tarpon, snook, reds, trout and more). The best action is early in the day so you can have great action and be home for lunch.
We fished the canals of Siesta Key and the areas around Stickney Point bridge near my house over two nights and we saw a lot of fish and had a number of firsts for Brent. He's a good fisherman already, but after expressing an interest in learning to fly fish I bought a fly rod combo for him as a a graduation present at the Club's last banquet and fund raiser. Before we left the dock I had the chance to show him how to cast...well actually most of the help came from a Lefty Kreh instructional video, but nonetheless he was excited about chasing these fish on fly after hearing his uncle tell a few stories about this unique way to catch snook. The tide was a bit weak the first night, but we saw a lot of fish and with some casting help from me we both got a few to the boat for the pictures shown as evidence of our fun that first night.
Brent was obviously paying attention to the video because his casts on day two were vastly improved. Then on one cast a bit too close to the bridge fenders, we both saw the fly disappear and the line come tight. For a split second we thought he had hooked the piling. But suddenly a nice sized snook exploded next to the bridge fender and the fight was on. After a couple of nice jumps, the snook went deep and made two or three rushes for the fenders to cut Brent off, but once again he was listening (this time to his very excited uncle) and he carefully managed to pull the snook back toward deeper water. The next moves by the rather large fish had Brent racing to the back of the boat and up on the poling platform to clear the line around engine and trolling motor and the fish headed for the middle of the channel. Once again the fish surged deep and it was the right move for the fish because at that instant the line snapped and he was free to fight again. We checked the bit tippet and it was apparent that Brent's not very smart uncle had used too light of a bite tippet and the fish just wore through the leader after a very worthy fight. So, Brent got his first fly rod, his first fly casting lesson, his first snook on fly and his first story of losing the big fish on tackle that was too light for the job. A lot more than fish were hooked over these two nights. I think Brent will be coming back to Sarasota soon for a few more night snook fishing trips. And I can't wait. Fishing Report from Steve Gibson - August 9th The biggest news is that we found a mother lode of baby tarpon. Ken Taylor of North Port fished with me earlier in the week when we launched at Pineland and fished Pine Island Sound. We found the diminutive tarpon late in the day and cast at them for a couple of hours. Ken put a 15-pounder in the air on a Sebile plug. In all, we cast at an estimate 75 little tarpon. I’m convinced the fly rod is the way to go on these. Presentations are quite and you can imitate small baitfish with a variety of flies. I would recommend 6- to 8-weight rods, floating or sinktip lines, 9-foot fluorocarbon leaders with 25-pound fluoro shock tippets. The tarpon show up on the incoming tide and can be found all along the mangroves. Sarasota Bay is yielding a variety of fish for those casting at Stephen’s Point. Look for spotted seatrout, bluefish, ladyfish, Spanish mackerel and jack crevalle. Pompano are a possibility. Beach snook season still is in high gear, and the action picked up considerably over the last two days. Anglers have been getting shots at several hundred fish per outing. For sight-fishing the beach, we recommend 6-weight rods, sinktip or floating lines, 10-pound leaders with 20-pound fluoro shock tippets. Fly choices include the D.T. Special (variation), Puglisi Minnows, Clouser Deep Minnows and Wide-Eye Snook Fly. I fished Lake Manatee on Sunday morning at did well. I launched before daylight and quickly landed four bass to 4 pounds on a black popper.When that bite ended at daylight, I switch to my 3-weight rod and Myakka Minnow. I caught 40 bluegill and most were hand-sized. I fished several new areas of Lake Manatee on the west side of the bridge. Baby tarpon, beach snook, bass and bluegill should cooperate for the next week or so. In addition, Sarasota Bay is still producing great action on deep flats for trout, Spanish mackerel and bluefish with jigs and flies. Snook fishing before dawn around lighted docks and bridge fenders with flies has also been a good option. Reds, mixed with large blues and jacks, are beginning to school in Sarasota Bay but have been tough for anglers to get on. Capt. Tom Stephens, Sr. from Bradenton, FL, and his son-in-law, Brian, from Riverview, FL, fished Charlotte Harbor and Gasparilla Sound with me on Tuesday, 8/11. We worked some juvenile tarpon from 10 to 30-pounds for a couple of hours first thing in the morning. Although we had a couple of “bumps” on DOA TerrorEyz and DOA shrimp, we didn’t hook up. We moved to skinny water, where they caught and released a pair of reds on CAL jigs with shad tails. This was a trip that I donated to the Sarasota chapter of Coastal Conservation Association’s fund raising banquet last fall, which raises money for their conservation efforts. Tarpon numbers are diminishing along the beaches, but anglers are still seeing as many as 20 tarpon per trip and getting shots at many of them, which I feel is still worth the effort. They are also starting to show in areas of Sarasota Bay and Charlotte Harbor, so anglers fishing those areas should be prepared for big fish. A good option this time of the year is to fly fish for snook before dawn, hit shallow or deep flats at first light for reds, trout, blues, pompano and more. Since tarpon are least affected by warm water, you could spend some time tarpon fishing at mid day when the light and visibility are best. This is a time of the year when you might get a “super slam”-tarpon reds, snook and trout on the same trip. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 7/18 through 7/30/2009
My friend, Steve Gibson from Sarasota, FL, tarpon fished with me the next day but the tarpon weren’t as aggressive. We had almost as many shots with a fly but no bites. Nick Coote and his son, George, both from near London, England fished with me on Tuesday. We spent half of our trip fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay near Buttonwood Harbor where they caught and released trout to 22”, bluefish and a Spanish mackerel on Clouser flies, DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs. Once we had good sunlight, we headed for the gulf to try our hand at tarpon. They had a couple of shots, but no takers. The action continued on Thursday when my son-in-law, Capt. Andy Cotton joined me to tarpon fish. Andy put a fish in the air with a traditional style tarpon fly (chartreuse grizzly with an olive collar) and we had more than 20 shots. Alfredo Hernandez and his friend, Santiago, both from Miami, FL, tarpon fished with me on Friday. We snook fished around lighted docks on Siesta Key for an hour or so before dawn and they caught and released 4 or 5 snook before we headed for the gulf. Alfredo jumped a tarpon on a threadfin off Siesta Key, but that was the only action we had. Fly angler, Al Cuneo from Ellenton, FL, tarpon fished with me on Saturday. We had more than a dozen good shots but no bites. We had a hard follow but the fish ran out of water and spooked off the boat before he had a chance to eat.
The action continued into this week. I was off on Monday and planned to do some errands and office work but conditions were too good for me stay home. With an afternoon appointment to work around, I only had a couple of hours to spare but it was worth it. I had more than 20 shots at tarpon off Siesta, Lido and Longboat Keys and landed one on a black Deceiver. My friends Capt. Rick Depaiva and David McCleaf, both from Ft. Myers, joined me to fish on Tuesday. We had great conditions and more than 30 shots at tarpon with a fly in shallow water. David had the hot hand that day with 2 hook ups, one on a black Deceiver and the other on a black and red Tarpon Rat fly. One came unbuttoned right away, but the other fish gave us 5 jumps and a 10 minute battle before the leader somehow broke with the fish close to the boat. I was the guest of friend and client Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, on Wednesday. The day started off great with good conditions and we had 6 or 8 good shots. Then the clouds rolled in and ruined our visibility. We stuck it out, even though the shots we were getting were not good ones. I got lucky when I jumped a fish that showed up right at our transom and flared off the boat. I made a cast to where the fish was headed with a black and red Tarpon Rat fly and hooked up. A knot came up and snagged a finger as I was clearing line and broke the fish off on a jump. Oh well! Tarpon are starting to thin a little, but this action should continue for another week or two, possibly longer. After that, tarpon will move to inside waters where you may get a shot at them around bridges or on deep grass flats. Snook before dawn and reds, trout and more on shallow grass flats early in the day will also be good options. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett
The action continued into this week. We fished shallow water off Lido and Longboat Keys and action was slower at the beginning of the week. However, it picked up later in the week. My friend, Steve Gibson from Sarasota, FL, fished with me on Tuesday. The wind was up out of the west again and we only had a few shots. Richard Taylor, from Mobile, AL, fished with me on Wednesday and with the wind back out of the east he had more than a dozen shots. Tarpon were back in an eating mood on Thursday when Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, and Orvis store manager, Paul Range from Atlanta, GA, fished with me. They had more than 20 shots at tarpon, 1 hookup and another bite, both on a tan Toad. After our trip they snook fished in the surf (from the beach) on their own off Siesta Key and landed several snook on my Grassett’s Snook Minnow fly. This is my favorite time of the year to fly fish for tarpon. With most fish already spawned out, their focus changes from spawning to eating. Large schools give way to singles, doubles and small schools that are prowling shallow water looking for something to eat. We use intermediate sink tip fly lines on12-weight rods with a variety of crab and baitfish fly patterns. I look for this action to continue for the rest of the month and possibly into early August, although fish will start to thin out at some point. After that, snook before dawn around lighted docks and bridges and tarpon of all sizes in some of the same areas will be good options. Fishing deep grass flats for trout, bluefish and pompano should also be good and reds will begin schooling at any time. Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 6/22 through 7/5/2009
Tuesday was blown out so fly angler Hal Lutz, from Parrish, FL, bumped back to Wednesday due to a cancellation that day. Since Hal was fishing the Sarasota Sportfishing Anglers Club All-Release tarpon tournament, big tarpon were our target. He already has a good one entered in the fly fishing division of the tournament and was hoping to upgrade, but it wasn’t in the cards that day. We fished shallow water near the mouth of the Manatee River and only had a few shots. Dan Bryant and his young son, Adam, both from NJ, fished with me on Friday and Saturday. We drifted big Pass early each day and had no bites. They jumped a pair of fish in the 10 to 20-pound class in a basin with live pinfish, but we couldn’t get it going with the larger fish. Craig Notari and his son, James, both from IL, tarpon fished with me on Monday. We targeted large tarpon early and moved to the flats later in the morning due to no tarpon action. James tried his hand at fly fishing and did well, catching and releasing several trout to 18” on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly. Double hauling can be challenging for beginners, but James grasped the concept and was successfully double hauling before the end of our trip. I was blown out of tarpon fishing a couple of more days on Tuesday and Wednesday, but was back on the water on Thursday morning with Clark Keator, from Orlando, FL. We fished lighted docks along Siesta Key before dawn and caught and released 6 or 7 snook to 6-pounds on my Grassett’s Snook Minnow fly. Mark Torkos and sons, Evan and Ross, from Jacksonville, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday morning. They had fast action near Buttonwood Harbor with trout to 3-pounds on DOA Deadly Combos and CAL jigs with shad tails. When the wind decides to switch back to the east and allows us to fish the coastal gulf, we should have some great tarpon action remaining during the month of July. Although tarpon schools will be smaller and will require different fishing techniques, they usually feed better after they have finished spawning. Tight Lines, For Archives of Older Fishing Reports, Click here...
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PHOTO: Dave Wahl, from IL, caught and released this nice trout on a Clouser fly out of a Sarasota Bay pothole while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett
Thursday:
Launched at Placida at 11:00. Wind E at 10 going to W at 10, temp 60 going to 76. Clear skies. tide low and incoming.
some of the coldest weather that we have seen in quite a while which has affected fishing lately. 
Tried around Gasparilla Pass, nada. Spotted a lot of birds working in the Gulf and headed out. Found some large mackerel and little tunny busting the bait over a large area about 1 mile off the Pass. Rough seas with the tide running in against the wind kept us from staying out there too long. Did manage 2 nice macks and 1 little tunny. My trusty HPX handled the seas just fine, but it was not comfortable fishing.
More from Ron - Dec
PHOTO: Bill Poxon, from Sarasota, FL, celebrated his birthday by catching nice blues in Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.apt. 
PHOTO: Capt. Rick Grassett with a Turneffe Flats "tailer" caught in the rain at Turneffe Flats Lodge
PHOTO:
Les Fulcher, from Lonboat Key, FL, with a bonefish that he caught and released at Turneffe Flats Lodge in Belize.
PHOTO:
Capt. John Hand, from Ruskin, FL, with a nice bonefish caught while wading one of the outer edge (reef) flats out of Turneffe Flats Lodge.
"We saw are first pod at about 6:30 and cast on them for an hour or so when I hear my buddy 100 yards away "Woo"! I look over and see a fish in the air and leave the school.
"So I positioned myself in front of them casting on them for about a half hour when all the sudden I feel a thump and set the hook real good, clear the line and the fish is airborne and peals line for what felt like 10 minutes when I see him jump one more time about 150 yards away. Finally he slows and I start trying to regain my line but seemed like every 10 ft I would take in he would take 12 back out. about an hour into the fight putting a lot of pressure on him I’m finally to my fly line when I see my knot and it looks to be coming undone, fortunately my friends were there to help and Justin grabs the fly line wrap it around his hands and I try to fix the knot when it comes completely untied. 
"Now he’s holding onto the fly line and I quickly retie the lines together and get it back on the reel to complete the fight and land the fish. 
We headed immediately out Gasparilla Pass into the Gulf to play with the Little Tunny that have been there by the thousands for the last month or so. We have been having a blast with them for the last 2 weeks or so. On Wednesday, the Gulf was flat and they were everywhere, for miles out. We observed some of them "plankton feeding", swimming fast as many as 50 abreast across the surface with their mouths opens. They were feeding in tiny stuff we couldn't see. When they did this we could not get a bite. We had to pick schools of fish that were individually chasing bait fish to catch them.
PHOTO:: Steve Gibson of Sarasota caught 1 mile off Gasparilla Pass - false albacore / 8lbs
Went out and checked for Little tunny, saw a few but they wouldn't stay up for very long. Not much bait out there. Tons of bait were inside the RR tracks in Gasparilla Sound.
The best trips of the week were with little tunny (a.k.a. bonito, false albacore or fat Albert). One trip was in the Boca Grande area with Jon Yenari and Kyle Ruffing, both from Sarasota, FL. We fished the coastal gulf outside of Gasparilla Pass on Wednesday and found lots of little tunny. They were moving fast and were hard to get on, but once we got dialed into them we had fast action. They caught and released numerous little tunny to more than 10-pounds on Enrico Puglisi style and Crease flies. We headed into Gasparilla Sound for the last couple of hours of the day and waded a sand bar where Jon caught and released a nice red on a black crab fly pattern that was swimming on the back of a large ray. Sweet! 
Current fishing conditions dictated an afternoon bite. Seatrout, redfish and snook were the target species. Ron Whiteley of Rotunda, Fl. caught redfish to 30 inches on Estaz marabou flies in north Gasparilla Sound near the Boca Grande Causeway. He also caught snook to 25 inches in the same area. 
PHOTO: Greg French, from Newfoundland, Canada, with a nice Spanish mackerel caught and released on a top water plug off Siesta Key while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Our guide was Gerald Penkler, a PHD student at nearby Stellenbosch University. He was very knowledgeable, and patient! 
A few photos here will give you the feel for the great day we had. 
Dennis Kowal, a famous artist from Sarasota, caught false albacore and Spanish mackerel about two miles off Gasparilla Pass on Friday. Huge shoals of anchovies were present. We moved to the backcountry to catch more of the seatrout we found the day before. 
PHOTO: Fly angler Gary Mintz, from CO, caught and released this bluefish on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Roger Maler fished Pine Island last week taking snook and seatrout from the flats south of Captiva Rocks. (See Pic). Bill Gunn, from Melbourne suffered through the "I'm not biting" tarpon before getting driven off the water by seasonal rains. He did manage a few seatrout and hooked and lost a very large redfish in Captiva.
Report by Captain Pete Greenan - Aug. 17
On the 2nd night the tide started slow and I was concerned the fun was over but it really started moving after a 30-minute lull, and the action got white hot for about an hour, before we had to head to the house for the evening. 
PHOTO: Capt. Rick Grassett with a tarpon caught and released off Siesta Key on a black Deceiver fly. Capt. Bryon Chamberlin photo.
PHOTO: David McCleaf, from Ft. Myers, FL, jumps a nice tarpon on a black Deceiver fly off Siesta Key while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett. Capt. Rick DePaiva photo.
Over to Gasparilla harbor and found the permit, Got 4 on an 8 wt with crab pattern. (see picture).
Found lotsa zip lipped reds around Bird Key, only got one to hit.
PHOTO:
Clark Keator, from Orlando, FL, caught and released this snook on a Grassett's Snook Minnow fly while fishing around lighted docks before dawn with Capt. Rick Grassett 