Sarasota Bay
Anglers fishing with me this past week on my Action Craft flats skiff, The Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, reds, sheepshead, bluefish and spanish mackerel on flies. Martin Marlowe, from NY, fished with me on Monday and Friday and it was windy on both trips. Monday was the windiest day, so we fished Little Sarasota Bay to get some protection from it. The action wasn’t fast, but Martin caught and released a few trout and ladyfish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies. We fished the east side of Sarasota Bay on Friday and he caught and released trout, ladyfish and a sharpnose shark on the same flies.
Fly Fishing Sarasota Bay and the Coastal Gulf for Redfish, Sheepshead, False Albacore, Tripletail and Speckled Sea Trout
Nick Reding, from Longboat Key, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday and Thursday. Nick often invites me to fish along with him, which is a real treat. On Tuesday, we waded several bars on both sides of the bay and caught and released a pair of reds and an over slot trout on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly. We caught and released a couple of sheepshead to 5-pounds, and several trout, including a 6-pound, 27” trout, on Thursday. The big trout was caught and released on my Flats Minnow fly with a 6-weight rod.
Rick Grassett waded a Sarasota Bay sandbar and caught and released this 6-lb, 27" trout on a Grassett Flats Minnow fly
Parrish, FL winter resident Dave Wahl, fished with me on Wednesday. We spent a couple of hours in the coastal gulf hunting for false albacore (little tunny) and tripletail. Despite great conditions, we didn’t find anything, so we spent the rest of our trip fishing Sarasota Bay. Dave caught and released several trout, blues and spanish mackerel on Grassett Deep Flats Bunny flies.
Fishing Next week's Negative Low Tides in Sarasota Bay
Next week’s negative low tides in the morning should concentrate reds and trout in potholes of Sarasota Bay. Fishing shallow grass flats for reds and trout and deep grass flats for trout, spanish mackerel, blues and pompano should be good options. Catch and release night-time snook fishing in the ICW should also be a good option.
