Sarasota Bay
Anglers fishing Sarasota Bay with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with catch and release snook, redfish, speckled trout, silver trout, Spanish mackerel and bluefish on flies and jigs during the past week. The best action was with reds and trout in skinny water.
Tony Wheeler, from Wheeling, WV, fished Little Sarasota Bay with me on Monday afternoon, 2/13. He caught and released 3 snook on a Clouser fly while fishing docks near Spanish Point. He also caught and released several trout and ladyfish on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly over deep grass in the same area.
Tom and Frank Wright, both from OH, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday afternoon, 2/14. They caught and released a pair of reds to 5-pounds near Bishop Point and an overslot trout on CAL jigs with shad tails and weedless rigged CAL shad tails.
Sarasota winter resident, Tom Wright, caught and released this nice red on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing a shallow flat in Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, and Steve Liska, from NJ, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday afternoon, 2/15. They caught and released 8 or 10 trout to 22” and a red on CAL jigs with shad tails near Bishop Point and Long Bar.
Larry Shedden, from Lakewood Ranch, FL, did an instructional fly fishing trip with me on Thursday, 2/16. He went from never having a fly rod in his hand to casting 50’ or more by the end of the trip. He put it all together when he sight fished a 4-pound trout out of a pothole in skinny water on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly!
Larry Shedden, from Lakewood Ranch, FL, caught and released this 4-pound trout on a Grassett Flats Minnow fly while fishing a shallow flat in Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Jerry Scranton, his cousin Gary and stepson and Jeff, all from IL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 2/17. They had good action with numerous silver trout to 16” and speckled trout to 19” They also caught Spanish mackerel, bluefish and black sea bass. All fish were caught on CAL jigs with shad and grub tails.
Next week’s negative low tides in the morning will concentrate redfish and speckled trout in potholes of Sarasota Bay as we head away from a new moon. Fish should move over shallow grass at the top of the tide, especially on sunny afternoons. Catch and release night-time snook-fishing in the ICW should also be a good option.
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