Sarasota, Capt Rick Grassett 11/5/2016

Anglers fishing Sarasota Bay and Gasparilla Sound near Boca Grande with me during the past week, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released reds, snook, trout, blues and pompano on flies and CAL jigs with shad tails. Shallow water fishing for snook, trout and reds and trout and blues on deep grass flats is improving as the water cools down.

Greg Rogers, from Tampa, FL, fished deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. Action wasn’t fast, but he had steady action with trout, ladyfish and a bluefish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies. Tim Graham, from Nokomis, FL and Pat Redmond, from Sarasota, FL, fished Gasparilla Sound near Boca Grande with me on Tuesday. They caught and released numerous snook, trout and a red on CAL jigs with shad tails. Action was good with snook in shallow water.

Joe Koss, from NY, fished deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. He had a great day catching and releasing numerous trout, a bluefish and a pompano on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly. We spent some time in skinny water where he caught and released snook and a nice red on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly to complete his slam. Great job!

Anna Maria Island and Sarasota winter residents, Bill Morrison and Gary Marple had good action with trout and blues on Ultra Hair Clouser flies while fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. With a good tide and an approaching front, fish turned on.

Snook, reds and trout in skinny water and trout, blues, pompano and more on deep grass flats should be good options. Night snook fishing around lighted docks and bridges in the ICW with flies and DOA Lures should also be a good option. I look for action in the coastal gulf with false albacore (little tunny) and Spanish mackerel to take off as the water cools down and baitfish school up along the beaches. Tripletail should also show up since stone crab traps are now in the coastal gulf, increasing the amount of available structure for them.

Tight Lines,