Weekly Fishing Report

Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 4/29/2023

Anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with trout, Spanish mackerel and blues on Clouser flies on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay recently. Fly anglers also had decent action catching and releasing snook in the ICW at night.

A couple of fly anglers had good action on their first ever saltwater fly fishing trip. Andrea Zaffino, from Rochester, NY, joined her dad. Frank Zaffino and had good action catching and releasing trout and Spanish mackerel on flies in Sarasota Bay. Bill Kempey, from NJ, fished Sarasota Bay with me also on his first saltwater fly fishing trip. He had good action with Spanish mackerel, trout, bluefish and more.

Frank Zaffino also fished a night trip in the ICW and had good action with snook on flies. David Schofield and Fred Weeman, from Sarasota, had similar action with snook on flies on another trip.

Look for reds and snook in skinny water. Deep grass flats are usually a good option for action with trout, blues, pompano, Spanish mackerel and more. Snook fishing around dock lights and bridges should also be a good option now. Our natural resources are under constant pressure from red tides and other algae blooms fueled by residential, industrial and agricultural runoff, toxic spills and intentional releases, freezes, increasing fishing pressure and habitat loss and degradation, please limit your kill, don’t kill your limit!

Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
FFI Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis-Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide and Casting Instructor/CB’s Saltwater Outfitters
Orvis Outfitter of the Year-2011
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
www.snookfin-addict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.us
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
(941) 923-7799 (office/land line)

Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 4/1/2023

Anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action catching and releasing snook, reds and trout in skinny water in Gasparilla Sound while anglers fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay had action with trout, Spanish mackerel and blues on DOA Lures recently. Fly anglers had decent action catching and releasing snook in the ICW at night.

Dave Reinhart, from Pittsfield, MA, fished a couple of days in Gasparilla Sound near Boca Grande with me and had good action catching and releasing reds, snook and trout on CAL jigs with shad tails. Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL fished the same area with me before heading back north and finished up strong by catching and releasing a 34” snook! Martin Marlowe, from NY, fly fished for snook in the ICW at night with me recently and had good action catching and releasing several snook on Grassett Snook Minnow flies.

Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Report for 3/11/2023

Anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had some action catching and releasing snook and reds on DOA Lures in Gasparilla Sound and Tampa Bay recently. Anglers also caught and released snook on flies and DOA Lures in the ICW at night. Fly anglers fishing deep grass flats had action with trout, pompano and Spanish mackerel on Clouser flies fished on sink tip fly lines. Red tide has been an issue in and around the passes recently and has been more of an airborne issue in other areas. Due to the nature of red tide, there are areas of clean water, particularly in shallow back country areas.

Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL fished a couple of trips with me in Gasparilla Sound and Tampa Bay. Stephen Liska, from Naples, joined Keith in Gasparilla Sound and caught and released several snook, trout and a red to complete his slam on CAL jigs with shad tails. Jack McCulloch, from Lakewood Ranch, fished Tampa Bay with Keith and they caught and released several snook and a red on CAL jigs with shad tails.

Jerry Poslusny, from Palmetto, and Rich Hunter, from Longboat Key, snook fished in the ICW at night with me recently and had some action catching and releasing several snook on Grassett Snook Minnow flies and CAL jigs with shad tails.

Look for reds and trout in skinny water. Deep grass flats are usually a good option for action with trout, blues, pompano, Spanish mackerel and more. Snook fishing around dock lights and bridges should also be a good option now. Our natural resources are under constant pressure from red tides and other algae blooms fueled by residential, industrial and agricultural runoff, toxic spills and intentional releases, freezes, increasing fishing pressure and habitat loss and degradation, please limit your kill, don’t kill your limit!

Capt. Rick Grassett’s Mars Bay Bonefish Lodge, South Andros, Bahamas Fishing Report, November 2022

I hosted a group of friends and clients at Mars Bay Bonefish Lodge in South Andros, Bahamas on my annual trip there recently. Stewart Lavelle, Mike Perez and Ed Hurst, from Sarasota, Kirk Grassett, from Middletown, DE, Rick Happle from St. Pete and I drove from Sarasota to Ft. Lauderdale Executive airport. We met up with other group members John and DJ, from NY, and Tracy and Cullen Baker, from NC and traveled to Congotown, South Andros on Makers Air.

Conditions were good most of the time, with good sunlight and not a lot of wind. We waded vast sand flats and also fished from flats skiffs for everything from large cruising or tailing single and double bonefish to large schools of fish. We had good action most days and there were also a couple of slower days. There were numerous bonefish in the 4 to 6-pound class and several 8 to 9-pound fish caught and released. Top producing flies during the week were Peterson’s Spawning Shrimp, Mars Bay Special, Ververka’s Mantis Shrimp, Gotchas and Gotcha variations. A great trip to a great lodge!

Bill Howard, the resident owner/operator, does a great job making things run smoothly at the lodge. We dined on a variety of excellent authentic Bahamian dishes including fresh fish, lobster and conch. One of the best things about Mars Bay Lodge, the southernmost lodge on South Andros, is fishing the vast sand flats and scattered mangrove keys to the south. Being the southernmost lodge on South Andros also means about a 10-mile shorter boat run each way and more fishing! South Andros has got to be one of the most beautiful places on earth! This trip, as well as my Montana trip, are annual trips so if you have an interest in any future trips contact me or go to the Destination Trips page of my web sites.

Back home in Sarasota, deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay have been producing trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and pompano on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails. Tripletail have also been a good option depending on conditions.

Tight Lines,
Capt. Rick Grassett
FFI Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Orvis-Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters
Orvis Outfitter of the Year-2011
Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.
www.snookfin-addict.com, and www.flyfishingflorida.us
E-mail snookfin@aol.com
(941) 923-7799 (office/land line)