Rick Grassett

Anglers fishing with me on my flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had steady action during the past couple of weeks with trout and ladyfish on jigs and flies on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay and Gasparilla Sound. Most trips averaged 15 -20 trout and a few ladyfish. Fly anglers scored with Grassett's Flats Bunnies and Super Hair Clousers on intermediate and intermediate sink tip fly lines while anglers using light spinning tackle caught their fish on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos.

Steve Koerner, from CO, and Peter Widmann, from CA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday, 3/13. They caught and released trout and ladyfish on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails along the west side of the bay. Dick Hume, from MN, and his son-in-law, Chris Leu from TX, caught and released trout to 18" on Grassett's Flats Bunnies, Super Hair Clousers, CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos in Gasparilla Sound with me on Monday. The best action was over deep grass outside of Bull Bay.

Rick Peregord, from MI, fished Sarasota Bay with me a couple of days that week. He caught and released trout and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails along the west side of Sarasota Bay from Bishops Point to Buttonwood Harbor. Greg Baumeyer, from Chicago, IL, caught and released trout to 17" at Stephens Point and near Buttonwood Harbor on Grassett's Flats Bunny and Clouser flies on Wednesday, 3/17.

Ladd Weinberg, from CT, and his son-in-law, Dave from MA, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday, 3/19 and caught and released trout and ladyfish on Grassett's Flats Bunny flies and CAL jigs with shad tails. The best action was near Buttonwood Harbor. Rich Hunter and Tony Booth, both from NJ, caught and released trout to 18" on Grassett's Flats Bunny flies and CAL jigs with shad tails at Stephens and Bishops Point on Saturday morning, 3/20.

Fly anglers Nick Reding and Jim Ewoldt, both from St. Louis, MO, fished Sarasota Bay with me last Monday, 3/22. They caught several nice trout to 19" on Grassett's Flats Bunny flies near Buttonwood Harbor. Fly angler Ladd Weinberg, from CT, fished a couple of days in the Terra Ceia Bay area with me last week. We strictly sight fished for reds and he had lots of shots, but they wouldn't eat our flies.

Stephen Lewis and his sons Danny and Sam, all from New York City, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday afternoon. They had fast action with trout on CAL jigs with shad tails at Stephens Point and near Bishops Point. Denny Parker, from Lake Wales, FL, and his son Jeff, from VA, also had fast action with trout in the same areas on Friday with flies. They caught and released more than 15 trout including a 3-pound and a 2 ½ pound trout on Ultra Hair Clouser and Grassett's Flats Bunny flies.

It seems as if spring has finally arrived and fishing should only get better. Next week's tides are favorable as we head towards a full moon on March 30th. Fishing may be better late in the day if fish feed at night.

Tight Lines,

Capt. Rick Grassett

Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.

FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor

(941) 923-7799

E-mail snookfin@aol.com

www.flyfishingflorida.net and www.snookfin-addict.com

Fish Species: Spotted sea trout
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Water Temperature: 64 degrees
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Steve Koerner's Sarasota Bay CAL jig trout caught with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Steve Koerner's Sarasota Bay CAL jig trout caught with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Jeff and Denny Parker's Sarasota Bay fly trout caught with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Jeff and Denny Parker's Sarasota Bay fly trout caught with Capt. Rick Grassett.


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Rick Grassett

About The Author: Captain Rick Grassett

Company: Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.

Area Reporting: Soutwest Florida

Bio: Capt. Rick Grassett, owner of Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc., is a full time fishing guide and outdoor writer based in Sarasota, FL. He has been guiding since 1990 and is an Orvis Endorsed Outfitter fly fishing guide at CB's Saltwater Outfitters in Sarasota. Specializing in fishing with flies and lures on light spinning tackle, Capt. Rick fishes the bays, back country and coastal gulf waters from Tampa Bay to Charlotte Harbor in his 18' Action Craft flats boat. He is a Federation of Fly Fishers certified fly casting instructor. Destination fishing trips are another specialty of Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service. Capt. Rick has lead groups of fly anglers to remote fishing locations around the world. Crane Meadow Lodge, MT, Los Roques, Venezuela, Andros Island Bonefish Club and Bonefish Bay Club in the Bahamas are several destinations where he has hosted groups in the past. Capt. Rick is a field editor for Saltwater Angler magazine and a monthly columnist for the Tampa Tribune. He has written articles for The Fisherman magazine and Orvis News. In addition to writing for these publications, he has been featured in articles in Florida Sportsman, Sportfishing, The Fisherman and Fly Fishing in Saltwater magazines. Capt. rick's web site, www.snookfin-addict.com features weekly fishing reports, current photos and and monthly fishing forecasts. He also maintains a second website that is specific to fly fishing and fly casting instruction, www.flyfishingflorida.net.

941-923-7799
Click Here For Past Fishing Reports by Captain Rick Grassett