Anglers fishing with me on the Snook Fin-Addict caught and released snook, trout and tarpon during the past week. It was a tough week for tarpon with wind out of the west early in the week and rough seas all the way through Thursday. Following last Saturdays Tropical Storm Barry, the coastal gulf was very rough and silted up. However, with a switch of wind direction to the west our water has finally warmed to above 80 degrees.
Fly angler, Bob Harness from St. Louis, MO, fished with me on Monday and Tuesday. The plan was tarpon, but it wasn't in the cards. We headed for Port Charlotte on Monday to hunt for juvenile tarpon in the canals of Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda, but didn't find any. We fished the west wall of Charlotte Harbor as an alternative plan and had some action with snook. Bob connected with 5 or 6 snook and a redfish on a chartreuse Clouser fly. The next day we fished Sarasota Bay where Bob caught and released several ladyfish and a trout also on a Clouser fly.
I was optimistic as we headed into the gulf out of Longboat Pass on Thursday morning. The wind had switched back to the east on Wednesday, but we were greeted with 4 to 6 foot seas so we headed inside. We located a few tarpon in Tampa Bay and had some shots with a fly but no takers.
Fly angler, Hal Lutz from Parrish, FL, fished with me on Friday and Saturday. Conditions were near perfect on Friday morning and we had numerous shots at a couple of schools that looked very happy off Siesta Key but they ignored our flies. It all came together later in the morning when Hal caught a 70-pound tarpon with a Clemson Toad (orange and purple). The fish ate in shallow water only 20 feet from the bow. This why we fly fish for tarpon! The next day was a bust, very few shots and the sea breeze came up early making it difficult.
Next week should be good for tarpon. With the water temperature at 83 degrees today at the Venice Pier and a new moon on Thursday, it should be a peak week of the season.
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
