Rick Grassett

I hosted a group of friends and clients at Mars Bay Bonefish Lodge in South Andros, Bahamas during the week of 11/5, so I don't have a Sarasota report for that week. We had a couple of very windy days, which can happen in the tropics, but we had sunny conditions most days. The weather and tides improved to near perfect conditions as the week went by. We had great action with bonefish with some 4 and 5-lb fish in the mix. Larger bonefish were in the 6 to 7-pound class and a couple of anglers caught and released bonefish of 9 and 10-lbs respectively. Top producing flies during the week were Ververka's Mantis Shrimp, Greg's Flats Fly and Gotchas. It was a great trip to a great lodge! You can see a full report of this trip on the Destination Trips page of my web site at, http://www.snookfin-addict.com/destination-fishing-trips/ .

Anglers fishing Sarasota Bay with me during the past week, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released snook, trout, redfish and blues on flies and CAL jigs with shad tails. Action was steady on deep grass flats on the east side of the bay.

Nick Reding, from Longboat Key, FL, waded a Sarasota Bay shallow flat with me on Monday and we caught and released trout on an EP style fly. Tom Lamb, from Geneva, Switzerland and Roy Glah, from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday afternoon. They caught and released trout and blues on CAL jigs with shad tails, DOA Shrimp and DOA Deadly Combos.

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. We also spent some time in the coastal gulf and found a few false albacore working off Lido Key.

Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday afternoon. We fished skinny water and he had good action catching and releasing trout, jacks, redfish and a couple of snook to complete his slam on CAL jigs with shad tails and weedless-rigged CAL shad tails. When you fish hard it often pays off!

Capt. Ed Hurst and I were the instructors for a CB's Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed Fly fishing School on Saturday. Students received instruction in fly casting basics, line control, shooting line and the roll cast. Students also learned leader construction, fly selection and saltwater fly fishing techniques. Contact CB's Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 or info@cbsoutfitters.com to make reservations for the next school.

Snook, reds and trout in skinny water and trout, blues 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. There may be some action in the coastal gulf with false albacore (little tunny) 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,

Capt. Rick Grassett

IFFF 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, www.snookfinaddict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.us

E-mail snookfin@aol.com

(941) 923-7799

Fish Species: reds, snook, trout, bluefish
Bait Used: Flies and DOA Lures
Tackle Used: fly & spin
Method Used: fly fishing & spin casting lures
Water Depth: 2'-8'
Water Temperature: 70
Wind Direction:
Wind Speed:
Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, caught and released this red on a weedless-rigged CAL shad tail while fishing shallow water in Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, caught and released this red on a weedless-rigged CAL shad tail while fishing shallow water in Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, caught and released this snook on a weedless-rigged CAL shad tail while fishing shallow water in Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, caught and released this snook on a weedless-rigged CAL shad tail while fishing shallow water in Sarasota Bay 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