Capt. Rick Grassett's Sarasota & Gasparilla Sound, FL Fishing Report for 1/1/2011

Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout on jigs and flies during the past week. A strong front with high winds came roaring through last Sunday morning, dropping water temperatures back into the low 50’s and forcing the cancellation of a couple of trips. Cold water kept fish concentrated in channels, creeks and deep edges of flats. By the end of the week, conditions improved and water warmed back to the mid to high 50’s.

Brian Glock, from Portland, OR, and his dad, Tim Glock from Cincinnati, OH, fished Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor with me on Wednesday. We fished the edges of bars, creeks and potholes and they caught and released more than 15 trout to 18” on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails. Everette Howell, from Nashville, TN, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday morning. Action was slow to start, but he caught and released about 6 trout on Clouser flies near Long Bar. Action improved that afternoon when Greg Smith and his son, Alex, from MI, fished the same areas with me and caught and released about 15 trout on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails.

Andy Rotherham, from Alexandria, VA, caught and released about 15 trout to 18” near Cortez with me on Friday. He fished a channel with a 300-grain Orvis Depth Charge fly line and a heavily weighted olive Clouser fly to stay in the strike zone.

Trout season reopens today in the south region after a 2-month closure. Next week’s negative low tides should concentrate trout and reds in channels, creeks and potholes. Look for big trout and reds on shallow flats on sunny afternoons. Happy New Year and special thanks to all of my customers that fished with me during the past year!

Capt. Jim Klopfer's Fishing Report for 1/2/2011

Fishing has been very good this week, improving daily along with the weather. Cool water temperatures forced us to change tactics, live shrimp fished on the bottom produced the best. On Thursday we caught 35 sheepshead to 4 pounds working canals on the west side of the bay from CB's Saltwater Outfitters north to Siesta Drive. We have also been catching quite a few juvenile redfish, along with the occasional larger one to 25" while fishing for sheepies. There are deep holes in the canals that are full of ladyfish, we caught several today on fly using a chartreuse Clouser and a sink-tip line, and caught a bunch earlier in the week on gold Cotee jigs.

Friday morning we did well fishing bars near Midnight Pass. 3" Gulp Shrimp in the "molting" color produced a dozen reds, speckled trout to 18", flounder, and ladyfish.

Capt. Jeffri Durrance's Fishing Report for 1/2/2011

The cold weather early this week moved the fish into the deeper holes and canals around the bay. A DOA tiny terrorize worked slowly over the bottom managed to produce trout and redfish. The bite was very light.

By Sunday the water had warmed up to 62 plus degrees and the fish were much more cooperative. This was evidenced by Joe Culloo and his daughters Krista and Erika along with Dalton Fox of Colorado as they caught over 3 dozen trout to 19.5 inches (with all but a few in the slot), flounder, several ladyfish and a couple of sheephead. The fish were all caught on live shrimp free lined over the edge of flats around Siesta Key. A good time was had by all with the girls having the hot hand and beating out the boys!

Capt. Jack Ryan's Fishing Report for 1/3/2011

Inshore and Offshore fishing aboard the Sea Dog w/Capt. Jack Ryan out of CB's was productive. Bay fishing results were Redfish, Sheepshead and Flounder. Best method was Live Shrimp under popping corks in Roberts Bay. Chumming with small bits of cut shrimp really helped.

Offshore produced Red and Gag grouper to 26" using frozen cut sardines for bait. We were in 38' of water in secret spots.....Also large KeyWest grunts were put in the fish box.

Captain's Monthly Fishing Forecast

Capt. Rick Grassett's Fishing Forecast for January 2011

Trout season reopens in the south region this month and fishing is usually quite good following the closure. Trout and reds may be found on shallow flats when it is mild. In addition, look for trout, blues, flounder and sheepshead on deep grass flats or around structure. Snook season remains closed although there may be some good action in the ICW depending on weather. Check out the coastal gulf on nice days for tripletail, little tunny, blues and more.

Snook season remains closed this month and hopefully we’ll have warmer weather this year. Although the season is normally closed now, we are in an extended closure on the west coast until Sept. 2011 due to the freeze last January. Snook are vulnerable to cold water caused by freezes or extended cold snaps, so I avoid catching snook during these time frames since they are stressed and may not survive catch and release fishing. However, in a normal weather pattern you’ll find them around lighted docks in the ICW, in creeks and canals and on shallow flats on sunny afternoons. I use small white flies or CAL jigs with a variety of tails in the ICW at night. In creeks, canals or on flats CAL jigs with plastic tails or small baitfish fly patterns should work. Use good judgment as to when you fish and use tackle heavy enough to catch and release them quickly.

Reds will be found around docks, in potholes, the edges of flats and sand or oyster bars when the tide is low. They may tail on shallow grass flats of Gasparilla Sound on negative low tides from Jan 1-8 (new moon) and 16-23 (full moon). When targeting tailing reds, I like to use weedless-rigged CAL shad tails and DOA shrimp or flies that sink slowly or suspend, like my Grassett Flats Minnow. Weed guards or rigging plastic baits weedless is essential when fishing in these conditions. At higher stages of the tide, they will move up onto flats or along mangrove shorelines. Reds usually feed more in warm ups between fronts or as fronts are approaching.

Trout season reopens in the south region this month and fishing is usually good following the closure. You may find big trout along with reds when the tide is low in skinny water such as potholes or the edges of flats, where you may be able to sight cast to them. The action is usually faster when drifting deeper grass flats and casting ahead of the drift with weighted flies, CAL jigs and DOA Deadly Combos. In addition to trout, blues, flounder, jacks and large ladyfish may be found in the same areas. I like deep grass flats that have a good mix of sand and grass and a good tidal flow, such as the Radio Tower and Middleground flats, Stephen’s Point and Bishop’s Point in north Sarasota Bay.

You might also find blues and large ladyfish in Sarasota’s Big Pass and New Pass. You can drift and vertically jig with jigs in the 3/8 to 1/2 –ounce range or cast with lighter jigs. When fly fishing, we use fast sinking fly lines with a short (6’-7 1/2) leader and a weighted fly. When blues are plentiful, you’ll need to use wire or heavy fluorocarbon leader to help prevent bite offs. Docks are a great area to find sheepshead, reds and flounder. Since sheepshead feed more with their nose, a free lined live shrimp or a CAL jig tipped with a tiny piece of fresh shrimp will work best for them. I like docks that are crusty (lots of barnacles and oysters), have deep water and a good tidal flow.

I like to take a look in the coastal gulf when the weather pattern is mild this time of year. Although many migratory species have probably moved further south by now, a few days of warm weather can change that. Look for tripletail around crab trap floats or “breaking” schools of blues and/or ladyfish, especially close to passes when the tide is moving. You might also find little tunny in the coastal gulf. Look for terns hovering near the surface or rafted up sitting on the surface. Birds will sit on top of bait schools that are too deep for them to get to and wait for predators to push bait to the surface so they are good indicators. CAL jigs, DOA shrimp and a variety of flies or fly poppers will work for them.

If you are interested in learning to fly fish or improving your skills, I will be the instructor for a CB’s Saltwater Outfitter’s Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Jan. 15, 2011. Located at 1249 Stickney Point Rd., on Siesta Key in Sarasota, FL the school will cover fly casting basics, line control, shooting line and the roll cast. I will also cover leader construction, fly selection and saltwater fly fishing techniques. The course, designed for beginning and intermediate fly casters, will focus on basics but also work with intermediate casters on correcting faults and improving casting skills. Cost for the school, which will run from 9 AM to 3 PM, is $150 per person and includes the use of premium Orvis fly tackle, a text book and lunch. Contact me or CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 or cbsoutfitters@verizon.net to make reservations.

Even though conditions can be challenging in January, fishing can be very good especially if you have the luxury of choosing when to fish. Fish ahead of approaching fronts and in the “windows” of stable weather between fronts for the best action. I like to fish sunny afternoons following fronts, which is when fish may start to move around and feed. Whatever you choose to do, please limit your kill, don’t kill your limit.

Capt. Jim Klopfer's Fishing Forecast for January 2011

January fishing in Sarasota is all about the weather, pure and simple. Angling success is determined by the ability to adapt to the existing weather conditions. Tides will often times be very low in the morning. Couple that with a northeast wind and the flats will not have very much water on them. Water temperatures will be at their annual low. It is time to change tactics!

I spend a lot of my time fishing the area around Siesta Key in the winter. Both passes and the surrounding flats will be productive under ideal conditions. Weekly fronts will stir up the Gulf, bringing cold, dirty water in through the passes and up onto the nearby flats. However, the area down south stays protected, and this will result in better fishing. Extreme low tides will force the fish off of the flats and into the channel. This actually makes locating them easier. 1/4 ounce Cotee jigs in olive and rootbeer/gold are very productive, as is a shrimp free lined with a small split shot. Speckled trout, ladyfish, jack crevelle, and pompano will be the primary catches, but sheepshead, grouper, flounder, and bluefish will also be found in the deep water.

As the tide rises and the day warms up, fish will move out of the deep channel and up onto the flats to feed. A late afternoon high tide can offer great fishing for speckled trout. Cotee jigs and live shrimp under a popping cork are the best baits. The flats south of Spanish Point are very productive, but any flat in four to six feet of water with grass will hold fish, keep moving until you find them.

Creeks and residential canals are great spots to fish this month. Besides offering protection from harsh winds, they provide cover for bait, which attracts fish, and the water is normally a few degrees warmer. A large hand picked shrimp is a great bait for redfish, snook, sheepshead, drum, and jacks. Deeper water is the key, find a dock or area in a creek with a little more depth and there should be fish there. A few pieces of shrimp tossed out as chum can help get the bite going. Rapala X-Raps are a terrific artificial bait to use in creeks. They are deadly on snook and jacks, and a lot of water can be covered quickly. Go with smaller lures this time of year to imitate the bait that is present.

Oyster bars are abundant in this area and are fish magnets. Small crabs and worms will hide in the crevices, and this attracts game fish, especially redfish and sheepshead. A 1/8 ounce jig tipped with a tiny piece of shrimp is a deadly bait to use when fishing the bars. Scented soft plastics like Trigger –X and Gulp baits also work very well. I like darker, natural colors such as olive, rootbeer, and smoke. Fish them as slowly as possible without snagging on the bottom. Of course, a live shrimp will also catch plenty of fish. A float may be required to keep the shrimp from hanging up in the oysters.

Sheepshead will be around in good numbers by the end of the month. Unlike most species, these tasty saltwater panfish do not mind the dirty water. Structure in the passes, bridges, docks, and oyster bars throughout the area may hold sheepies. Shrimp are an effective bait and are easily obtained. Live shrimp are best, but frozen shrimp will catch fish, too. Use a #1 live bait hook on 24” of 30 lb leader and enough weight to hold the bottom.


CB's saltwater outfitters
1249 Stickney Point Road on Siesta Key
(at Stickney Point Bridge)
Sarasota, Florida 34242
941-349-4400
http://www.cbsoutfitters.com