Good Sarasota Night & Backcountry Snook Action

Anglers fishing with me, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action catching and releasing snook and Spanish mackerel in Sarasota Bay and the coastal gulf on flies and snook and trout in the Terra Ceia area on flies, top water plugs, CAL jigs and a variety of plastic tails during the past couple of weeks. Due to 15 to 25-mph winds earlier in the week of 10/1, a couple of fly fishing trips were rescheduled. I did some scouting in the coastal gulf on Thursday, 9/28 and had fast action catching and releasing Spanish mackerel on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. Sharks in the 50 to 60-lb class also showed up in the fray. One ate a mackerel that I had on and another ate my #4 size fly right next to the boat. I fought the shark to the boat in about 20-minutes on an 8-wt fly rod before it finally chewed through my 40-lb fluorocarbon leader! {%image_id=55971%} Juan Manuel Castro Page and sons, Juan Manuel and Santiago, from Chile, fished with me on Friday, 9/29. We fished lighted docks before dawn and they caught and released a few snook on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. We fished the coastal gulf after that where they had good action catching and releasing Spanish mackerel on a variety of glass minnow fly patterns. The boys also got in on some of the action, stripping the fly and hooking their own fish! {%image_id=55972%} {%image_id=55973%} Jon Yenari and Kyle Ruffing, both from Sarasota, fished the Terra Ceia area with me on Friday, 10/6. With a big tide in the morning following a full moon, fish were aggressive. They caught and released more than a dozen snook to 26" and more than 20 trout to 18" on a variety of lures and flies including EP flies, top water plugs, CAL jigs and a variety of plastic tails. The best action was on the strong incoming tide in the morning. However, action slowed in the afternoon due to the extreme high tide. {%image_id=55974%} There should be good action with trout and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Shallow water action for snook, trout and reds is picking up due to cooler water. Look for action with Spanish mackerel, false albacore (little tunny) and tripletail in the coastal gulf to take off in the coming weeks. Fishing lighted docks and bridges in the ICW for snook with flies and DOA Lures should also be a good option. You should also find juvenile tarpon in canals and creeks and adult tarpon in upper Charlotte Harbor and some areas of Sarasota and Tampa Bay. 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, www.snookfinaddict.com and www.flyfishingflorida.us E-mail [email protected] (941) 923-7799