Fly anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had some action catching and releasing snook and bluefish at night in the ICW, trout in lower Tampa Bay and Spanish mackerel in the coastal gulf recently.
Frank Zaffino, from Rochester, NY, with a snook he caught and released on a Grassett Snook Minnow fly while fishing the ICW at night.
Anna Maria Island winter resident, Bill Morrison, caught and released trout on Clouser flies fished on sink tip fly lines over deep grass with me in lower Tampa Bay recently.
Frank Zaffino, from Rochester, NY, fished the ICW at night for snook with me and had some action catching and releasing snook to 26” and a nice bluefish on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. Snook were picky to start but turned on before the bottom of the tide.
Another fly angler had some action catching and releasing Spanish mackerel, also on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly, which is a glass minnow imitation. Baitfish were plentiful and mackerel schools were crashing bait balls!
I was the instructor for a CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed Fly Fishing School on Saturday. Students received fly casting instruction and also learned leader construction, fly selection and saltwater fly fishing techniques. This was the last school for the spring season. Classes will resume in the fall. Contact CB’s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 or info@cbsoutfitters.com for information on other classes and fly fishing events.
Look for Spanish mackerel and other migratory species in the coastal gulf. Action with trout on deep grass flats is improving as the water warms and baitfish become more plentiful. Catch and release night snook fishing is a dependable option and a good way to beat the heat. Our natural resources are under constant pressure from red tides fueled by agricultural and residential runoff, freezes, increasing fishing pressure and habitat loss and degradation, please limit your kill, don’t kill your limit!
Rick is the owner of Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc. He's a full time fishing guide and outdoor writer based in Sarasota, FL. He’s been guiding since 1990 and is an Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing guide here at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, the 2011 Orvis Outfitter of the Year.
