Denton Kent with a permit he caught and released on a CAL jig with a grub.
Anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had some action catching and releasing snook, trout, a red and a bonus, permit, on CAL jigs with shad tails and flies in the Boca Grande and Terra Ceia areas recently.
As we head towards spring, baitfish are becoming more plentiful and action is improving on both shallow and deep grass flats.
Sarasota winter residents Mike Perez and Denton Kent fished with me recently. It was slow but late in the day Denton caught and released a permit out of a pothole in a backcountry area on a CAL jig with a grub. I’ve caught permit mixed with pompano in our area before, usually in deeper areas, but this was a first for me in skinny water!
Keith McClintock, from IL, with a red he caught and released on a CAL jig with a shad tail.
Alan Sugar and Ray Hutchinson, both from MI, also fished with me recently and had some action catching and releasing trout and ladyfish on deep grass flats on Clouser flies and a couple of snook in skinny water on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly.
Keith McClintock also fished with me and had good action catching and releasing numerous snook, a red and several trout on CAL jigs with shad tails.
Fishing shallow flats are both challenging and rewarding. It usually requires fishing hard to find and catch fish. You may not catch big numbers of fish but you may catch some good ones.
Ray Hutchinson, from MI, with a nice trout caught and released on a Clouser fly.
Look for migratory species, such as Spanish mackerel, in bays, passes, and the coastal gulf as we head into spring.
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.
