Anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had some action with Spanish mackerel, false albacore (little tunny) and tarpon in the coastal gulf recently.
Mark Nielson with a false albacore caught and released.
Fly angler Mark Nielson, from Seaford, DE, fished a day with me and despite a water temperature of 85 degrees, Spanish mackerel and false albacore were plentiful in the coastal gulf. I have seen this happen this time of year before but mackerel have usually migrated north by now.
Glass minnow (bay anchovy) schools were thick and predators had them balled up. Mark caught and released several mackerel and ended the day with his first false albacore on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. Great job!
Dave Reinhart, from MA, and Domenick Raschella, from VA, fished the coastal gulf in Sarasota with me on another trip and Dave caught and released a tarpon on a live crab with spinning tackle.
Dave Reinhart, from MA, caught and released this tarpon with some help from Capt. Rick Grassett.
Although tarpon fishing is very dependent on conditions, they are plentiful now in the coastal gulf as they migrate through our area to spawn.
Look for tarpon, Spanish mackerel, false albacore and other migratory species in the coastal gulf. Catch and release night snook fishing is also a dependable option and a good way to beat the heat.
Our natural resources are under constant pressure from red tides fueled by industrial, 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.
