Capt. Jeffri Durrance’s Weekly Fishing Report
That’s a nice looking Redfish young Ben Lam caught.
As 2019 comes to an end the fishing has been great. We’d like to wish everyone a Happy New Year from all of us aboard the Lets Get Em’. We hope you have a great and prosperous new year. Anglers are catching a variety of fish including snook, black drum, redfish, speckled trout, ladyfish, pompano, sheephead, jack crevalle and mangrove snapper.
One of the top catches this week was nine year old Ben Lam catching a beautiful 26 inch redfish. Bait used included live shrimp, CAL and buck-tailed jigs. Remember, the best time to go fishing is when you can and be sure to save some for seed!
Jeffri is a fourth generation native Floridian who grew up in Bowling Green, Florida, located in Hardee County. While growing up on a cattle and citrus operation Jeffri fished many creeks and lakes in the central Florida area as well as the Peace River.
Capt. Chuck Cress’s Weekly Fishing Report
Michael, who hails from the Chicago area, shows off a nice looking Redfish caught in Sarasota Bay.
Last year at this time Sarasota Bay was hurting from the red tide. It’s unbelievable the turnaround in the quality of the Fish and bait that we now have back in our bay. I had a charter out of CB’S on Siesta Key with Michael, Diana, his wife, and their daughter Jenny who hailed from the Chicago area.
Our four hour charter produced numerous fish with each family member catching and releasing some nice sized redfish, trout, jacks and ladyfish. The bait of choice were jigs with gulp and live shrimp under a popping cork.
Talking to some of the other captains at the dock I heard there are plenty of pompano in the bay as well.
Fishing has been a lifetime passion for me. Depending on the skill level of my clients what I like to do is put them on big fish using artificial lures. I like to educating and passing on my knowledge of local history and the many sights the area has to offer while we are on the water.
Capt. Brandon Naeve’s Weekly Fishing Report
When a fish whispers something in your ear listen!
I’m not sure these fish swimming around in the intercoastal waters surrounding Sarasota know it’s Christmas but they certainly are showering us with a lot of presents!
Fishing is off the hook right now. There are tons of ladyfish, Jacks, trout, and more out there just waiting for someone to drop a line in their vicinity.
Why not grab your kids and head down to CB’s Outfitters and book a trip during these Christmas Holidays and put a smile on your kids face. Presents come and go but memories are forever!
Some people take their fishing very seriously no matter what the age.
If anybody ask I’ve ‘Gone Fishin’ with Capt. Naeve.
I've been a fishing guide the Sarasota , Boca Grande area for over 25 years. My Sarasota trips are mostly family oriented 1/2 day fishing trips involving kids who love to catch all the family fun fish. My Boca Grande trips are for the more experienced spin or fly fishing angler.
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Weekly Fishing Report
Kyle Ruffing from Sarasota, had good action catching and releasing reds on CAL jigs with shad tails.
Anglers fishing Little Sarasota Bay and Tampa Bay with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with reds and snook recently. Spin fishing anglers had some action catching and releasing reds and snook in skinny water and around docks on CAL jigs with shad and grub tails. A fly angler fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay with me scored with trout and bluefish on Clouser flies.
Brian Nafzinger, from Rehoboth, DE, caught and released a couple of reds on CAL jigs with shad tails on a recent trip in Little Sarasota Bay with me. Jon Yenari and Kyle Ruffing, from Sarasota, had good action catching and releasing several snook and a couple of reds on CAL jigs with shad tails on a trip in Tampa Bay with me.
Fishing shallow flats for catch and release reds and snook should be a good option now. Fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay is a good choice for action with a variety of species including trout, pompano, blues and Spanish mackerel. 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!
Jon Yenari, from Sarasota, had good action catching and releasing snook and reds on CAL jigs with shad tails while fishing Tampa Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Brian Nafzinger, from Rehoboth, DE, with a red caught and released on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing Little Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
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.
Capt. Jeffri Durrance’s Weekly Fishing Report
Morgan Cox of Kansas City was pretty excited after catching her first snook.
Cooler water has really helped the bite as fish cooperate around Sarasota Bay. Anglers are catching a variety of species with snook, black drum, redfish, speckled trout, ladyfish, jack crevalle and mangrove snapper on the hook.
Matt Salk of Kansas City got his first snook, so did his girlfriend Morgan Cox. As to whose snook was largest I’d have no comment in print, but between you and me… it was Morgan’s. The bait used for the fish caught was live shrimp, CAL jigs and bucktailed jigs. Remember, the best time to go fishing is when you can… be sure to save some for seed!
Jeffri is a fourth generation native Floridian who grew up in Bowling Green, Florida, located in Hardee County. While growing up on a cattle and citrus operation Jeffri fished many creeks and lakes in the central Florida area as well as the Peace River.
Capt. Brian Boehm’s Weekly Fishing Report
Capt. Brian Boehm with a nice looking snook.
Inshore anglers on recent fishing charters with Quiet Waters out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters had good success fishing the flats and dock lights for snook, redfish, seatrout, and other inshore species. Snook and redfish provided good action on trips into brackish rivers where some gamefish move during our winter months. Based out of Sarasota, FL, Quiet Water trips are run as far north as lower Tampa Bay and as far south as Charlotte Harbor.
Cold fronts began moving through our area on a regular basis over the last month. The fronts bring with them a blast of cold air from the north and strong winds. On days when fronts moved through, waiting for the water to warm, or waiting until evening to fish dock lights is a wise choice. Fly fishing anglers who fished dock lights on days when fronts moved through, were rewarded with great sight fishing opportunities in wind protected areas.
We found snook everywhere on recent trips.
They found good action on snook, redfish, and even tripletail. Schools of jack crevalle were busy hunting bait on the flats and up the rivers. Large jacks are a great fish for testing the drag on your reel.
We found snook everywhere on recent trips. There are still plenty of snook on the flats. Negative low tides can really congregate a lot of snook into small areas on the flats. Finding these holes can be very rewarding. On higher tides, fishing mangrove shorelines where glass minnows and shrimp were present was effective.
Anglers did well fly fishing for snook on dock lights using glass minnow pattern flies, the JT clouser, and a variation of Lefty’s chum fly. In brackish rivers, their normal winter haunts, snook were caught using the Aqua Dream ADL series spoon and topwater plugs. Points and in shallow coves near creek mouths were the best places to locate them.
Targeting larger seatrout on the flats is a worthy pursuit.
Targeting larger seatrout on the flats is a worthy pursuit. Once seatrout approach the 20″ mark in our area, they begin to behave like a different fish. Inshore anglers fishing the shallow flats found a few this month. Soft plastics like paddle tails on 1/8 oz. jigheads and suspending plugs were effective at targeting larger trout over the last month. For class size seatrout, the deeper grass in Sarasota Bay is beginning to show better production.
Additionally, there are stretches of grass in Little Sarasota Bay and Blackburn Bay that are yielding these class-size seatrout. The same goes for lower Tampa Bay. Drifting slowly over these areas and jigging soft plastics near the bottom produced fair action, but you will have to work through ladyfish, mackeral, and other species to get to the trout.
This is a great time of year to find redfish in our area
This is a great time of year to find redfish in our area. They’re all over the flats right now. We found a few dock lights in Sarasota, loaded with redfish. We’re also seeing plenty of redfish in brackish rivers and creeks.
For shallow water redfish, it’s going to be hard to find a better producer than the Aqua Dream ADL series spoon. You can cover water quickly and it really flips the switch for redfish. Once the switch is flipped, they’ll do just about anything to get the spoon.
Fly fishing anglers excelled fishing for redfish on dock lights using the JT clouser. In brackish rivers, redfish were spread out cruising and working mud bottomed coves. Spoons, plugs, and soft plastics were all good baits to use on these fish.
Negative low tides in the morning should continue to congregate fish on the flats. Finding fish in our brackish rivers should be a good bet. Redfish and snook have provided the best action in brackish rivers to date. We are also hooking up with jack crevalles and we are seeing good size fish in large schools moving around in the rivers. Areas in Sarasota Bay, Little Sarasota Bay, and Blackburn Bay should provide some ideal conditions to target large seatrout. See you on the water soon!
Brian, owns and operates Quiet Waters Fishing LLC and runs his trips out of a 17’ Maverick Mirage. He covers water as far north as Tampa Bay and south to the Charlotte Harbor/Boca Grande area. His favorite trips to offer are: back country, shallow flats, night tarpon, & night dock light snook trips.
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Weekly Fishing Report
Anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action in Sarasota Bay and the coastal gulf recently. Fly anglers scored with tripletail, pompano, trout, Spanish mackerel and blues. Spin fishing anglers had some action catching and releasing reds and snook in skinny water and trout, bluefish, pompano and Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad and grub tails.
Denton Kent, from Sarasota, with a nice tripletail caught and released on a fly while fishing the coastal gulf in Sarasota with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Mike Perez and Denton Kent, from Sarasota, fished a day in Sarasota with me recently. We covered a lot of water in the coastal gulf but only found a few tripletail that day. Fortunately, Denton caught and released a nice one on a fly. We moved to inside waters and were pleasantly surprised to find some reds and snook in skinny water. They caught and released several reds and a nice snook on CAL jigs with shad tails. Jim Hazlett, from Sarasota, also caught and released a couple of reds on CAL jigs with shad tails on another trip with me.
Marshall Dinerman, from Lido Key and his son, Michael from Atlanta, fished Sarasota Bay with me recently. They had steady action with trout, Spanish mackerel, blues and pompano on CAL jigs with shad tails. Barney Naylor, from MI, also fished Sarasota Bay with me and had some action catching and releasing pompano, Spanish mackerel and trout on Clouser flies. Good to see Sarasota Bay continuing to rebound!
Fishing shallow flats for catch and release reds and snook should be a good option now. Fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay is a good choice for action with a variety of species including trout, pompano, blues and Spanish mackerel. 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.
Capt. Kelly Kurtz’s Weekly Fishing Report
The water quality was good and the temperatures were mainly in the high 60’s, nice fishing weather for sure.
The fishing this past holiday week was excellent. The water quality was good and the temps were mainly in the high 60’s.
Fishing the docks and deeper canals produced some snook, jacks, black drum, and quite a few redfish. Mangrove snapper, seabass and juvenile grouper were also feeding well.
There’s plenty of baitfish around so these fish are growing well after last years red tide. On several calm days we fished nearshore reefs as well as the crab buoys for tripletail which are migrating south.
The reefs produced snapper, and sheepshead as well as some large redfish. All in all this is a great time of year to be on the water catching fish.
Kelly is a Sarasota native and the owner and operator of Mangrove Charters. He's passionate about fishing and hunting. As a full-time fishing guide Kelly operates out of a 22 ft. Bayscout and specializes in light tackle using both artificial and live bait. Redfish are his favorite.
Capt. Jeffri Durrance’s Weekly Fishing Report
Five-year-old Max Simmons, visiting from Ohio with his family, looks mighty happy wouldn’t you say.
Wow… this November weather has been perfect for fishing. The water has cooled down very quickly form the much warmer water temps of October and the fish are on the move and biting.
This week saw anglers catching quiet the variety of fish including snook, redfish, speckled trout, ladyfish, pompano, whiting, jack crevalle, black drum and grouper. Other fun fish caught that are unique in their own right were a large sea robin and a puffer fish. Highlights of the week included Doug Simmons and his five year old grandson Max, both from of Ohio, hooked and landed bay slams (trout, redfish and snook).
And on a second trip Doug’s three-year-old granddaughter caught a bay slam as well (with a little help from mom Amy). Mom Amy also landed a big speckled trout and a nice pompano. Most of the fish caught were on a variety of baits from live shrimp, CAL jigs and bucktailed jigs as well as mirror-dines and skitter walks for great top water action.
Remember, the best time to go fishing is when you can and be sure to save some for seed!
Jeffri is a fourth generation native Floridian who grew up in Bowling Green, Florida, located in Hardee County. While growing up on a cattle and citrus operation Jeffri fished many creeks and lakes in the central Florida area as well as the Peace River.
Capt. Chuck Cress’s Weekly Fishing Report
Matthew, in from Connecticut and his sister Michelle visiting from Washington, DC on the Lets Get Em’.
Fishing Charters out of CB’S Outfitters this week produced a variety of fish out on the Lets Get Em’ Charter boat. Tripletail, trout, redfish, and Jacks to name just a few species.
Enjoying the long Thanksgiving weekend and fishing with me was Matthew, down from Connecticut and his sister Michelle down from Washington DC. We had a spectacular day on the water catching numerous fish and enjoying the beautiful weather.
Matthew who has fished in our area before caught his first redfish while Michelle caught redfish, trout, and ladyfish even though she’s a novice fisherman. Most of the fish caught were on jigs and shrimp under a popping cork.
Fishing has been a lifetime passion for me. Depending on the skill level of my clients what I like to do is put them on big fish using artificial lures. I like to educating and passing on my knowledge of local history and the many sights the area has to offer while we are on the water.
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Weekly Fishing Report
Brian Nafzinger with a trout caught and released on a CAL jig with a Shad tail while fishing Sarasota Bay.
Anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action on several trips in Sarasota Bay, Little Sarasota Bay, Tampa Bay and the coastal gulf recently. Fly anglers did well with tripletail in the coastal gulf.
Spin and fly fishing anglers fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay with me had some action catching and releasing trout, bluefish and Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails and Clouser flies. A trip in Little Sarasota Bay produced snook and trout on CAL jigs with Shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos.
We also caught and released reds and snook in skinny water also on CAL jigs with Shad tails. Tripletail action was good in the coastal gulf.
Jeff Hanna, from Englewood, FL, with a 15-lb tripletail caught on a fly while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Mike Perez, from Sarasota and Jeff Hanna, from Englewood, fished a day with me and they both caught tripletail. Jeff’s tripletail was the largest tripletail ever on a fly on my boat, 15-lbs!
Denton Kent, from Sarasota, and Rick Guzewicz, from Longboat Key, fished the next day and both also caught and released tripletail. Rick’s 7-lb tripletail was his first on a fly! A trip later in the week was slower but in addition to a tripletail we also caught a small cobia on a fly.
Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, also had a good day fishing lower Tampa Bay with me. Keith caught and released several snook, a couple of good reds, some trout and a flounder on CAL jigs with Shad tails. Fishing hard often pays off!
Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, with a snook caught and released on a CAL jig with a shad tail.
With stone crab traps in the water now, there is more structure to attract tripletail in the coastal gulf. Fishing mangrove shorelines for catch and release reds and snook in backcountry areas should also be a good option.
Fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay is a good choice for action from a variety of species including trout, blues and Spanish mackerel.
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.
Capt. Brian Boehm’s Weekly Fishing Report
That’s one beautiful Redfish.
Anglers fishing with Quiet Waters Fishing out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters in Sarasota, FL found action on the flats for snook, redfish, and seatrout. Pinches and points were good places to find fish on the flats in the beginning of November.
Mirrolure Mirrodine XLs, Aquadream spoons, and soft plastic paddle tails on jigs were reliable choices for artificial lure enthusiasts. Fly Anglers found success fishing sandy shorelines and potholes with a modified clouser minnow and shrimp patterns.
Weather was a factor on recent trips. Fishing really came alive for Scott & Julia of Idaho when we fished before a front. We found willing snook and redfish bunched up over a sandy flat that was saturatd with bait. Later we had more excitement when we found a larger redfish in a trough that we were able to sight cast to and hook.
Fishing after the front was much harder work. Jim & Dave fished on a day after a full moon with high pressure and it showed. We moved plenty of fish, but they were sluggish, non-committal, and a bit out of sorts. Jim caught a very healthy snook on a modified clouser while fly fishing in the late morning. Redfish became more active later in the day and we brought a few boat side.
Snook
Snook were clustered up in smaller areas on the flats. We found larger fish solo, patrolling points or in buckets near depth transitions. Snook were extremely aggressive before the front moved in. The Aquadream ADL series spoon worked well on these aggressive fish. The Mirrolure Mirrodine XL was a highly effective bait for snook staked out at ambush points. High pressure pushed snook into deeper water at the beginning of the week. We did not see a snook of decent size in water shallower than 4 to 5 feet.
Seatrout
Smaller class size seatrout were in areas with deeper grass and fed aggressively. Larger seatrout were present in potholes in 3 -5 feet of water. Soft plastic paddle tails on jigs worked well. This is an ideal time of year to find gator trout in very shallow water. Using plugs and topwaters in the morning can be a good way to find larger seatrout.
Redfish
Redfish were eating well and seemed much less affected by the high pressure. We found mid-sized redfish spread out and working points and pinches between islands. Before the front, smaller reds were working in groups along sand and grass transitions and larger fish were parked in troughs. All of them were hungry and provided good action. Spoons were the pied piper for redfish.
Looking Ahead
Cold front cycles are beginning to take hold. We have not had a significant drop in temperatures yet, but we are cooling and the writing is on the wall. False albacore season is just about here. A few captains have reported catching their first ones. Tripletail are still a good option around crab floats off of the beaches. Larger redfish have remerged on the flats and that is exciting news. As temperatures continue to drop, we should begin to see better action in brackish rivers, creeks, and the back country.
Brian, owns and operates Quiet Waters Fishing LLC and runs his trips out of a 17’ Maverick Mirage. He covers water as far north as Tampa Bay and south to the Charlotte Harbor/Boca Grande area. His favorite trips to offer are: back country, shallow flats, night tarpon, & night dock light snook trips.
Capt. Ed Hurst’s Weekly Fishing Report
Capt. Ed Hurst fishing the waters of Sarasota Bay.
Jerry Phelps, from Austin TX, went on an instructional fly casting/fishing trip with me in Sarasota Bay this past week. After a few show and tell tips Jerry’s casting improved dramatically.
Catching was slow to start but we kept moving and found some happy fish on the Middle Grounds northeast of New Pass. Jerry caught ladyfish, trout, bluefish and a nice pompano that he enjoyed for dinner. With the cold fronts coming and water temps dropping I expect fishing to continue to be good. Happy Thanksgiving, happy fishing, and safe travels.
Sarasota has been Ed's home since 1956. He's fished these area waters since he was nine years old. From 1995 until the present he's guided anglers exclusively in and around the backwaters of Sarasota Bay. Fly fishing is his passion and he's an Orvis Endorsed Guide.
Capt. Brandon Naeve’s Weekly Fishing Report
Cooler weather made for a great day on the water.
Triple tail fishing has been good however finding a keeper is not as easy as it used to be when the limit was 14 inches.
November means slightly cooler wasters in and around Sarasota Bay and the fishing has been decent with trout bluefish and a few mackerel coming into Bay. This cold snap should signal the fish will try to get in some extra food and store up before winter.
With temperatures beginning to cool why not grab the kids and make a day of it on the water.
I've been a fishing guide the Sarasota , Boca Grande area for over 25 years. My Sarasota trips are mostly family oriented 1/2 day fishing trips involving kids who love to catch all the family fun fish. My Boca Grande trips are for the more experienced spin or fly fishing angler.
Capt. Kelly Stilwell’s Weekly Fishing Report
John Sky had a couple of good days on the water.
Anglers had some great catches last week in spite of some challenging conditions. John Sky had a couple good days catching plenty of spanish mackerel as well as some nice sized sharks in the near shore Gulf early in the week.
Fly fishers also caught some nice mackeral, along with trout, bluefish, and ladyfish.
Kelly has lived and fished in this area for over 30 years. His specialties are artificial bait, fly fishing, tarpon, and live bait fishing in Sarasota Bay and the nearshore Gulf. He's an Orvis Endorsed Guide and currently runs a 2400 Ranger Bay boat which accommodates five.
Capt. Bruce Burkhart’s Weekly Fishing Report
Capt. Bruce Burkhart with a nice spotted sea trout caught and released while fishing Sarasota Bay.
The last few weeks the fishing has been pretty good. Anglers fishing with me aboard the Casual Lies out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters have had their rods bent for most of their trips.
Fishing the docks with live shrimp and topwater lures we have been catching some small Redfish up to 24 inches and Snook up to about 22 inches.
Fishing with Greenback colored CAL Jigs on the grass flats in about 6 to 8 ft of water the fishing has been fast and steady. Anglers have been catching Bluefish, Mackerel, Jacks, Grouper, Ladyfish, and some Trout.
The Trout in the bay have recovered really well in the last year. A couple of anglers that are decent fishermen can catch 20 to 25 Trout, with a few being over 20 inches. The last hour of the trip we have been chunking up some Bluefish and Ladyfish and catching some 4-5 ft Sharks. They will test your skills on these lite tackle rods.
Bruce is a Florida native and has lived in Sarasota for thirty years. Capt. Bruce grew up on the east coast of Florida and started fishing with his dad when he was about six years old. Fishing has been a lifetime passion of his and in 2001 he obtained his U.S.C.G. Captain’s license.
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Weekly Fishing Report
Kirk Grassett, from Middletown, DE, with a Spanish mackerel and other fish caught and released on flies while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Grassett.
I had good fly fishing action with snook, reds, trout, Spanish mackerel and bluefish on a recent trip in Sarasota Bay, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key.
My brother Kirk Grassett, from Middletown, DE, visited for a couple of days prior to our annual bonefish trip at Mars Bay Bonefish Lodge on South Andros, Bahamas. Right on the edge of a front moving through, we fished a pre-dawn snook/flats trip and fish were aggressive.
We fished dock lights and had decent action catching and releasing several snook and a couple of reds on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. We fished deep grass flats after daylight and had several hours of fast action catching and releasing blues to 4-lbs, Spanish mackerel and trout on Clouser flies.
Fishing dock lights for snook and more and the flats or coastal gulf after daylight is a good option. With stone crab traps in the water now, there is more structure to attract tripletail in the coastal gulf. Fishing mangrove shorelines for catch and release reds and snook in backcountry areas should also be a good option.
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.
Capt. Chuck Cress’s Weekly Fishing Report
Connor and Cooper were down from Tampa this weekend working on their fishing skills.
Fall weather fishing with your grandsons doesn’t get any better then that. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Connor and Cooper visiting the weekend from Tampa working on their fishing skills and enjoying the wildlife on Sarasota Bay.
Fishing was a little challenging but did not seem to matter to the boys as they concentrated on each cast to see if they couldn’t get a hookup.
Water temperatures are cooling and that should get the fish to really turn on over the next several months. It’s a good time to book a trip and see what the area has to offer.
Fishing has been a lifetime passion for me. Depending on the skill level of my clients what I like to do is put them on big fish using artificial lures. I like to educating and passing on my knowledge of local history and the many sights the area has to offer while we are on the water.
Capt. Jeffri Durrance’s Weekly Fishing Report
John Hoeksema shows off this small tarpon he caught and released this past week.
Area beaches are producing Spanish mackerel, and be on the look for tripletail when running the crab pot bouys. With the warm water we have had this fall the kingfish run has been very slow as the fish moved out in the cooler water offshore.
The bay also has Spanish mackerel along with speckled trout, mangrove snapper, redfish, bluefish, ladyfish and jack crevalle (remember that trout, snook and redfish are closed to harvest so handle with care while releasing). John Hoeksema caught a variety of fish recently with the top catch being a small tarpon in an area canal.
Most of the fish caught were on a variety of baits from live shrimp, CAL jigs and bucktailed jigs as well as mirror-dines and skitter walks for great top water action. Team Top Down fished three king mackerel tournaments this fall and were out of the money in all three. Caught lots of fish but not the large king mackerel they were looking for.
Remember, the best time to go fishing is when you can and be sure to save some for seed!
Jeffri is a fourth generation native Floridian who grew up in Bowling Green, Florida, located in Hardee County. While growing up on a cattle and citrus operation Jeffri fished many creeks and lakes in the central Florida area as well as the Peace River.
Capt. R.C. Gilliland’s Weekly Fishing Report
Eight-year-old Ryan McTeadue with a bonita he caught fishing out of CB’s with Capt. R.C. Gilliland.
Fishing in our area has been pretty good this week! Despite a cold front coming through this weekend, anglers fishing with me out of CB’s Outfitters caught a good amount of snook, trout, mackerel, and snapper inshore.
When the weather permits, we have been fishing nearshore in the gulf, having good action catching lots of mackerel and sharks, with a handful of tripletail, bonita, and small kingfish thrown in the mix. As the wind subsides and and gulf starts to calm, nearshore action should only improve due to the water temperatures reaching the ideal “fall temps” that the kingfish love.
I'm very laid back and easy going. I love fishing, hunting, and just about anything outdoors. I'm a licensed Charter boat Captain who likes having a good time and hates drama. I have a wide variety of friends and get along with just about anyone. Did I mention I love to fish?
Capt. Jeffri Durrance’s Weekly Fishing Report
That’s a nice looking Redfish young Ben Lam caught.
As 2019 comes to an end the fishing has been great. We’d like to wish everyone a Happy New Year from all of us aboard the Lets Get Em’. We hope you have a great and prosperous new year. Anglers are catching a variety of fish including snook, black drum, redfish, speckled trout, ladyfish, pompano, sheephead, jack crevalle and mangrove snapper.
One of the top catches this week was nine year old Ben Lam catching a beautiful 26 inch redfish. Bait used included live shrimp, CAL and buck-tailed jigs. Remember, the best time to go fishing is when you can and be sure to save some for seed!
Jeffri is a fourth generation native Floridian who grew up in Bowling Green, Florida, located in Hardee County. While growing up on a cattle and citrus operation Jeffri fished many creeks and lakes in the central Florida area as well as the Peace River.
Capt. Chuck Cress’s Weekly Fishing Report
Michael, who hails from the Chicago area, shows off a nice looking Redfish caught in Sarasota Bay.
Last year at this time Sarasota Bay was hurting from the red tide. It’s unbelievable the turnaround in the quality of the Fish and bait that we now have back in our bay. I had a charter out of CB’S on Siesta Key with Michael, Diana, his wife, and their daughter Jenny who hailed from the Chicago area.
Our four hour charter produced numerous fish with each family member catching and releasing some nice sized redfish, trout, jacks and ladyfish. The bait of choice were jigs with gulp and live shrimp under a popping cork.
Talking to some of the other captains at the dock I heard there are plenty of pompano in the bay as well.
Fishing has been a lifetime passion for me. Depending on the skill level of my clients what I like to do is put them on big fish using artificial lures. I like to educating and passing on my knowledge of local history and the many sights the area has to offer while we are on the water.
Capt. Brandon Naeve’s Weekly Fishing Report
When a fish whispers something in your ear listen!
I’m not sure these fish swimming around in the intercoastal waters surrounding Sarasota know it’s Christmas but they certainly are showering us with a lot of presents!
Fishing is off the hook right now. There are tons of ladyfish, Jacks, trout, and more out there just waiting for someone to drop a line in their vicinity.
Why not grab your kids and head down to CB’s Outfitters and book a trip during these Christmas Holidays and put a smile on your kids face. Presents come and go but memories are forever!
Some people take their fishing very seriously no matter what the age.
If anybody ask I’ve ‘Gone Fishin’ with Capt. Naeve.
I've been a fishing guide the Sarasota , Boca Grande area for over 25 years. My Sarasota trips are mostly family oriented 1/2 day fishing trips involving kids who love to catch all the family fun fish. My Boca Grande trips are for the more experienced spin or fly fishing angler.
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Weekly Fishing Report
Kyle Ruffing from Sarasota, had good action catching and releasing reds on CAL jigs with shad tails.
Anglers fishing Little Sarasota Bay and Tampa Bay with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with reds and snook recently. Spin fishing anglers had some action catching and releasing reds and snook in skinny water and around docks on CAL jigs with shad and grub tails. A fly angler fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay with me scored with trout and bluefish on Clouser flies.
Brian Nafzinger, from Rehoboth, DE, caught and released a couple of reds on CAL jigs with shad tails on a recent trip in Little Sarasota Bay with me. Jon Yenari and Kyle Ruffing, from Sarasota, had good action catching and releasing several snook and a couple of reds on CAL jigs with shad tails on a trip in Tampa Bay with me.
Fishing shallow flats for catch and release reds and snook should be a good option now. Fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay is a good choice for action with a variety of species including trout, pompano, blues and Spanish mackerel. 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!
Jon Yenari, from Sarasota, had good action catching and releasing snook and reds on CAL jigs with shad tails while fishing Tampa Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Brian Nafzinger, from Rehoboth, DE, with a red caught and released on a CAL jig with a shad tail while fishing Little Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett.
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.
Capt. Jeffri Durrance’s Weekly Fishing Report
Morgan Cox of Kansas City was pretty excited after catching her first snook.
Cooler water has really helped the bite as fish cooperate around Sarasota Bay. Anglers are catching a variety of species with snook, black drum, redfish, speckled trout, ladyfish, jack crevalle and mangrove snapper on the hook.
Matt Salk of Kansas City got his first snook, so did his girlfriend Morgan Cox. As to whose snook was largest I’d have no comment in print, but between you and me… it was Morgan’s. The bait used for the fish caught was live shrimp, CAL jigs and bucktailed jigs. Remember, the best time to go fishing is when you can… be sure to save some for seed!
Jeffri is a fourth generation native Floridian who grew up in Bowling Green, Florida, located in Hardee County. While growing up on a cattle and citrus operation Jeffri fished many creeks and lakes in the central Florida area as well as the Peace River.
Capt. Brian Boehm’s Weekly Fishing Report
Capt. Brian Boehm with a nice looking snook.
Inshore anglers on recent fishing charters with Quiet Waters out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters had good success fishing the flats and dock lights for snook, redfish, seatrout, and other inshore species. Snook and redfish provided good action on trips into brackish rivers where some gamefish move during our winter months. Based out of Sarasota, FL, Quiet Water trips are run as far north as lower Tampa Bay and as far south as Charlotte Harbor.
Cold fronts began moving through our area on a regular basis over the last month. The fronts bring with them a blast of cold air from the north and strong winds. On days when fronts moved through, waiting for the water to warm, or waiting until evening to fish dock lights is a wise choice. Fly fishing anglers who fished dock lights on days when fronts moved through, were rewarded with great sight fishing opportunities in wind protected areas.
We found snook everywhere on recent trips.
They found good action on snook, redfish, and even tripletail. Schools of jack crevalle were busy hunting bait on the flats and up the rivers. Large jacks are a great fish for testing the drag on your reel.
We found snook everywhere on recent trips. There are still plenty of snook on the flats. Negative low tides can really congregate a lot of snook into small areas on the flats. Finding these holes can be very rewarding. On higher tides, fishing mangrove shorelines where glass minnows and shrimp were present was effective.
Anglers did well fly fishing for snook on dock lights using glass minnow pattern flies, the JT clouser, and a variation of Lefty’s chum fly. In brackish rivers, their normal winter haunts, snook were caught using the Aqua Dream ADL series spoon and topwater plugs. Points and in shallow coves near creek mouths were the best places to locate them.
Targeting larger seatrout on the flats is a worthy pursuit.
Targeting larger seatrout on the flats is a worthy pursuit. Once seatrout approach the 20″ mark in our area, they begin to behave like a different fish. Inshore anglers fishing the shallow flats found a few this month. Soft plastics like paddle tails on 1/8 oz. jigheads and suspending plugs were effective at targeting larger trout over the last month. For class size seatrout, the deeper grass in Sarasota Bay is beginning to show better production.
Additionally, there are stretches of grass in Little Sarasota Bay and Blackburn Bay that are yielding these class-size seatrout. The same goes for lower Tampa Bay. Drifting slowly over these areas and jigging soft plastics near the bottom produced fair action, but you will have to work through ladyfish, mackeral, and other species to get to the trout.
This is a great time of year to find redfish in our area
This is a great time of year to find redfish in our area. They’re all over the flats right now. We found a few dock lights in Sarasota, loaded with redfish. We’re also seeing plenty of redfish in brackish rivers and creeks.
For shallow water redfish, it’s going to be hard to find a better producer than the Aqua Dream ADL series spoon. You can cover water quickly and it really flips the switch for redfish. Once the switch is flipped, they’ll do just about anything to get the spoon.
Fly fishing anglers excelled fishing for redfish on dock lights using the JT clouser. In brackish rivers, redfish were spread out cruising and working mud bottomed coves. Spoons, plugs, and soft plastics were all good baits to use on these fish.
Negative low tides in the morning should continue to congregate fish on the flats. Finding fish in our brackish rivers should be a good bet. Redfish and snook have provided the best action in brackish rivers to date. We are also hooking up with jack crevalles and we are seeing good size fish in large schools moving around in the rivers. Areas in Sarasota Bay, Little Sarasota Bay, and Blackburn Bay should provide some ideal conditions to target large seatrout. See you on the water soon!
Brian, owns and operates Quiet Waters Fishing LLC and runs his trips out of a 17’ Maverick Mirage. He covers water as far north as Tampa Bay and south to the Charlotte Harbor/Boca Grande area. His favorite trips to offer are: back country, shallow flats, night tarpon, & night dock light snook trips.
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Weekly Fishing Report
Anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action in Sarasota Bay and the coastal gulf recently. Fly anglers scored with tripletail, pompano, trout, Spanish mackerel and blues. Spin fishing anglers had some action catching and releasing reds and snook in skinny water and trout, bluefish, pompano and Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad and grub tails.
Denton Kent, from Sarasota, with a nice tripletail caught and released on a fly while fishing the coastal gulf in Sarasota with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Mike Perez and Denton Kent, from Sarasota, fished a day in Sarasota with me recently. We covered a lot of water in the coastal gulf but only found a few tripletail that day. Fortunately, Denton caught and released a nice one on a fly. We moved to inside waters and were pleasantly surprised to find some reds and snook in skinny water. They caught and released several reds and a nice snook on CAL jigs with shad tails. Jim Hazlett, from Sarasota, also caught and released a couple of reds on CAL jigs with shad tails on another trip with me.
Marshall Dinerman, from Lido Key and his son, Michael from Atlanta, fished Sarasota Bay with me recently. They had steady action with trout, Spanish mackerel, blues and pompano on CAL jigs with shad tails. Barney Naylor, from MI, also fished Sarasota Bay with me and had some action catching and releasing pompano, Spanish mackerel and trout on Clouser flies. Good to see Sarasota Bay continuing to rebound!
Fishing shallow flats for catch and release reds and snook should be a good option now. Fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay is a good choice for action with a variety of species including trout, pompano, blues and Spanish mackerel. 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.
Capt. Kelly Kurtz’s Weekly Fishing Report
The water quality was good and the temperatures were mainly in the high 60’s, nice fishing weather for sure.
The fishing this past holiday week was excellent. The water quality was good and the temps were mainly in the high 60’s.
Fishing the docks and deeper canals produced some snook, jacks, black drum, and quite a few redfish. Mangrove snapper, seabass and juvenile grouper were also feeding well.
There’s plenty of baitfish around so these fish are growing well after last years red tide. On several calm days we fished nearshore reefs as well as the crab buoys for tripletail which are migrating south.
The reefs produced snapper, and sheepshead as well as some large redfish. All in all this is a great time of year to be on the water catching fish.
Kelly is a Sarasota native and the owner and operator of Mangrove Charters. He's passionate about fishing and hunting. As a full-time fishing guide Kelly operates out of a 22 ft. Bayscout and specializes in light tackle using both artificial and live bait. Redfish are his favorite.
Capt. Jeffri Durrance’s Weekly Fishing Report
Five-year-old Max Simmons, visiting from Ohio with his family, looks mighty happy wouldn’t you say.
Wow… this November weather has been perfect for fishing. The water has cooled down very quickly form the much warmer water temps of October and the fish are on the move and biting.
This week saw anglers catching quiet the variety of fish including snook, redfish, speckled trout, ladyfish, pompano, whiting, jack crevalle, black drum and grouper. Other fun fish caught that are unique in their own right were a large sea robin and a puffer fish. Highlights of the week included Doug Simmons and his five year old grandson Max, both from of Ohio, hooked and landed bay slams (trout, redfish and snook).
And on a second trip Doug’s three-year-old granddaughter caught a bay slam as well (with a little help from mom Amy). Mom Amy also landed a big speckled trout and a nice pompano. Most of the fish caught were on a variety of baits from live shrimp, CAL jigs and bucktailed jigs as well as mirror-dines and skitter walks for great top water action.
Remember, the best time to go fishing is when you can and be sure to save some for seed!
Jeffri is a fourth generation native Floridian who grew up in Bowling Green, Florida, located in Hardee County. While growing up on a cattle and citrus operation Jeffri fished many creeks and lakes in the central Florida area as well as the Peace River.
Capt. Chuck Cress’s Weekly Fishing Report
Matthew, in from Connecticut and his sister Michelle visiting from Washington, DC on the Lets Get Em’.
Fishing Charters out of CB’S Outfitters this week produced a variety of fish out on the Lets Get Em’ Charter boat. Tripletail, trout, redfish, and Jacks to name just a few species.
Enjoying the long Thanksgiving weekend and fishing with me was Matthew, down from Connecticut and his sister Michelle down from Washington DC. We had a spectacular day on the water catching numerous fish and enjoying the beautiful weather.
Matthew who has fished in our area before caught his first redfish while Michelle caught redfish, trout, and ladyfish even though she’s a novice fisherman. Most of the fish caught were on jigs and shrimp under a popping cork.
Fishing has been a lifetime passion for me. Depending on the skill level of my clients what I like to do is put them on big fish using artificial lures. I like to educating and passing on my knowledge of local history and the many sights the area has to offer while we are on the water.
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Weekly Fishing Report
Brian Nafzinger with a trout caught and released on a CAL jig with a Shad tail while fishing Sarasota Bay.
Anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action on several trips in Sarasota Bay, Little Sarasota Bay, Tampa Bay and the coastal gulf recently. Fly anglers did well with tripletail in the coastal gulf.
Spin and fly fishing anglers fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay with me had some action catching and releasing trout, bluefish and Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails and Clouser flies. A trip in Little Sarasota Bay produced snook and trout on CAL jigs with Shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos.
We also caught and released reds and snook in skinny water also on CAL jigs with Shad tails. Tripletail action was good in the coastal gulf.
Jeff Hanna, from Englewood, FL, with a 15-lb tripletail caught on a fly while fishing with Capt. Rick Grassett.
Mike Perez, from Sarasota and Jeff Hanna, from Englewood, fished a day with me and they both caught tripletail. Jeff’s tripletail was the largest tripletail ever on a fly on my boat, 15-lbs!
Denton Kent, from Sarasota, and Rick Guzewicz, from Longboat Key, fished the next day and both also caught and released tripletail. Rick’s 7-lb tripletail was his first on a fly! A trip later in the week was slower but in addition to a tripletail we also caught a small cobia on a fly.
Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, also had a good day fishing lower Tampa Bay with me. Keith caught and released several snook, a couple of good reds, some trout and a flounder on CAL jigs with Shad tails. Fishing hard often pays off!
Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, with a snook caught and released on a CAL jig with a shad tail.
With stone crab traps in the water now, there is more structure to attract tripletail in the coastal gulf. Fishing mangrove shorelines for catch and release reds and snook in backcountry areas should also be a good option.
Fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay is a good choice for action from a variety of species including trout, blues and Spanish mackerel.
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.
Capt. Brian Boehm’s Weekly Fishing Report
That’s one beautiful Redfish.
Anglers fishing with Quiet Waters Fishing out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters in Sarasota, FL found action on the flats for snook, redfish, and seatrout. Pinches and points were good places to find fish on the flats in the beginning of November.
Mirrolure Mirrodine XLs, Aquadream spoons, and soft plastic paddle tails on jigs were reliable choices for artificial lure enthusiasts. Fly Anglers found success fishing sandy shorelines and potholes with a modified clouser minnow and shrimp patterns.
Weather was a factor on recent trips. Fishing really came alive for Scott & Julia of Idaho when we fished before a front. We found willing snook and redfish bunched up over a sandy flat that was saturatd with bait. Later we had more excitement when we found a larger redfish in a trough that we were able to sight cast to and hook.
Fishing after the front was much harder work. Jim & Dave fished on a day after a full moon with high pressure and it showed. We moved plenty of fish, but they were sluggish, non-committal, and a bit out of sorts. Jim caught a very healthy snook on a modified clouser while fly fishing in the late morning. Redfish became more active later in the day and we brought a few boat side.
Snook
Snook were clustered up in smaller areas on the flats. We found larger fish solo, patrolling points or in buckets near depth transitions. Snook were extremely aggressive before the front moved in. The Aquadream ADL series spoon worked well on these aggressive fish. The Mirrolure Mirrodine XL was a highly effective bait for snook staked out at ambush points. High pressure pushed snook into deeper water at the beginning of the week. We did not see a snook of decent size in water shallower than 4 to 5 feet.
Seatrout
Smaller class size seatrout were in areas with deeper grass and fed aggressively. Larger seatrout were present in potholes in 3 -5 feet of water. Soft plastic paddle tails on jigs worked well. This is an ideal time of year to find gator trout in very shallow water. Using plugs and topwaters in the morning can be a good way to find larger seatrout.
Redfish
Redfish were eating well and seemed much less affected by the high pressure. We found mid-sized redfish spread out and working points and pinches between islands. Before the front, smaller reds were working in groups along sand and grass transitions and larger fish were parked in troughs. All of them were hungry and provided good action. Spoons were the pied piper for redfish.
Looking Ahead
Cold front cycles are beginning to take hold. We have not had a significant drop in temperatures yet, but we are cooling and the writing is on the wall. False albacore season is just about here. A few captains have reported catching their first ones. Tripletail are still a good option around crab floats off of the beaches. Larger redfish have remerged on the flats and that is exciting news. As temperatures continue to drop, we should begin to see better action in brackish rivers, creeks, and the back country.
Brian, owns and operates Quiet Waters Fishing LLC and runs his trips out of a 17’ Maverick Mirage. He covers water as far north as Tampa Bay and south to the Charlotte Harbor/Boca Grande area. His favorite trips to offer are: back country, shallow flats, night tarpon, & night dock light snook trips.
Capt. Ed Hurst’s Weekly Fishing Report
Capt. Ed Hurst fishing the waters of Sarasota Bay.
Jerry Phelps, from Austin TX, went on an instructional fly casting/fishing trip with me in Sarasota Bay this past week. After a few show and tell tips Jerry’s casting improved dramatically.
Catching was slow to start but we kept moving and found some happy fish on the Middle Grounds northeast of New Pass. Jerry caught ladyfish, trout, bluefish and a nice pompano that he enjoyed for dinner. With the cold fronts coming and water temps dropping I expect fishing to continue to be good. Happy Thanksgiving, happy fishing, and safe travels.
Sarasota has been Ed's home since 1956. He's fished these area waters since he was nine years old. From 1995 until the present he's guided anglers exclusively in and around the backwaters of Sarasota Bay. Fly fishing is his passion and he's an Orvis Endorsed Guide.
Capt. Brandon Naeve’s Weekly Fishing Report
Cooler weather made for a great day on the water.
Triple tail fishing has been good however finding a keeper is not as easy as it used to be when the limit was 14 inches.
November means slightly cooler wasters in and around Sarasota Bay and the fishing has been decent with trout bluefish and a few mackerel coming into Bay. This cold snap should signal the fish will try to get in some extra food and store up before winter.
With temperatures beginning to cool why not grab the kids and make a day of it on the water.
I've been a fishing guide the Sarasota , Boca Grande area for over 25 years. My Sarasota trips are mostly family oriented 1/2 day fishing trips involving kids who love to catch all the family fun fish. My Boca Grande trips are for the more experienced spin or fly fishing angler.
Capt. Kelly Stilwell’s Weekly Fishing Report
John Sky had a couple of good days on the water.
Anglers had some great catches last week in spite of some challenging conditions. John Sky had a couple good days catching plenty of spanish mackerel as well as some nice sized sharks in the near shore Gulf early in the week.
Fly fishers also caught some nice mackeral, along with trout, bluefish, and ladyfish.
Kelly has lived and fished in this area for over 30 years. His specialties are artificial bait, fly fishing, tarpon, and live bait fishing in Sarasota Bay and the nearshore Gulf. He's an Orvis Endorsed Guide and currently runs a 2400 Ranger Bay boat which accommodates five.
Capt. Bruce Burkhart’s Weekly Fishing Report
Capt. Bruce Burkhart with a nice spotted sea trout caught and released while fishing Sarasota Bay.
The last few weeks the fishing has been pretty good. Anglers fishing with me aboard the Casual Lies out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters have had their rods bent for most of their trips.
Fishing the docks with live shrimp and topwater lures we have been catching some small Redfish up to 24 inches and Snook up to about 22 inches.
Fishing with Greenback colored CAL Jigs on the grass flats in about 6 to 8 ft of water the fishing has been fast and steady. Anglers have been catching Bluefish, Mackerel, Jacks, Grouper, Ladyfish, and some Trout.
The Trout in the bay have recovered really well in the last year. A couple of anglers that are decent fishermen can catch 20 to 25 Trout, with a few being over 20 inches. The last hour of the trip we have been chunking up some Bluefish and Ladyfish and catching some 4-5 ft Sharks. They will test your skills on these lite tackle rods.
Bruce is a Florida native and has lived in Sarasota for thirty years. Capt. Bruce grew up on the east coast of Florida and started fishing with his dad when he was about six years old. Fishing has been a lifetime passion of his and in 2001 he obtained his U.S.C.G. Captain’s license.
Capt. Rick Grassett’s Weekly Fishing Report
Kirk Grassett, from Middletown, DE, with a Spanish mackerel and other fish caught and released on flies while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Grassett.
I had good fly fishing action with snook, reds, trout, Spanish mackerel and bluefish on a recent trip in Sarasota Bay, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key.
My brother Kirk Grassett, from Middletown, DE, visited for a couple of days prior to our annual bonefish trip at Mars Bay Bonefish Lodge on South Andros, Bahamas. Right on the edge of a front moving through, we fished a pre-dawn snook/flats trip and fish were aggressive.
We fished dock lights and had decent action catching and releasing several snook and a couple of reds on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. We fished deep grass flats after daylight and had several hours of fast action catching and releasing blues to 4-lbs, Spanish mackerel and trout on Clouser flies.
Fishing dock lights for snook and more and the flats or coastal gulf after daylight is a good option. With stone crab traps in the water now, there is more structure to attract tripletail in the coastal gulf. Fishing mangrove shorelines for catch and release reds and snook in backcountry areas should also be a good option.
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.
Capt. Chuck Cress’s Weekly Fishing Report
Connor and Cooper were down from Tampa this weekend working on their fishing skills.
Fall weather fishing with your grandsons doesn’t get any better then that. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Connor and Cooper visiting the weekend from Tampa working on their fishing skills and enjoying the wildlife on Sarasota Bay.
Fishing was a little challenging but did not seem to matter to the boys as they concentrated on each cast to see if they couldn’t get a hookup.
Water temperatures are cooling and that should get the fish to really turn on over the next several months. It’s a good time to book a trip and see what the area has to offer.
Fishing has been a lifetime passion for me. Depending on the skill level of my clients what I like to do is put them on big fish using artificial lures. I like to educating and passing on my knowledge of local history and the many sights the area has to offer while we are on the water.
Capt. Jeffri Durrance’s Weekly Fishing Report
John Hoeksema shows off this small tarpon he caught and released this past week.
Area beaches are producing Spanish mackerel, and be on the look for tripletail when running the crab pot bouys. With the warm water we have had this fall the kingfish run has been very slow as the fish moved out in the cooler water offshore.
The bay also has Spanish mackerel along with speckled trout, mangrove snapper, redfish, bluefish, ladyfish and jack crevalle (remember that trout, snook and redfish are closed to harvest so handle with care while releasing). John Hoeksema caught a variety of fish recently with the top catch being a small tarpon in an area canal.
Most of the fish caught were on a variety of baits from live shrimp, CAL jigs and bucktailed jigs as well as mirror-dines and skitter walks for great top water action. Team Top Down fished three king mackerel tournaments this fall and were out of the money in all three. Caught lots of fish but not the large king mackerel they were looking for.
Remember, the best time to go fishing is when you can and be sure to save some for seed!
Jeffri is a fourth generation native Floridian who grew up in Bowling Green, Florida, located in Hardee County. While growing up on a cattle and citrus operation Jeffri fished many creeks and lakes in the central Florida area as well as the Peace River.
Capt. R.C. Gilliland’s Weekly Fishing Report
Eight-year-old Ryan McTeadue with a bonita he caught fishing out of CB’s with Capt. R.C. Gilliland.
Fishing in our area has been pretty good this week! Despite a cold front coming through this weekend, anglers fishing with me out of CB’s Outfitters caught a good amount of snook, trout, mackerel, and snapper inshore.
When the weather permits, we have been fishing nearshore in the gulf, having good action catching lots of mackerel and sharks, with a handful of tripletail, bonita, and small kingfish thrown in the mix. As the wind subsides and and gulf starts to calm, nearshore action should only improve due to the water temperatures reaching the ideal “fall temps” that the kingfish love.
I'm very laid back and easy going. I love fishing, hunting, and just about anything outdoors. I'm a licensed Charter boat Captain who likes having a good time and hates drama. I have a wide variety of friends and get along with just about anyone. Did I mention I love to fish?