Sarasota Bay is a long way from Chicago as these two young men can happily attest.

Just before a storm, with the barometric pressure dropping rapidly, the bite can get pretty amazing. Shown here is just one of the many fish caught by these two young men visiting from Chicago and enjoying just one of the amazing adventures the area has to offer.

Although we’ve been seeing more rain than is usual this time of year we were still able to take advantage of some nice weather in between the howers, and catch some spectacular skies too as you can see, as we soaked up the late June living on the southern gulf coast. Life’s too short, make time to fish!

Capt. Capt. Brandon 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.

Just before a storm, with the barometric pressure dropping rapidly, the bite can get pretty amazing. Shown here is just one of the many fish caught by these two young boys who were visiting from Chicago and enjoying one of the amazing adventures the area has to offer.

Although we’ve been seeing more rain than is usual this time of year we were able to take advantage of some nice weather in between the rain showers, and catch some spectacular skies too, as we soaked up the late June living on the southern gulf coast.

Life’s too short, make some time to go fishing!

Capt. Capt. Brandon 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.

Dennis Ondercin, from Middleburg, Hts, OH, fights a tarpon that he caught and released while fishing the coastal gulf with Capt. Rick Grassett recently.

Anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with tarpon in the coastal gulf on several trips recently. Conditions were good and fish were plentiful as we approached a full moon last week.

Longtime friends and clients, Cliff Ondercin from Sarasota, and Dennis Ondercin, from Middleburg, Hts, OH, tarpon fished in the coastal gulf several days with me, jumping numerous tarpon and catching and releasing one. They fished hard to finish strong on the last day!

Tarpon fishing in the coastal gulf should continue to be a good option depending on conditions. Fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay is a good choice for action with a variety of species including trout, blues and more. Our natural resources are under constant pressure from red tides fueled by industrial, agricultural and residential runoff, toxic spills, freezes, increasing fishing pressure and habitat loss and degradation, please limit your kill, don’t kill your limit!

Capt. 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.

Anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with tarpon in the coastal gulf on several trips recently. Conditions were good and fish were plentiful as we approached a full moon last week.

Longtime friends and clients, Cliff Ondercin from Sarasota, and Dennis Ondercin, from Middleburg, Hts, OH, tarpon fished in the coastal gulf several days with me, jumping numerous tarpon and catching and releasing one. They fished hard to finish strong on the last day!

Tarpon fishing in the coastal gulf should continue to be a good option depending on conditions. Fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay is a good choice for action with a variety of species including trout, blues and more.

Our natural resources are under constant pressure from red tides fueled by industrial, agricultural and residential runoff, toxic spills, freezes, increasing fishing pressure and habitat loss and degradation, please limit your kill, don’t kill your limit!

Capt. 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.

Rachel had never caught a red fish before this trip.

Rachel, who just started fishing this year and has never caught a redfish did a wonderful job catching several large redfish using various types of baits. Rachel and her friend Kevin came over from the East Coast and set up a trip with me to specifically catch redfish.

I was a little concerned with the weather and the wind but we got lucky and were able to get the trip in. Kevin also caught several large redfish using top water baits and we managed to get a few snook as well.

Sarasota Bay water is in great shape and quite clear for this time of year as we have not had a lot of rain as of yet. Hope to see you on the water!

Capt. Chuck Cress

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.

Rachel, who just started fishing this year and has never caught a redfish did a wonderful job catching several large redfish using various types of baits.

Rachel and her friend Kevin came over from the East Coast and set up a trip with me to specifically catch redfish.

I was a little concerned with the weather and the wind but we got lucky and were able to get the trip in. Kevin also caught several large redfish using top water baits and we managed to get a few snook as well.

Sarasota Bay water is in great shape and quite clear for this time of year as we have not had a lot of rain as of yet.

Hope to see you on the water!

Capt. Chuck Cress

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.

Connor Pullum, from Hayesville, NC, with a nice trout caught and released on a DOA Deadly Combo while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett recently.

Anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action catching and releasing trout and blues on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay on several trips with me recently. With a persistent west wind, clouds and rough water in the coastal gulf we opted to fish the bay rather than tarpon fish which was a better option.

Spin fishing anglers scored with CAL jigs and a variety of plastic tails and DOA Deadly Combos while fly anglers fished baitfish fly patterns on sink tip lines. Steve and Connor Pullum, from Hayesville, NC, fished with me recently and caught and released trout, including several over 20” and blues on CAL jigs with a variety of tails and DOA Deadly Combos. A couple of other trips had similar action with DOA Lures and flies.

Fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay is a good choice for action with a variety of species including trout, blues and more. Tarpon fishing in the coastal gulf should be a good option depending on conditions. Our natural resources are under constant pressure from red tides fueled by industrial, agricultural and residential runoff, toxic spills, freezes, increasing fishing pressure and habitat loss and degradation, please limit your kill, don’t kill your limit!

Capt. 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.

Anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action catching and releasing trout and blues on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay on several trips with me recently. With a persistent west wind, clouds and rough water in the coastal gulf we opted to fish the bay rather than tarpon fish which was a better option.

Spin fishing anglers scored with CAL jigs and a variety of plastic tails and DOA Deadly Combos while fly anglers fished baitfish fly patterns on sink tip lines. Steve and Connor Pullum, from Hayesville, NC, fished with me recently and caught and released trout, including several over 20” and blues on CAL jigs with a variety of tails and DOA Deadly Combos. A couple of other trips had similar action with DOA Lures and flies.

Fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay is a good choice for action with a variety of species including trout, blues and more. Tarpon fishing in the coastal gulf should be a good option depending on conditions. Our natural resources are under constant pressure from red tides fueled by industrial, agricultural and residential runoff, toxic spills, freezes, increasing fishing pressure and habitat loss and degradation, please limit your kill, don’t kill your limit!

Capt. 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.

That’s one fine looking Redfish he’s got in his hands.

High tides on my recent trips have been producing large redfish, snook and trout. With the higher tides I’ve been able to get into some places where you usually cannot float a boat.

On my latest trip out of CB’s Outfitters on Siesta Key I had two buddies from Kentucky who wanted to catch fish using top water baits only. Catching big fish on topwater baits can be one of the most exciting ways to fish.

Slipping into our first spot we started to get blowups and follow ups almost immediately. The fish don’t always get hooked on a blowup but still a lot of fun to see. Spending the entire half day trip in one small area produced numerous catches of redfish and snook that were carefully released back into the water.

Hope to see you on the water soon, Captain Chuck.

Capt. Chuck Cress

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.

High tides on my recent trips have been producing large redfish, snook and trout. With the higher tides I’ve been able to get into some places where you usually cannot float a boat.

On my latest trip out of CB’s Outfitters on Siesta Key I had two buddies from Kentucky who wanted to catch fish using top water baits only. Catching big fish on topwater baits can be one of the most exciting ways to fish.

Slipping into our first spot we started to get blowups and follow ups almost immediately. The fish don’t always get hooked on a blowup but still a lot of fun to see. Spending the entire half day trip in one small area produced numerous catches of redfish and snook that were carefully released back into the water.

Hope to see you on the water soon, Captain Chuck.

Capt. Chuck Cress

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.

On the blue waters of Sarasota Bay with Capt. Kurtz.

Last week on the new moon week the fishing was very productive. We fished the passes with live bait which produced a lot of excitement.

I’d like to think we were a little bit more than lucky.We caught and released a lot of Snook up to 31 inches, as well as Pompano, Permit, Sharks, Mangrove Snapper, Flounder and even a few Bonefish which have started to move into our area.

We’re definitely catching fish that I haven’t seen before in these waters which is a good sign no matter how you look at it.

Capt. Capt. Kelly Kurtz

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.

Last week on the new moon week the fishing was very productive. We fished the passes with live bait which produced a lot of excitement.

I’d like to think we were a little bit more than lucky.We caught and released a lot of Snook up to 31 inches, as well as Pompano, Permit, Sharks, Mangrove Snapper, Flounder and even a few Bonefish which have started to move into our area.

We’re definitely catching fish that I haven’t seen before in these waters which is a good sign no matter how you look at it.

Capt. Capt. Kelly Kurtz

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.

A rare double was achieved in Boca Grande with these two boys just out of college that I took out this past week for some quality fishing. The beautiful Permit and the always feisty Cobia completed this double they managed to pull off. Meanwhile Sasha, from Orlando (shown smiling below), caught her first fish on an artificial with her Grandad cheering her on.

A rare double was achieved in Boca Grande with these two boys just out of college. The beautiful Permit and the always feisty Cobia completed this double.

Meanwhile Sasha, from Orlando, caught her first fish on artificial with her Grandad cheering her on.

Capt. Capt. Brandon 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.

Jonah with his 23 inch Redfish caught need the docks.

The Casual Lies out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters has had a good few weeks. Fishing the flats in about 6 to 8 feet of water over the turtle grass has produced some nice catches, including some Trout, Mangrove Snapper, Small Grouper, Mackerel and a few Pompan.

Fishing the docks in the north bay we’ve been catching Snook to about 24 inches, lots of Mangrove Snapper up to 15 inches, and even caught a nice big Pompano. The Redfish have been cooperating pretty well on live Shrimp.

The catch of the week goes to Jonah who is ten years old and has never fished before. The photo is Jonah with his 23 inch Redfish that he had to muscle out of the dock.

Capt. Capt. Bruce Burkhart

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.

The Casual Lies out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters has had a good few weeks. Fishing the flats in about 6 to 8 feet of water over the turtle grass has produced some nice catches.

Trout, Mangrove Snapper, Small Grouper, Mackerel and a few Pompano were among the fish we were able to get a hook into.

Fishing the docks in the north bay we’ve been catching Snook to about 24 inches, lots of Mangrove Snapper up to 15 inches, and even caught a nice big Pompano. The Redfish have been cooperating pretty well on live Shrimp.

The catch of the week goes to Jonah who is ten years old and has never fished before. The photo is Jonah with his 23 inch Redfish that he had to muscle out of the dock.

Capt. Capt. Bruce Burkhart

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.

This young man was having the time of his life on the warm waters of Sarasota Bay with Capt. Brian Boehm.

Anglers on recent Quiet Waters fishing trips, run out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, experienced good sight fishing conditions in shallow water and excellent dock light fishing.

We had a mix of light tackle and fly fishing trips. Wind played a factor in many of our trips. We were, for the most part, able find good water on even the windiest of days. Water clarity had been excellent prior to a recent rain event that created some turbidity and cloudiness in shallow water.

Snook
Snook have been very active in shallow water over the past few weeks. We’re finding plenty of snook over shallow water with a sandy bottom, relating to mangrove shorelines, and occasionally stacked up in wind protected coves. Paddletails, and super flukes were effective on light tackle, while fly anglers did best with the floating minnow fly, schminnows, and smaller buggy fly flies.

The night bite continues to be a place where anglers can catch higher numbers of snook. On most nights, it’s not a question of whether the fishing will be good, it’s a question of how good the fishing will be. We kept it simple with light tackle using shallow diving plugs, small shrimp baits, and paddletails. Fly anglers found success with small clousers, EP baitfish patterns, shrimp imitations (size 6-8), and pencil poppers. We’re using primarily floating lines at night, but will fish clear sink tips on occasion. Depending on the size of the fish on the lights, we use either 8 or 9 weight Orvis Recons on most nights.

Redfish
We found redfish all over the place in shallow water over the last few weeks. They are an excellent species to target when sight fishing. Depending on the day, reds were either easy marks, or cunning, wary, and stingy targets. Fly anglers that are able to shoot line out quickly and accurately can get plenty of shots in shallow water right now.

On light tackle, we used the Aquadream spoon, paddletails, and super flukes to target redfish. The super flukes are one of the most versatile baits a flats angler can have in his shallow water spring fishing arsenal. We are still seeing the occasional redfish on dock lights at night. A well placed and fished fly or plug will usually get the job done on these fish.

Seatrout
The deep grass remains a healthy fishery where anglers can really key in on speckled seatrout. Anglers that locate fish can work those areas more thoroughly by drifting or anchoring in those locations. A paddletail on a quarter ounce jighead is all you will need. There are high numbers of class-size seatrout concentrated over the deep grass. If your priority on the water is to keep a constant bend in your rod, then you’ll want to spend some time on the deep grass. It’s also a great place for kids to learn how to use artificial baits.

Looking Ahead
We are heading into prime fishing season. We’ve been seeing tarpon with more frequency and soon enough we will have some excellent sight fishing opportunities along the beach. The shorelines of barrier islands near passes are already beginning to show snook swimming in the trough. Anglers should continue to find redfish around sand bars and in the troughs behind the bars. The deep grass will continue to provide multi-species action for anglers.

Capt. Brian Boehm

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.

Anglers on recent Quiet Waters fishing trips, run out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, experienced good sight fishing conditions in shallow water and excellent dock light fishing.

We had a mix of light tackle and fly fishing trips. Wind played a factor in many of our trips. We were, for the most part, able find good water on even the windiest of days. Water clarity had been excellent prior to a recent rain event that created some turbidity and cloudiness in shallow water.

Snook
Snook have been very active in shallow water over the past few weeks. We’re finding plenty of snook over shallow water with a sandy bottom, relating to mangrove shorelines, and occasionally stacked up in wind protected coves. Paddletails, and super flukes were effective on light tackle, while fly anglers did best with the floating minnow fly, schminnows, and smaller buggy fly flies.

The night bite continues to be a place where anglers can catch higher numbers of snook. On most nights, it’s not a question of whether the fishing will be good, it’s a question of how good the fishing will be. We kept it simple with light tackle using shallow diving plugs, small shrimp baits, and paddletails. Fly anglers found success with small clousers, EP baitfish patterns, shrimp imitations (size 6-8), and pencil poppers. We’re using primarily floating lines at night, but will fish clear sink tips on occasion. Depending on the size of the fish on the lights, we use either 8 or 9 weight Orvis Recons on most nights.

Redfish
We found redfish all over the place in shallow water over the last few weeks. They are an excellent species to target when sight fishing. Depending on the day, reds were either easy marks, or cunning, wary, and stingy targets. Fly anglers that are able to shoot line out quickly and accurately can get plenty of shots in shallow water right now.

On light tackle, we used the Aquadream spoon, paddletails, and super flukes to target redfish. The super flukes are one of the most versatile baits a flats angler can have in his shallow water spring fishing arsenal. We are still seeing the occasional redfish on dock lights at night. A well placed and fished fly or plug will usually get the job done on these fish.

Seatrout
The deep grass remains a healthy fishery where anglers can really key in on speckled seatrout. Anglers that locate fish can work those areas more thoroughly by drifting or anchoring in those locations. A paddletail on a quarter ounce jighead is all you will need. There are high numbers of class-size seatrout concentrated over the deep grass. If your priority on the water is to keep a constant bend in your rod, then you’ll want to spend some time on the deep grass. It’s also a great place for kids to learn how to use artificial baits.

Looking Ahead
We are heading into prime fishing season. We’ve been seeing tarpon with more frequency and soon enough we will have some excellent sight fishing opportunities along the beach. The shorelines of barrier islands near passes are already beginning to show snook swimming in the trough. Anglers should continue to find redfish around sand bars and in the troughs behind the bars. The deep grass will continue to provide multi-species action for anglers.

Capt. Brian Boehm

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.

My grandson Cooper had a great day of fun fishing those lively waters of Sarasota Bay.

Our spring break fishing season in Sarasota was fantastic. THe ‘Let’s Get Em’ charter boat, out of CB’S Saltwater Outfitters took numerous clients out for Redfish, Snook, Trout, Pompano, and Spanish Mackerel.

Now that some of the spring breakers have left I had time to take my grandson Cooper out for a day of fun fishing. Cooper landed a couple of nice snook and large trout using Live shrimp under a popping cork. We were hoping to catch a redfish to make the inshore slam but I think we’ll have to wait for our next trip. We are Already looking forward to it.

Capt. Chuck Cress

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.

Our spring break fishing season in Sarasota was fantastic. THe ‘Let’s Get Em’ charter boat, out of CB’S Saltwater Outfitters took numerous clients out for Redfish, Snook, Trout, Pompano, and Spanish Mackerel.

Now that some of the spring breakers have left I had time to take my grandson Cooper out for a day of fun fishing. Cooper landed a couple of nice snook and large trout using Live shrimp under a popping cork. We were hoping to catch a redfish to make the inshore slam but I think we’ll have to wait for our next trip. We are Already looking forward to it.

Capt. Chuck Cress

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.

Susan Wayde, from MI, with a nice trout caught and released on a Clouser fly while fishing Sarasota Bay.

Anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with trout and Spanish mackerel on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay with me recently. Spin fishing anglers scored with CAL jigs and a variety of plastic tails and DOA Deadly Combos. Fly anglers got it done with Clouser flies fished on sink tip fly lines.

Greg Stepanski, from Tampa, fished a blustery day in Sarasota Bay with me recently and had good action with trout and Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs and plugs. We ducked into a creek to hide from the wind and caught and released some decent jacks and a snook.

Dave Wahl with a bluefish caught and released on a Clouser fly while fishing Sarasota Bay recently.

Fly angler Dave Wahl, from Lakewood Ranch, also got in on the action on another trip catching and releasing trout and blues on Clouser flies fished on a sink tip fly line.

Susan Wayde, from Bloomfield Hills, MI took the CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school and then fished Sarasota Bay with Mark Wayde, also from Bloomfield Hills, with me recently. They had a great day catching and releasing trout, jacks and a couple of Spanish mackerel on Clouser flies.

Fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay is a good choice for action with a variety of species including trout, Spanish mackerel, blues and pompano. Check the coastal gulf for Spanish mackerel, false albacore and tripletail when conditions are good.

Our natural resources are under constant pressure from red tides fueled by industrial, agricultural and residential runoff, toxic spills, freezes, increasing fishing pressure and habitat loss and degradation, please limit your kill, don’t kill your limit!

Capt. 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.

Anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with trout and Spanish mackerel on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay with me recently. Spin fishing anglers scored with CAL jigs and a variety of plastic tails and DOA Deadly Combos. Fly anglers got it done with Clouser flies fished on sink tip fly lines.

Greg Stepanski, from Tampa, fished a blustery day in Sarasota Bay with me recently and had good action with trout and Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs and plugs. We ducked into a creek to hide from the wind and caught and released some decent jacks and a snook.

Fly angler Dave Wahl, from Lakewood Ranch, also got in on the action on another trip catching and releasing trout and blues on Clouser flies fished on a sink tip fly line. Susan Wayde, from Bloomfield Hills, MI took the CB’s Saltwater Outfitters Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school and then fished Sarasota Bay with Mark Wayde, also from Bloomfield Hills, with me recently. They had a great day catching and releasing trout, jacks and a couple of Spanish mackerel on Clouser flies.

Fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay is a good choice for action with a variety of species including trout, Spanish mackerel, blues and pompano. Check the coastal gulf for Spanish mackerel, false albacore and tripletail when conditions are good.

Our natural resources are under constant pressure from red tides fueled by industrial, agricultural and residential runoff, toxic spills, freezes, increasing fishing pressure and habitat loss and degradation, please limit your kill, don’t kill your limit!

Capt. 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.

Fishing out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters I had a great week taking anglers out on Sarasota Bay. Fishing with Yo-Zuri stick baits we caught some nice Bluefish and Mackerel up to 24 inches. Using CAL jigs we caught a lot of Spotted Sea Trout up to 20 inches, landing as many as 50 to 60 Trout in a single day.

All the Spotted Trout caught before June 1st have to be released because of the Red Tide we had a few years back. The jigs also provided us some Black Sea Bass, Whiting, and Pompano that people could take home to eat.

With the water temperature up in the 70s the Kingfish and Bonito should be showing up soon.

Capt. Capt. Bruce Burkhart

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.

Fishing out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters I had a great week taking anglers out on Sarasota Bay. Fishing with Yo-Zuri stick baits we caught some nice Bluefish and Mackerel, some up to 24 inches.

Using CAL jigs we caught a lot of Spotted Sea Trout up to 20 inches, catching as many as 50 to 60 Trout in a single day.

All the Spotted Trout caught before June 1st have to be released because of the Red Tide we had a few years back. The jigs also provided us some Black Sea Bass, Whiting, and Pompano that people could take home to eat.

With the water temperature up in the 70s the Kingfish and Bonito should be showing up soon.

Capt. Capt. Bruce Burkhart

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.

Mitch Burks enjoyed a picture perfect day on the Bay.

Mitch Burks and Larry Baucom enjoyed a picture prefect day out on the clear blue waters of Sarasota Bay. They caught Spanish mackerel, trout, ladyfish and jacks. Mitch was fishing with light spinning tackle using Mr. Twister Exudes.

Larry was casting a 7 wt Orvis Helios 2 fly rod with a clear sink tip line, while Enrico Pluglisi’s white baitfish patterns were the flies that produced best.

For so many reasons this really is the best time of year to find some time and get some fishing under your belt.

Happy Easter to all and please remember to be kind to one another.

Capt. Capt. Ed Hurst

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.

Mitch Burks and Larry Baucom enjoyed a picture prefect day out on the clear blue waters of Sarasota Bay.

They caught Spanish mackerel, trout, ladyfish and jacks. Mitch was fishing with light spinning tackle using Mr. Twister Exudes.

Larry was casting a 7 wt Orvis Helios 2 fly rod with a clear sink tip line, while Enrico Pluglisi’s white baitfish patterns were the flies that produced best.

For so many reasons this really is the best time of year to find some time and get some fishing under your belt.

Happy Easter to all and please remember to be kind to one another.

Capt. Capt. Ed Hurst

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.

Dave Reinhart, from MA, with 28″ snook caught and released on a CAL jig with a grub while fishing the Bay.

Anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action in Sarasota Bay with me recently.

Bill Morrison, from Anna Maria, and Don Morrison, from MA, fished a trip with me and had great action with trout and Spanish mackerel on flies and CAL jigs with shad tails. Dave Reinhart, from MA, fished skinny water with me on a blustery day later in the week.

Fish were turned on ahead of an approaching front. He caught and released a slam, including a 28” snook, 28” redfish, trout and a couple of pompano that were sight fished on top of a bar in 18” of water, all on CAL jigs with a grub tail! Not big numbers of fish but a great day for quality fish and variety.

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. Check the coastal gulf for Spanish mackerel, false albacore and tripletail when conditions are good.

Shallow water fishing for reds and large trout is also a good option now, although they are very challenging in clear water. These conditions usually require long casts to avoid spooking fish.

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!

Capt. 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.

Anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action in Sarasota Bay with me recently.

Bill Morrison, from Anna Maria, and Don Morrison, from MA, fished a trip with me and had great action with trout and Spanish mackerel on flies and CAL jigs with shad tails. Dave Reinhart, from MA, fished skinny water with me on a blustery day later in the week.

Fish were turned on ahead of an approaching front. He caught and released a slam, including a 28” snook, 28” redfish, trout and a couple of pompano that were sight fished on top of a bar in 18” of water, all on CAL jigs with a grub tail! Not big numbers of fish but a great day for quality fish and variety.

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. Check the coastal gulf for Spanish mackerel, false albacore and tripletail when conditions are good. Shallow water fishing for reds and large trout is also a good option now, although they are very challenging in clear water. These conditions usually require long casts to avoid spooking fish.

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!

Capt. 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.

Diane Williams had a terrific day on the water.

Fishing has been great over the last week.

Anglers’ Darrell and Diane Williams had a terrific day on the water catching sheepshead, black sea bass, and some big trout in Sarasota Bay.

The sheepshead and sea bass were caught on live shrimp while the trout were all caught on jig heads and plastic grub tails in various colors.

Temperatures are running from the mid 60’s to the low 80’s with no humidity and plenty of sunshine. It’s a great time to be out on the water.

Capt. Capt. Kelly Stilwell

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.

Fishing has been great over the last week. Anglers’ Darrell and Diane Williams had a terrific day on the water catching sheepshead, black sea bass, and some big trout in Sarasota Bay.

The sheepshead and sea bass were caught on live shrimp while the trout were all caught on jig heads and plastic grub tails in various colors.

Capt. Capt. Kelly Stilwell

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.

On the waters of Sarasota Bay with Capt. Brian Boehm.

Anglers on recent Quiet Waters fishing trips, run out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, found good fishing for snook, reds, and seatrout on both day and night trips.

Wind was a real factor for the better part of two weeks, but it finally laid down a bit in recent days.

Despite the windy conditions, we enjoyed good shallow water fishing in the waters around Sarasota. We had a good mix of fly fishing and conventional light tackle trips over the past couple weeks with a good mix of anglers.

Snook
Snook fishing on the shallow flats and in the back country has been good. We’ve been finding plenty of eager snook around sandbars, potholes and oyster bars. On colder mornings it was common to find snook camouflaged over darker bottom. Keeping it simple with paddle tails, spoons, and plugs has worked well. Fly anglers have found success with the floating minnow and the JT clouser minnow.

We’re still having our best numbers on dock lights. That’s especially the case on fly fishing trips. Smaller flies seem to give fly anglers the advantage on dock lights at night. The JT clouser minnow is a simple fly that gets excellent results on dock lights throughout the year. We’ve been using that, combined with a few other glass minnow patterns and a few surface flies.

Redfish
Fly anglers have been getting plenty of shots at redfish on sight fishing trips during the day and they have also found a few redfish on dock lights at night. Reds have been all over the place in shallow water and they have, for the most part, been eager fish. On spinning tackle, paddle tails and the Aquadream spoon did best. The key with shallow water reds, and any shallow water fish, is to deliver and present the fly or lure to them without them knowing you are there. If you can consistently do that, then you will shift the odds more in your favor.

Seatrout
We’re seeing some really big seatrout out there. We’ve found some big trout in potholes, on sandy bars, and in deeper grass as well. Suspending plugs and paddle tails on jig heads worked well. For the class-size seatrout, the paddletail is hard to beat. A straight retrieve usually works best, but there are times when they want it bounced off the bottom.

Looking Ahead
Snook and reds should continue to dominate our shallow water fishing. If you happen to locate a gator trout, it pays to spend a little extra time in that area to find others that are usually not far away. Water clarity has been excellent and that has made for some excellent sight fishing. It’s a great time to find cobia wandering the flats or the occasional big jack.

See you on the water!

Anglers on recent Quiet Waters fishing trips, run out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, found good fishing for snook, reds, and seatrout on both day and night trips.

Wind was a real factor for the better part of two weeks, but it finally laid down a bit in recent days. Despite the windy conditions, we enjoyed good shallow water fishing in the waters around Sarasota.

We had a good mix of fly fishing and conventional light tackle trips over the past couple weeks with a good mix of anglers.

Snook
Snook fishing on the shallow flats and in the back country has been good. We’ve been finding plenty of eager snook around sandbars, potholes and oyster bars. On colder mornings it was common to find snook camouflaged over darker bottom. Keeping it simple with paddle tails, spoons, and plugs has worked well. Fly anglers have found success with the floating minnow and the JT clouser minnow.

We’re still having our best numbers on dock lights. That’s especially the case on fly fishing trips. Smaller flies seem to give fly anglers the advantage on dock lights at night. The JT clouser minnow is a simple fly that gets excellent results on dock lights throughout the year. We’ve been using that, combined with a few other glass minnow patterns and a few surface flies.

Redfish
Fly anglers have been getting plenty of shots at redfish on sight fishing trips during the day and they have also found a few redfish on dock lights at night. Reds have been all over the place in shallow water and they have, for the most part, been eager fish. On spinning tackle, paddle tails and the Aquadream spoon did best. The key with shallow water reds, and any shallow water fish, is to deliver and present the fly or lure to them without them knowing you are there. If you can consistently do that, then you will shift the odds more in your favor.

Seatrout
We’re seeing some really big seatrout out there. We’ve found some big trout in potholes, on sandy bars, and in deeper grass as well. Suspending plugs and paddle tails on jig heads worked well. For the class-size seatrout, the paddletail is hard to beat. A straight retrieve usually works best, but there are times when they want it bounced off the bottom.

Looking Ahead
Snook and reds should continue to dominate our shallow water fishing. If you happen to locate a gator trout, it pays to spend a little extra time in that area to find others that are usually not far away. Water clarity has been excellent and that has made for some excellent sight fishing. It’s a great time to find cobia wandering the flats or the occasional big jack.

See you on the water!

Capt. Brian Boehm

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.

Dan and his fishing enthusiast son Sean spent two incredible days fishing with me on Sarasota Bay.

Dan and his fishing enthusiast son Sean spent two incredible days fishing on Sarasota Bay with me. On the first day, using some artificial bait and live shrimp they managed to get the inshore slam.

The Inshore slam Is made up of redfish, snook, and trout. The fish they caught were not the run-of-the-mill small fish either they were all nice big fish. Probably the Best quality fish I have seen in quite some time.

On the second day the duo caught big trout, sheep head, pompano and Spanish mackerel. The trout were all released safely but the other three fish made up a nice dinner for them after the day of fishing.

Capt. Chuck Cress

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.

Dan and his fishing enthusiast son Sean spent two incredible days fishing on Sarasota Bay with me. On the first day, using some artificial bait and live shrimp they managed to get the inshore slam.

The Inshore slam Is made up of redfish, snook, and trout. The fish they caught were not the run-of-the-mill small fish either they were all nice big fish. Probably the Best quality fish I have seen in quite some time. On the second day the duo caught big trout, sheep head, pompano and Spanish mackerel. The trout were all released safely but the other three fish made up a nice dinner for them after the day of fishing.

Capt. Chuck Cress

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.

Last week aboard the Casual Lies out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key we started out kind of slower than it had been. Wednesday it picked up quite a bit and saw us throwing quarter ounce Chartreuse jig heads with white bodies and Fugi Chix bodies were the ticket for the trout, Jacks and Pompano.

The Mackerel were caught on Rapala green and silver jerk baits. I think the wind has calmed a little bit for this next week so it should be more comfortable out on the water. See ya on the Bay

Capt. Capt. Bruce Burkhart

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.

Last week aboard the Casual Lies out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key we started out kind of slower than it had been. Wednesday it picked up quite a bit and saw us throwing quarter ounce Chartreuse jig heads with white bodies and Fugi Chix bodies were the ticket for the trout, Jacks and Pompano.

The Mackerel were caught on Rapala green and silver jerk baits. I think the wind has calmed a little bit for this next week so it should be more comfortable out on the water. See ya on the Bay

Capt. Capt. Bruce Burkhart

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.

Bill Morrison left, with a Sarasota Bay bluefish, and Alan Sugar, right, with a pompano, both were caught and released while fishing Sarasota Bay.

Fly anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action fishing Sarasota Bay recently. Alan Sugar and Ray Hutchinson, from MI, fished with me and had good action with Spanish mackerel, pompano, blues and trout on Clouser flies on a recent trip.

Bill Morrison, from Anna Maria Island, and Peggy and Jerry Brenner, from NH, also got in on the action on a couple of other trips catching trout, blues and Spanish mackerel also on Clouser flies. 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.

Check the coastal gulf for Spanish mackerel, false albacore and tripletail when conditions are good. Shallow water fishing for reds and large trout is also a good option now, although they are very challenging in clear water. These conditions usually require long casts to avoid spooking fish.

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!

Capt. 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.

Fly anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action fishing Sarasota Bay recently.

Alan Sugar and Ray Hutchinson, from MI, fished with me and had good action with Spanish mackerel, pompano, blues and trout on Clouser flies on a recent trip.

Bill Morrison, from Anna Maria Island, and Peggy and Jerry Brenner, from NH, also got in on the action on a couple of other trips catching trout, blues and Spanish mackerel also on Clouser flies.

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. Check the coastal gulf for Spanish mackerel, false albacore and tripletail when conditions are good. Shallow water fishing for reds and large trout is also a good option now, although they are very challenging in clear water. These conditions usually require long casts to avoid spooking fish.

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!

Capt. 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.

Gabby and her son Le Charles had a great day out.

Gabby and her son Le Charles had a great day on the water fishing with me on the Lets Get Em’ Charter out of CB’S Saltwater Outfitters. Even though it was a little windy they managed to catch and release small grouper, ladyfish, sea trout, and some Spanish mackerel.

The mother and son down from Ohio caught the fish on jigs with gulp bait and live shrimp under popping corks. This is the time of year were great fishing really starts to takeoff. With mid-day temperatures in the mid 70’s and slowly creeping up into the 80’s over the next week or so there really isn’t a better time of year to be out on the water.

Capt. Chuck Cress

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.

Gabby and her son Le Charles had a great day on the water fishing with me on the Lets Get Em’ Charter out of CB’S Saltwater Outfitters.

Even though it was a little windy they managed to catch and release small grouper, ladyfish, sea trout, and some Spanish mackerel.

The mother and son down from Ohio caught the fish on jigs with gulp bait and live shrimp under popping corks. This is the time of year were great fishing really starts to takeoff.

With mid-day temperatures in the mid 70’s and slowly creeping up into the 80’s over the next week or so there really isn’t a better time of year to be out on the water.

Capt. Chuck Cress

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.