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.

That’s one nice looking redfish they’re holding.

Anglers on recent Quiet Waters fishing trips, run out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, enjoyed good shallow water fishing and dock light fishing. Most trips were fly fishing focused, but we did have a few really fun conventional light tackle trips mixed in. It’s been breezy on the water lately, but we’ve found ways to stay out of the wind and stay on the fish.

Snook
Snook are becoming significantly more active on the shallow flats and in the back country with the spring weather pushing water temperatures up. Wherever we found baitfish (mostly glass minnows), the snook weren’t far away. Fly anglers did well using surface flies like gurglers and floating minnows, while anglers using light tackle excelled with paddletails and the Aquadream spoon.

Dock lights continued to be a dependable way to target snook with a fly rod. Snook are still focused on smaller flies resembling glass minnows or small fry. We primarily use 8 or 9 weight Orvis Recons on dock lights. They’re accurate, durable, and responsive fly rods.

Redfish
Redfish have been shallow and they have been very active. It’s tough to beat the production of the Aquadream spoon on light tackle. The redfish never seem to tire of chasing spoons down in shallow water. Soft plastic paddletails were a close second to spoons and fooled plenty of redfish over the past week or so. On the fly, shrimp patterns and the floating minnow were productive flies on redfish. Small sparsely tied clouser minnows worked well on dock lights at night for redfish

Seatrout
There are plenty of class-size seatrout over the deep grass right now. Drifting over the deep grass and straight retrieving paddletails rigged on ¼ ounce jig heads or larger clouser minnows worked well. It’s really good to see so much vibrant life on the deep grass. It’s a good sign of things to come. We found larger seatrout near sandbars off of grass flats and in feeding zones near points and in troughs.

Looking Ahead
As our temperatures continue to creep up, we should continue to see an increase in snook activity on the flats and in the back country. Sight fishing should be excellent for snook and redfish in the coming weeks provided there’s enough sun. It should be a great time to hunt fish.

The deep grass will be a great place to fish for anglers seeking constant action. There are plenty of seatrout, ladyfish, and sailcats on the deep grass to go around. We’re seeing jack crevalles more regularly and we’re beginning to see schools of larger jacks which should provide some fun times in the coming weeks for anglers in the Sarasota area.

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, enjoyed good shallow water fishing and dock light fishing. Most trips were fly fishing focused, but we did have a few really fun conventional light tackle trips mixed in. It’s been breezy on the water lately, but we’ve found ways to stay out of the wind and stay on the fish.

Snook
Snook are becoming significantly more active on the shallow flats and in the back country with the spring weather pushing water temperatures up. Wherever we found baitfish (mostly glass minnows), the snook weren’t far away. Fly anglers did well using surface flies like gurglers and floating minnows, while anglers using light tackle excelled with paddletails and the Aquadream spoon.

Dock lights continued to be a dependable way to target snook with a fly rod. Snook are still focused on smaller flies resembling glass minnows or small fry. We primarily use 8 or 9 weight Orvis Recons on dock lights. They’re accurate, durable, and responsive fly rods.

Redfish
Redfish have been shallow and they have been very active. It’s tough to beat the production of the Aquadream spoon on light tackle. The redfish never seem to tire of chasing spoons down in shallow water. Soft plastic paddletails were a close second to spoons and fooled plenty of redfish over the past week or so. On the fly, shrimp patterns and the floating minnow were productive flies on redfish. Small sparsely tied clouser minnows worked well on dock lights at night for redfish

Seatrout
There are plenty of class-size seatrout over the deep grass right now. Drifting over the deep grass and straight retrieving paddletails rigged on ¼ ounce jig heads or larger clouser minnows worked well. It’s really good to see so much vibrant life on the deep grass. It’s a good sign of things to come. We found larger seatrout near sandbars off of grass flats and in feeding zones near points and in troughs.

Looking Ahead
As our temperatures continue to creep up, we should continue to see an increase in snook activity on the flats and in the back country. Sight fishing should be excellent for snook and redfish in the coming weeks provided there’s enough sun. It should be a great time to hunt fish.

The deep grass will be a great place to fish for anglers seeking constant action. There are plenty of seatrout, ladyfish, and sailcats on the deep grass to go around. We’re seeing jack crevalles more regularly and we’re beginning to see schools of larger jacks which should provide some fun times in the coming weeks for anglers in the Sarasota area.

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.

Last week was a good week for guest aboard the Casual Lies out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters. Fuji Chix and White CAL jigs worked very well on the grass flats in Sarasota Bay. All week long we stayed in water about 5 to 7 ft and caught a variety of fish. Trout led each day with catches around 40 some days up to 70 or more with three experienced guys.

Most Trout were medium size (14- 16) inches but we did have some in the (18-21) inch slot. Mackerel are showing up on DOA Shrimp under a popping cork with some up to 21 inches. Pompano are scattered around the flats with a few being caught but not every day. The best catch is the Cobia, they are only 21-25 inches for the ones we caught but I’m sure some bigger fish are on the way.

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 was a good week for guest aboard the Casual Lies out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters. Fuji Chix and White CAL jigs worked very well on the grass flats in Sarasota Bay. All week long we stayed in water about 5 to 7 ft and caught a variety of fish. Trout led each day with catches around 40 some days up to 70 or more with three experienced guys.

Most Trout were medium size (14- 16) inches but we did have some in the (18-21) inch slot. Mackerel are showing up on DOA Shrimp under a popping cork with some up to 21 inches. Pompano are scattered around the flats with a few being caught but not every day. The best catch is the Cobia, they are only 21-25 inches for the ones we caught but I’m sure some bigger fish are on the way.

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.

Al Joseph with his first snook caught on a fly.

Fly anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with snook at night and trout in Sarasota Bay recently. Fly fishing for snook at night remains a dependable option.

Mike Perez, from Sarasota, and Al Joseph, from Cape Coral, Florida, fished the dock lights in the ICW on a night trip with me recently. They had good action catching and releasing snook on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. Al got his first snook and Mike caught and released a 31” snook to end the evening. Great job!

Alan Sugar, from MI, fished Sarasota Bay with me and had good action with trout on Clouser flies on another trip.

Mike Perez, from Sarasota, with a 31″ snook caught and released on a fly fishing the ICW at night.

Fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay is a good choice for action with a variety of species including trout, blues and Spanish mackerel. Shallow water fishing for reds and large trout is also a good option now.

With winter conditions we have very clear water, which usually requires long casts to avoid spooking fish. Depending on tide, sometimes afternoons and evenings will fish better due to warmer water.

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 with snook at night and trout in Sarasota Bay recently.

Fly fishing for snook at night remains a dependable option. Mike Perez, from Sarasota, and Al Joseph, from Cape Coral, fished dock lights in the ICW on a night trip with me recently. They had good action catching and releasing snook on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. Al got his first snook and Mike caught and released a 31” snook to end the evening. Great job! Alan Sugar, from MI, fished Sarasota Bay with me and had good action with trout on Clouser flies on another trip.

Fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay is a good choice for action with a variety of species including trout, blues and Spanish mackerel. Shallow water fishing for reds and large trout is also a good option now. With winter conditions we have very clear water, which usually requires long casts to avoid spooking fish. Depending on tide, sometimes afternoons and evenings will fish better due to warmer water.

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.

In spite of strong winds and cool weather fishing has been pretty good over the last week. Sheephead have finally started moving inshore it seems and are great target for those looking for a good meal. On the flats sea trout have been abundant and there are some spanish mackerel in the same areas.

All things considered this is a great time of year 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.

In spite of strong winds and cool weather fishing has been pretty good over the last week.

Sheephead have finally started moving inshore it seems and are great target for those looking for a good meal. On the flats sea trout have been abundant and there are some spanish mackerel in the same areas.

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.

Sarasota winter resident Denny Mattingly with a snook caught and released on a Grassett Snook Minnow fly while fishing the ICW at night with Capt. Rick Grassett.

Anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had good action with snook at night and trout and Spanish mackerel in Sarasota Bay on flies and CAL jigs with a variety of plastic tails recently.

Denny Mattingly and a friend, from IN, fished dock lights in the ICW on a night trip with me recently. They had good action catching and releasing numerous snook on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. Frank Zaffino, from Rochester, NY, also got in on the action catching and releasing numerous snook on flies on another night trip.

Bill Rohm and Tom Keir, from OH, fished Sarasota Bay with me and had good action with trout and a couple of Spanish mackerel on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails on another trip.

Tom Keir, from OH, with a Spanish mackerel caught and released on a Clouser fly while fishing Sarasota Bay with Capt. Rick Grassett recently.

Shallow water fishing for reds and large trout is a good option now. With winter conditions we have very clear water, which usually requires long casts to avoid spooking fish. Depending on tide, sometimes afternoons and evenings will fish better due to warmer water.

Fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay is also a good choice for action with 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!

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 snook at night and trout and Spanish mackerel in Sarasota Bay on flies and CAL jigs with a variety of plastic tails recently.

Denny Mattingly and a friend, from IN, fished dock lights in the ICW on a night trip with me recently. They had good action catching and releasing numerous snook on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. Frank Zaffino, from Rochester, NY, also got in on the action catching and releasing numerous snook on flies on another night trip.

Bill Rohm and Tom Keir, from OH, fished Sarasota Bay with me and had good action with trout and a couple of Spanish mackerel on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails on another trip.

Shallow water fishing for reds and large trout is a good option now. With winter conditions we have very clear water, which usually requires long casts to avoid spooking fish. Depending on tide, sometimes afternoons and evenings will fish better due to warmer water.

Fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay is also a good choice for action with 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!

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.

These two young ladies bagged a couple of nice looking pompanos, and are pretty happy about it.

The fishing the last couple weeks after the last cold front the fishing has been excellent. Fishing the passes has produced black drum, sheepshead, snapper, pompano, and permit.

In the back waters fishing docks the snook bite has been very good as well. Our bay is still recovering from the red tide of 2018 so conservation of our resources is still very important.

So leave your computer and emails behind, get away from the television or tablet, and let your eyes rest on the gently sparkling water and go fishing.

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.

The fishing the last couple weeks after the last cold front the fishing has been excellent. Fishing the passes has produced black drum, sheepshead, snapper, pompano, and permit.

In the back waters fishing docks the snook bite has been very good as well. Our bay is still recovering from the red tide of 2018 so conservation of our resources is still very important.

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.

Anglers aboard the Casual Lies out of Cb’s Saltwater Outfitters have had some really good days in Sarasota Bay. Top water lure around the oyster bars have been the ticket for some nice size Trout.

Out on the grass flats we have been catching Trout with some around 18-20 inches on White CAL jigs. Moving out to the deeper grass around 6 to 8 ft of water Black Sea Bass, Jacks, and a few Ladyfish have kept the rods bent. The most exciting fishing was when we put a spoon or twitch bait on the rods and got into schools of nice size Mackerel and 4 to 5 pound Bluefish.

Looking forward to the water warming up in a few weeks and the Kingfish showing up along the beaches.

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.

Anglers aboard the Casual Lies out of Cb’s Saltwater Outfitters have had some really good days in Sarasota Bay. Top water lure around the oyster bars have been the ticket for some nice size Trout.

Out on the grass flats we have been catching Trout with some around 18-20 inches on White CAL jigs. Moving out to the deeper grass around 6 to 8 ft of water Black Sea Bass, Jacks, and a few Ladyfish have kept the rods bent.

The most exciting fishing was when we put a spoon or twitch bait on the rods and got into schools of nice size Mackerel and 4 to 5 pound Bluefish.

Looking forward to the water warming up in a few weeks and the Kingfish showing up along the beaches.

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.

My brother Jack Cress displays a beautiful redfish.

My brother Jack is in the Sarasota area for the winter, and since he plans on doing a lot of fishing while he’s here we needed to update his tackle.

At CB’S Outfitters on Siesta Key he found just what he needed to be successful fishing our local waters. And successful he was! He was able to catch and release several large red fish, snook, and trout.

Jack has always loved to fish but this kicked up his enthusiasm another notch. I’m looking forward to some quality family time this winter.

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.

My brother Jack is in the Sarasota area for the winter, and since he plans on doing a lot of fishing while he’s here we needed to update his tackle.

At CB’S Outfitters on Siesta Key he found just what he needed to be successful fishing our local waters. And successful he was! He was able to catch and release several large red fish, snook, and trout.

Jack has always loved to fish but this kicked up his enthusiasm another notch.

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.

That’s a nice looking speckled Sea Trout.

This week’s report, fishing aboard “Coastal Fishing Adventures” out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, out of Siesta Key. Because of the lower water temps, I’ve been starting my charters a little later in the mornings to give it a chance to warm up a little. We’ve also had some weather fronts come through with some early morning fog and windy afternoons.

On Tuesday I chartered the O’Reilly group. We caught spanish mackerel, speckled trout, jacks cravell and ladyfish all on DOA artificial baits using 3/8 ounce jig heads.

On Wednesday I chartered the Knight group. Although we had an all day lingering sea fog. We were able to catch some nice speckled trout, spanish mackerel and jack crevelle despite the numerous cormorants and dolphins trying to invade us and steal our fish. Quite a show.

Speckled Sea Trout were running this past week.

On Thursday I chartered the Beakas group. We started our charter in the afternoon after the kids were all done with their online school work. It was also a little more challenging with the winds picking up in the afternoon.

The approaching cold front somewhat changed the fishing activity so we kept moving to new areas, picking up a few fish at each new area including a spotted eagle ray.

On Friday I chartered the Jacek group. We steadily caught spanish mackerel and speckled trout the entire trip using live shrimp and DOA artificial baits with 1/4 oz jig heads.

When you need a good dose of Vitamin Sea… ‘Let’s go Fishing’.

Capt. Capt. Terry Simmons

Terry was born and raised in Bradenton, FL and has been guiding clients since 2000, fishing on Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico with live bait, artificial lures and fly fishing aboard his 22’ Bay Ranger which accommodates up to 4 anglers.

This week’s report, fishing aboard “Coastal Fishing Adventures” out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, out of Siesta Key. Because of the lower water temps, I’ve been starting my charters a little later in the mornings to give it a chance to warm up a little. We’ve also had some weather fronts come through with some early morning fog and windy afternoons.

On Tuesday I chartered the O’Reilly group. We caught spanish mackerel, speckled trout, jacks cravell and ladyfish all on DOA artificial baits using 3/8 ounce jig heads.

On Wednesday I chartered the Knight group. Although we had an all day lingering sea fog. We were able to catch some nice speckled trout, spanish mackerel and jack crevelle despite the numerous cormorants and dolphins trying to invade us and steal our fish. Quite a show.

On Thursday I chartered the Beakas group. We started our charter in the afternoon after the kids were all done with their online school work. It was also a little more challenging with the winds picking up in the afternoon.

The approaching cold front somewhat changed the fishing activity so we kept moving to new areas, picking up a few fish at each new area including a spotted eagle ray.

On Friday I chartered the Jacek group. We steadily caught spanish mackerel and speckled trout the entire trip using live shrimp and DOA artificial baits with 1/4 oz jig heads.

When you need a good dose of Vitamin Sea… ‘Let’s go Fishing’.

Capt. Capt. Terry Simmons

Terry was born and raised in Bradenton, FL and has been guiding clients since 2000, fishing on Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico with live bait, artificial lures and fly fishing aboard his 22’ Bay Ranger which accommodates up to 4 anglers.

On the water with Capt. Kelly Stilwell last February.

Fishing has picked up all the way around over the last week or so. The deep grass flats are producing lots of spotted seatrout and some beautiful spanish mackerel, as well as a few bluefish for good measure.

These have been a lot of fun on jigs and flies. The weather has also has been cooperating and making early February a great time to be on the water. Bottom fishing has been good also with black sea bass, sheephead, and fun sized gag grouper starting to show up.

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 picked up all the way around. The deep grass flats are producing lots of spotted seatrout and some beautiful spanish mackerel, as well as a few bluefish for good measure.

These have been a lot of fun on jigs and flies and the weather has also has been cooperating. Bottom fishing has been good also with black sea bass, sheephead, and fun sized gag grouper starting to show up.

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.