Sarasota, FL Fishing Report

Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had great action catching and releasing several tarpon up to 110-pounds on live crabs in the coastal gulf early last week. �In addition to tarpon, anglers fishing with me also caught and released trout to 3-pounds and blues and Spanish mackerel to 2-pounds on DOA Deadly Combos in Sarasota Bay.

Domenick Raschella and Dave Reinhart, both from VA, fished with me on Monday and Tuesday. They jumped and landed 3 tarpon on live crabs in the coastal gulf off Sarasota with me on Monday. We bumped into a big, happy school of tarpon as I was easing into my spot with my trolling motor. They were moving slowly which allowed us to get back on them several times and catch all of our fish out of the same school. A couple of the fish were young males, full of energy that put on quite a show jumping around the boat! All fish were measured to estimate weight, DNA sampled and successfully released.

Unfortunately the gulf was unfishable for tarpon in my boat on Tuesday morning. With a big swell out of the south as Tropical Storm Andrea brewed, conditions were unsafe for fishing there. �We hit a tarpon spot in Sarasota Bay for a couple of hours and had a few shots with DOA TerrorEyz and Airheads while we floated a couple of live baits under floats but didn't hook up. However with the wind out of the south, we were able to fish the west side of the bay. They had good action catching and releasing blues and Spanish mackerel to 2-pounds and trout to 3-pounds on DOA Deadly Combos on deep grass flats near Bishop Point and Buttonwood Harbor.

Weather went downhill on Wednesday and Thursday as Tropical Storm Andrea went from a tropical depression to a tropical storm and passed off shore from us with a lot of rain and wind. By Friday the sun was back out and the winds down but the coastal gulf was still very dirty and rough for tarpon fishing so we didn't fish. Sometimes tarpon will push offshore for a few days following a weather event, so it may take a few days for them to return to their normal patterns.
Depending on conditions, tarpon fishing in the coastal gulf should be good next week. However if conditions aren't good for tarpon in the gulf, there should be good action with trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Look for reds and big trout in shallow water early in the day. Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW near passes should also be a good option.

I hosted a group of 7 anglers; Mike Perez, from Sarasota and Richmond, IN, Les Fulcher, from Longboat Key, Joe Bursel, from Sarasota, Tony Johnson, from Venice and Seth Koch and Lon Rubin, from Philadelphia, PA, on my annual trip to Andros South Bonefish Lodge last week. Managers Jeb Hall and Adam Kryder did a great job with making things run smoothly with my group. One of the best things about Andros South is the variety of options that are available. You can fish the vast sand flats and scattered mangrove keys to the south or head west through several creeks to fish remote backcountry areas consisting of large flats, mangrove shorelines and smaller creeks.

����������� Tony and Joe had a couple of great days early in the week. They headed west one day with guide Norman and caught and released 9 or 10 fish each. We had west winds most of the week, which made for an easy trip south so we all fished in that area for a few days. Joe and Tony spent a couple of days fishing the south and caught and released about 10 fish each on their best day, including a 4 �-pounder by Joe and an 8-pound fish for Tony! Joe ties a crawfish fly pattern that works very well and we also had great action with a Mantis Shrimp pattern.

����������� Mike, Les and I rotated around and fished together on several days during the week. Mike and I went south with guide Charlie one day and west with guide Ellie another day. We caught and released 5 or 6 fish each up to 5-pounds or more on each trip on the Mantis Shrimp fly pattern. Mike fished a creek with guide Sparkles that was like an aquarium filled with rays, turtles, �cudas and sharks. In addition to lots of bonefish that day he also had fast action with numerous snapper out of a deep hole for a change of pace. Mike also had a couple of good days fishing the west side with Les and guides, Josie and Freddie.

����������� Les and I fished together a couple of days and had a great day with guide Charlie. One day started with thunderstorms, the only weather issue all week, so we stayed close to the dock that day. I had a 7-pound fish that day, but the most rewarding were a couple of tailers that I waded to in ankle deep water! I fished a day with another guest at the lodge, Sean from NY, and he also caught and released a 7-pound fish. Les fished with guide Freddie a couple of days and caught and released 4 or 5 fish each day. Seth and Lon had good day on the west side with guide Charlie one day catching a releasing 5 bonefish each and Lon caught a nice �cuda on a tube lure �cuda rig on spinning tackle another day. A nice fish!

����������� I have been hosting a group at Andros South in late April or early May for the last 8 or 9 years. This an annual trip for me, so if you have an interest in going on a future trip feel free to contact me for more info. Andros Island is quick and easy to get to and is very safe. I am also considering adding a fall trip to Andros South. Advantages of fall fishing are bigger fish and fewer bugs. Additional images from this year�s trip are available for viewing on the photo gallery of my web site at

http://www.snookfin-addict.com/photos.htm .

����������� Back in Sarasota, tarpon fishing is coming on strong. Look for schools of fish at first light in the morning in deeper areas along beaches. Spin anglers should score with live crabs, pinfish, DOA Baitbusters, Airheads and Swimming Mullet. Fly anglers should do best fishing shallower water later in the day with baitfish fly patterns such as Lefty�s Deceiver and EP flies. Reds, trout and snook on shallow grass flats of Sarasota Bay should also be a good option.

Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB�s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout and blues in Sarasota Bay on flies during the past week. We also landed the first tarpon of the season in the coastal gulf on a fly!

Mark Bowler, editor of the Scottish magazine Fly Fishing  Fly Tying, and his guests Ron and Rick, all from Scotland, fly fished Sarasota Bay with me on Sunday. The best action was fishing deep grass at Stephens Point where they caught and released trout (both spotted and silver trout), blues, jacks and ladyfish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on intermediate sink tip lines. Ron connected with a good snook while we were wading shallow water and they had some shots at reds on top of a bar when the tide was high.

����������� Ross Shedden, from Bradenton, FL, fished Sarasota Bay on an instructional fly fishing trip with me on Monday. He was casting 40-feet or more in short order and was able to catch and release several trout and bluefish fishing deep grass flats on the west side of the bay with an Ultra Hair Clouser fly fished on an intermediate sink tip fly line. Good job!

����������� Patrice Camillieri, from France, fly fished for tarpon in the coastal gulf with me on Tuesday. We saw singles, doubles and several small schools of fish throughout the day. Despite some slow periods, we had spurts of good activity and fish were happy. Patrice caught and released his first tarpon, a young male of about 50-pounds, on a fly. The fish was so aggressive that it slammed its brakes on and went vertical to eat the fly and then jumped numerous times around the boat before being landed in about 15 to 20-minutes. A great first tarpon!

����������� Conditions were poor for tarpon fishing on Wednesday morning. With heavy cloud cover and rain looming just offshore, we decided to wait for better tarpon fishing conditions. Thursday was similar, poor visibility and a big swell in the gulf.� Seth Koch, from PA, and Bill Miller from MS, fly fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday morning. We fished deep grass flats on both sides of the bay where they caught and released a few trout to 20� on an Ultra Hair Clouser fly fished on a sink tip fly line.

 If you want to learn to fly fish, there will be an Orvis Fly Fishing 101 introductory fly fishing class at CB�s Saltwater Outfitters on Sun, May 5th. The 2-hour free class will cover fly casting basics and participants will have an opportunity to cast premium Orvis fly tackle. Contact CB�s at (941) 349-4400 to sign up.

Tarpon are becoming more plentiful in the coastal gulf and should be a good option next week. Look for reds, snook and big trout in potholes and on the edges of bars when the tide is low or on shallow flats on sunny afternoons when the tide is high. Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW from Sarasota to Venice should also be good.

Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, flounder and Spanish mackerel in Sarasota Bay and snook and bluefish in the ICW at night near Venice on lures and flies during the past week. We also jumped the first tarpon of the season in the coastal gulf on a fly!

Terry Mitchell, from OR, and Michael Ruegg from Switzerland, fished the coastal gulf and Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. With good sunlight and calm sea conditions we decided to take a look in the coastal gulf for tarpon. We were pleasantly surprised to find 6 or 7 schools of tarpon and get some shots at them with flies, DOA shrimp and Baitbusters. We fished Sarasota Bay in the afternoon where they caught numerous trout to 18", Spanish mackerel, flounder and a redfish on CAL jigs with shad tails at Stephens Point and near Long Bar.

Don and Linda Tase, from NH, and their grandson Ryan, from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. They caught and released trout to 18" on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos at the Marina Jack Flat.

Ron Race, from MI, fished Sarasota Bay and the coastal gulf with me on Wednesday. He had some action catching and releasing trout on Ultra Hair Clouser flies at the Marina Jack flat in the morning before we headed into the coastal gulf. Conditions were great, so we spent some time looking for tarpon, tripletail and false albacore (little tunny) but didn't find anything. However we found a big cobia and he got a shot at it with a fly.

Ron also fished the ICW near Venice with me on Thursday evening. He had great action catching and releasing 15 snook to 25" and a bluefish on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly. The best action was at the bottom of the tide when snook went on a binge!

On Friday's tarpon trip in the coastal gulf, we saw 3 schools of tarpon and had 5 or 6 shots at them with a fly. We jumped one on a Lefty's Deceiver fly that gave us a smoking run and several jumps before the fish chafed the leader on something and broke off. What a thrill!

Capt. Ed Hurst and I taught the Orvis Fly Fishing 101 introductory fly fishing class at CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Saturday morning. The 2-hour free class, designed to expose new anglers to fly fishing, covered fly casting basics and included casting with premium Orvis fly tackle. If you want to learn to fly fish, contact CB�s to sign up for the next Orvis Fly Fishing 101 class, which will be Sun, May 5th.

Tarpon are becoming more plentiful in the coastal gulf and should be a good option next week. Look for reds and big trout in potholes and on the edges of bars when the tide is low or on shallow flats on sunny afternoons when the tide is high. Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW from Sarasota to Venice should also be good.

 Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB�s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released snook, reds, trout and flounder in Sarasota Bay, snook, reds and trout in Gasparilla Sound and snook and bluefish in the ICW at night near Venice on lures and flies during the past week.

Tim Graham, from Nokomis, FL, fished Gasparilla Sound in Charlotte Harbor with me on Monday. He had good action catching and releasing 3 reds, a pair of snook and about a dozen trout on CAL jigs with shad tails.

Anna Maria Island and Sarasota winter residents, Bill Morrison and Gary Marple fished the ICW at night near Venice with me on Tuesday evening. They had steady action catching and releasing about 15 snook and a nice bluefish on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly.

 Peter and Nini Seaman, from CA, fished the same area with me on Wednesday afternoon and evening. They also had good action catching and releasing a couple of snook on a Clouser fly before dusk and more than a dozen snook on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly in the ICW at night near Venice. We were pleasantly surprised when we encountered a �laid up� tarpon of about 75-pounds or more while I poled a mangrove shoreline in Little Sarasota Bay.� The fish floated to the surface only a few feet from the boat along the edge of channel. We spotted each other at the same time and the big fish splashed us and waked the boat as it left!

 I tied flies and gave a presentation on fly fishing bay and backcountry areas in the spring at the Suncoast Fly Fishers club in St. Petersburg, FL on Thursday evening. The club is very organized and the meetings are well attended. They meet on the 3rd Thursday of the month at Walter Fuller Park. A great fly fishing club to belong to if you live in that area!

Mark Nichols, owner of DOA Fishing Lures, and I fished with Capt. Andy Cotton on Friday and Saturday. We scouted Sarasota Bay on Friday in preparation for the Sarasota CCA �Photo All Release Challenge� on Saturday. We had a good day catching and releasing snook around lighted docks and on the flats on DOA shrimp baits on Friday.� Andy caught and released a big flounder on a DOA shrimp and a big red on the new DOA Airhead. A front came through on Friday evening and the wind switched from south to north, changing our game plan for Saturday. We had good action with snook around lighted docks, but nothing measured for the tournament. We worked a bar where we caught and released a red and numerous trout, including a 25� trout that Mark caught and released. This a great event; laid back, low stress family fun with a nice dinner after fishing on Saturday evening that helps support conservation!

Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW from Sarasota to Venice should be a good option next week. Look for reds and big trout in potholes and on the edges of bars when the tide is low or on shallow flats on sunny afternoons when the tide is high. Action should improve in the coastal gulf with Spanish mackerel, false albacore, tripletail, cobia and more as the water continues to warm and baitfish become more plentiful. Look for �laid up� tarpon along bars and on deep grass flats and in the coastal gulf.

Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released reds, trout and flounder in Sarasota Bay on lures and flies during the past week.

Mike Perez, from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. It was a cool and very, windy day but reds were in an eating mood. We fished shallow water in north Sarasota Bay and caught and released a pair of reds, each 27� and about 8-pounds, and hooked another red on CAL jigs with shad tails.

Scott Heidler, from OH, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. We fished both shallow and deep grass flats on both sides of the bay where he caught and released trout and a couple of flounder on CAL jigs with shad tails.

Anna Maria Island and Sarasota winter residents, Bill Morrison and Gary Marple, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. We fished deep grass flats along the west side of the bay where they caught and released trout on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on sink tip fly lines. Gary also caught a flounder on a Clouser fly while fishing the edge of a sand bar.
There should be good action with trout mixed with Spanish mackerel and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay next week. Look for reds and big trout in potholes and on the edges of bars when the tide is low or on shallow flats on sunny afternoons when the tide is high. Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW from Sarasota to Venice should also be a good option.

Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, flounder, redfish and Spanish mackerel in Sarasota Bay on lures and flies during the past week.

I participated in fishing a large group of anglers organized by CB's Saltwater Outfitters out of the Sarasota Hyatt on Tuesday afternoon. Vaughn Beasley, from Jacksonville, FL, and John Kelly and his daughter, Laura Kelly, both from MD, fished Sarasota Bay with me that afternoon. We fished the west side of the bay from the Middleground flat to Whale Key where they caught and released about a dozen trout to 19� and a Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos.

Wednesday's trip was cancelled due to rain and wind that morning. We waited on it for more than an hour at the boat ramp, but conditions didn't improve. Mike Perez, from Sarasota, FL, and, Ken McElheny, from Ft. Myers, FL fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday afternoon. They had steady action with trout and Spanish mackerel on deep grass flats at Stephens Point and near Whale Key on CAL jigs with shad tails, DOA Deadly Combos and Ultra Hair Clouser flies. We also spent some time in shallow water hunting reds where they caught and released a red and a flounder on a CAL jig with a shad tail near Long Bar.

Anna Maria Island and Sarasota winter residents, Bill Morrison and Gary Marple, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. We fished deep grass flats on both sides of the bay. They caught and released trout and several nice Spanish mackerel, including a 4-pounder on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on sink tip fly lines.

 My niece, Hannah Mumford, and her friend, Lindsay Hardt , both from DE, visited Sarasota for spring break and fished Sarasota Bay with my wife, Karen, and me on Saturday. They caught and released trout and Spanish mackerel on CAL jigs with shad tails at Stephens Point.

Tides are good next week as we approach a full moon. Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW from Sarasota to Venice should be a good option later in the week. Look for reds and big trout in potholes and on the edges of bars when the tide is low or on shallow flats on sunny afternoons when the tide is high. There should also be good action with trout, Spanish mackerel, blues, pompano and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. 

Despite the terrible wind that we had the last week, I was still able to sneak in a few charters. Beginning of the week we spent most of our time on the flats trying to get out of the wind. The trout bite has been fantastic depite all the wind. On Monday, we managed two trout that were pushing gator status. One that weighed 5lbs and one that weighed 6 lbs plus many others in the slot.

Pompano fishing is more consistent with the cooler water temps. The water in the St Lucie river and Indian river was been hovering around 62 to 66 degrees.

I did a doudle snook trip on Saturday and one on Sunday. Sufice to say that even with the cooler water temps, the snook bite remains constant. I'm having to catch 10 fish to get that "in the slot" fish to take home for dinner. Many of the fish this week were over slot and several under slot. Once the water temps rise up into the lower 70's the snook bite will go off. The fish are here just a little sluggish.

Off shore report this week is slim mostly because of the trechorous winds we had all week. This weekend the wind finally died down enough for the fleet to get back offshore. Dolphin seems to be the most consistent altough I heard the spring run of kingfish showed this past week.

Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB�s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, silver trout, Spanish mackerel, blues, pompano and flounder in Sarasota Bay and snook and trout in the ICW near Venice at night on lures and flies during the past week.

����������� Martin Marlowe, from NY, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. He had steady action with trout to 18�, including several in the slot, near Long Bar on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on a sink tip fly line. I threw the new DOA Airhead bait for a while over deep grass and caught and released several nice trout on it.

����������� Anna Maria Island and Sarasota winter residents, Bill Morrison and Gary Marple, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday morning.� We fished an area of deep water with a mud bottom, which will often hold fish in winter, and caught several silver trout and a flounder on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and a CAL jig with a shad tail. They also had good action with spotted sea trout over deep grass near Long Bar also on Ultra Hair Clouser flies. Tony Merlis, from NH, and his daughter, Jennifer, from MD, fished the same areas with me that afternoon. They also caught and released trout and several nice Spanish mackerel

on Ultra Hair Clouser flies.

����������� A front blew through on Wednesday morning and with wind at 20 mph before our start time, that fly fishing trip was canceled. Mike Perez, from Sarasota, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on a blustery day on Thursday afternoon. �Following Wednesday�s front it was sunny, but cool and windy. However, he had steady action with trout, Spanish mackerel, blues and a pompano on Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails near Long Bar.

����������� Bruce Marlowe, from RI, got out of the northeast just ahead of the latest snow storm just in time to snook fish with his dad, Martin Marlowe from NY, and me on Friday evening. We fished lighted docks in the ICW from Little Sarasota Bay to the Venice Inlet. They had steady action catching and releasing more than a dozen snook to 25� and several trout on my Grassett Snook Minnow fly.

����������� With a new moon on Monday, tides will be good all of next week. Since water temperatures have dropped sharply following a couple of strong fronts recently, afternoons may fish better than mornings. You should find trout, Spanish mackerel, blues, pompano and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. You may also find blues and Spanish mackerel in passes when the tide is moving. Look for reds around docks, in potholes and on the edges of bars when the tide is low or on shallow flats on sunny afternoons when the tide is high.  

 Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB�s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, Spanish mackerel, blues and flounder in Sarasota Bay on lures and flies during the past week.

����������� Dick Reece, from Dayton, OH, and Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. It was a windy day, but we found some protection along the west side of the bay. They had good action catching trout to 18�, including 7 or 8 in the slot, and several blues to 3-pounds drifting deep grass flats near Bishop Point on CAL jigs with shad tails. A front passed through on Tuesday and with the wind gusting to more than 25-mph that morning, we decided to reschedule.

����������� Linda Foy, from Twin Bridges, MT, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. We fished the west side of the bay near Bishop Point. We caught and released 4 or 5 Spanish mackerel and several blues and trout on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on sink tip fly lines.

����������� Anna Maria Island and Sarasota winter residents, Bill Morrison and Gary Marple, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. Action was a slower than Wednesday, but they caught and released trout and a Spanish mackerel on Ultra Hair Clouser flies on deep grass at the Middleground flat and near Bishop Point..

����������� Fly anglers Nick Reding, from Longboat Key, FL, and Tony Merlis, from NH, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. We had a brisk northwest wind and very little sun as another front moved through. We waded a sand bar and I poled several shallow flats on the east side of the bay. Despite tough conditions they caught and released a few trout and a nice flounder on Clouser and my Grassett Flats Minnow fly.

����������� I spoke on �Saltwater Fly Fishing� and helped my friends at the DOA Fishing Lures booth at the News Channel 8 �Outdoors Expo  Boat Show� (formerly the �Frank Sargeant Outdoors Expo  Boat Show�) on Saturday. Retailers, manufacturers and fishing and hunting experts shared their knowledge and showcased new products at one of the biggest annual outdoor shows in the southeast. DOA�s hot new bait, the Airhead, has a wide profile and an enticing wiggle that is sure to drive fish crazy!

����������� Tides will improve towards the end of next week as we approach a new moon. Since water temperatures have dropped sharply following a couple of strong fronts last week, afternoons should fish better than mornings. You should find trout, Spanish mackerel, blues, pompano and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. You may also find blues and Spanish mackerel in passes when the tide is moving. Look for reds around docks, in potholes and on the edges of bars when the tide is low or on shallow flats on sunny afternoons when the tide is high.  

 Despite the recent cold front we had last week, the big schools of bait still continue to show along the coast on the Treasure Coast. Most of my charters this past week have been targeting snook. 15 to 20 fish days are common this time of year and several fish are "in the slot" so for those of you who enjoy eating them, they are in season. While catching bait, several cobia and sailfish have been caught. The pompano bite is still scattered at best. Plenty of spanish mackeral in the pecks lake area south of the St Lucie Inlet. Trout fishin remains steady in the Indian river.

 Offshore it about time for us to start seeing some bigger dolphin moving through. The spring kingfish season should be kicking off very soon. On the bottom we are starting to see some larger yellowtail snapper.

Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, reds, Spanish mackerel, flounder and blues in Sarasota Bay on lures and flies during the past week.

 I was out of town visiting family for a few days early in the week. Nick Reding, from Longboat Key, FL, and Tony Merlis, from NH, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. I poled a couple of sand bars and we waded shallow flats on the east side of the bay where they caught and released several trout to more than 20", a flounder and a couple of reds on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly.

 Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL and Jack Walker, from WI, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. They had good action on several deep grass flats on both sides of the bay catching and releasing numerous trout to 18� and several blues on CAL jigs with shad tails.

Tom Newman, from Fairfax, VA, and his brother, John Newman from Annapolis, MD, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Saturday. With a strong south wind, we found some protection on the west side of the bay. They caught and released a few trout and ladyfish and a couple of Spanish mackerel from the Middleground flat to Whale Key on Ultra Hair Clouser flies, CAL jigs with shad tails and DOA Deadly Combos.

Tides will be good next week as we head away from a full moon. You should find trout, Spanish mackerel, blues, pompano and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. You may also find blues and Spanish mackerel in passes when the tide is moving. Look for reds around docks, in potholes and on the edges of bars when the tide is low or on shallow flats on sunny afternoons when the tide is high.  

Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB�s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, Spanish mackerel and blues in Sarasota Bay and trout, blues and reds in Gasparilla Sound on lures and flies during the past week.

����������� Nick Reding, from Longboat Key, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. I poled several shallow flats and bars hunting reds and trout on both sides of the bay. After locating some nice trout in skinny water, we waded and caught and released a couple of trout to 22� on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly.

����������� Minnesotans Mike and Jackie McGlennen, owners of Bill�s Fish Camp in Bradenton Beach, FL, fished the Middleground flat and Stephens Point in Sarasota Bay with me on Tuesday. They used fly and spin tackle and caught Spanish mackerel and blues on Ultra Hair Clouser flies and CAL jigs with shad tails. Bill�s Fish Camp is a historic 1939 fishing camp on an unbelievable waterfront location, renovated for vacation getaways. A very unique place to stay with a lot of character!

����������� Bill Moore, from IL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Thursday. He had steady action with trout, Spanish mackerel and blues at the Middleground flats, Stephens Point and Bishop Point on CAL jigs with shad tails.

����������� Keith McClintock, Dan DiCaro and Chuck Hempfling, all from IL, fished Gasparilla Sound near Boca Grande with me on Friday. Although there were some signs of red tide close to Gasparilla Pass, fishing was good. They caught numerous trout to 22�, including 8 or 10 in the slot, several blues to 3-pounds and 3 reds to 23� on CAL jigs with shad tails.

����������� I did a presentation on Saltwater Fly Fishing at CB�s Saltwater Outfitters Fly Fishing Day on Saturday.� They also had free fly casting instruction, a fly tying demonstration and a fly casting competition. The newest products from Orvis, TFO and Lamson fly tackle were displayed and demonstrated. I will be the instructor for their Orvis-Endorsed fly casting schools on Feb 16, Mar 16 and Apr 13. Cost is $150 for the course which includes a textbook, lunch and the use of premium Orvis fly tackle. Contact CB�s Saltwater Outfitters at (941) 349-4400 to sign up.

����������� Action should be good next week as we head away from a new moon. Look for reds around docks, in potholes and on the edges of bars when the tide is low or on shallow flats on sunny afternoons when the tide is high. You should find trout, Spanish mackerel, blues, pompano and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay.

Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, Spanish mackerel and blues in Sarasota Bay and trout, reds and a pompano in the Terra Ceia Bay area on lures and flies during the past week.

Martin Marlowe, from NY, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. We fished the west side of the bay from the Middleground flat to Buttonwood Harbor where he caught and released trout and several bluefish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies fished on a sink tip fly line. Bill and Sally Wester, from Cincinnati, OH, fished the same areas with me on Tuesday. They also caught trout and blues but on CAL jigs with shad tails.

 Keith McClintock and Hal D'Orazio, both from IL, fished the Terra Ceia Bay area with me on Wednesday. With a strong front approaching, we had high winds that day so it was challenging. They had good action in the afternoon catching trout, several reds and a 4-pound pompano on CAL jigs with shad tails.

I'll be doing a presentation on Winter Tide Tactics at the Florida Sportsman Expo at the Lee County Civic Center on Bayshore Rd. in Ft Myers this weekend, Feb 2 and 3, at noon each day. Show hours run 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 2, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 3. For more details and a discount coupon, visitwww.FloridaSportsman.com/Expo.I'll also be at the DOA Fishing Lures booth before and after the presentations, so stop by to say hello or to check out the latest from DOA Lures.

The best action next week should be with trout, Spanish mackerel, blues, pompano and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Look for reds around docks, in potholes and on the edges of bars when the tide is low or on shallow flats on sunny afternoons when the tide is high.

 Offshore it's sailfish season. The nastier the weather the better the sailfish bite. Typically NE winds are the best. Try live blue runners or goggle eyes for best results. Some days report bites of 1-2 per day and other days it 7-10 bites a day.

 Bottom fishing is decent with yellow tail snapper being the most abundant. Mutton snapper and mangrove snapper are being caught while yellowtailing. Nearshore, reports of cobia up and down the coast are common.

 If you have kids and want them to catch tons of fish right now, the Pecks Lake area is loaded with spanish mackeral. I've done several spanish mackeral trips this week and typical catches for a 4 hour trip is around 100 fish. Inshore the trout action is most consistant and an occasional redfish is being caught in the indian river. The pompano bite is hit or miss right now with most of the fish still further north. We need a good cold snap to get the pompano chewing.

 Till next week,

 Tight Lines, Capt Ken Hudson

Anglers fishing with me on my Action Craft flats skiff the Snook Fin-Addict, out of CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, caught and released trout, bluefish, ladyfish, redfish and a pompano in Sarasota Bay on lures during the past week. Large ladyfish, mixed with trout and blues, are plentiful on deep grass flats close to passes. Although ladyfish are not usually targeted, they are a nice diversion for anglers focused on action while searching for other species often found in the same areas.

Dick Weerts, from Osprey, FL, and his grandson, Nathan, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. They had some action with trout and ladyfish fishing deep grass at the Middleground flat with CAL jigs and shad tails. With the water temperature a couple of degrees warmer in the coastal gulf and an incoming tide, the warmer water close to New Pass made a difference.

Keith McClintock, his son-in-law, Rick Anderson and grandson, Garrett Anderson, all from IL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. They caught and released trout, including several in the slot, blues to more than 3-pounds and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad tails and grubs and DOA Deadly Combos on deep grass flats along the west side of the bay.
Chris Lewington, from the UK, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Friday. He caught and released trout and ladyfish on CAL jigs with shad and grub tails at the Marina Jack and Middleground flats. He also caught a red while fishing docks in Roberts Bay and a pompano at Stephens Point, both on CAL jigs.

You should find trout, mixed with blues, pompano and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Look for reds around docks, in potholes and on the edges of bars when the tide is low or on shallow grass flats at the top of the tide. Catch and release snook fishing in the ICW at night should also be a good option.