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Monthly Fishing Reports from Sarasota Area
Here’s the latest report from fishing guides in the area.
Here’s the latest report from fishing guides in the area.
July Fishing Report—Capt. Rick Grassett
Rick Grassett is a Charter Captain with CB's Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key
This is my favorite time to fly fish for tarpon, which should still be a good option in the coastal gulf this month. Spin anglers will do best by setting up in travel lanes and drifting live baits under floats while staying ready to sight cast to fish that may pop up with no notice. The tactics are the same as earlier in the season, except July fish are usually more aggressive. Tarpon will thin out in the coastal gulf towards the end of the month as they begin to move to inside waters where they can be targeted with flies, a variety of DOA lures or live bait.
In addition to tarpon, you might find tripletail or cobia in the coastal gulf this month. You might find cobia swimming with tarpon or cruising bars in shallow water along the beach. You can use your tarpon fly or spin tackle for cobia, but a medium spinning outfit or an 8 to 9-weight fly rod will be better suited for tripletail, which I occasionally run into this time of year, either around a navigational marker or floating debris.
Snook
Catch and release snook fishing in the ICW at night or in the surf should also be good during July. You’ll find snook in the surf, where you can walk along the beach and sight cast to them with flies or lures. Spin anglers should do well fishing lighted docks and bridges in the ICW with live bait, CAL jigs with shad tails or jerk worms or DOA shrimp. Fly anglers should do well with clear intermediate sink tip lines and wide profile flies, such as Lefty’s Deceiver or EP flies, since larger baitfish may be more predominant. Docks and bridges close to passes should be the best ones.
Reds
You’ll find reds very active in shallow water this month. They should form large schools towards the end of the month. Look for them along the edges of bars or in potholes when the tide is low or along mangrove shorelines and around oyster bars when the tide is high. You’ll also find big trout in many of the same areas where you find reds, but the bite for big trout is usually best early or late in the day. In my opinion it’s important to protect larger trout, which are usually female breeders.
I like to drift deep grass flats and cast ahead of my drift with jigs, flies or live shrimp to find trout. A drift anchor will slow your drift to a more manageable speed if it’s windy. Look for birds or baitfish on the surface to find fish. You may also find Spanish mackerel, blues, pompano and more mixed with trout on deep grass flats. Flats close to passes or on points that get good tidal flow are usually the most productive.
Seasonal Tips
There are lots of options this month; tarpon, snook and more. You’ll want to fish early in the day in shallow water due to heat. Our natural resources are under constant pressure, please limit your kill, don’t kill your limit!
Yearly Overview
January - It can be one of the toughest months of the year to fish. When the tide is low, look for reds tailing on shallow grass or reds, trout and more in potholes or around docks. When it is high, look on shallow grass flats on sunny afternoons. Action with trout, blues, Spanish mackerel, pompano and more on deep grass flats can be good depending on conditions.
February - February can be a tough month to fish. With frequent fronts and cool water, fish aren’t always in an eating mood. If you’re able to pick good tides combined with favorable weather conditions, you should be successful. Trout and redfish should be good shallow water options this month. You may also find trout along with blues, Spanish mackerel, pompano and flounder on deep grass flats. Look for sheepshead, flounder, reds and more around docks.
March - There should be good action with reds, trout and snook in skinny water in March as baitfish become more plentiful. Look for Spanish and king mackerel, cobia, tripletail and false albacore (little tunny) in the coastal gulf. Night snook fishing in the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) should also be a good option this month.
April - This is a great month for snook, Reds, and trout on warm, shallow flats due to an increase in baitfish. Spanish mackerel, blues and pompano in passes or on deep grass flats. Tarpons, Spanish mackerel, false albacore (little tunny), cobia and tripletail should also make an appearance in back country areas and in the coastal gulf later in the month.
May - Tarpon, Spanish mackerel, tripletail, cobia and false albacore (little tunny) can be found along our beaches in the coastal gulf. Snook will move into passes and the surf and reds and trout should feed heavily on shallow flats as baitfish become more plentiful. Trout, blues, Spanish mackerel and more should be good options on deep grass flats
June - Tarpon should be plentiful in the coastal gulf this month as big schools of fish migrate along our beaches. Also look for cobia, tripletail and false albacore (little tunny) in the coastal gulf.
July - There are lots of options this month, late season tarpon, snook in the surf or at night or fishing skinny water for reds or big trout. Tarpon fishing is best early in the day in shallow waters.
August - Tarpon will move into estuaries this month. You may also find juvenile tarpon in creeks, canals and turning basins. Reds should be schooling on shallow flats and big trout will prowl the same waters at dawn. Also look for trout on deep grass flats mixed with blues, pompano, Spanish mackerel and more.
September - Fishing dock lights before dawn is usually dependable for snook and more and is a great way to beat the heat. Juvenile tarpon and reds may also frequent dock lights this time of year. Fishing deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay is a good choice for action with a variety of species including trout, blues, and Spanish mackerel.
October - Schools of reds will begin to break up and scatter on shallow flats. There should also be good action with snook and big trout in shallow water. Snook will gorge themselves at night around lighted docks in the ICW. There should also be good action in the coastal gulf with Spanish mackerel, false albacore (little tunny), tripletail and cobia. You might also still find tarpon anywhere from upper Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay to along the beaches.
November - This a great month for fishing the flats or the coastal gulf. Since the action in the coastal gulf is seasonal and will end when it gets cooler, there will also be plenty of action for a variety of fish on shallow and deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay.
December - This is a good month for catch and release snook action around lighted docks in the ICW. Also, there is good action in the coastal gulf with false albacore (little tunny), Spanish mackerel and tripletail, depending on conditions.