Captian Tom Chaya

Pompano showed up in better numbers. We are catching them around the passes on yellow or pink pompano jigs. Bouncing the jig off the sandy bottom will produce good action on these feisty fighters. Trout fishing was good on the low tides in the first light hours. The bigger trout were in very shallow water around the sandbars in south Sarasota Bay. Lots of school trout were on the deeper holes near canal mouths. Dark color gulp jigs worked well. Redfish schools were on the move and very spooky. We managed a few on jumbo shrimp in Buttonwood Harbor. Sheepshead are increasing toward their spawn. Any reef or bridge should have plenty for the next couple of months. Warmer water has brought in some mackerel and bluefish. They are feeding on glass minnows and small shiners on the artificial reefs on calm days. Some nice flounder were caught in the same area reefs.

Captain Mark Howard

Fishing out of Anna Maria Island on my 23-foot Hydrasport tower boat this past week has yielded a variety of fish landed and some nice trophies released.This time of year the weather has been all over the charts with a "heat wave' persisting the last week or so.

Redfish have slowed down around the docks due to the warm weather, but can be caught on the flats. Work the potholes at low tide with a live shrimp rigged on a popping cork . A Berkley gulp or similar artificial pulled through the pothole will get the reds to chew.

Some trophy-sized speckled trout have been landed with the big one this week landed by Ian Gilchrist of England measuring 26 inches. He also landed a a couple 25-inch beauties also. A large select shrimp rigged with a small split shot under a popping cork enticed the speckled trout to bite.

Sheephead have started to make their move into the Tampa Bay waters and will only increase in numbers as the winter season progresses. A shrimp rigged on a #1 hook with enough weight to get it to the bottom will get these fish to chew. One tip to catching the sheephead is to be ultra sensitive to the slightest bump in your line. Feel the bump and reel down to the fish and put a bend in the pole. I like to release any sheep head under 15 inches due to the lack of meat in the smaller ones.

Winter fishing can produce some sizzling action, but you need to adjust your fishing techniques to the season

Captain Rick Grassett

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, snook and Spanish mackerel on jigs and flies during the past week. Nick Reding, from Longboat Key, FL, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. We waded and fly fished several bars on both sides of the bay. Reds were elusive for us that day, but Nick caught and released a few trout on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly.

Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL and Gary Roberts, from Bradenton, FL fished Gasparilla Sound with me on Tuesday. They Captain Rick Grassett

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, snook and Spanish mackerel on jigs and flies during the past week. Nick Reding, from Longboat Key, fished Sarasota Bay with me on Monday. We waded and fly fished several bars on both sides of the bay. Reds were elusive for us that day, but Nick caught and released a few trout on my Grassett Flats Minnow fly.

Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, Ill., and Gary Roberts, from Bradenton, fished Gasparilla Sound with me on Tuesday. They caught and released more than 40 trout to 17 inches and a snook on CAL jigs with shad tails, DOA Deadly Combos and DOA Deadly Duos. With shallow water temperatures reaching close to 70 degrees in backcountry areas, we saw a few snook moving onto the flats to feed in the afternoon.

Tom Newman, from Oakton, Va., fished the coastal Gulf and Sarasota Bay with me on Wednesday. We found a few false albacore (little tunny) working off Siesta Key, but they were up and down very fast. Tom got a fly in them a couple of times, but we couldn't get right with them before they disappeared. We went back into Sarasota Bay, where he caught and released about a dozen trout and a 4-pound Spanish mackerel on my Grassett Deep Flats Bunny fly at Stephens Point and Bishop Point. The biggest trout came out of a pothole in skinny water.

Pete Walocko and Richard Ives, both from Michigan, fished the same areas with me on Thursday. With an approaching front wind was an issue, but they managed to catch and release a few trout and ladyfish on Ultra Hair Clouser flies.

Look for false albacore, tripletail and Spanish mackerel in the coastal Gulf when sea conditions are good. Fishing shallow grass flats of Sarasota Bay for trout and reds and deep grass flats for trout, Spanish mackerel, blues and pompano should be good options. Catch and release night snook fishing in the ICW should also be a good option.