Bradenton Times News Articles

There are a few seafood festivals coming up over the next few weeks. One is Bradenton's own Desoto Heritage Seafood festival, which will be held in downtown Bradenton from April 5-7. With a new moon on Monday, tides will be good for fishing all week since water temperatures have dropped sharply following a couple of strong fronts 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.

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 This weekend is the second largest Florida Keys event: Marathon Seafood Festival! Contributing Capt. Rick Grassett said 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.

Next weekend is the second largest Florida Keys event: Marathon Seafood Festival! Contributing Capt. Rick Grassett said 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.

A cold front is expected to move through the area this weekend, but with water temperatures in the mid-60s, which is probably 8 to 10 degrees above normal for February. Anglers are still able to target the many popular pelagic species such as king mackerel, cobia and Spanish mackerel, which have moved to sunny south Florida. You should find trout, Spanish mackerel, blues, pompano and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Capt. Rick Grasset says 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.

With water temperatures in the mid-60s, which is probably 8 to 10 degrees above normal for February, many popular pelagic species such as king mackerel, cobia and Spanish mackerel have moved to sunny south Florida. You should find trout, Spanish mackerel, blues, pompano and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. Capt. Rick Grasset says 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.

The FWCC has named four license-free fishing days, April 6, June 1, June 8 and Sept 1. The FWCC has also proposed a 44-day recreational red snapper season for Gulf of Mexico state waters, set the 2013 recreational gag grouper season for Gulf of Mexico state waters, tabled a decision to create official saltwater game fish and sport fish designations and approved two changes to how gray triggerfish are managed in Gulf of Mexico state waters in an effort to help rebuild this overfished species. Capt. Rick Grassett recommends looking for trout, Spanish mackerel, blues, pompano and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay and looking 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.

The FWCC has named four license-free fishing days, April 6, June 1, June 8 and Sept 1. The FWCC has also proposed a 44-day recreational red snapper season for Gulf of Mexico state waters, set the 2013 recreational gag grouper season for Gulf of Mexico state waters, tabled a decision to create official saltwater game fish and sport fish designations and approved two changes to how gray triggerfish are managed in Gulf of Mexico state waters in an effort to help rebuild this overfished species. Capt. Rick Grassett recommends looking for trout, Spanish mackerel, blues, pompano and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay and looking 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.

The 31st annual Cortez Fishing Festival is this coming weekend! Also this weekend is the NOOD Regatta in St. Petersburg. Meteorologists say a cold front is coming this during the weekend and should reach the Tampa Bay Area by Saturday, but fishing action should be good next week as we head away from a new moon. Contributing Capt. Rick Grassett recommends looking 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.

The 31st annual Cortez Fishing Festival is this coming weekend! Also this weekend is the NOOD Regatta in St. Petersburg. Meteorologists say a cold front is coming this during the week and should reach the Tampa Bay Area by Saturday, but fishing action should be good next week as we head away from a new moon. Contributing Capt. Rick Grassett recommends looking 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.

The first of the month marked the close of gulf grouper season and the opening of snook season on the Atlantic Coast, which runs through May 1. Snook season will remained closed in the Gulf. The FWCC is considering a proposal that would designate certain fish as game fish or sport fish at their meeting on Feb. 13. Our contributing Capt. Rick Grassett said the best action over the weekend should be with trout, Spanish mackerel, blues, pompano and more on deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay. He recommends looking 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.