December 2, 2025: Capt. Rick Grassett shares his Sarasota, FL Fishing Forecast for December 2025
You may find reds along with big trout concentrated in potholes, along the edges of bars and flats or tailing on shallow grass flats on negative low tides this month. This is a good month for snook action around lighted docks in the ICW. Some lights will also have trout and reds making it possible to get a dock “slam”. There may also be good action in the coastal gulf with false albacore (little tunny), Spanish mackerel and tripletail, depending on conditions.
You might find reds in potholes or along the edges of flats and bars on negative low tides. They may also tail on shallow grass when the tide is low. CAL jigs with shad tails and 4” jerk worms, DOA Shrimp and lightly weighted flies with weed guards will work well in that situation. As the tide rises, reds will spread out and feed on shallow flats. I usually let the stage of the tide tell me where to look for reds. When it is low they may be found in potholes or on the outer edges of shallow flats, moving closer to the shoreline as the tide rises. You may also find them around docks this month.
Catch and release snook fishing around lighted docks can be good in December. Larger baitfish will thin out and snook will feed on glass minnows in the ICW at night. I like docks that have a good tidal flow and deep water under them. You may also find reds and trout in dock lights during December. CAL jigs with shad tails and jerk worms, DOA Tiny TerrorEyz and DOA Shrimp are my favorite lures for snook at night. Fly anglers should do well with sink tip fly lines and small white flies. Tide is important for dock fishing, think of the tide as a conveyor belt moving food towards fish.
You may also find big trout in skinny water this month in many of the same areas where you find reds. The same lures and techniques that I use for reds will also work for trout in the same areas. I feel that it’s important to protect large trout, which are usually female breeders. Full regulations and details can be viewed at myfwc.com. Flounder prefer a mix of sand and grass, so they may be found in sandy areas in potholes or on the edges of bars in December. I like to fish a heavier CAL jig in potholes, bouncing or dragging it along the bottom in potholes. They fight well due to their body shape, round and flat.
You should also find trout on deep grass flats this month along with blues, Spanish mackerel or pompano. Blues and mackerel may sometimes feed on the surface, so bird activity may give their presence away. Pompano may skip when you drift or run past them and when that happens, circle back upwind and drift through the area casting ahead of your drift. I like to drift and cast ahead of my drift with CAL jigs and a variety of plastic tails or DOA Deadly Combos. Fly anglers should score with sink tip fly lines and weighted flies like Clousers, which behaves more like a jig.
There should still be some action in the coastal gulf with Spanish mackerel, blues, false albacore and tripletail. Rough or cold water later in the month may slow the action and move fish south or offshore. Look for terns either diving or hovering low over the surface of the water to find albies, blues and mackerel feeding on the surface. Once you’ve found them, cast top water plugs or CAL jigs with 3” shad tails to catch them. Fly anglers should score with glass minnow fly patterns, poppers or Crease flies. Sometimes top water plugs or fly poppers will draw fish to the surface or from a distance especially over structure. You’ll need to add wire or heavy fluorocarbon to your leader when blues and mackerel are around. Look for tripletail around crab trap floats or channel markers. Once you’ve located a fish, work back into the wind or current with an electric trolling motor to get into casting range and cast a DOA shrimp, a weedless-rigged CAL shad tail or lightly weighted fly with a weed guard to them. Try to make your first shot count since they are much tougher to catch once they know you’re there.
There will be lots of options in December. When fishing flats, I usually let conditions and the stage of the tide determine when, where and what I will target. I like to fish the coastal gulf for false albacore and tripletail whenever conditions are good. Our natural resources are under constant pressure from red tides fueled by agricultural, industrial and residential runoff, toxic spills and discharges, freezes, increasing fishing pressure and habitat loss and degradation, please limit your kill, don’t kill your limit!
Tight Lines, Capt. Rick Grassett, FFI Certified Fly Casting Instructor at CB’s Saltwater Outfitters
November 9, 2025: Fishing is still pretty consistent according to Captain Matt Davie of CBs Saltwater Outfitters. Reds are still around in small schools. Our snook bite seems to have been better late morning or afternoon with our cooler water temps. Trout are still in the shallows and deep flats – in good numbers. The nearshore bite has been decent, plenty of triple tail, Spanish mackerel, jacks, medium sized snapper, small grouper, and a good number of cobia.
Let’s go fishing for the holidays!
November 7, 2025: Capt. Chuck Cress reported he had the privilege of taking out Nick, an accomplished angler and his wife Susan on a half-day charter out of CB’S Outfitters. The couple is on an extended stay on Siesta Key from Lexington, Massachusetts. Nick caught this bull red, which was more than 30″ using a quarter ounce jig head with gulp jerk shad. He and Susan both caught several nice trout. Susan was using a live shrimp under a popping cork. To end the day, Nick caught a snook, which gave the couple the inshore slam. All the fish were released safely to be caught another day.
October 29, 2025: Capt. Brandon from CBs Saltwater Outfitters reported that the Double Trouble Gang was back together for a Boca Grande trip. He invites you to call CB’s, 941-349-4400, to book a trip when next visiting Siesta Key.
October 6, 2025: Capt. Kelly Kurtz of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters reports that with fall arriving the fish are starting fall patterns. “There is still plenty of baitfish around until the weather gets cooler.”
Last week Capt. Kurtz fished a couple days with friends and clients. “On the right tides we caught and released a dozen snook up to 32”. We also caught a few redfish, flounder, snapper, sea trout, gag grouper and small Goliath grouper.”
The fall migration of Spanish mackerel, kingfish and tripletail are coming soon.
September 17, 2025: Abby from Waco, Texas caught this beautiful Redfish in Sarasota Bay while fishing with Capt. Brandon and Capt. Hunter while on a four-hour trip out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key.
Want to do some fishing on your own? CB’s has a September 2025 Boat Rental Special – rent a full day for the half-day rate. Call to reserve, 941-349-4400. CB’s is located at 1249 Stickney Point Road in Siesta’s south village.
August 12, 2025: CB’s Saltwater Outfitter’s Capt. Kelly Stilwell has reported that the fishing this summer has been as good as ever in Big Sarasota Bay. Recently Jeff and Cheryl Bextan had a great day. They caught lots of trout, ladyfish and jack crevalle on plastic jigs and topwater plugs.
August 5, 2025: The Honer family from Dallas, Texas had a decision to make to either go to the Colorado mountains or go to the beaches on Siesta Key for their summer vacation.
Looking at the pictures of young Reeve holding his catch I’d say they made the right decision to visit Siesta Key. Reeve who fishes small ponds around his house was really on fire fishing in our bay.
He out fished his dad and caught what we call the inshore slam, redfish, snook and trout.
All of the fish were safely released to be caught another time.
July 2025 Forecast: CB’s Saltwater Outfitters reported that this is Capt. Rick Grassett’s 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 Capt. Grassett occasionally runs into this time of year, either around a navigational marker or floating debris.
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.
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. It’s important to protect larger trout, which are usually female breeders.
Capt. Grassett likes 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.
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 from red tides fueled by industrial, agricultural and residential runoff, toxic spills and discharges, freezes, increasing fishing pressure and habitat loss and degradation, please limit your kill, don’t kill your limit!
June 2, 2025: Capt. Kelly Kurtz out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters reported that fishing around Siesta Key the last week of May was excellent on the new moon week. Using a variety of live bait Anglers fishing out of CB’s saltwater outfitters had an excellent time catching and releasing many snook up to 28″, redfish, trout and snapper.
Several trips Capt. Kurtz headed south and fished midnight pass which was opened by Hurricane Milton this past October. The water is now very clean and the fishing has been excellent on the right tides.
Call CB’s to reserve your fishing trip, 941-349-4400.
May 15, 2025: CB’s Fishing Report from Capt. Kelly Stilwell out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key.
The fishing has been great in Sarasota Bay, and the near shore Gulf. Over the last several weeks the spotted sea trout have been on fire in Big Sarasota Bay. It has truly been the best trout fishing I have ever seen. Casting artificial baits over deep grass flats will usually result in some incredible catches.
In the Gulf the tarpon are heating up. Despite west wind and rough sea conditions Tyler from Pittsburg caught a fish of about 100 pounds on a small blue crab. He was able to land that fish in an impressive 15 minutes even though it was his first ever.