Nature Coast

I think I feel like a broken record when it comes to the harsh weather

and how it controls my fishing charters. I think everyone will agree

that this winter can’t end fast enough. The shallow edges of the

exposed rocks on the outside keys is where I’m doing my best with sea

trout. I like to move in short increments because most of the trout

are in tight schools. My go to bait is the D.O. A. 5.5 glow jerk bait

with a 3/0 bait style hook right though the tip of the nose of the

lure.

For redfish, sheepshead and black drum get as far back into the

creeks as possible with out getting stuck and having to camp out. With

the negative tides these fish will be deeper channels and holes. Live

shrimp and mud minnows are the best live baits. For a soft plastic I

like the MirrOlure LIL John in watermelon red flake with a red 1/8 oz.

jig head. Anchor on the shallow side of the deep water and make long

cast into the hole of channel to find the action.

On the nearshore rocks there has been a good white grunt bite with a

few sheepshead, mangrove snapper and hogfish in the the mix. Live

shrimp is the best bait on a 1/8 oz, jig head. Incoming tide will be

late afternoon this weekend.

These are just a few thoughts I have to help anglers be more

successful for our upcoming spring time fishing. The only reason I

want to talk about spring time because if you are observant, the Big

Bend trees are  spreading their love in green swaths all over the

place cars, boats and peoples noses.

The exposed rocks at low tide in the morning will collect heat during

the day. As the afternoon tide covers the shallow flats, rocks and

keys these areas will hold the heat from the earlier part of the day

and trout will school and hold on top of these hard bottom areas. This

is real structure, not turtle grass or what an angler south of use

would target. Not to say that someone would catch some trout over a

grass flat but I would bet most of them would be shorts until later in

the year.

The shallow rocks this time of year will have a few sheepshead but at

any warm calm day blue fish, trout, spanish mackerel and sea bass will

go after a soft plastic. Starting around 7 to 10 feet set up a drift

with the wind or current. Cast ahead of your drift with a soft plastic

bait in light or dark color and switch all anglers to the one that

produces the best. The fish that will bite to keep would be blue fish,

spanish mackerel, sea trout and sea bass. It’s relatively easy fishing

on a warm calm day. I’m not the weather man but it’s a possibility for

a wet weekend. I hope not because a sure fire way of having a fish

dinner is to come down to MacRae’s  for the Homosassa Guides

Association annual fish fry at 12 pm. on Sunday the 18th. If you want

to miss out on the fun stuff plus raffles then high incoming tide will

be early morning this weekend.