Getting over some windy conditions and extreme high tides to extreme low water will definitely scatter fish all over the Big Bend. By this weekend things should smooth out. One tool that I always keep on board my vessel is a drift bag or sea anchor. This will help slow your boat so you can fish. If you don’t have a drift bag a 5 gallon bucket will work. I like to put mine on the front cleat so that my vessel will drift sideways and all anglers will have a lane to cast down wind. The trout fishing has been good. Top spots have been the yellow bottom west of St. Martins Keys, the pole line south of Homosassa  and near Bird Island in Chassahowitzka. D.O.A. Deadly Combo’s with the glow shrimp or a MirrOlure Lil John in watermelon redflake. If you catch two trout in a 50 yard stretch stay in that area. Redfishing on the incoming tide has been good and if your lucky there has been some nice schools of redfish. I let my clients catch their limit (one per angler) and maybe a few more but I do not like to sit there and sore lip a bunch of fish. When anglers do this there is a good chance of gut hooking and killing fish. If the fish has swallowed the hook it’s best to cut the line as close to the mouth as possible. It will dissolve in time and the fish has a better chance of survival. I’ve caught  allot of redfish over the years with line hanging out of their mouths.  Look for a Fall push of cobia and triple tail as our waters continue to cool. Markers and buoys are good spots to check. High incoming tide will be in the morning this weekend. 

William Toney
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