Our coastline on the Nature Coast is blessed with some of the best fishing Florida has to offer. I also believe that each part of Florida has it’s own unique and best fishing Florida has to offer. On the Nature Coast and Citrus County our guides and captains are good at what they do plus seem to be all in agreement that we must protect our coastal enviorment. All of whom I speak with want to make sure to protect our fishery, be good stewarts of the envioroment and help fellow anglers. As the summer season begins to end, during the week I see more familar face’s out that have avoided the busy waters we’ved experienced this scallop season.

 The redfish bite has picked up with the incoming tides. I’ve had good catches of over slot redfish with good keeper sized fish mixed in. The best bait has been live pinfish. I keep one rod rigged up with a very small hook and catch the pinfish at the same location that I’m redfishing. A small piece of shrimp is what works best for biat. A pinfish that is two to four inches I will use whole for bait and any one bigger that that I will cut in half. The trout bite has picked up slightly with the best areas still near the Chassahowizka Channel and near the scallop rack just south of Crystal River bay. I’ve had good luck with soft plastics in glow and motor oil. The near shore rocks are holding good numbers of mangrove snapper, spanish mackerel, flounder, sea bass and grunts. Live shrimp on a chartreuse jighead is the best way to catch them. This weekend will have a outgoing tide until the mid afternoon incoming tide rolls in.

Capt. William Toney is a full time 4th generation fishing guide from Homosassa. Experience some of Florida’s best inshore fishing and beautiful unspoiled backcountry. His boat is a custom built 23 foot Tremblay and uses G-Loomis rods with Shimano reels. Trout, redfish and shore lunch are Capt. Williams specialty’s but many other species are caught or targeted.

William Toney
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