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March Madness
Capt. Zachary Hoffman
March 11, 2013
Crystal River - Saltwater Fishing Report
We really had to work for our fish over the past few weeks, the succession of cold fronts really put a hamper on the fishing, everything but the sheepies decided that it was just to cold to be chasing Capt. Zach's lures…. When it got cold and the tides got really low it did present the perfect condition to sight fish dormant reds. We were able to get closer than usual and pitch cut mullet and big shrimp on light leader and live bait hooks right in front of them. Most of the time the redfish would just look at the bait for up to 5 minutes, then their desire to eat would overcome their desire to be lazy, their fins would start to flutter then they would kind of drift toward the free snack and make a very bad decision…. But all of that has started to change. The weather is warming up and the trout and red fish are very active, hitting bait all over certain little flats, I went to one of my favorite trout and redfish spots on Saturday and there were big trout all around us just busting on needle fish and we could see reds tailing all over, it was just one of those moments when you really appreciate the amazing fishery offered by the nature coast. All the Trout would eat was 6 inch jerk baits with very light leader (the water was crystal clear) we were getting hooked up almost every cast with solid trout, many of which were over 20 inches and we sight casted a few nice reds. I heard a saying from one of my good friends awhile back "match the hatch" that is probably the most powerful advice anyone has given me "when it comes to fishing." Basically this means that you always want to match your lure to what the fish are eating, if you see a lot of little pinfish, throw a gold spoon or mirrolure. If you see a lot of needlefish jumping throw some DOA Jerk baits and work them at a fast pace, skipping across the water then pausing for up to 6 seconds. The best tides for trout have been the beginning of the falling tide, and the entire cycle of the incoming has been good for reds. There are still some nice sheepies out on the inshore rocks in 5-9 feet of water. There has also been a great trout bight right as the sun is going down. So this is the time to get out there and have a great time "catching" on the nature coast!
Crystal River Fishing Forecast:
The fishing is getting better and better as the water warms up.
Target Species:
Red Fish, Trout, Sheepshead
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