November Newsletter
Capt. Louie Argiro
December 2, 2019
Crystal River - Saltwater Fishing Report
I For one am extremely pleased with the "fall" weather we are having here in Crystal River, Florida. Wearing a jacket or sweatshirt in the morning and then by 10am peeling that off for a very comfortable 70 degree day is something that I look forward too every year. The best part about the increased temperature fluctuation is that the fishing also becomes very favorable for those wanting to fill the cooler with Speckled Trout and Redfish. The Speckled Trout decide to move into the shallow flats surrounding mangrove point where we are targeting those with a white DOA cal Jerk bait that is Nose Hooked with no weight. This bait can catch you a full inshore slam in a single day here in Crystal River and that is why we throw them.
Our main target for the next couple months are going to be the speckled trout and once the tide is right we will be targeting the redfish. Unless we are fishing in our "mud boat" we'll have to wait on the tide to have enough water to get into the mangrove forests where the redfish lay throughout the winter time. That we will get into later, as for the trout we will be targeting those around kelp beds that are holding onto hard bottom. Whether the trout are laying in the kelp or on the outskirts we are throwing that nose hooked white jerk bait mentioned above. The twitch, twitch, and pause, retrieve has been our go to for this time of year since our fish seem to like that bait moving a little slower than normal. If we are not getting the bites that I am looking for I will have my clients slow down even more to let that bait lay on the bottom or in the Kelp beds for at least 5 seconds before twitching it again. These trout can be targeted by drifting across these kelp beds with hard bottom or by simply anchoring next to them and casting in and around them. There are days where those fish will be so thick in one certain area that a quick limit can be caught in no time.
The Redfishing this time of year is some of my personal favorite for the sole fact that we are targeting larger redfish in shallower waters. There is nothing like seeing an upper slot to over slot redfish roll over onto your shrimp as he sucks it off the bottom and then when he turns away, setting the hook like bill dance does. There are a lot of people who catch redfish all over the state of Florida and the United States but this is one of the only places we can consistently target these redfish in the shallow water that surrounds the deeper pockets back in the mangroves. This brings us to our next subject, The Mud Boat. This is a specialized piece of machinery that is made to run in extremely shallow water and in some instances over completely dry patches of "land." This trip usually only lasts for the lowest part of the tides in the winter time, however, that is the only time you need sense we are practically fishing in a controlled area the whole time where these Redfish and Speckled Trout are trapped at the low tides. I will show some pictures of this boat so that you can have a sneak peak at that fishing that will be coming up within the next couple months. Since we have acquired this boat we will also be offering duck hunts as the winter season approaches us. If you are interested in either of these trips, the "Mud Boat Fishing or Mud Boat Duck Hunting," give me a call and we will set it up.
As for our regular skiff fishing we are looking forward to having a great December and hope that we can share it with you. Don't forget about spring break as it is not very far away and I am booking up my late February, March, and April as we speak. To get in on the Spring fishing action give me call or send me a quick email to check availability. Hope everyone had a great thanksgiving and has an every better Christmas. Happy Holidays!!!
Target Species:
Refish, Trout, Snook, Sheepshead
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