 |
Fishing Report for Homosassa, Florida
Capt. Mike Locklear
April 8, 2005
Homosassa - Saltwater Fishing Report
Chevy Florida Fishing Report Is The Best
The Chevy Florida Fishing Report will be rerunning several times this week on Sun Sports Network. If you watch the show you will see a complete report for the state of Florida by eight, well make that 7 top captains for this weekend. Just kidding. Below is a long version of stuff in my region which is called the northwest section. It covers from St. George Sound to Tarpon Springs.
Capt. Gene Strickland of Lanark Village reported he found Florida Gold with 14 slab Pompano up to 5 pounds. The Pompano bite lasted about an hour when schools of small Spanish mackerel up to a pound in size took over eating and crashing glass minnows and ran the Pompano away.
For Pompano fish along the beaches of Dog Island and St. George. Hot spots are the east end of Dog Island and Bob Sikes Cut. Pompano can be caught by wade fishing or from a boat. The most recent specific area was in East Pass, where Capt. Strickland anchored where the coffee colored water met the clear gulf waters. Also areas throughout the region along the coast will hold a few Pompano. Pompano can be found mostly around points and cuts along the beach or shore.
The methods are to anchor near the beaches and close to the passes in clearer water casting light tackle while jigging. When fishing from a boat, Strickland will fish one or two bottom rigs in a rod holder and cast jigs, covering the entire bottom around the boat. Jigs can and should be tipped with something to give it some smell. Use fresh shrimp but a sand flea is the best. Pompano can be found mostly around points and cuts along the beach. Anything that creates a tide rip in shallow water is also good. Pompano will jump or “skip” when approached by a speeding boat. If you have Pompano skipping in your wake, stop and put the anchor out and start fishing.
Best baits are Sand Fleas and live shrimp. A variety of jigs are also very popular. Barry Walker’s “Nylure” is probably the best known Pompano jig in our area. When fishing bait, you should be using a bottom rig. Use a slip sinker above a swivel and a 12” to 20” mono leader of 20 to 30 lb. test. Hooks should be on the small side (no. 2 to 2/0) because of the Pompano’s small mouth. Typical size runs from 2 to 5 pounds.
Capt. Jody Campbell of Shell Point reported lots of trout up to 20 inches with a lot of short trout released. Along with the trout, some Spanish mackerel have been caught up to 5 pounds. At Shell Point the water was too cloudy from rains and winds last week. Best action was east of St. Marks near Gray Mare Rock. This weekend should be very, very good.
Homosassa action has been red hot for captains of Homosassa Guides Association. Com The trout has been eating the paint off the She Dog Mirrolures on incoming tides around the islands of the Suncoast Keys in 4 foot of water. These are almost-Gator Trout and most of them are in the 20-22 inch range. During the outgoing tides most of the action has been several miles offshore in 7 foot depths near the Bombing Range west of Ozello.
White Zooms, Cotee Grubs, and Bass Assassin 5 inch eels in the bone diamond and electric chicken colors. A ¼ ounce jig head is necessary to get the bait down in the strong current of the New Moon Spring tides. We are looking for excellent conditions for this weekend.
According to Capt. Pat McGriff of Keaton Beach, trout are beginning to come on strong as the water tries to clear up from the recent band of rains and high winds of last week. Trout to four pounds are taking live pinfish under Cajun Thunders from 4 feet of water.
Expect several more days of temperatures in the 70's to bring some gator trout up into the shallows, like the 7.25 pound trout caught from 2 feet of water on April fools day; caught by 12-year-old Patrick Fay of Cordele, Ga. on an Assassin space guppy 5 inch eel under a Cajun Thunder. Try drift fishing and casting downwind; throw a buoy marker when you catch a nice trout and repeat the drift.
Most of McGriff’s Charters are getting their limits of trout on live shrimp, Assassin eels and live pinfish fished on a 24 inch leader under Cajun Thunders. keepers.
Capt. Tommy Thompson tried the Steinhatchee area last weekend but the winds were too high for any productive results other than a few trout taken on DOA’s worked very slow.
Redfish action has been fair to good as Capt. Charlie Harris caught and released more than 13 up to 29 inches. Capt. Jeff Hagaman of Tarpon Springs landed 40 reds to 8 pounds using Berkley gulps and he said that 4 boats caught over 200 redfish on Berkley gulp crabs dead sticking in Tampa Bay near St. Pete.
Good areas off Homosassa are Chassowitzka National Wildlife Refuge and the St. Martin’s Aquatic Preserve.
Try casting shore lines on incoming tides either poling or using a quiet trolling motor like Motorguide Great White. Some sight fishing. Some chumming either using sardines or pieces of fresh shrimp
Redfish are use to eating live shrimp, spider crabs and pinfish for bait. But the best lure bar none is ¼ to ½ ounce Johnson spoon in gold or silver colors. Reds will also hit top water lures such as the Top Dog Mirrolures and jigs like the Bass Assassin Eel or Cotee jigs with root beer twin tails
Lately most of the reds have been small; however keepers to 29 inches have been landed.
Some flounder have been taken while jig fishing for either reds or trout.
Offshore inside of 9 miles Spanish mackerel is in 8 to 11 feet of water from Tarpon Springs to St. George Island. Water temperatures in the 70’s have allowed the bait and the mackerel are chasing them. Try trolling slowly or casting while at anchor or drifting. Chum blocks are popular in this region. All types of jigs and bucktails and silver spoons.
Up to 5 pounds in the Big Bend and Forgotten Coast. Some larger mackerel off Hernando County.
Capt. Ed Lewis had the first big cobia of the season on. He was near Chaz channel and Bird Island. There were two together and soon the cobia will be on the sting rays. There are scattered ladyfish, bluefish and a jack crevalle to give a stretch of the string.
Gag Grouper are in 35 to 45 feet of water throughout the entire region.
Try trolling or bottom fishing with Mann’s Stretch 30’s, Rapalas CD-MAG-18 and Mirrolure Deep 25+ 111MR Capt. Pat McGriff of Keaton Beach says to use squid in 45 feet of water, that’s a joke! But true! Squid is good off Homosassa for red grouper also in 45 feet of water, but live pinfish or threadfin herring or cut mullet are primary baits.
Size runs to 25 pounds but most are in the seven to 15 pound range. There are red grouper past 40 feet of water and some mangrove snapper along with loads of Key West Grunts on the rocks.
Remember if you are too busy to go fishing, you are just too busy.
More Fishing Reports:
|
|
|
|
