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Fishing Report for Homosassa, Florida
Capt. Mike Locklear
August 16, 2005
Homosassa - Saltwater Fishing Report
Hot Fishing in Florida
Hot, humid and sultry describes Florida’s sunshine state this month. I’ll take that over what we were given last year at this time with hurricanes bearing down on us. Use plenty of water to stay hydrated and load up on the sun block if you are going to fish this month. The water temperature is hovering near 90 degrees, so there is not much help to cool the gulf air down. Furthermore, the wind has been calm, so scalloping is your best bet to stay somewhat cool although the water feels like bath water.
Best bets are to fish early or late or even at night. With the approach of full moon, there will be plenty of activity at night that includes sharks, catfish, snapper and redfish. Fresh water bass fishing is pretty good in the lakes and on the cooler waters of the spring fed rivers.
Redfish action picked up somewhat this past weekend as Russ Hodges and friends landed 12 reds up to 24 inches and two nice trout free lining shrimp. Weekend before last I got tore up in the IFA Homosassa Open redfish tournament by some new blood from the south. You can read about these new kids on the block further down in my report. The only personal consolation for me was when John Euart and David Edwards landed two reds over the 27 inch slot. Too bad scissors aren’t legal.
Russ Hodges of Orlando invited me to fish the East Coast, so this past Saturday I loaded up my new Chevy pick-up and went to the big orange and spent the night with Russ and his fishing friend from the northeast Billy. Billy catches many large stripers up in Connecticut.
In Port Canaveral, we loaded up on the Bottom Dollar captained by veteran Brock Anderson. Within minutes after we got to the first spot, Brock put us into the King fish. We had to work for them but he stayed with the school to get our limit of 2 each. (10) We had two double hook-ups during the morning, all of this action before noon.
I will leave you with last week’s northwest section Chevy Florida Fishing report.
Have a great day.
Capt. Mike
Spanish mackerel are here all summer long with peaks in the fall and spring. These fish are pelagic which means they can be found in the upper water columns and migrate. They are comfortable in low to middle 70-degree water temperatures during the spring and fall times of the year. You can find these fish now throughout the region in selected areas like the spoil banks and humps of Crystal River to Sea Horse Reef at the Hook. Also Spotty Bottom off the Suwannee River and the Ochlocknee shoals. There are many methods from trolling or anchoring to jigging or using live bait. I like a small wire leader when jigging and prefer the tougher nylon buck tails like Flores. With every cast, I always like to tip with shrimp or at times I may chum with shrimp or use a chum bag if I am anchored near a wreck or pile of rocks. The summer patterns off Homosassa are an area known as the Bombing Range where scattered rocks are visible on the clearest of days. Sizes average between 1-2 pounds, but much bigger mackerel to 8 pounds. Look for surface action or diving birds in depths between 12-15 of water.
OFFSHORE REPORT
Huge grouper are still hanging out in deeper waters; between 80 to 120 feet of water in the Florida Middle Grounds. Also off Keaton Beach Capt. Pat McGriff is reporting that the Woods N’ Waters Fishing Team is producing limit catches in 50-60 feet of water. Most all the grouper fishing is now done on the bottom while anchored. Of course the bigger the bait the bigger the grouper. I like dead sticking from the rod holder; with the drag all the way down using a live grunt on a 10/0 circle hook. You will need lead from 6- 8 ounces to get er down to the bottom. Our inshore grouper fishing inside of 12 feet is spotty. Offshore of St. Marks to St. George Island are producing groupers between 5 to 20 pounds with a mixed bag of cobia kings, sharks or grunts and seabass.
INSHORE REPORT
Redfish are scattered throughout the entire region. Focus is partly on the Hernando county area for this week from Dixie Lee and Bait and Tackle with the Double Trouble Charter guides, Luke and Mark Magnuson, twin brothers and native fishermen participated in the IFA Homosassa Open and took first place with sidekick, Scott Larson. Average days have been about 25 reds a day up to 31 inches. They like to fish the early morning incoming tides while the water temperatures are the coolest of the day. Live bait such as white bait, shrimp or pinfish has been very successful. Capt. Gene Zamba of Tarpon Springs has been having great luck on Enrico Puglesi flies in the pilchard pattern. Zamba also reports snook and Pompano love the pattern. Anclote Keys are also good areas for both reds and snook on the fly.
Trout have been mostly found in the 10-12 feet of water range throughout most of the region where grass beds prevail. Also, some trout are located on the inside of Dog Island of Apalachee Bay and Lanark Reef east of Carabelle. Capt. Ed Lewis has been catching some nice trout early using She Pups in the Chassowitzka Bay; in-between cuts of the sand bars where the deeper waters meet the shallows. She Pup Mirrolures and chug bugs are the primary top water artificial while Bass Assassins jigs in Electric Chicken remain the deep water special. Capt. Pat Griff reports off Keaton Beach that the trout are still hanging around in the four to five feet of water using live pinfish, pilchards and pigfish under Cajun Thunders.
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