Trout Fishing Steady & Redfish Catches Excellent in 2008
Capt. Mike Locklear
December 28, 2008
Homosassa - Saltwater Fishing Report
Hello Readers! Are you glad Christmas is over so we can get down to some serious fishing and maybe a little or a lot of hunting?
Recapping the year 2008, the fishing in these parts was pretty good. Plenty of redfish, trout, and Sheepshead were caught. Nothing huge but better than average size.
Redfish were abundant all year long and peaked in the late August and September. October was a busy month for reds as well but more abundant inside the creeks and around the keys. Catches between 40-50 head were common.
Spotted seatrout are what most people fish for in near shore waters. The majority of trout caught were on the "D.O.A. Deadly Combo" that is a packaged rig that includes a red cigar shaped cork and a glow white shrimp with each end connected to a 3-foot section of line 20 pound monofilament line. Of course just using a Bass Assassin jerk 5-inch bait with a single hook took a good share. Catching a limit of trout was fairly common on good fish days of the solar tables.
Redfish were landed mostly on live pinfish under a chartreuse oval cork by Cajun Thunder. Greedy Gut corks has moved into the market. Johnson spoons in ¼ oz. size are still one of the best redfish baits on the market.
Sheepsheads are a filler species beginning on the New Year and continue through March and are found offshore around the rock piles. They are a lot of fun to catch and can run up to 6-8 pounds about 5-8 miles offshore. Shrimp is the best bait. Also, the blue waters or head waters of the Homosassa River stage huge Sheepshead although they are reluctant to eat shrimp. A fresh water crawfish or fiddler crabs are the choice baits.
Depending on the water temperature as it rises to near 70 degrees or higher the bluefish, mackerel and big offshore trout can be caught in the "muds" and this is non-stop action. I have seen these milky areas cover several hundred yards, sometimes numerous. We have two chances at them and that is in the spring and again in the fall.
Power Pro Line Casting Tips for Tangle Free Casting
After I make a cast, I ALWAYS close my bail by hand just before the rig lands in the water. This does two things. It keeps the running line from tangling around the top of the cork and the line should become tight both on the spool and to your rig. Also, I make sure there are no loops on the spool of the reel before and after I cast. If there is a loop buried under the spool of line, never cast it, instead pull the line by hand preferably upwind from your drift [and not under the boat and around the motor] until the loop is out.
In order to stay tangle free, I only fill my reels three quarters to the rim of the spool. The last tip when deploying braids is NO side arm cast. This action will result in birds nest the fastest. Last but not least is to not cast the rod as hard as you possibly can. An 85-90% power cast is just as effective if properly launched over the shoulder with the tip of the rod on the same plain through the cast.
Try following these tips for tangle free days and keep your tip up!
My new found lure added to my arsenal is the high roller top water inshore lure kit. See www.highroller.com/ This lure line has been around for more than a decade and are made for the top water caster. You must by one of the kits for top water action. They float high in the water and all are unique because they are made from wood. You will hear more about these in my next report.
Dozens of one-quarter ounce 3-inch DOA glow shrimp, Bass Assassin Slurp and Berkley Power Baits adorn my tackle bag. A red 3-inch cigar shaped Cajun Thunder cork rig in tied with a two foot long section of 20-pound test completes the rig. A good tip is to use a 3/32 ounce jig head made by Love Lure.
For trout, I will drift and cast downwind using 10-pound test Power Pro braided line. I fish with a 3000 Shimano Spheros spinning reel and a 7 ½ foot Shimano Teramar rod powered by medium action with an extra fast tip.
Instead of just popping the cork, I let it stand on end after a two foot long sweep of dragging the cork over the surface creating a bubble trail. Remember trout usually grab the jig on the way down. When the cork goes under, I quickly reel up any slack to set the hook and keep on reeling until the trout is at boatside where a dip net is employed to land the fish.
Use this method and you will catch a nice mess of fish. Locations are the mouths of Fish Creek, St. Martins River and the Homosassa River. Find spotty bottom mixed with grass and there you will find the fish in about three feet of water.
Homosassa Fishing Forecast:
Spotted seatrout should be bountiful throughout January. February the trout season closes for one month and reopens March 1st in the northwest region.
"Northwest Region" includes all state waters north and west of a line running due west from the westernmost point of Fred Howard Park Causeway (28°9.35'N., 82°48.398'W.), which is approximately 1.17 miles south of the Pasco-Pinellas County Line, to the Florida-Alabama border, and adjacent federal Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) waters.
Target Species:
Trout Reds Sheephead Grouper
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