Steinhatchee to Hernando Beach

Includes Steinhatchee, Horseshoe Beach, Suwannee, Cedar Key, Waccasassa Bay, Yankeetown, Crystal River and Homosassa.

Nov.21-23

BB

Deep Mornings

Finally—a whole week of forecasts for cold mornings and sunny afternoons! And I think you’ll find that we’re now into a definite wintertime fishing pattern and that you’ll be able to plan your Big Bend fishing trips with more certainty. This week I’m going to concentrate on mornings; next week on afternoons.

Inshore fishing along the Big Bend in winter is a two-step process. Days are shorter, but you’ll find the first half of every cold day slow, as the fish are still ‘stunned’ by the previous evening’s temperatures. Even if the sun shines late on the day before, the water will still be cold by morning. So—you don’t necessarily have to rush to get onto the water. Nor do you want to ‘rush’ the fish once you’re there.

After a leisurely breakfast (Grannie’s at Crystal River, Gobbler’s at Inglis, The Cypress Inn at Cross City and Fiddler’s at Steinhatchee are my favorites.), get the boat in the water and head to your favorite deep-water trout hole.

Homosassa, Crystal River and Yankeetown folks seem to focus on the hot water discharge at the Crystal River power plants (See http://www.floridasportsman.com/regions/bb/060266/index.html for a complete story on the ‘circus’.), but remember that there are some options that are probably closer to home. Deep rocky edges along the banks of the Homosassa River in Tiger Tail Bay are warmish, as are the shorelines downriver from the confluence of the Salt River with the Crystal River. There may even be a few trout near the headwater springs of both these rivers. At Yankeetown, if you don’t want to make the run to the power plant, try the deep holes just downriver from Pats Elbow and marker #46 in the Withlacoochee River.

Cedar Key anglers might try the deep slough north of Gomez Keys to the west of town for cold water trout. And one of the best bets is the Preacher Hole, but it’s hard to access. If you have a small craft and can get out of the ramp at Shell Mound, that’s the easiest route. This weekend’s low tides won’t be extreme unless there’s a prolonged northeast wind making this a good time to prospect this area.

The Suwannee River flows into the Gulf of Mexico in two directions. East Pass branches off to the south upriver from the town of Suwannee and exits over shallow bars towards Cedar Key. The main river floods westerly by way of a shallow natural channel and the deeper, marked McGriff Channel. From the gulf end of East Pass to about a mile upriver, you’ll find plenty of deep water that can hold some wintertime trout on cold mornings. Also, the northern shoreline of the main river channel from the Miller’s Marina canal to a point about a half-mile west is a good trout ‘hole’. Suwannee anglers usually fish sinking MirrOlure TT’s (in bright colors) or live shrimp in these deep spots. Some cast; other troll at slow speeds; all lose a few plugs to the ‘bottom monsters’.

A good bet for Horseshoe Beach is to fish the deep waters in the main channel. While I’ve seen folks fishing outside the spoil banks, I think the best bet is to fish between the rock jetties. My bait of choice here is a root-beer colored D.O.A. TerrorEyz jig bounced slowly off the bottom—just expect to lose a few on the rocks. Another option is to wade the jetties and cast towards the deeper center of the channel. If you plan to wade, remember to anchor your boat securely before you walk away from it--it’s a cold swim to shore!

Steinhatchee anglers will likely spend their cold mornings just downriver from the Sea Hag Marina or near markers #22 and #23, bouncing live shrimp, rigged on 3/8-oz jig heads, off the very rocky bottom. The colder the morning, the bigger the crowd, so be careful to keep a reasonable distance from your neighbor and to avoid anchoring in the active channel.

There’s no doubt that the offshore bite will move closer to shore as the water cools. I’ve already had reports of keeper grouper in 30-feet off Steinhatchee, but there’s lots of sorting involved. Expect smaller gags to use up lots of your live pinfish, but also expect some nice 10-pounders, too. If you’re looking for new spots, cold mornings are a good time to troll some STRETCH lures very slowly over live bottom. Throw a marker if you get a strike, and go back with some live or cut bait. Don’t expect this morning cold-water bite to be fast and furious, so be patient. And don’t forget to keep any Florida snapper (pink-mouth or white grunts) you catch—each will make a tasty sandwich.

If the trend towards cold mornings continues, use your morning techniques until mid-day; and then plan to change your tactics as the water temperature rises. And just in case the ‘sun don’t shine’, stay with your morning game plan.

If it shines…

Next Week: Shallow Afternoons

Capt. Tommy Thompson Inshore Light Tackle and Fly Fishing Steinhatchee, Florida (352) 284-1763 www.flanaturecoast.com/capttommy captain@twotree.net

By Capt. Tommy Thompson | http://www.flanaturecoast.com/capttommy/ | captain@twotree.net

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