Homosassa to Steinhatchee

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

Nov. 20-22

Piscine Perseverance—A Lesson We All Might Learn!

‘Stick-to-it-ness’ is something that’s hard to learn—yet something every angler should. Found somewhere between just being patient and being totally hardheaded, a fisherman’s ability to stay with the day he’s dealt is the force that catapults him head-and-shoulders over his competition. Of course, we anglers will never admit that the fish aren’t really interested in us catching them, so we persevere, and at many different levels.

Almost every for-hire fly-fishing charter guide has a story or two to tell about anglers calling, mostly as a result of an Internet contact, wanting to catch either his first of a species or to ‘give fly fishing a try’. And they want to do it in one day—and usually book six months in advance with no thought about weather, wind, or tide. There are, however, times when we’re surprised and our appreciation of great anglers restored.

This week’s case study involves an angler from LaGrange, GA named Joel. Joel called me six months ago and booked a one-day trip at Steinhatchee. After a short conversation about lodging at the Sea Hag Marina and his basic fly-fishing skills (he owned a nice 9-weight outfit and knew about ‘lining-up’ his 7-weight rod), we picked a date in November that was convenient to him—and to his grown son, Alan, who was coming with him. I always like hosting father and son trips—as many of my best fishing adventures have been with my Dad, who’s now a spry 85. Joel and I did talk about weather and the chances of having a perfect day, but all through the conversation I knew I was talking to someone who wasn’t a ‘first-timer’. The tide tables predicted good water, and at that date there was no hint that we’d have a warm fall with no tropical storms so we planned to talk a week before the scheduled event. And when we talked, pre-outing,, the weather and conditions looked excellent, with a good window between frontal systems and the NWS predicting light easterly winds and calm waters.

Joel and Alan arrived on Saturday afternoon for our Sunday trip, and all was well. We were two days into a mild high pressure system, having just missed Hurricane Ida’s trip up the central Gulf. I’d scouted the shoreline Saturday and seen my friend, Doug Barrett, catch some nice 5-pound-plus reds and a 7-1/2 pound sea trout on topwaters. An unpredicted 15-knot sea breeze did kick up in the early afternoon, but I figured it was a one-day weather event and besides, we’d be close to shore chasing fish if it came up on our fishing day.

Sunday dawned bright, clear and calm. The big low tide was just turning in, and prospects were good. After a quick run to the north of the Steinhatchee River, I stopped and got Joel up on the front deck with his 9-weight and a simple shrimp imitation fly. This is where the ‘rubber meets the road’ for fly fishermen. No casting in the front yard with no water on the line, no rocking the boat, and no banging around! And Joel, despite his admission that it had been several months since he last fished—was ON TARGET! From his first cast to his last one, some 8 hours later, he worked the rod hard, making long, accurate casts into and out of that afternoon’s unexpectedly stiff sea breeze. He hit sand holes, rock piles, creek holes and grassy points with amazing accuracy—and incredible fortitude. We ate lunch on the run, a quick sandwich and a Coke (Joel had two Advils!)—and my angler kept up the pace. And while the fish seemed to be hiding out (we got some small reds, trout, flounder and assorted shallow species), Joel persevered. Son Alan observed, fishing topwater plugs and jigs, which he admitted was at his skill level, and I observed too. Not just the excellent fly-fishing skill of Joel, but the lesson he was teaching his son—that sometimes fishing is hard work, but that work and perseverance can be fun and rewarding. And rewarded he was. Joel ended the day with a sore arm and back, with more fish than his son, but with the knowledge a lifelong lesson may have been taught. I suspect on their next trip that Alan will be holding his own fly rod and looking forward to a ‘hard day of fishing’!

Weekend Expectations

Fishermen along the Big Bend have been plagued by incessant winds and variable water conditions for the last month. And this coming weekend promises more of the same. Water temps ARE holding in the ‘60’s and that’s good, but the afternoon sea breezes don’t help when it comes to getting to and holding in your favorite fishing hole.

Reports from Homosassa Capt. William Toney (www.homosassainshorefishing.com) are good, and he’s finding the fish scattered in the areas south of Chaz Point and west of Grey Mare pass. His ‘go-to’ rig is a D.O.A. CAL shad under a cork for trout and reds. He also reports that he and Capt. Marvin Williams guided two boats to over 125 sea trout in two days.

Capt. Dan Clymer (www.racinmulletcharters.com), who also fishes Homosassa and Crystal River, reports that the close areas of Florida Progress intake channel have been producing some nice gag grouper. Dan’s a specialist when it comes to inshore grouper, and has been trolling Rapala X-Rap 20’s as a matter of course. He also reports that there are plenty of snook up the rivers, seeking warmer spring water.

Citrus County guide Capt. Dave Jefford (www.lureman.com) sends word that, despite the cold and wind, he led a party of anglers to a bunch of good-eating black sea bass while fishing the deep flats off the Barge Canal. However, the day’s highlight was a 5-pound pompano taken on a GULP-rigged jig. That’s a catch worth reporting—and worth eating!

My suggestion for Big Bend inshore anglers is to head to deeper water than usual this time of year for trout and to look near creek mouths for reds. I don’t think the water’s cool enough to make the backs of creeks attractive to these species, but it might be worth trying your favorite deep water winter spot on the weekend’s extremely low tides. The ‘usual’ spots include the hot water discharge at Crystal River’s power plant, the stretch of the Suwannee River just west of Miller’s Marina, the Steinhatchee River between Markers 22 and 23, and any deep hole near the mouths of our myriad creeks fronting the Gulf.

Offshore anglers have been doing well in 45 to 60 feet of water, and catches of gag and red grouper have been mixed. Some are getting keeper gags and NO reds, while others are catching big reds and only short gags! Go figure. However, be sure to watch the weather this weekend….as of today (Wednesday), it doesn’t look comfortable for offshore anglers over the weekend. But, there’s always the Barge Canal!

Be safe, and enjoy the ‘hard work’ of fishing!

By Captain Tommy Thompson
captain@twotree.net | www.saltwateranglersguide.com

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