Homosassa to Steinhatchee

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

Feb. 5-7

Don’t be keepin’ no trout or catchin’ no grouper!

That’s what the man says. And the man is always right! Yeah. Right.

I hope you know by now that spotted trout season (northern region, Tarpon Springs to the Alabama Line) is closed for the month of February and that grouper season (all Gulf waters) is closed for February and March. So, what to do?

This is the time of year when I mention some fishing—and non-fishing—options. Of course, the main non-fishing thing you can do that’s still related to our obsession is to work on your gear and get it ready for “open season.”

When was the last time your outboard was serviced? If you’re not sure or it’s been a year or two, now’s a good time to undertake a DIY tune-up—or get your rig to your local mechanic. I do some work on my boat, but usually leave engine work to the professionals, especially when it comes to water pump impeller replacement and take-apart stuff. At the very least, you should change the grease in the engine’s foot, put a few zerks of grease in the grease fittings, and clean or replace the spark plugs. And if you run shallow and often see muddy water coming out the ‘pee hole’ of your kicker, yearly impeller replacement’s not a bad idea!

Electronics and saltwater just don’t get along, and wiring should be inspected regularly, probably on a per-trip basis. I do find that a yearly smear of dielectric grease (available at big auto parts stores) on fish finder and GPS wire and cable fittings is helpful in the long run. I also put some on my battery cables, especially those leading to my engine, and on all the wiring connections to gauges, Power Pole and trolling motor. Be sure to check to be sure the connections are solid and tight, too.

Rolling stock is sometimes as important as floating stock. If you can’t get your boat to the water, you probably can’t fish. It seems to me that ungreased or rusty wheel bearings are the cause of most trailer events, probably because you can’t see the problem. If you’ve got a loose bunk, broken winch, or your galvanize gave up, you can see that damage. About the only way to tell if you’ve got bearing problems is if you feel excessive heat on the hubs after a few miles of driving, hear them screeching, or your wheel falls off. Proper planning prevents poor performance!

As for fishing options, you’ll still find plenty of action along our Big Bend. Sheepshead are finally showing up along close-in reefs and rock piles. Homosassa’s Capt. Dan Clymer (www.racinmulletcharters.com) reported that he’d done well on the shallow rocks off the Citrus County coastline, and that live shrimp on D.O.A. jig heads worked well for the pecky bait-stealers. Capt. Steve Hart (www.legallimitscharters.com), of Steinhatchee, had to run to 30-feet, but found easy limits on some of his special spots. Capt. William Toney (www.homosassainshorefishing.com) agreed with Dan Clymer that the big inshore rocks from Crystal River to Chassahowitzka were producing the big sheepshead.

Offshore anglers can still target amberjack, black sea bass and Florida snapper while the grouper season’s shut down. All good eating, and fun to catch, these species will certainly take up some slack, if these winds lay down and folks can get to 50-feet.

Inshore anglers need some warmer water, especially if they plan to target redfish on close-to-shore flats and in creeks. Capt. Rick Davidson (http://wordpress.bitemefishing.com) and I found some 60-degree water last weekend at Steinhatchee, but the wind was so bad we couldn’t control the boat. Earlier in the week, we’d fished with Capt. Rod Hunt (kayakcedarkeys.com/fishing.php) at Shell Mound (near Cedar Key) and found that redfish and very cold water just don’t mix. However, there’s sunshine scheduled for this coming weekend, so let’s keep our fingers crossed. I’d have to admit that live shrimp, pinfish or cut mullet might be your best bet, fished on a No. 2 circle hook under a noisy cork. We did notice a fair number of big mud minnows (killifish) in the creeks. They’ll make excellent redfish bait if you can get some in your castnet.

Finally, watch the winds and the cold, and don’t be tempted to keep an out-of-season seatrout or grouper. Word on the street has it that the FWC is running some undercover operations this month!

captain@twotree.net | www.saltwateranglersguide.com

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