This Week's Steinhatchee
Report 4/29/00
The Spotted Seatrout season has started off
with a bang. Plenty of large trout in the 24' range are being caught by
the limit daily. The flats north of the river mouth and east of the Steinhatchee
Reef will be producing most of the trout, the large being caught in 6 to
8 feet of water. Another excellent area is the channel just south of Bowlegs
Point. To find this area turn south after marker 9 in the Steinhatchee
Channel and travel for approximately 7.5 miles. You will pass over a sand
bottom, which will turn to a grassy gray color. It is in this grassy color
that you want to fish. Try a red 1/4ounce jighead with the Saltwater Assassin
grub tails in the colors of electric chicken, chartreuse diamond, and opening
night. Other grub tails that are working great are Riptides Gold-n-Glows
with and without the firetail, Greedy Gutt's white with red shrimp tail,
Mann's Sting Ray grub white with pink tails, and C-Tails, C-Twins, and
C-Shrimp in the pink glitter and chartreuse glitter. Seems all the
hot pinks are doing well. If you like to toss a lure try the 5M Mirrolures,
Top Dog Lures Sr.'s and Jr.'s (white with redhead is working well), and
the milky white with a red head Long "A" Bomber Lures. If you are lazy
man fisherman as I am (I like to sit back and relax) use live shrimp on
a 2/O long shank hook with a 3/4 ounce sliding sinker leader under an Equalizer
float.
Along with the trout the Redfish have been
hot! To catch one, be sure to fish in and around the oyster bars
during high tide. Be sure to throw a Johnson gold spoon in the 1/4 ounce
to 3/4 ounce range. Also working well for the Redfish is large live
shrimp.
Cobia are being landed almost daily.
Look for Cobia to hide near structures such as channel markers and pilings.
Expect them to approach the boat as well. If you see this fish, try
casting a live pinfish in his direction. Some folks use a large bobber
to keep the bait near the surface. You may also use a balloon. Cobia
are finicky eaters so if the live bait does not work try throwing everything
in your tackle box at them. You may be pleasantly surprised. If you
are trout fishing, rig a larger pole with a free-floating pinfish (or with
a float) and stick it in a rod holder just in case a stray fish happens
by while you drift. The Cobia must be 33' in length to keep. Measure
from the nose to the fork. They are also excellent to eat!
On the reef they a killing the Spanish Mackerel.
For artificial try using Floreo Lures, Johnson Silver Spoons, or tinsel
Spanish mackerel rigs. Troll the just beyond the white water of your
wake. You can also anchor up, put out a chum bag and fish with live
shrimp. This will also attract Pampano, Jacks, Bluefish, Ladyfish,
and many other fun striking fish. Sheepshead fishing has ended now that
the water has warmed up. Look to start catching them again in the fall
and winter.
Offshore the grouper fishing has been fantastic
as long as the weather is cooperating. Most anglers are bottom fishing
in forty-five feet. The fishing has been a serious hit or miss, with
fishermen either bringing in their limits or nothing at all! At least
on the bad days you can load your boat with Black Seabass and Grunts .
The top baits for Grouper are thread herring, Spanish sardines, cigar minnows,
and squid. Trolling the Stretch 30+ lures are still producing larger
fish than bottom fishing. The chrome with blue back and the pearl
with black back are working best. Troll Stretch 30+ at 3 to 4 knots using
a 25lb. or 30lb. test line (I recommend the 30lb.) any heavier and the
line tends to pull the lures towards the surface. The new Mylar Stretch
30+ are really selling in the pink and gold/black colors. While trolling,
many folks have been hooking up some really nice sized Kingfish.
Kingfish tend to hit the shiner color Stretch 30+ such as the black/chrome
or the blue/chrome. These two colors also come in the Mylar style
now.
This Week's Steinhatchee Report
4/26/00 (all of April)
Click on Photos to see enlarged!!!!!
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Some real nice grouper caught
on Stretch 30+ lures and also on the bottom using live pinfish. Also
in the catch is a Red Snapper whose season opened April 14th and some nice
Triggerfish (which some say tastes better than grouper!)
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This grouper was caught on
a charter with captain Paul Cronk. Paul fishes both inshore and offshore
and always seems to bring on a boat load. For more information about Paul,
check out the guide page or call the marina at 352-498-3008.
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Everyone has been catching
trout. Some very nice large ones are coming to the board lately.
Note: the trout regulations will be changing on July 1. We will post them
once they are finalized.
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Lots of Cobia are being landed
using live bait such as pinfish. Search along the markers on your
way out to your favorite fishing hole or around bottom structures.
I recommend while fishing the flats for trout, rig a large pole with a
live
pinfish in hopes a passing Cobia will hit. Also hot now are Redfish
using gold spoons on a high tide around the oyster bars. Also hot
are the Spanish Mackerel on the Steinhatchee Reef. Use silver spoon or
Floreo lures. Look for Bluefish and Ladyfish to be there too.
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<--------What's
Biting Now
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The last of the Sheepshead!
Sheepshead bite mainly when spawning and this only happens when the water
is colder than approx. 68 degrees. Look to find them only in deep
water or next year in September or when the water cools again. Please
note the pile of Spanish Mackerel and the nice trout held in the hands
of these fine fishermen!
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