This Week's Steinhatchee Report 1/10/00
Freddy Andrews show off a 16 1/4 lb. Grouper!Well I can't say anything about the inshore fishing -- it is just not happening!  Seems trout are few and far between.  Redfish are being caught in the Freddy and Smitty show off their Jan. 9th catch!creek mouths. Offshore, grouper are still being caught by the limit!  I have only a few pictures as I was away from the marina most of the weekend. Hope this front that just passed through stirs up the water and gets those fish biting!
January 1st and 2nd Photos
(Click to see enlarged)
Stop by the marina to get your picture here!
This Week's Steinhatchee Report 1/2/00
 Well the warm weather has kept the trout from running into the
Steinhatchee River thus far in 1999, and as more time passes, the
phenomenon of the trout river run that attracts so much interest is now
less likely to occur.  The few anglers that have attempted the river
fishing land only one or two trout a day, which has been quite
discouraging. The flats north of the river mouth and east of the
Steinhatchee Reef have been producing the most trout, the large being
caught in 6 to 8 feet of water. The Saltwater Assassin Sea Shads and
Split-tail Shads in the colors of electric chicken, chartreuse diamond,
and greenback shiner have been working well along with live shrimp and
live medium sized pinfish.

The big attraction for the January and February fishing are the
Sheepshead, which migrate in to spawn.  Expect to catch them on the new
and full moons when the tide fluctuates the most.  Sheepshead cling
closely to structures so be sure to hunt them down and anchor over them
at the Steinhatchee Reef.  Use a sliding sinker rig with a 3/4-ounce egg
weight and one to two foot mono leader of 30-pound test line.  Mustad
makes a special Sheepshead hook that does not straighten with the
strength of the bite. Try a hook in the range of size 6 up to 1/O.  Be
ready to set the hook quickly as the Sheepshead is notorious for
stealing bait very quickly.  Sheepshead love fiddler crabs and sand
fleas.

Offshore the grouper fishing has been fantastic as long as the weather
is cooperating.  Many anglers are bottom fishing in forty-five feet of
water although winter brings the fish in much closer this time of year.
The top baits are thread herring, Spanish sardines, cigar minnows, and
squid.  Trolling the Stretch 30+ lures are also working very well.