Rick Davidson (grassflats2@yahoo.com), Editor
"The RedManiac"
Spring fishing has hit Steinhatchee and everyone’s excited. Tournament season is in full bloom as well.
The Sea Hag/BillyStiX Rod ‘Miss Molly’s March Trout Madness’ contest ended with Kevin Prevatt from Silver Springs winning the BillyStiX SpiralStiX fishing rod. Kevin had a really nice 5#-13oz. trout and takes home a nice rod valued at $200! Stay tuned for another BillyStiX-sponsored tournament in the fall.
In spite of difficult weather, the Steinhatchee Community Tournament was held on the first day of the closure, March 15 th. The wind was blowing a good 15 knots with heavy sea fog, but the winning fish were quality fish. The list of winners included the following:
I fished the tournament with Capt. Tommy Thompson and in spite of the winds, we managed to find some nice fish, with this 6.5-pound redfish finishing third overall.
The Relay for Life tournament, sponsored by the American Cancer Society on the last Saturday of the month was another successful tournament, with the weigh-in held at the Sea Hag Marina. The winners were:
Trout have been taken on the flats in good numbers, especially near the end of the month as temperatures climbed. Redfish have been plentiful in the nearshore structure. I found this nice mixed pair south of Rocky Creek on a falling tide. Offshore, the grouper bite has been hard and fast, as you can see from this shot of the Rock Bottom.
This time of year is always busy when the sheepshead are spawning on Steinhatchee Reef, and the striped big boys and girls are in large numbers this year. The cleaning tables have been filled with the sweet-eating fish. The bite dropped off near the end of the month, but may continue through the next moon cycle.
We've had lots of interest from visitors to the site about downloading and printing photos. All of the photos on this page are available in larger sizes at Google's Picasa2 site in the March 2007 Web Album. Simply click for access---and enjoy!
Captain Steve Rassell, www.lastcastrass.com
Trout action is starting to heat up all along the Steinhatchee coast. Large schools of short fish to 16-inch fish can be located in numerous areas both north and south of the river. The bigger trout are very shallow and schooling. Getting them interested in something other than spawning is the secret. Redfish are still along the shoreline out to 200 yds. with
plenty of slot fish. Spanish are making their run now along the deeper bars and rocks. We caught the first 3 cobia of the year this week also.
So…if you need a charter I still have April 14, 15, 27 and 28 open.
Thanks!
By the way-- get by the Sea Hag and pick up your copy of The Inshore Advantage—Aerial Photos of the Shallow Waters Near Steinhatchee, FL--. Great work by Tommy Thompson that shows detailed aerial views of the whole Steinhatchee coastline.
Captain Walt Carlson, www.captainwalt.com
The spring bite is on- everything is biting so you need to go fishing! Trout fishing has been doing good down around Pepperfish, with my favorite baits being Gulp shrimp in “new penny” and white Salt Water Assassin in the pink diamond. Redfish are in the usual spots in shallow rocky areas and in the creeks around the oyster bars. Best baits for me have been the old favorite gold spoon, along with small live pinfish and mud minnows. Sheepshead have been at the reef and live shrimp is your best bet. Grouper fishing has been good with the usual cut bait and live pinfish and trolling is still working well, so there is something for everyone who like to fish. If you’re not sure whether to fish inshore or offshore, you can get in touch with me, because I fish both locations. Tight lines and good fishing, and don't forget to take the kids and the ladies!
Captain Tommy Thompson, www.flanaturecoast.com/capttommy
The 'backwater' bite has been nothing short of spectacular for the last month-- Hopefully it will continue through April! Trout were plentiful close to shore, at least while the water remained cool, but we didn't have lots of big 6 and 7-pounders like we usually get in the wintertime. Redfish were everywhere, however. Many a day we spooked hundreds off the shallow rocky flats in less than 2-feet of water. They were spooky, but quite willing to eat a Heddon Super Spook, Jr., thrown at a great distance. Don't expect to get shallow water fish if you're jumping around the boat, slamming hatch covers, and 'high-fiving' your fellow anglers! Fish in shallow water can feel the presence of your boat and are sensitive to sound as well as water pressure.
Fly-fishing experts Lee and Nancy Davison came into town the last weekend of March and we had some great fly fishing. Lee and Nancy live in Idaho and really enjoyed our 80-degree days. We fished shallow for a couple of days, but the highlight of their trip was fly fishing for Spanish mackerel on the deeper flats near Dallus Creek. Spanish (as well as bluefish and ladyfish) are a blast on a fly rod.
Captain Brian Smith, www.bigbendcharters.com
Spring has sprung up offshore of Steinhatchee. Good numbers of Spanish mackerel are surprising trout fishermen on the outside sandbars indicating winter is over. The Spanish are taking whatever is being offered; mostly jigs and shrimp. Savy anglers, when swarmed by the Spanish Inquisition, should twist on a short piece of #1 wire leader with a snap swivel and toss or troll silver spoons or flashy plugs, such as a chrome Bomber. Spanish are fun for fisher-people of all ages. Who doesn’t like the sound of squealing drag on light spinning tackle?
Their larger cousins, the king mackerel, have shown in sporadic appearances in ‘snake’ size. Those trolling for grouper have gotten a few surprises. The king mackerel run is expected to intensify through the spring. Any day someone will show up at the dock with a true smoker-king. Kings are usually picked up by grouper-trollers on deep diving plugs like Mann’s Stretch 30’s or flipping out a flat line off the stern while bottom fishing. To target kings, incorporate a shallower diving plug (CD 18 & 22 Rapalas ) or duster/cigar minnow rig into your trolling spread. Trick: bait pods are on the surface early and late in the day within ten miles of the coast, plan your day to work around them.
Grouper fishing is fine and dandy in the 60-70 foot range. Frozen bait will fill the ticket for those not wanting to spend the time or money on live bait. At times, the frozen or fresh cut baits are out fishing the live offerings. I tend to deliver a complete menu to satisfy whatever craving those crazy grouper have a hankering for. The price of delivery (gas) is too high, not to have what they really really want.
Trolling for grouper has been successful this week. Chartreuse was the favored color working in 58-65 feet. A couple of the plugs were buried at sea when 65 pound braid or 100 pound swivels gave way. The buck down at the hit and subsequent recoil after the break-away of a trolling rod leaves one wondering what came knocking? It is worth the twenty buck plug investment. It also gives a strong clue as to where to start bottom fishing, if you pay attention to such matters.
Seven and a half, “going on eight”, year old Seth Gaston gave me a lesson on ‘Florida snapper’ (pink mouth grunt) fishing. Yo-yo fishing with shrimp bits and squid pieces keeping me busy putting the next fish in the box and re-baiting; he said “why don’t we feed them marshmallows?” His mom had packed a bag of mini party marshmallows for him and his dad, Kip. Thinking “this move should slow things down for me” I agreed and slipped a mini marshmallow on his hook, sent it down to the bottom and handed him the pole. I turned to re-set a grouper pole when he shouted “Yea, got another one.” The grunts ate the mini marshmallows up! He humbly proclaimed himself “the best fishermen of the world.” I bowed to the King of Fishdom. The Florida snapper were running large, many weighed in at three pounds! Now that is a grunt on light tackle.
As spring continues to develop warmer and more stable weather, the fishing will get better and better, if history proves itself over. Enjoy a day on the water; life is short.
Captain Steve Hart, www.legallimitscharters.com
APRIL 2008 FISHING FORECAST
Pelagic fishing will improve as Spanish mackerel, kingfish and cobia move through our area. Bait pods will continue to show up nearshore. Spanish can be found anywhere in depths from 6 to 25 feet, but good quantities can be had by trolling floreo jigs on wire or 80 pound mono leader, especially in the area of some of the offshore sand bars such as 9 Mile Bank. The grouper bite will continue to be hot, but may move out to somewhat deeper water. Trolling with Stretch lures will be the best way to locate fish if you don’t have a mass of numbers. Inshore, redfish will continue to move out onto the flats in low water conditions and trout can be easily caught on the flats with cork rigs and Gulp baits, or with topwater lures such as the Rapala Skitterwalk earlier in the day. April 26 th is the Fishing for Kids Miracle Network tournament, so please get out and support this great event. Tickets and information, and all the fishing tackle and bait you will need can be found at the Ship’s Store.
