Another week with brisk winds on the Big Bend. The only saving grace against the easterly flow is the full moon. Incoming tides are pushing in strong. Wind and tide fighting each other can be tricky when it comes to boat placement for a fishing spot.

What I have learned is that you cannot cast into the wind so it’s best to position the vessel to cast
with the wind and let the tide bring the bait back towards the vessel. All you have to do is mend the line to stay in contact with the bait to detect a strike.

On a trout drift, before I set up I like to leave the boat in neutral for a few minutes to see how it’s going to respond to the tide and wind. Once I see how the drift is working, then I will set up to drift over as much rock grass bottom as possible to produce the larger trout.

Some bottoms, like turtle grass, will have lots of trout but most of them are on the short side. The broken yellow bottom will hold the keeper fish. I’ve been using a popping cork with a red jig head and red flake soft plastic.
The redfish have been biting top water plugs, gold spoons and cut bait like lizard fish. Offshore anglers are getting nice mangrove snappers and hogfish around 25 feet.

High incoming tide will be mid-morning this weekend.   

Homosassa Inshore Fishing Report from Captain William Toney

To schedule a fishing charter or shore lunch excursion with Captain Toney, visit his website. A third-generation fishing guide in the Homosassa area, a member of the Homosassa Guides Association, and author of the Homosassa Inshore Fishing Report each week in NatureCoaster.com.

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