The trout have moved just a little further up the major creeks on the Big Bend. It’s on par, just like every other year, that they will stage where the bait is and move in and out with warm or cold days. My best bait has been a MirrOlure LiL John in watermelon red flake. The deep stretches in the creek mouths are the best places to work the jig slow and low.

Around the edges of the creeks are redfish, especially if it is hard bottom or a rocky point. The water is very clear so a well-placed jig, live shrimp or crab pattern on an 8wt fly rod will get the bite.

Not to excite the angling public, but I have also caught a few big pompanos in the deep parts of the creeks. I like to use a 1/8th jig head tipped with a live shrimp. The retrieve is the same as slow jigging for the trout. The bite is a tap, tap, BAM!

The near shore rocks have some grouper on them. Large jerk baits or shallow running plugs will get the bite. When I say shallow its 8′ to 10′ feet. Further out at 14′ to 20′ there may be more keeper fish, but for the ultimate snatch the rod out of your hand experience casting the shallow rocks is fun. The water has been clear, so a slow approach is best. I like to anchor down about 80″ from the structure and fan cast the area because gags will lay away from the structure to feed.

Incoming tide will be early 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. He is a third-generation fishing guide in the Homosassa area, a member of the Homosassa Guides Association, and he provides the Homosassa Inshore Fishing Report each week to NatureCoaster.com.

To read about our Shore Lunch excursion with Captain Toney, click here.

If you want to learn more about how to catch Nature Coast fish from Captain Toney, subscribe to his videos at https://inthespread.com