Grouper fishing has been hot. Thursdays trip July 9th with Garry Corley we had 7 Gags. With two of them over 15lbs. Live bait was the best bet.
Trout fishing has been good. On one recent with trip with John Head of Atlanta Ga. We had 16 Trout. Trout are out in 8 to 10ft of water. We were using 1/8 once jig heads with DOA rootbeer jerk baits.
Scalloping has been good with plenty of limits being caught. Look in the sea grass in water from 3 to 6ft.
Homosassa Grouper
July 12th, 2010Beat the Heat and Swim for your Supper
July 7th, 2009
July 1st marked the opening of Homosassa scallop season. The scallops were not thick in the shallower water (4-5 ft range) most reports of bag limits of scallops have been found in deeper water. The full moon combined with plenty of summer rains (fresh water influx) most likely are the reasons scallops are hanging out in the deeper water. On the bright side of life, there were little to NO jellyfish around to battle with so far this year.
Inshore fishing on the Homosassa Nature Coast
I’ve been doing well targeting Redfish lately. On a recent trip with Larry and Jane Hobbie and their friends John and Kathy Cormer from Portland Oregon we had our limit of four Redfish with the majority being in the top of the slot limit range (26 inches) Trout have moved into cooler water and we’re still doing well in the 10 foot range.
Offshore Grouper on the Nature Coast
Summer weather patterns (afternoon coastal thunderstorms) have made it difficult to access offshore fishing. Typically it’s best to head to the 50 foot range in July to find the best grouper bite.
Thanks for visiting the website call me anytime (352) 303-9399.
Agile Anglers Awaiting Springtime Bite
March 3rd, 2009We’ve definitely had some cold snaps this past month, and I’m excited for spring to approach and burn off some of the chill we’ve had lately. Trout season was closed in our region of the Gulf coast for the month of February and it’s just reopened, so hungry fish are waiting for agile anglers to appear.
Inshore Report
Trout are showing up in two to four feet of water, typically on hard bottom where the fish are warming in the sun. Artificial baits are predominately more successful this time of year and I use a variety of colors depending on the weather to get the best results.
Redfish, are seeking warmer water closer to the springs. They are utilizing the river systems further back in the creeks and mangrove islands to have shelter from the winds and the chill of the Gulf. As the water temperatures warm, they will slowly migrate out to the mangrove islands where the Rivers merge with the Gulf of Mexico.
Offshore Report
Grouper fishing is officially closed for the months of February and March. After the two month closure on April 1st with the water warming up the fishery should be extremely active. The closure this year has been longer than in the past and it will be interesting to see how a two-month closure will affect the bite. Typically the winds lie down in April and make for calmer more pleasant offshore fishing.
And before you know it, it’s going to be time for you to make your summer family fun plans to go scalloping on the Gulf Coast. Homosassa and the Crystal River are perfect for scalloping, just a hop skip and a jump from Tampa, St. Petersburg and Orlando-it’s a trip that your family will talk about for years to come.
So don’t hesitate to call me-I’d love to treat you to our little piece of paradise not to far from the hustle and bustle of your busy life.
Capt. Don
Water Temperature Lowering Offshore and Inshore Bite is Growing
October 8th, 2008Offshore Grouper: The weather is cooling down, the water temperature is lowering and the offshore bite is growing. Now is the time to experience Florida Gulf Coast Fishing at it’s finest offshore and inshore in Homosassa and Crystal River. Gag Grouper have moved in just a bit closer so we don’t have to travel as far to get great Hook up’s. My tactics are two-fold this time of year for fishing for offshore grouper. First tactic, TROLL TROLL TROLL, with a big lip deep diving plug. Second tactic (if the grass makes trolling too difficult)-BAIT THE BOTTOM. To get the groupers interested in your live pinfish or defrosting sardine, you’ve got to get the scent in the water and get them feeding. Often people make the mistake of chumming too high in the water column and don’t get the fish excited down where they live, in the rocks. But that’s not such a bad thing this time of the year because you may excite the Spanish Mackerel and get a random King Mackerel to the boat (they typically use the middle to upper reaches of the water column for their swimming and feeding activities)
Inshore Redfish and Trout: It’s a great feeling with the Trout bite turns on. On my latest trips inshore we’ve been able to limit out on trout most every trip. My wife who is a competitive soul loves it when she can beat the boat and make sure she’s top catch when we’re out fishing. I’m a bit better than she is, but I don’t let it show too much as she’s quite the fishing enthusiast and I love watching her smug smile after a great day on the water. The Redfish schools are also moving together and moving around on the rocky shorelines and potholes in the spotty limerock bottom of Homoassa. The St. Martens keys have been where most anglers are having their luck with Reds, but remember if you’re out there to keep quiet as they are sound sensitive and move if there’s too much boat activity in the area.
Thanks for taking time to read my fishing report , call me soon-call me often this is the time to go fishing on the Nature Coast. Capt Don
Bivalve Bonanza Scallops Season Ends Homosassa September 10th, 2008
August 27th, 2008Well my wife made me take vacation, and I’m sure you’re all feeling sorry for me as I spent two weeks in Costa Rica soaking up the sun and doing a little different type of fishing than I typically get to do on the Gulf Coast. I caught the biggest non-edible fish ever and had a blast doing it. But probably the best part was the couple we went fishing with from Holland landed a HUGE Mahi Mahi (or Dorado to the Costa Ricans) and just like on my boat-I was tickled to watch him reel it in and proud for him as it was the biggest fish he’s ever caught. Nice job Olaf.
But as soon as I came home I was out on the water fishing with my FLATS CHANCE CHARTER boat , within 24 hours. On this trip we limited out with 3 Redfish for 3 Clients and releasing about 12 more we decided to try for some Trout. As luck and a bit of skill would have it we landed 15 trout with no problem using artificial jerk baits.
So with a successful scallop season coming to an end (Book now and claim the biggest bivalves of the season), Red fishing will be RED HOT in September. So if you’re planning a trip to the nature coast in September, Red fishing and a little Trout fishing should fill up your dinner plate.
And my specialty OFFSHORE TROLLING for Grouper is excellent in late September and early October and your SHALLOW WATER CASTING starts off strong in September as the Gulf temperatures begin to decline in temperature.
Thanks for visiting the website call me anytime (352) 303-9399.
Fishing for Fun and Swimming for Dinner
July 8th, 2008Scallop Season Opens July 2008
The crowds have dwindled after the opening Holiday weekend of scallop season, so now is the time to book your inshore scallop trip with Capt. Don. Don was out the first few days of the season and each one of his customers had as many scallops as they wanted to clean and a super good time on the water.
Don has had both inshore and offshore trips in late May and done well with trout and redfish inshore and Grouper offshore. Trout have moved into a little deeper water as the Gulf temperature had increased, but the right bait and the right tide have been productive for the inshore species.
Offshore Don has decreased the amount of trolling (too much grass) and increased the amount of bottom fishing for grouper. As of now the Federal Regulations for grouper have not changed, we will know something about the number of grouper that can be kept in early August. However, a change that went into effect June 1st is that all bait fish tackle must use circle hooks which actually works well for grouper fishing as it keeps the fish from swallowing the hook down too far and typically the fish hooks itself when it tries to flee back into it’s hiding hole (rocks). Now the key is to keep it from going TOO far into the hiding hole….
Thanks for visiting the website call Don anytime (352) 303-9399.
Marla Liane Chancey (the fisherman’s wife)
Grouper is Super for Supper in March & April
March 29th, 2008Grouper is SUPER in March and April. What a relief to finally get out on the Grady White and get some offshore fishing in this week. The one-month federal waters closure is over and all the fish have had plenty of time to get hungry because this week we limited out on both trips. I fished earlier this week with a regular client Larry Brown and his group and we had our limit of 20 grouper (five per person) by 1:30 in the afternoon. The biggest grouper that day was around 15lbs. I also took out Nancy from Mac Rae’s bait house and a bunch of friends and again-limited out for the day. There’s still talk of additional federal regulations and limits on grouper on the Gulf Coast but no decisions have been made. News from inshore……I’ve been able to do quite a bit of inshore fishing in March. Flats’ fishing is a challenge with the big East Winds and lack of water on the flats. Bent shafts and lower unit donations to the rocks of the Homosassa Flats are common this time of year. So I consider myself fortunate to have been able to skim through less than a foot of water at times to get where the fish are.
My clients and I have found an island or two to shelter us from the wind-I’ve been extremely successful catching reds in the slot limit this month. On a recent catch and release trip with some clients from Orlando we landed over 14 redfish. Sea trout season has reopened after a one-month closure and the bite is back on. April and May are great fishing months so call me to ensure you get the day you’d like to go fishing with your family and friends….look forward to hearing from you. Thanks so much…Capt Don