No Foolin’ Around!!!
After a relatively mild winter, March was cold and windy and hopefully now that spring has arrived we’ll get back to our normal weather patterns and tides. As many of you have heard me say April has always been one of my favorite months to fish here in Old Homosassa. As the water temperatures continue to rise, it seems like 70 is the magic number, the conditions will ripen and the fish will start actively feeding.
With our pristine clean waters it’s also one of the best times of the year for sight-fishing. Most of you know there’s nothing more exciting than seeing the bite and then hearing the drag burn off your reel. It’s also important to be prepared with the right tackle, live bait or shrimp, or artificials as you never know what type of predators will be aggressively feeding. We’ve had days in past springs where we’ve caught 12 to 14 different species in a single day. You can expect Pompano, Bluefish, Flounder, Cobia, Sharks, Tripletail, Black Drum, Sea Bass and Grunts on any given day.
One of my friends has caught two 34 inch Snook in the past week near the Barge Canal. The Spanish Mackerel are thick now from 4 foot of water out to 12 foot of water. We expect a banner Spanish Mackerel season and had days last year where we caught 70 to 80 Macs in a day. This past Tuesday we were catching them on MirrOlures Margarita Little John’s bounced off the bottom on a jig head.
The Trout, especially the larger fish, are still in the mouths of the rivers as the water on the flats must not be warm enough for their liking. Try tipping your artificial lures or plastics with a piece of shrimp for best results. The Redfish continue to be concentrated around most points, rocky shorelines and oyster bars. I’ve always done best on an incoming tide but the bite has been good as long as you have moving water. I prefer to use live Pinfish or Shrimp or cut Ladyfish just tossed up to the rocks or oysters and let the Bronze Bruisers smell their dinner.
We have very few dates still available in April and prime dates in May and June are starting to book up. Check our web-site at www.HomosassaRedfish.com for more details or to reserve your charter on my new Young Boat or on my newly renovated Carolina Skiff. Let’s go CATCHING!!!
As we didn’t have all the new e-mail address we gathered at the show entered when we sent out our last report, we would again like to thank everyone that stopped by to visit with us at Outdoors Expo & Boat Show hosted by The Reel Animals, at the Tampa Fairgrounds the first weekend of March. The show was another great success for us as we booked more charters than any other show we’ve been to!
Congratulations to the winners of the daily drawings for a FREE charter in Old Homosassa, Elwood Caudill, Kevin Adams, Tony Mayer and Alexis Henry. Your charters are good for one to four people and include everything except your lunch, beverages and gratuity; trip must be taken on a mutually agreeable date within one year from the date of the show. Please contact us at 352-382-3939, or check our web-site at www.HomosassaRedfish.com for more details or to schedule your date. Thanks for visiting our booth and taking the time to register!
Upcoming Events:
April 12 – Orlando Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) BBQ
April 13 – Mel Tillis & Friends Tournament – Riverside Resort, Homosassa
April 18 – Tampa Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Banquet
April 25 – Hernando County Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Banquet
April 25 – Full Moon
April 27 & 28 – Citrus County Builders Association (CCBA) Tournament – Riverside Resort, Homosassa
May 4- Young Boat Owners Tournament – Plantation Inn, Crystal River
May 12 – Mother’s Day – “Gift Certificates Available”, surprise your special “MOM” with a memory that will last forever!
May 15 – Stone Crab Season Closes
May 24 – Full Moon
May 27 – Memorial Day
Capt. Red Ed Brennan
(352) 382-3939