- Fishing Homosassa, Crystal River In
January
Cold weather, Cool weather, Warm weather, Hot weather, that's what our
weather has been like. Low water, very low water, High water, cold water,
warm water, High pressure, Low pressure, that's the weather report for
pretty much all of Florida this winter.
The good news is that the fish still live in the water. Tarpon and Snook are
always going to concentrate where ever the water temp is 72° plus. You
can narrow that down to the upper portion of the Homosassa, Crystal
River, and the power plant outflow. Look for the Snook to be the first fish
to move into there winter quarters,The Snook will be hitting the heavy bait
fish pods that will be in the creeks that connect to the Chassahowitzka,
Homosassa and Crystal River. Red fish will be in the Rivers as well as in
the flats around the Islands. Tide and water temps will be your key to
finding fish. Remember finding fish that want to eat will take a little more
work. redfish will stage in areas that are feeding zones and well as resting
zones. Resting zones are best left alone. You can set up your boat away
from these fish far enough away not to disturb them. At some point they
will move to there feeding zones. With a push pole you can stalk them to
there feeding zones. If you pressure them they may not do anything but
make a big circle and go back to the safe zone were they were resting. You
can alter the redfish movements by using live bait. Redfish will often
respond with a occasional hook up. But if you can refrain from casting to
them and hanging back until they reach there feeding zone, you will be
rewarded with a much better bite. It is our natural reaction to think that
every fish we find is starving to death, Not so! Patients will often reward
you in these circumstances.
Tailing redfish will challenge your best skills, sometimes they will react to
any good cast. Most redfish today have encounter fisherman more than
once. They have learned in order to survive they must keep their radars up
at all times. If they seem to always be out of range set up your boat to were
you can be up current of them and anchor or stake out, take a low profile
in the boat and wait for them to come to you! The largest seatrout that you
will encounter in the waters of Homosassa, Chassahowitzka and Crystal
River will be in the coming weeks. Like the redfish water temp is important
for the Sea trout. Moving water will be important but not fast moving water.
Seek the flats that have current flow that either drops of to deeper water in
cooler weather and yellow bottom flats that come from deep water when
warm. Hard bottom will look yellow through most amber polarized lenses.
The leading edge of a drop in depth will often be were the sea trout will
hold. Now is the time to get out there if you do not mind dealing Tarpon is
just around the corner. Look for 75 degree water temp for tarpon. Most
veteran tarpon fisherman would say, the best tarpon fishing comes when
your are sweating standing still and doing noting. These are the days when
you have not even the slightest breeze which in turn allows min. Oxygen in
the water and the tarpon will roll on the surface. This aids the sight caster.
This season May and June will go down as a banner year for a lot of
anglers and guides. Tarpon addicts will not give it up in July, they will pick
up the north bound tarpon the flow threw our coast, stopping along the
way on the outside keys that dot our coast. This can be a good time for
those who would like to take a tarpon on conventional tackle, by throwing
jigs and plugs to them. Your days will have to be picked carefully due to
the weather, most morning or afternoon storms will be packing a lot of
electricity. You can leap frog the migration if you are willing to move up the
coast to places like The Dog, Blow Hard Bay, Mud Cove. Hells Pot,
Location X, near Lanark and beyond in Florida's panhandle Some may
venture on all the way to Texas and arriving with the fish around early
October for most anglers the gas prices are going to keep them close to
home. The non migratory tarpon will be well up the rivers until the water
temps start to climb next spring. Fishing with plugs and cut bait will be the
order of the day or night. August and September will be a good time to put
new batteries in your cap light. Night being cooler than the day time will
bring out a breed of its own. Tarpon fishing is additive fishing. The night
time bonus will be some very big Snook the seek some of the same habitat
as the tarpon. The down size will be you will probable miss watching
dancing with the stars with your wife. An occasional cat fish will keep you
on the edge and from nodding off. When you do get the bite you will be
dancing with Silver under the stars. (don't seem to excited when you get
home from a good night dancing with silver). She may not let you go again.
If your not fishing with a ugly stick, drop off your rod at your buddies
house before going home! This will keep her from braking your rods! You
want a milder life style , try some night fishing for some oversize red on the
spoil banks out off of Fl. Power, Crystal River. Daytime is good lots of
days. Night time often brings in even bigger fish. There will still be plenty
of reds in the back country during the day. Don't expect them to jump all
over your bait of choice. The water will be hot and even the fish will be
moving and feeding slower. Expect them to turn on when the water temp
drops to 72 degrees. Until the floating grass subsides, try using a Jerk
shad rigged weed less. Work it slow or if it is scented like Gulp try just
leaving it lie still on the bottom. White or new penny always good colors to
start with. If you venture into the back country fish the points and rocky
shorelines for more concentrated fish. Once out of the floating weeds try
some top water lures for some added action. 15 pound leader is OK unless
you encounter a Snook. If in doth use 40 pound test for a leader. Most
Reds will not be to leader shy when using top water plugs. Make sure you
got good hooks on your plugs, most plugs do not come with very good
hooks. I prefer to change out all of my stock plugs with 4X strong hooks.
Fishing will still be good in the coming months, you will just have to make
adjustments to the weather!
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