Looking forward into May can create joyful excitement for many anglers who have been waiting for our pelagic fish to return to the Nature Coast. On the offshore side kingfish will be within the 30 foot range around wrecks , springs and reefs. Offshore and inshore cobia will be more reliable then April. Inshore anglers get a good shot at these fish because they will hang around channel markers, the deep cuts off of Ft. Island Beach, shallow rocks ( 8 to 12 foot) and riding along the backs of stingrays on your favorite trout flat. I like to have a heavy spinning outfit with 30lb. Power Pro ready when fishing for cobia with a hand size live pinfish.
Tarpon will make their first show around the bars west of the Duke Energy Plant and south of the Homosassa River. Both areas tarpon can be caught on fly’s but the clear waters to the south this is the preferred method. I have caught tarpon on casting plugs like the Bomber Long A, large plastic flukes, live mullet, dead mullet and sight casted with small crabs. I’ll leave it up to the angler to choose their own bait. Poling your vessel or using trolling motors on very low power is the best approach to rolling fish. I like to have the tarpon work their way to me instead of chasing them, sometime if there are plenty of fish it’s best to stake out and wait on the passing tarpon to present the bait of choice. High incoming tide will be in the morning this weekend.
- Nature Coast - March 23, 2024
- William Toney - February 29, 2024
- Nature Coast - February 14, 2024
