Nature Coast, 4/25/2017

It’s hard to beat the month of April, the weather is perfect and the fishing can be better then expected. With so many species of fish that are locally biting and the ones passing by with the water temperatures keeping them in our Nature Coast waters it hard for an angler not to have a good day on the water. I’ll start with the big two trout and redfish. Trout are low light feeders and depending on the days conditions they can be caught up shallow or out as far past the last markers. On a incoming tide inshore look for spotty bottom and use a glow jerk bait to get big trout around Ozello and south of Mason Creek. If condition are calm head offshore to a depth around 12’ and again look for the spotty bottom to catch keeper trout and some black sea bass. A 1/8th oz. jig head with a soft plastic that has some red flake in it. The retrieve is near the bottom and using a vertical twitch.

The redfish bite is best on the last hour of incoming tide on the western facing points. Live or fresh pinfish is the best bait.

Cobia have been consistent on the rocks and markers in the 10 to 15 foot range. This a fish that anglers must be prepared for the opportunity when it happens. I always carry a heavy spinning outfit with 30lb. Power Pro and have a spider hitch knot with 60lb. leader. Sometimes you can get lucky with a simple eel shaped soft plastic but if the cobia is picky, a live pinfish will almost always get the bite. The last shot a a bring home snook is this weekend. Some of the best places have not been along the mangroves like areas to our south but just off the keys in “green holes” or rocky points on the color change from yellow to dark indigo. Look for incoming high tide mid afternoon this weekend. W