Nature Coast, Capt William Toney 6/14/2016

Hot summer conditions are upon us and windless days can make you crank up the outboard a/c and burn some fuel to cool off or maybe just jump overboard. Jumping over board soon may have more benefits then just cooling off, it may produce a bag full of scallops. On June 25th the Nature Coast scallop season kicks off. It is the area north of the Pasco/ Hernando county line roughly to Keaton Beach. ( Please go to www.myfwc.com for regulations) The Homosassa population of scallops is looking good. The area west of St. Martins Keys I have seen plenty of scallops while drifting casting for sea trout. Sometimes when I bring my boat off of a plane in the 3 to 4 foot depths the scallops will swim up the water column from the turtle grass in a feeble attempt to escape whatever disturbed them.

The redfish bite has been very good with the upcoming full moon giving choice tides for catching them. I have been using live shrimp but cut pinfish will stay on the hook longer. The live bait bite seems to be better north of the Homosassa River and south of the river I have done better with Eppinger Rex spoons, MirrOlure LIL’ Johns and 3” D.O.A. shrimp. Don’t know exactly why but I think the water south is a little darker from the water draining from the swamp from TS Colin.

The inshore rock bite continues to provide good action with more mangrove snapper showing up, grunts, trout, flounder, spanish mackerel and blue fish. Look for full moon incoming tide this weekend in the morning. Capt. William Toney