River fishing continues to be productive due to the chilly Gulf temperatures. This week in Homosassa Bay it was 56 degrees so you definitely do not want to go swimming ! In the rivers there are black drum, sheepshead, redfish, mangrove snapper and trout. It you need to find space and open water there are fish to catch in the cold Gulf. Trout can be found on the Spoil Banks in Crystal River, sunning on the rocky points on high tide and stacked near rocks out at 10 foot. While sheephead fishing out on the nearshore rocks once we caught a trout. I tied on a glow D.O.A. CAL shad and my clients caught one after another. The water was 56 degrees. This is a great time of year during windless days to target redfish with a fly rod. The clear cold water makes them easier to see because there are less nutrients than a summer time Gulf. This fishing is best with a team, one who poles the boat and one who fishes. A 8wt rod with a floating line works best and a selection of crab pattern flies in brown or white will get the job done. The time between 10 am and 2 pm are best because of the sun’s position giving you the best light. High incoming tide will be early morning this weekend.
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