Nature Coast, William Toney

The mangrove snapper and redfish bite has been my strong hold on most of my charters. Snapper on the nearshore rocks and redfish tucked deep under the mangrove, so putting that bait way back in the shadows is how to make happen. Live shrimp is best for the snapper and I’ve been using cut pinfish for the reds. 

 Further out about 3 miles west of Homosassa Marker 2 in the deep grass beds I have been catching a few nice trout using bourbon colored MirrOlure LIL Johns with a 1/8th oz. red jig head. Work the bait near the bottom with short upward bounces and then let it fall. Most strikes are a small tick in the line, so using braided line is best. Another method is to cast behind the drift of the vessel and let out about 70 feet of line and let it troll behind the boat with the occasional twitch of the rod tip. Back inshore on the flats north and south of the river is a morning trout bite until the sun starts to heat up the water. A little breeze helps the bite and I’ve use a popping cork with a soft plastic to get the bite. Incoming tide will be mid morning this weekend.

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