Nature Coast, William Toney 3/28/2017

As of fishing this week an angler could not ask for better conditions. I’ll start on the near shore rocks on the Bombing Range. I’ve have good success with spanish mackerel, trout, nice sea bass ( black fish ) small gag grouper, blue fish, lady fish, grunts and flounder. This is fun fishing because once you get into the area and set up a drift with the wind, tide then cover some water, fun fishing happens. Soft plastics in new penny, bourbon, golden bream and glow on a 1/8 jig head will bring you more action then live shrimp. Make long cast and retrieve with a vertical bounce down wind of the vessels drift. Look for yellow bottom around a dark patch to find the rocks and casting on these area will give good action.

North offshore of Crystal River reports of good triple tail action and a few sheepshead still on the 20’ foot ledges’. For triple tail run the buoy lines and look for the fish to be laying under the float or sometimes deeper on the rope. It takes a good eye to spot them but reward are great with a fun fish to catch and excellent eating. In the Homosassa are I’ve talked with local crabbers who have saw a few as of late, both blue crabbers and stone crabbers. A free lined live shrimp will get the bite.

Back inshore good trout fishing on the incoming tides around the yellow submerged rocks with jerk baits and redfish any where along a shore line with jumping mullet. Cut pinfish has been the best bait. Offshore Capt. Chris Wilkins is getting amber jack, mangrove snapper and hogfish with a few kingfish. High incoming tide this weekend will be late afternoon. W