Nature Coast,William Toney 1/17/2017

Great fishing weather for mid winter in Florida, the only thing that is lacking is good tides. Normally incoming high tide is the best time to fish but with winter tides and between moon phases there will be a strong outgoing tide all week. Trout fishing has been very dependable around the creek mouths or a backcountry bay. Again those spots that will have some deep water ( 2 to 4 feet) are the best places. Nosed hooked jerk baits in glow like the D.O.A. 5.5 are catching the most trout in the Homosassa area but north around the bars and spoils off Crystal River a red jig head with a MirrOlure LiL’ John has been getting the bite.

Redfish are still being caught in the Ozello Keys when there is enough water to get there and a few are being caught in the rivers on free lined live shrimp near the channel edges. Other fish like mangrove snapper, black drum and small snook are being caught around the mid points of the Homosassa and Crystal Rivers.

The near shore rocks have a few sheepshead on them but not as good as this time last year. You may want to try deeper out to 14 feet or darker water like that off the barge canal. A few sea bass, grunts and spanish mackerel and on the rocks near Homosassa. Incoming tide will be early morning this weekend. W

Capt. William Toney is a full time 4th generation fishing guide from Homosassa. Experience some of Florida’s best inshore fishing and beautiful unspoiled backcountry. His boat is a custom built 23 foot Tremblay and uses G-Loomis rods with Shimano reels. Trout, redfish and shore lunch are Capt. Williams specialty’s but many other species are caught or targeted.