AS SEEN IN THE NOV/DEC 2007 ISSUE

A trailer boat angler’s journey along Florida’s Gulf Coast

The long hot days of summer have long ended. Kids are back in school, and traffic has subsided on the freeways as well as on the ICW. For anglers who have small to medium sized trailerable fishing boats, the holiday season is prime time for a light tackle expedition to the Big Bend and beyond.

Adventurous anglers will have no trouble finding quality fisheries, and traveling with a boat will be easy since peak tourist season has come to a close. Touring the Gulf Coast really only involves two major thoroughfares. Traveling north on Highway 19 will take anglers from Homosassa all the way up to our second main roadway, scenic Highway 98 which heads west towards more exciting angling destinations.

Feeling right at home in Homosassa…

The game fish in the Homosassa River know that cooler weather has arrived which is exactly why they are loading up with protein for the lean months ahead. Although their metabolism has slowed due to the cooler water temperatures, inshore game fish will still be eager to bite- that is, if you know where to look. With both the Crystal River and Homosassa River emptying into the Gulf, the fishing during the coming months around river mouths can be amazing. Fortunately, anglers traveling with skiffs and bay boats will have no trouble arranging overnight accommodations and there are many suitable boat ramps in the area. The old Florida town of Homosassa makes visiting anglers feel comfortable and right at home.

Terrific trout and reputable reds…

Captain Rick Burns (www.reelburns.com) is an expert in Homosassa and is very helpful in providing information about the region’s excellent angling opportunities. Rick tells me that in the early winter, pelagic migrants are ending their southward trip as they follow massive schools of baitfish. Captain Rick says that fishing around the Crystal River Nuclear Power Plant can produce fantastic results with oversized reds. For bait, live pinfish or cut mullet on a Carolina rig with a suitable circle hook is surely the way to go. Fish baits on the bottom and hold on!

For non-stop action, target the abundant 16 to 21 inch speckled trout by fishing the grass flats outside the Homosassa River with jigs and shrimp popped under a cork. Either will quickly be inhaled by hungry specks looking for a nutritious meal.  

Launch ramps & accommodations…

Well maintained boat ramps on the Homosassa River are found at the Homosassa Riverside Resort (www.riversideresorts.com). The ramp at the end of the road leading into the resort is a county ramp which is free but often crowded. Riverside Resort’s ramp is private but the fee is low, and subsequently many local anglers choose to launch here. Be careful when leaving either ramp because the bottom is rock and the channel leading to the flats is crooked and tricky to follow. In Homosassa, local knowledge is a plus!

Anglers interested in fishing the Nuclear Plant area, should take Fort Island Trail to Hwy 19. At the end of the road is a public ramp which dumps right into the Gulf. This ramp is only suitable for smaller vessels so larger boats should continue 4 ½ miles down the road where there is a more suitable launch facility.   

Steinhatchee seclusion…

Steinhatchee is far from any major developed areas and is surrounded by government refuges. Steinhatchee doesn’t offer much in the way of bright lights and excitement, unless you consider hard-pulling redfish and ultra-light tackle-testing speckled trout exciting. 

Captain Steve Kroll (www.pepperfishkey.com) has been guiding the Steinhatchee area for a long time. He tells me that during winter, tons of trout can be found on the deeper flats during the day, but are more commonly targeted around the mouth of the Steinhatchee River as they seek refuge in the slightly warmer water. Redfish are more tolerant to temperature changes than trout and as a result, can pop up anywhere at just about any time. However, it is always a good idea to look for this hardy winter warrior on dark bottomed shallows and other temperate zones. Since December is nearly here and the days are continuing to shorten, expect the weather to continue to cool and inshore game fish to remain on the shallows for fewer hours each day.

The selection of what to throw is easy; Captain Steve recommends ¼ oz. jigs in a wide range of colors. He also fish’s Bass Assassin soft plastic jig bodies, but when the bite is slow, he switches to Berkley GULP in various colors. The extra scent often makes the difference between strikes and no-strikes. Finally, Steve recommended that the place to look for Steinhatchee specks and hungry redfish is on the bountiful weed-flats that stretch for miles just outside the pass.

Launch ramps and accommodations…

Anglers trailering boats can launch from the public ramps at the end of Hwy 358 but a better option is to use the boat lift at Riverhaven Marina (www.riverhavenmarina.com) on the Steinhatchee River. Here the bottom is limestone rock, and can do some serious damage to lower units and fiberglass bottoms so be careful and always navigate in the marked channels.

Score big in Port St. Joe…

Port St. Joe and the surrounding area may very well be the last of what Florida used to be- unsettled and unpaved. If you are the person who doesn’t require a whole lot of “stuff,” then Port St Joe might just be the perfect place for you. There are no high-rise condos and in many places, the views of the bay and Gulf of Mexico are completely unobstructed. 

In early November, big redfish will be chasing huge schools of baitfish in Apalachicola and St. Joseph Bay as they prepare for the upcoming winter conditions. Anglers will also find reds in the channels where they spend their time ambushing bait. Live large shrimp and bull minnows work well on St. Joe reds, as do GULP jigs in penny and nuclear chicken patterns. The region is shallow so a ¼ oz. jighead will be plenty. And whatever happens, don’t be surprised when only the head of a hooked speck or redfish makes it back to the boat as there are some very big and very hungry sharks lurking in these parts. For a quick thrill, drift a pinfish or ladyfish fillet behind the boat and you’ll surely connect with one of these big critters.

Often overshadowed by more popular species, tripletail are another favorite species that can be found in the area. These fish are masters at orienting to pilings, channel markers and anything that floats. Fishermen who stealthily ease up to the shade-producing structure toss live shrimp and consistently hook these odd looking, great tasting fish.

Captain Tim Harvey (www.talltalesfishing.com) says that early winter is prime time to fish for redfish and seatrout. The approaching cold fronts only improve the light tackle action as the fish tend to bunch up. Once the storm passes, warm sunny days can be amazing and offer endless possibilities at targeting large schools of tailing game fish. 

Launch ramps and accommodations…

Apalachicola Bay, Indian Pass and Eagle Harbor are all home to suitable boat ramps, but be careful when launching during flooding tides because there can be a strong cross-current. An alternative would be the Bay City Marina (850-653-9294) which also has boat launching facilities and complete bait & tackle shop.      

The Pensacola Passage…

Since air and water temperatures in November and December are continuing to cool down, inshore species have adjusted accordingly. Pensacola is different than our previous stops because vast weed flats are gone and the bottom is no longer rock, but rather it is comprised of granular white sand. With miles of endless beaches and plenty of exciting light tackle challenges, Pensacola is the perfect destination to end our adventurous angling journey.  

By November, the hot kingfish bite has surely come to an end as the sleek predators have all but a few migrated to warmer waters. However, inshore fishing really starts to heat up as schools of menhaden, cigar-minnows, blood minnows, and shrimp invade local bays.

Captain John Rivers (www.gulfcoastangling.com) guides through the cool months for bull redfish, trout and flounder. One frigid day last year, Captain John and I motored out of Pensacola Bay with bull reds on our minds. We quickly found diving birds and schools of frenzied fish. We threw ½ oz. jigs with bright soft plastic bodies which the oversized drum instantly demolished. Fortunately, this same scene occurs each year during the cool winter months just offshore of Pensacola Pass so if you’ve never tangled with arm-hurting bruiser reds, this is the place and this is the time!

Launch ramps and accommodations…

There are a number of ramps on Pensacola Bay, but the closest to the pass is Shoreline Park at Gulf Breeze. The ramps are deep, steep and parking is abundant. It costs $5.00 to launch, and the park is well patrolled by local law officers. Turn off Highway 98 at the Gulf Breeze High School and follow signs to Shoreline Park- it’s less than a mile to the entrance. Another viable option is the Three Mile Bridge boat ramp. Again, a traveling angler friendly facility.

Because Pensacola is a major tourist and military destination, there are endless housing opportunities. One recommendation would be the Paradise Inn on Pensacola Beach (www.paradiseinn-pb.com). The Paradise Inn features a pool, beach, restaurant, and private docks which allow anglers to securely tie up their boats for the night. This place is definitely worth checking out.

There you have it. We’ve come to the end of our journey along the West Coast of Florida. We have explored four great destinations where with some slight modifications of tackle and techniques, inshore game fishing only gets better and better as the winter season progresses. So hit the road less traveled, and see for yourself why Florida’s Gulf Coast is such a hot angling destination. See you on the water!

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