Capt. Rick Davidson (grassflats2@yahoo.com), Editor
Now this is a challenging month to write a fishing report, with trout and grouper closures in February. However, we managed to catch some fine fish this month. Capt. Tommy Thompson, Doug Barrett and I fished several days this month, finding some reds, trout and flounder. Redfish were found in the creeks and in the shallows, even with colder water, and it was difficult to keep those pesky out-of-season trout off our plugs. Flounder were found in the sandy areas inshore, largely unfazed by the cold. I was the recipient of a rare single-cast winter slam as my suspending lure nailed a trout and then a bluefish on the same cast. Tommy managed to get a few great shots of the 'blues brothers'. Offshore, the black sea bass and Florida snapper bite was on, amberjack were keeping a lot of poles bent, and as painful as it was, there were a lot of keeper grouper and red snapper released. The sheepshead were working their way onto the Steinhatchee reef, primarily the early arriving males, which were all over the flats but largely uncatchable. The major challenge, as it always is this time of year, was the weather. It seemed that front after front came through, always providing us with great weekend kite-flying weather and small-craft advisories. There's no question that we're looking forward to March with eagerness. In spite of the tough month, though, we got a chance to enjoy ourselves at the First Annual Steinhatchee Fiddler Crab Festival, which took place on Valentine's Day, and in spite of rain, was a spectacular event with parades and fiddler crab races, photo contests, and lots of great food. I took my own valentine, Dora, and some of her close friends as you can see from the picture, and we all had a great time.
MARCH 2009 FISHING FORECAST
March Fishing Forecast: This is the time to get out and scout. The string of springtime tournaments starts April 4 th with the Steinhatchee Community Tournament. On the 25 th the Sea Hag Marina will host the Relay for Life tournament, with three more tournaments coming in May, including the Reeling for Kids tournament, hosted by Doug Johnson and Donnie Young on May 15 th and 16th. And while you're scouting areas for the future, the Sea Hag has its own competition--the March Trout Madness competition. The largest trout weighed in at the marina during the month of March will win a custom-made BillyStiX rod, made by Billy McDaniel. However, there are lots of other prizes available, so if you catch a good one, make sure you weigh it in. The trout bite will be excellent as the water warms. When the water temperature gets above the mid-60's, the topwater bite will take off for both trout and redfish, and the pinfish, mullet and whitebait will return in good numbers. Fish with Rapala Skitter Walks or the Cotton Cordell jerk baits. Make sure you use a fluorocarbon leader. If there are no takers, try some midrange depths (4-6 feet) with 52m Mirrolures. Early arriving Spanish mackerel will be found with the whitebait nearshore, so when you're in deeper water, don't forget a 12 inch piece of wire leader. The Spanish can be taken on drifted live shrimp, or try trolling with Clark Spoons or Floreo-style jigs. All the tackle you need can be found at the Ship's Store. Red grouper can be taken after the 15 th , but the gag season will remain closed for the month. Later in March, some early kingfish may make an appearance. The spring fishing in Steinhatchee is fantastic, so get your tackle and your boat and motor in shape and ready for some great fishing.
Now some guide reports and pictures:
Captain Steve Rassell, www.lastcastrass.com , (352) 359-5902
It's been a busy February for me. I have found plenty of sea bass in the 30 foot range, and some Florida snapper mixed in. I've been averaging 60 pounds of fish a trip. When there is enough water you can find redfish around creek mouths both north and south of the river. There are still plenty of small trout in the river with some bigger ones in the deeper holes. Don't forget trout season starts March 1.
Captain Tommy Thompson, www.saltwateranglersguide.com (352) 284-1763
I'm not going to beat around the bush. We had some pretty good fishing in February, but it was only for a few days. Warm flats really got the bite going the first of the month, but storm force winds ended the month. Rick and I even contemplated kayak-fishing, but our better instincts took hold of us in time--so we worked on my boat instead!
So, with my bilge pump operational (Like it's really a necessity in a foot of water!), I'm ready for some great March fishing. It seems that warmer weather on the horizon has already got the juices pumping in anglers, too. I'm already booking anglers wanting to fly and plug fish towards the end of the month and on into April.
My new fishing book, The Saltwater Angler's Guide To Florida's Big Bend and Emerald Coast, is finally out and on sale. It's got LOTS of secrets, tips and trick, so don't forget to pick one up at the Sea Hag Ship's Store the next time you're at the marina.
If you're interested in a 'catch-and-release hunting for big fish' trip, please give me a call. And if you're interested in some more in-depth information about fishing our beautiful Big Bend, take a look at my weekly Fishing4Cast on the Florida Sportsman Magazine website at http://www.floridasportsman.com/4cast/bb/index.html or at the Florida Sportsman Big Bend Action Spotter column in each month's issue.
Captain Steve Hart, www.legallimitscharters.com (352) 498-0299
Captain Walt Carlson, (352) 498-3176
Fishing has been good if you get to go when the weather's good. I talked to several who caught and released a lot of trout at the mouth of the river and had lots of fun. I did get to go Thursday for 1/2 day for sea bass and did well. On Friday I fished all day with the Parnells from Lake City for sea bass and Florida snapper and did well--and we also picked up on some BIG flounder, a total of four. A great catch! Fishing will get better now as we head into spring. Trout opens up on the 1st so let's go get'em.
Tight lines and good fishing!
Captain Brian Smith, www.bigbendcharters.com
This shouldn't be news but grouper fishing is closed during this period, which will truncate and make the fishing report less interesting for most anglers. I'll cut to the chase or 'only bet'. It is not a bad option for those that love fast action and enjoy eating tasty fish. It is the season for black sea bass. They are in spawn but so ubiquitous hook and line fishermen don't suppress reproduction. They are holding on all hard bottom areas. However, inside of thirty feet the fish are smaller requiring much sorting to collect a few legal fish. The prime 'hump heads' are on hard bottom in 42-55 foot. The action is just as great further out and there is less sorting necessary, meaning more take home. For the most fun use trout tackle putting the sport in the fish. Expect to load some Florida snapper in the fish box as well. In terms of fun and good eating you can't beat the combo. As for bait--go for durability. Squid strips, cut bait, chicken gizzards or a chunk of Gulp are great baits that insure a strong bite and, importantly, stay on the hook after the umpteenth fish has been caught. A good suggestion is to use jig heads with long shank hooks to help de-hooking. Enjoy the action; it takes the fever out of the cabin.
