Rick Davidson (grassflats2@yahoo.com), Editor
How Big Was It, Rick?
June usually marks a transition month, and this month lived up to that billing. Early in the month, inshore fishing was excellent, with large schools of redfish in shallow water, schools of smaller trout in the 3-foot grassflats, and lots of baitfish. Offshore, grouper and kingfish were easily accessible in relative shallows, 25 to 40 feet. By the end of the month, higher water temperatures had affected both inshore and offshore fishing. Challenging weather added to the mix, with lots of rain and wind. Inshore fishing was tougher, with much floating grass hindering the artificial lure fans. Additionally, by the end of the month, trout had moved considerably deeper. Catches in the last week of the month were best in 6 to 8 feet over mixed bottom. Only rare trout were found in the shallows.
Offshore, the grouper fishing moved further offshore. For those boats that were able to get out to 60 to 80 feet, there were some excellent and large red snapper available; I saw some that were 9 to 10 pounds at the cleaning tables. There were some fine grouper catches as well, but from deeper water than earlier in the month. Kingfish became more scarce as the summer pattern is getting much more set. But everything's about to change, as you'll see in the fishing forecast for July…..
I had some good trips in July. I took my friend Michelle fishing at the beginning of the month, and while the fishing was tough, she did manage to land her first redfish. Doug Barrett found this nice houndfish, and I managed one fine trout
Captain Steve Rassell, www.lastcastrass.com
Trout fishing continues to be good, with the best action using Bass Assassin shrimp in the brown color and Berkley Gulp in the pearl white or shrimp color. The redfish action is good to great depending on water movement. This time of year make sure to keep an eye out for afternoon thunderstorms. Also I still have days open for scalloping and combo trips--fishing and scalloping. Check my website for more information.
Captain Brian Smith, www.bigbendcharters.com
The water temps have changed the offshore fishing. I haven't seen any kingfish near the end of the month. Trolling for grouper has now dropped off and either live or dead bait on the bottom is the way to go. You can pick up live pinfish or any frozen bait you need at the Ship's Store. There are tons of Florida snapper and some large black sea bass are still available for your fish fry. Cobia have been plentiful, even in relatively shallow water over structure. My biggest problem this month has been the weather, but we're looking forward to a big summer season.
Captain Tommy Thompson, www.flanaturecoast.com/capttommy
It's steamy and stormy this time of year -- time for shorter fishing trips. When the humidity gets into the '80s I start fishing 6-hour trips rather than full days. There's no sense getting beat up in the afternoon heat. Leaving at 6AM and throwing topwater plugs near the shoreline is a good tactic for summer trout and reds--it's lots of fun and the sunrises are pretty. The only thing that's likely to get in the way of a good catch is floating sea grass--or a morning thunderstorm. Fly fishermen also find that the calm summer mornings are good for making long, accurate casts.
The big schools of top-slot reds seem to have moved along, but we're now catching some nice fish close to creek mouths and over shell and rock bars. Shallow water trout are there, but they're scattered. Don't be surprised to catch an occasional flounder and even a few big jacks and ladyfish. When it comes to catch-and-release fishing, there's no better fighting fish than a jack crevalle or ladyfish, especially on light spinning or fly tackle.
As Rick reported above, this year's scallop forecast looks great. In fact, the FWC 'count' is better this year than for Homosassa and Ozello. It seems they've got more jellyfish than scallops right now. Scallopers usually don't get in the way of early morning close-to-shore anglers. The ramp is crowded, but that's a problem that can be solved by coming in a day early, launching the boat, and spending the night at the Sea Hag.
The Steinhatchee GOORMAY
I'm going to start doing a few Steinhatchee 'food' segments to go along with my monthly fishing reports. I write about food every so often for Florida Sportsman magazine, and if you know me (or have seen me!), you know I love to eat. This summer and fall, I plan to do some reviews of local food establishments and move along to recipes when things slow down in the winter. We don't have lots of choices here in Steinhatchee, but the ones we have are pretty darned good.
Jim and Joyce Hunt at Fiddler's have made a really nice effort lately to move beyond their 'standard' fare. First, you'll note that there's a big smoker parked outside and that it usually has smoke rising from the firebox. That's a good sign if you want decent BBQ, and Jim's is very good. He's also made his mark by hauling it down to the Sea Hag for special events like the Optimist and Reeling for Kids tournaments. So, if you remember how good it was then, it's still available over at Fiddler's.
While Fiddler's shows off on Sundays with a great buffet and still has it's great upscale menu items in the main dining room, it's Cackleberry's Breakfast and Lunch Room (the old bar area) that's of real interest to fisherfolk. Offering excellent home-cooked breakfasts from 6AM, Cackleberry's will get you fed before the fish start biting. In fact, they'll even pack BBQ 'boat lunches' for you and your crew. And don't forget to try one of their Saber Tooth Sand Gnat Sandwiches. These flatbread extravaganzas are delicious for lunch, and are available in several varieties. Rick chowed down on a fresh grouper version the other day, while Doug Barrett and I had the BLT and chicken options. It was a nice mid-day break from our usual cheese-and-peanut-butter cracker fare--and from the terrific thunderstorm washing down the streets of our fair town.
And when you're at Cackleberry's, be sure to ask Jim or Joyce for a copy of 'The Legend of the Steinhatchee Saber Tooth Sand Gnat Sandwich'. It's a fun 'read' while you're waiting for your sandwich and glass of cold, sweet tea.
Captain Steve Hart, www.legallimitscharters.com
Captain Walt Carlson, www.captainwalt.com
With the hot weather, fishing has slowed down but some good catches are still coming in. Had some nice red snapper this week along with grouper and lots of Florida snapper. The inshore fishing has slowed up with the hot weather so you need to go to 6 to 12 feet to find the trout. One good area is south of the sand banks out where the old intracoastal marker (No. 18) used to be. This is a good area to catch Spanish mackerel that cruise the bars looking for bait. Offshore has just gotten tougher. With all the bait around, the fish are not as hungry (at least this is my theory due to all the scuba diving I have done) so you just have to fish harder and move a lot till you find some hungry fish. Tight lines and good fishing, and don't forget to take the kids. They like it too. Now that July is here, it's time to go scalloping, and I do scallop charters. Give me a call.
Captain Wiley Horton, www.tunersportfishing.com
This is the time of year you really need to make sure you carry enough drinking water, Gatorade, etc when heading offshore. You can lose a lot of fluids through sweat that need to be replaced to keep your body in fish fighting form. Beer is a fine addition to a fishing trip but it actually dehydrates you faster, try inserting a bottled water in between those "cold sandwiches" to stay away from any trouble. Thunderstorms are our chief adversary, the winds can be calm for days at a time other than around the squalls.
Grouper are often harder to catch in the summer due to the abundance of natural forage, it takes patience and time. Red snapper on the other hand, are a sucker for some cut bait when you can get out to them. They sometimes venture in closer but 65' is about the minimum. The season does not last long, get them while you can
JULY 2008 FISHING FORECAST
Well, the time is here. Scallop season opened on the first of July, and that means the busiest time of year in Steinhatchee. I have seen good numbers of scallops in four to five feet of water both south and north of the channel. I saw some in shallower water between Fishermans Rest and the Bird Rack to the north. Verbal reports suggest that the formal report predicts a very good year for bivalves. For more specific information about scallops, please look at this link on our website (http://www.seahag.com/scalloping.htm ). While it will be challenging to get room and dock reservations, there are still some available through the Sea Hag Marina. All your scalloping equipment, from diving flags to snorkels, including the required fishing license, are available at the Ship's Store as well.
If you're interested in fishing and avoiding the scallopers, just head out at daybreak. Most scallops don't become active until the sun is higher, near midday . Fishing a half day, avoiding the heat of the sun, and then going out again late in the day can provide you with some excellent fishing opportunities. Even better, combine an early morning fishing trip with some scalloping as the heat builds. Late in the day, the Tiki Bar will be hopping, so cool off with some nice cold beverages. See you there.
