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After Hurricane Gordon and Hurricane Helene the fishing has been awesome! On Friday September 22, Captain Paul Cronk's charter party caught a lot of nice trout and a few redfish. They even hooked up a tarpon over 100lbs. that caused a lot of excitement for the time it remained on the line. On Saturday, Capt. Paul's party limited out on Grouper stating that they did not even have to go vey far - 18 miles out or so - to catch them. Other smaller boats caught grouper too, making the movement of the grouper to shallower water a little early this year! Yeah! Yes, the fish cleaning table was quite busy this weekend with trout, redfish, grouper, pink mouth, and black fish! Sorry, no pictures...had our baby, Charles Andrew III, on Monday September 18th - my second big catch of a lifetime! I expect the fishing to increase more with the arrival of the approaching cold front!
You Must Be a Young Boy to Catch BIG Fish
in August & September
 A Real Nice Cobia - Click photo to see enlarged! |  A couple real nice Trout!  |
The scallop are plentiful in the Gulf this year. Folks are traveling both north and south approximately five to seven miles from the river mouth. These delectable shellfish can easily be scooped up by the most novices of swimmers. It is best if you simply snorkel in approximately four foot of water and dive to collect them by hand. Sea Hag Marina recommends going out the channel until marker 11 before turning north or south. Look for the boats in the grass flats a mile in either direction then find your own spot and anchor up. You should be able to spot the scallops in the clear water as you drive along as long as the wind is not rippling the water's surface. The northern area is producing larger scallops in small congregated clumps but they are not as plentiful as the scallops on the southern grassy areas. If you do not wish to get into the water, you can scoop scallops from the sea grass with a long handle net while sitting on the boat. The limit for scallops is 2 gallons of whole scallops per person with a maximum of 10 gallons per boat or 1 pint of scallop meat per person or a half-gallon maximum of meat per boat. The scallop season is open until September 10th. You are required to carry a saltwater fishing license and to have a dive flag mounted on your boat or body to collect scallops. Some other equipment that can enhance your collection of scallops is a mask, fins, snorkel, dive bag, short handled net, ear plugs, and other diving accessories. Sea Hag Marina offers a place to clean scallops or you can call one of the many locals who will clean them for you for a small fee. If you plan to make a weekend trip, I recommend making reservations for a motel room and a boat slip as early as possible, as the town fills up quickly. If you do not have a boat, you can rent one or charter a guide.
Fishing has been a little slow mainly because of the weather. Seems that the heat is hindering not only the fish but the fisherman as well. Redfish are still being caught around oyster bars using a live shrimp on a 4/O hook. The flats around Marker 18 is producing some nice size Spotted Seatrout as well as the cut near Bow Legs Point. To catch the trout, I recommend using a 3/4 ounce ready rig with a weighted popping cork. For bait, use live shrimp, frozen shrimp or some of the local baitfish, like a small pinfish or green backs. For artificial rigs try a red 1/4 ounce jighead with the C-Twins or C-Tails in the hot pink or chartreuse coloring. Other grub tails that are working great are Riptides Gold-n-Glows with and without the firetail.
Offshore the grouper fishing has been fair as long as the weather is cooperating. Many nice grouper have been caught in as close as 8 miles although most fishermen are catching them in the 18 mile range.
This Week's Steinhatchee Fishing Report 6/3/00
 Click photos to see enlarge! | |
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Date: on Monday 5/22/00 @ 7:35 a.m. EST
for a trout trip on saturday with Scott's long-time friend Roy. Roy lives over there and
has been fishing the waters for some 25 years. We stayed in the motorhome at the
Sea Hag Marina. https://seahag.com/index.htm We met Roy at 7:00 and headed
south of the inlet about 12 miles to an area between Pepperfish Key and Horseshoe.
We set up in 4 to 4 1/2 feet of gin-clear water over beautiful grass flats about 3 miles
off the beach. Roy put the sea anchor out and we just drifted and tossed jigs. We
ended up with 7 or 8 keepers and a couple of small Flounder but caught many shorts.
The highlight of the day was when a little ray swam by the boat with a small cobia with
him and Scott and I fighting over who could get the little guy to bite. He fell for a red and
white MirrOlure and was alot of fun on 6lb test. It was my first trip over there but won't
be my last.
July 1st is the opening of scallop season. Steinhatchee is one of the only places in the world where you can collect scallops. These delectable shellfish can easily be scooped up by the most novices of swimmers. It is best if you simply snorkel in approximately four foot of water and dive to collect them by hand. Items you will need are a fishing license, dive flag, mask, snorkel, and mesh bag. Other items that can also assist are fins, dip nets, and a bucket to store the scallops once you are back on the boat. All these items are available in the local stores in Steinhatchee. If you do not have a boat, you can rent one or charter a guide.
Plenty of large trout in the 24' range are being caught by the limit daily. The flats north of the river mouth and east of the Steinhatchee Reef will be producing most of the trout, the large being caught in 6 to 8 feet of water. Another excellent area is the channel just south of Bowlegs Point. To find this area turn south after marker 9 in the Steinhatchee Channel and travel for approximately 7.5 miles. You will pass over a sand bottom, which will turn to a grassy gray color. It is in this grassy color that you want to fish. Also try the shallows around Pepperfish Key. Try a red 1/4 ounce jighead with the Saltwater Assassin grub tails in the colors of electric chicken, chartreuse diamond, and opening night. Other grub tails that are working great are Riptides Gold-n-Glows with and without the firetail, Greedy Gutt's white with red shrimp tail, Mann's Sting Ray grub white with pink tails, and C-Tails, C-Twins, and C-Shrimp in the pink glitter and chartreuse glitter. Seems all the hot pinks are doing well. If you like to toss a lure, try the 5M Mirrolures, Top Dog Lures Sr.'s and Jr.'s, and the milky white with a red head Long "A" Bomber Lures. Also try using live shrimp on a 2/O long shank hook with a 3/4 ounce sliding sinker leader under an Equalizer float.
Along with the trout the Redfish have been hot! To catch one, be sure to fish in and around the oyster bars during high tide. Be sure to throw a Johnson gold spoon in the 1/4 ounce to 3/4 ounce range. Also working well for the Redfish is large live shrimp using a 3/O hook.
Large Cobia are being landed almost daily. Look for Cobia to hide near structures such as channel markers and pilings. Expect them to approach the boat as well. If you see this fish, try casting a live pinfish in his direction. Some folks use a large bobber to keep the bait near the surface. You may also use a balloon. Cobia are finicky eaters so if the live bait does not work try throwing everything in your tackle box at them. You may be pleasantly surprised. If you are trout fishing, rig a larger pole with a free-floating pinfish (or with a float) and stick it in a rod holder just in case a stray fish happens by while you drift. The Cobia must be 33' in length to keep. Measure from the nose to the fork. They are also excellent to eat!
On the reef folks are still catching Spanish Mackerel although the catches have been smaller. For artificials try using Floreo Lures, Johnson Silver Spoons, or tinsel Spanish mackerel rigs. Troll the just beyond the white water of your wake. You can also anchor up, put out a chum bag and fish with live shrimp. This will also attract Pampano, Jacks, Bluefish, Ladyfish, and many other fun striking fish.
Offshore the grouper fishing has been fantastic as long as the weather is cooperating. Many nice grouper have been caught in as close as 12 miles although most fishermen are catching them in the 18 mile range. The top baits for Grouper are thread herring, Spanish sardines, cigar minnows, and squid. Trolling the Stretch 30+ lures is still producing larger fish than bottom rigs. Troll Stretch 30+'s at 3 to 4 knots using a 25lb. or 30lb. Test. Any heavier and the line tends to pull the lures towards the surface. The new Mylar Stretch 30+ are really selling in the pink and gold/black colors. While trolling, many folks have been hooking up some really nice sized Kingfish. Kingfish tend to hit the shiner color Stretch 30+ such as the black/chrome or the blue/chrome. These two colors also come in the Mylar style now. Some unique catches off shore this year have been a black fin tuna and some dolphin.
Fishing Reports 5/6/00 thru 5/22/00
Fishing Reports 4/26/00 thru 4/29/00
Fishing Reports 3/27/00
Fishing Reports 3/3/00 thru 3/10/00
Fishing Reports 1/21/00 thru 3/3/00
Fishing Reports 1/10/00 thru 1/1/00
Fishing Reports 12/31/99 thru 9/18/99
Fishing Reports 8/25/99 thru 4/3/99