The fishing has been solid this week across the Nature Coast, and if you’re willing to move with the fish, there’s a lot to work with right now. Here’s a breakdown of what we’ve been seeing out on the water.
Offshore: Sheepshead, Mangrove Snapper, and Grouper
The sheepshead bite has been going strong on the offshore rock piles, and over the past week we’ve started to see them pushing into deeper water. That depth transition is worth paying attention to right now, because the same deeper structure that’s holding sheepshead is also producing larger mangrove snapper and bigger hogfish. If you’re targeting either of those species, don’t be afraid to move out a little further than you normally would this time of year.
Red snapper have also been showing up in good numbers, but they remain out of season, so keep them wet and get them back down.
For red grouper, the 50- to 70-foot range has been the sweet spot. That’s about as reliable a piece of advice as there is on this coast, and it’s holding true right now. Grunts continue to show up just about everywhere and are producing well as live bait for bottom fishing. If you don’t have bait when you get out there, you won’t be without it for long.
Inshore: Trout, Snook, and the Rest of the Usual Suspects
The trout bite has picked up nicely inside, which is welcome news. Water temperatures had been holding fairly steady, but the recent cold snap and rainfall have the fish moving around again. Stay mobile, work the edges and grass flats, and be ready to adjust.
Snook are starting to show up around river basins and rock piles closer to the river mouths. This is a pattern that typically continues to develop through the spring, so if snook are on your list, now is a good time to start putting in the time. Pinfish and white bait have been the top producers on them right now.
Black drum are still around in solid numbers, and overslot redfish are showing up in the usual areas. Worth noting, but not much to do about the oversized fish other than admire them and let them go.
Bottom Line
Overall it’s been a productive week on the water. The key right now is flexibility. With water temperatures fluctuating and fish responding to the weather changes, the willingness to move spots and adjust depth is the difference between a slow day and a good one.
If you want to get out and put some of this to the test, we’d love to have you on the boat. Book your trip with Native Charters and let’s go find them.
