The Redfish Run

August marks a prime time for redfishing in Crystal River. From now until the end of September, both "Bull" reds and slot fish are staging before heading offshore to spawn. These fish are in abundance, making it an ideal time for anglers of all experience levels to get in on the action.

Cut ladyfish, mullet, or live pinfish, are your best bets. But when you get in a frenzy they'll eat just about anything. It's not uncommon to catch them on a bare jig head this time of year when they're fired up. Be sure to your baits fresh (especially cut baits) as pinfish will peck your hooks clean.

Redfish are known for their love of structure. The miles long line of rock that jets out from the power plant is almost a redfish highway this time of year. Great fishing can still be found around the mangrove islands and surrounding flats. Early mornings you should be able to see these fish "pushing" in the shallows. Cast your baits way in-front of them and get ready for some drag screaming fun.

Mangrove Snapper Madness

Before the recent hurricane, the mangrove snapper bite was nothing short of phenomenal. Some days, anglers were able to hit their limit in a single spot. These nearshore waters were teeming with snappers, providing an exhilarating experience for those lucky enough to be out on the water.



For those looking to catch mangrove snapper, aim for waters 5-20 feet deep. Drifting live shrimp on 1/4 oz jig heads back to them has been the most effective method. While the snappers close to shore might not be the largest, they are delicious and provide excellent action.

Unfortunately, the hurricane disrupted this hot streak. Since then, the bite has been lackluster, but there's hope things will return to normal soon. We're optimistic that as the waters stabilize, so will the snapper’s feeding habits.

Scallop Season Struggles

This year's scalloping season hasn't been the best. Overall numbers are down, and scallops are deeper than they’ve been in recent years. However, every cloud has a silver lining. The hurricane has stirred up the waters, providing more food for the scallops, helping them grow significantly over the past few weeks. Currently you only need about 20 of them to equal a gallon. When the deeper portion of our scalloping grounds clear up hopefully better catches prevail.

Looking Ahead



2024 Gag Grouper Season

September 1st marks the opening of the gag grouper season, and anticipation is building among the fishing community. With only 15 days to target them expect it to be busy on the water as anglers seize this prime opportunity to harvest these delicious fish.

To gear up for the season, ensure your tackle is in top shape. Known for their ability to break you off in the structure make sure you have heavy enough mainline & leader. We typically start with 80# braid and 80# leader but will go up to 150# leader depending on the structure we're fishing. Don't be shy about tightening the drag either. We fish them pretty much locked down. It takes about a 30" fish to get any line out of the reel.



Inshore fishing

Some of the best inshore fishing of the year is right around the corner. Once the first cold front of fall hits expect trout fishing to improve significantly. Snook opens up September 1st as well!

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