Inshore

With many repeat customers trying to get one last sheepshead trip in before the season is over, our inshore fishing charters have been few and far between. This will change as the spring progresses and more anglers turn their attention towards the backwater and inshore species like redfish, snook, and trout. 

Trout

Our water temps have risen into the 70s, somewhat scattering the trout. Many larger fish have pushed out to 5-7' of water while others remain in 2-4' in the grass beds closer to shore. Speckled trout school based on age or size, meaning if you're catching a lot of shorts, keep moving. Dinks or undersized fish are fun to catch on light tackle, but finding keeper trout will require prospecting. Warmer water also means a higher concentration of pinfish. These bait stealers make using live shrimp difficult. Now is the time of the year to transition to artificials. Soft plastic jerk baits such as a DOA 5.5" fluke on a 1/8th oz jig head have been working the best. With clearer waters on the grass beds, the ticket is a lighter color, resembling forage fish like white, clear, or fleck. In backwaters and stained water, after larger tide changes, a darker color like rootbeer or watermelon flake works to create contrast against the water.

Spanish mackerel

Spring is “Mack attack” time. Setting up on the rock piles in the "foul area" or the "humps" has been yielding impressive catches of Spanish mackerel. With good tide flow, it should only take 10-15 minutes for the fish to find the source of the chum slick, and then its game on. Schools of Spanish mackerel are easily excited and eager to take anything from a live shrimp to a gold spoon. A casting spoon with a single hook is a favorite option for ease of fishing. Double and triple hookups are common, resulting in chaos and excitement that makes memories for everyone involved.

Offshore

It’s apparent spring is in the air. Not only have the longer days of sunlight brought warmer weather and water, but the schools of bait have arrived. Following behind these pods of bait are the drag-peeling predators we love to chase throughout the spring. Kingfish have been spotted "skying" when they launch themselves out of the water, often the result of driving through a bait pod at high speeds. These big predators will stick around dogging the schools of bait, making them a great target for trolling or drifting baits back into a chum slick while anchored up on the offshore holes and rockpiles of the area. Tripletail are showing up early, and even a few cobia have been caught already in town. We will continue to scan the crab pots, channel markers, and boys for prowling tripletails and the open waters for cruising cobia.

Mangrove Snapper

This month has yielded Excellent mangrove snapper fishing in structure between 20 and 40 feet deep. The water has cleared up to the point of needing to use 10-12# fluorocarbon leaders for mangroves. The mangroves will continue to add to our mixed-bag rock pile trips throughout the season, with some expectation that they will move deeper as the water continues to warm.

Sheepshead

The Sheepshead season has been fantastic, but it is nearing the end of their run. Most often the sheepshead bit drops off by the beginning of April but with the high volume of fish in 30-40' of water it's looking like the bite will extend into mid April. For those anglers who missed out there's always next year! I've opened my calendar for booking in 2025.

Hogfish

The hogfish have given us an unexpected bonus bite this year. Usually, the best time of year for these guys is late fall, but we've scored quite a few good-sized ones lately in 40-50' of water. Just like inshore, the more aggressive grunts and pinfish make dropping live bait difficult; be ready to waste some shrimp and weed through some grunts to get them. While it’s no guarantee, looking for these guys on the low live bottom 35 plus miles offshore has resulted some bonus hogfish. A knocker rig and a live shrimp are always the go-to with these guys.

Looking Ahead

Our offshore fishing focus will shift to cobia, Kingfish, and Red Grouper soon. Gag Grouper, Red Snapper, and Amberjack remain closed for now, but they are still phenomenal catch-and-release targets. Our inshore snook, and redfish fishing will continue to improve.

We are lucky in Crystal River. Every month is a new opportunity to pit our skills against an ever-changing roster of gamefish. With the ability to go offshore in minutes or way back in shallow water fishing with High Octane Fishing Charters, you can be sure that there isn't a fish in the water that we can't target.

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