    
Capt. Mike Winn
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 | | Posted on Monday, July 29, 2002 - 7:21 pm: | |
Subject: Cedar Key Report
BIG BEND
This week’s full moon means high tides and a very strong current for those of you fishing late into the day. Severe storms lasting into late morning have kept many anglers sitting home watching the radar. Hopefully these storms will be less of a factor for the coming weekend. Look for a south wind five to ten knots and seas less than two feet with scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms.
Inshore catches have been pretty slow, unless you count sharks and pinfish. While a few keeper trout are being caught in four to six feet of water, most are hanging on the grass 8 to 14 feet deep seeking cooler water than what’s available inshore. Slow fished jigs or free-lined pinfish or pigfish are the ticket. Live shrimp are still pretty hard to come by.
Redfish catches are still pretty good from Homosassa, Crystal River, Wacassassa, and Cedar Key. Oversize reds are starting to thrill Homosassa anglers with the best fishing still a month away. Most fish are being taken just inside the river’s mouth. Cedar Key and Wacassassa angers are finding fish around grassy points and shell bars on or around high tide. Topwater plugs and gold spoons are perfect for fishing flooded bars. Live pinfish are still hard to beat. Not too much happening inshore out of Suwannee.
Spanish mackerel are hanging tough despite water temps well above their preferred range. Keeping the speedy macks company are bluefish, ladyfish, jack crevalle and little tunny. While most fish are on deeper grass, a few stubborn mackerel are slashing baits on inshore flats as well. Bait schools are abundant, and just about anything that swims are chasing them.
Grouper catches are good but most fish are not big enough to make the trip home. Red grouper dominate the catch right now, and you might find one fish out of 25 that measures up. Your best bet is to get away from the reds and find some gag grouper. If you are having trouble finding them, trolling may be the way to go. Try working some of these bait schools offshore with diving plugs of large jigs on a downrigger. I think if I was a grouper, those big schools of bait might be hard to resist.
There is still not much happening in the way of tarpon of cobia, although a few tarpon are being hooked and caught in the Homosassa River.
Good fishing, see you next week!
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