A lot of things in April bust out besides just the azalea and camellia blooms. Yes, we’ve had a stranger than normal winter.
However, the sure signs of winter being behind us and Spring is here, the Homosassa Nature Coast area can also bust out with some awesome angling. April is one of my two favorite times of the year. The other being the Fall in November.
You already have a little longer days and milder temps. Not too hot, not too cold. There’s a lot of fish and fishing to be had. Think about it, and we’ll start with our resident home boys.
The trout and reds have sure had enough of their winter haunt and with the warmer water and milder sunnier days bring a change that tells them it’s time to start feeding up.
Find the shallow turtle grass flats in 2’ to 4’ of water to set up your drift. Start out one rod rigged with a topwater plug like a mirrorlure top dog, top dog jr., she dog, or papa dog. Don’t forsake the rapala skitter-walk, storm chug bug and zara spook which work equally as well. Don’t get hung up on the color. Just something with flash or shine on it will do the trick. They’re more interested in the action and commotion.
Have another rod rigged in case they’re too shy to come to the surface with a jig under a popping cork. I like and use the Fishbites extreme scented plastics under Cajun-thunder floats. There are many different styles and kinds, and they all catch fish.
A third rig that is real popular in my area and will also complete your 3 water columns is the weedless rigged jerkbaits. They look, act, and feel like the real deal to the predators and by being weedless allows you to work them through grass and over oyster bars without fear of getting snagged up. Any color will work as long as it has white in it!
Then, to add to the April angling is the other species that will be coming through our area making their trek southward….. which are the migratory pelagics.
You can be expected to hook into the schools of bluefish, Spanish mackerel and cobia at the same time you’re fishing for the trout and reds.
If you don’t know the area, give me a holler to get in on some of this awesome spring time April angling.
See ya on the water.
Submitted By: Capt. Rick Burns
Reel Burns Charters
www.reelburns.com
Homosassafishingguide.com
352-201-6111