Chassahowitzka Cold Weather, Hot Bite
A fishing trip can be a memorable experience for both young and old. During the shooting of our new TV show, we traveled to Chassahowitzka, a small community just a one-hour drive north of Tampa. As we entered the quiet little town, I had memories of yesteryear as a young boy living in Ybor City. We all felt like we had traveled back in time at least fifty years. The locals are great; still plenty of old homes and some bed and breakfast places, just before you get to the campground. Things are changing, but at a much slower pace. I suggest you give it a try and enjoy what Florida used to be like before it’s gone forever.
Kurt Frahn was our host at a place called the Chassahowitzka Outfitters–a beautiful fish camp (house) right on the river. It is quiet and peaceful. The camp is tastefully decorated to accommodate the angling crowd, a place to relax, enjoy wildlife and some terrific fishing. Our chef Mark, the owner’s brother, spent many years overseas fine tuning his cooking skills until setting down at Chassahowitzka Outfitters.
The Chassahowitzka River is a spring-fed river located in Citrus County. The river runs a good five miles, being a natural haven for hundreds of species of birds, and even bald eagles. It’s fed by a magnitude of springs keeping the waters clear and abundant with fish. Downstream, the mixture of fresh and saltwater of the Gulf turns into a fisherman’s paradise, catching anything from spotted seatrout, redfish, snook and mullet, just to name a few.
Now, let’s talk fishing. With names like Eagle Beak, the most knowledgeable guide on the river, and our other guides Capt. Al and Capt. Randy, we had the cream of the crop taking us out for two days of fishing.
Problem number one extreme cold weather; second, very negative tides to contend with, but both were overcome and plenty of fish were boated. Everyone limited out on trout with a few trophy ones caught and the captain (me) boated one of the biggest snook caught in the area for while a beautiful female, which I quickly released and, what made it even better, it was caught on my favorite artificial bait, the Saltwater Assassin in chicken on a string color.
The way to fish the river is to never let your bait sink to the bottom; or, it becomes catfish time. Rather, work your artificial bait slowly with an upward motion to keep it just off the bottom. It takes some time to get the hang of it but, once you do, it’s game on. As a suggestion, try using a 1/8 jig head and you won’t need a leader. Remember, you are going to lose some tackle no matter what, and my experience is the fish don’t seem to care. The river channel itself changes–the deepest water is not necessarily in the center of the river, but moves in and out from the shoreline. This is where an experienced guide can well be worth his price. Let him teach you the best areas and where to stay away from; or, you can always buy a new lower unit, unless you are a kayaker.
Tides play an important part in fishing the creeks and small bays. It’s best to work your way into the creeks with an incoming tide and plan to exit about an hour into the outgoing tide. The creeks can produce nice redfish, black drums, trout and some flounder. When fishing the creeks, you can use fresh dead shrimp on a 2/0 circle hook with a light weight. My go to is a #4 split shot just above the hook. The secret is to not drag the bottom, but lift the tip of the rod quickly and retrieve at a steady pace, or you will get stuck at the bottom.
A chart of the area is an important must have, and I do recommend a GPS to find your way back. It could be tricky when it’s time to head home and you are in some creek and have no idea how to get out.
Recap on fishing the river:
Watch the tides.
Current chart.
GPS.
Light tackle 10-pound test braided line.
2/0 circle hook for bait fishing.
1/8 oz jig heads for artificial baits.
No leader, saves time and money.
7ft medium light action rod with a 2500 or 3000 spinning reel.
Good fishing and tight lines.