Homosassa – February Fishing Report
February, here on the Nature Coast, can be a month of feast or famine. If the weather is good, the fishing can be fantastic for both trout and sheepshead. On the other hand, if old man winter is giving us some trouble, it’s better to stay home, and get in preparation for the upcoming spring.
On the inshore scene, speckled trout key in on hard bottom this time of year. Rock flats, spoil islands and oyster bars are where you want to concentrate your efforts. The hard bottom holds heat, and often, trout will be in schools over these areas. Try to locate an area with both a deeper depression and hard bottom, so the fish can stage on both tide periods. Slow suspending plugs such as the Unfair Lures Rip-N-Slash and soft plastic DOA glow jerk baits are ideal for these areas. Once the tide comes in, work these areas thoroughly, and if you hook up, there’s likely to be more in that area.
If you haven’t been offshore yet this winter, now is the time to do so. The Sheepshead are in their full spawning pattern, especially around the major moon phases and the action is excellent. The extensive near-shore rock piles, wrecks and reefs where we target grouper, will be holding good numbers of spawning sheepshead. Position yourself up current from the structure your fishing, and drop down a live shrimp rigged on a knocker rig. A knocker rig consists of a sliding ½ oz egg sinker, lying right against a 1/0 short shank live bait hook. Remember, sheepsheads are notorious bait stealers, and if you feel the slightest tap on your line and feel resistance, set the hook.
Also, recently in my quest to always try to target something different, I’ve been having some steady success catching hog fish, “hog snapper” offshore. I have spear fished them for years, but catching them on hook and line is a good achievement, a great fight and unquestionably the best eating fish in the gulf. Bring lots of live shrimp, begin in 30 feet of water on any live bottom, and if your catching grunts; you’re in the right area. You will without a doubt catch loads of grunts and grouper, which are fun in their own right on light tackle. However, on that next drop down, a hard -fighting hog fish could be coming to the surface.
Good Fishing!