Homosassa- March Fishing Report

March is usually the turn-around-month for us here in Citrus County. Hopefully, we’re seeing the last of the winter cold fronts and some hints of spring. The once vacant grass flats of the winter begin to show new life again. Bait fish schools, birds diving and bigger tides; all of this puts a smile on an angler’s face.

Spotted sea trout come to mind when you think of spring, and that big gator trout you’ve wanted to catch, becomes a possibility. When the gulf reaches the 63-degree mark, the trout are in a happy mood. Shallow rocky bottom, spoil islands, oyster bars and near shore rock piles will be holding good concentrations of trout. For you plug fans, the MirrOlure MirrOdine, is a trout catching magnet. The slow suspension and erratic action does a superb job of enticing a hefty shallow water trout. Soft plastic jerk baits and jigs, especially in the glow color, as well as jig and cork rigs, like the DOA deadly combos, will be very productive too. Keep in mind, the trout are still spawning; therefore, it’s always best to release the large females.

The redfish are becoming more active and dropping out of the deeper back county creeks and rivers. Cover as much water as possible to locate them. They could be anywhere from the outer keys, to the edge of the backcountry.  The gold spoon is a perfect prospecting lure for our area – its relatively weedless. It will cast a mile, and the red fish love it. Add a split ring and a small barrel swivel to the eye of the spoon to eliminate line twist. The bait stealers are not here in big numbers yet.  If a school of red fish is located, anchor up, and a live shrimp is the go-to bait.
The arrival of the pelagics is always a welcomed sight. Spanish mackerel, blue fish and cobia will be showing up later in the month, and especially into April. Chumming over hard bottom areas will bring them right to the boat. Also, the sheepshead bite will still be very good especially in the 15 to 25-foot range. They are still around on the inshore rocks too, but the bait stealers can make it challenging to allow a sheepshead to get to the shrimp first.

For the offshore fans, there’s plenty of mangrove snapper to target along with hog fish and grunts for some tasty meals. Bring a couple hundred shrimp, drop them down and have some fun.
Good fishing…