HORSESHOE BEACH
The Bite is on
Between fronts and the wind, fishing is staying consistently good. The trout-bite has really picked up, and the short-trout are on the grass flats, pretty much everywhere, they are supposed to be. When your trout fishing catching 5 to 10 shorts, to one legal-size fish is common. When you are having to cull little ones along the way to get a limit, it is very important to handle your small trout with care. These are the fish that we will be enjoying in the future. I know it doesn’t seem important to some, that grab a fish, yank the hooks out and throw it back in the water, but consider this, the easier you are with these juveniles, the better chance they have at survival. I hear people say we must have caught 50 shorts. Well that’s fifty fish that have been grabbed, dehooked and thrown back. Wonder what the survial rate is for these fish? Another big NO-NO is, grabbing these fish with a towel. The towel removes the slime from the fish. That slime is an outer protectant that helps keep these fish safe from disease. Its easiest to hold the fish around, and just under the gills lightly with your bare hand, remove the hook, and place the fish back into the water. While you’re there, just rinse your hands off and then dry them with the towel.
Fish are being caught on a multitude of baits right now, Fish are hungry and not quite as selective. The flats are filling up with bait; mullet, pinfish, and shrimp are always a best bet. Bigger trout are being caught a little closer to shore and have still been holding in the pothole bottoms and near the grass lines.
Red fishing is great. Catching 4 to 5 quality fish in a day’s trip is average; some days catching more. Quality slot fish are being caught. South of Horseshoe around the long bar and booger bars, the outside bars and grass point along the outer shoreline and creek mouths, is a great place to start. North of Horseshoe, Stuart point, Drum Point and all along that shoreline is a good bet. Take your time getting into these places and work them slowly. Water has been super clear and the fish have been super spooky.
I just want to stop and thank everyone for making our Spring Festival a great success this year. A big thanks to the library staff for putting together our festival. We had great vendors and a good crowd. It was the first day of the Shrimp Boat opening and everyone is really excited to have it back. The food is great, just as it was before. Salty Shoe Apparel had its grand opening and was a successful day. Everyone has been so supportive of the new things happening in Horseshoe. Until next month keep your lines tight and salt between your toes…
Photo caption. Casey C. with a nice upper-slot red.