NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA
One thing about compiling an April fishing report, there’s always plenty going on. From here in Gainesville, whether you’re looking east or west, north or south, there is great fishing to be found. To our east of course, there’s the Atlantic Ocean. Some head east out from the inlets and ride around 50 miles to “the rolldown”, the sheer drop off into a thousand feet of water, but most of our eastward-leaning fishers, settle for the beaches or the salty inland waters of the Intracoastal Waterway.
Perhaps strangely, a good many more local anglers, fishermen and women living smack in the middle of the state, prefer fishing the salty gulf waters to our west. And then, of course, you have the mighty army of freshwater enthusiasts bouncing around our rivers, lakes, and ponds. In April, every one of these choices is fully in play.
Now, following is the best of “what’s happening now” in each direction from us here at Gary’s.
The happiest east coast fishers presently are surf anglers, casting from the beaches recently altered by Hurricane Matthew.
Using shrimp, sand fleas, and Fishbites Strips on beaches from St. Augustine down to Flagler Beach, they are pulling in whiting, bluefish, redfish, and pompano. Some say that April is the number one month for pompano in the surf.
Fast gulf action is the rule throughout the long stretch of coast from Homosassa up to Steinhatchee. Trout are back on the grass flats, and redfish are abundant on shell bars and grassy points at high tide. By now, Spanish mackerel have arrived in numbers on the deep flats and reefs a few miles offshore. Folks who enjoy a stronger pull will be able to find kingfish and cobia. Bottom fishers will find grouper on rocky bottom, but strict federal regulations have wreaked havoc with the once-numerous grouper fans. Their levels are lower than we would like, but our nearby fresh waters have produced very well this year. By April, the speckled perch (crappie) spawn is likely finished, but now bluegill are gathering to spawn, and their bedding sessions will continue, peaking at the ‘full’ and ‘new’ moons, throughout the summer. At present, our bream specialists have pretty much ‘lost’ Newnans, one of their favorite lakes, to low water, but then they’ve gained Orange Lake, an old favorite, now making a big fish-producing comeback, following its near-disappearance, thanks to a famous sinkhole de-watering, a few years back. Bass are still spawning for a short while, and nearly any weedless lure pulled through shallow brush or vegetation. is subject to being eaten by a bigmouth. So far this season, our best bass lakes seem to be Santa Fe, Rodman and Rousseau Reservoirs. The St. John’s River has also turned out a lot of fine fish. Plenty of April fish to be caught here in North Florida, for sure.
Gary’s Tackle Box
Gainesville, Fl.
352-372-1791
garystacklebox.com / garystacklebox@gmail.com