Hi Gang,
I haven't been fishing that much this past year but lately I've been getting out a lot more. Lately I've been fishing with some buddies from ...more the Hernando Beach Fl. area. Hernando Beach, which doesn't have a beach, is on the West Coast of Florida between Clearwater to the south and Crystal River to the North. I've expanded my knowledge of these areas by fishing north of my town, Hudson, from Hernando Beach to the Chassahowitzka River, Ozello, Homosassa River and Crystal River. It's nice to have friends that invite you to fish with them in this fishing paradise.
Fishing in these areas is dominantly shallow water flats fishing at it's best, though off shore fishing is also great here. But because the shelf on the coast in this area goes out so far, the bottom only drops a foot per mile, the joke here is; if your boat breaks down you can always push it home! Each area is unique in its own way. Each area produces basically the same species of fish, though they yield more of some species than others. For instance, the Homosassa River is a great spot for Mangrove Snapper, Ozello is thick with Red Fish. You can catch your limit of Red's and Mangorve Snapper almost everywhere but those places are a bit better for those fish.
Water temperature and tides are what most anglers depend on here, some anglers swear by the tide, some swear by the moon, barometric pressure is also a factor as it is almost everywhere. There's a thousand theories and superstitions you can find if you ask enough people.
I found that the guides in these areas are superb. They're good old boys who've been fishing these areas since they were old enough to hold a rod and reel. As expected, they know their areas better than anyone. Their prices are very reasonable compared to the high prices guides charge in other parts of the state. We've been catching some mackerel, reds, trout, sheepshead, sea bass, cobia and other species. If you hire a guide, you name the fish, they'll take you to them! Because of the rocky bottom that starts in the Hernando Beach area and goes north, the Grouper come in closer to shore. I've caught keeper grouper within a mile from shore and certain times of year the Grouper come to us! It's all good here on what they call the Nature Coast.
If you're interested in taking a trip to Florida and getting into some of the best flats fishing in the world, take a look at the West Coast of Florida, the best kept secret in fishing. You can contact me and I'll provide you with information on the areas guides, prices, the best time of year to fish here and even the most economical places to stay and eat. I think you'll be surprised to find how economically you can enjoy a world class fishing trip. I'll be happy to help you out with any information you might need to have a terrific time. Emil
