Welcome to TheFishingReport.com Forum

The Homosassa River is a beautiful place.  Sable palms, Cedar Trees and vast marshes make up the hardwoods and interior waterways.  There are miles and miles of creeks to explore and six more rivers that border within Citrus County.

The fast life starts to melt away as you wind you way towards the infinity of gin clear water flats that start in the bay and work out to 10 miles in any direction.  When leaving the mouth of any river near the Homosassa, mangrove islands abound and dot the entire coast between Tarpon Springs and Cedar Key.

There are always plenty of wildlife besides the fish like ospreys, eagles, white pelicans and manatees that flourish in these waters that are teeming with bait that include mullet, needle fish, shrimp crabs and much more.

Homosassa is rich in history.  Always a fishing village for centuries giving way to eventually overgrowth by persons of interest seeking the warmer client that Florida is known for.  Still there is beauty and is in the eye of the beholder.

For five generations my family has called Homosassa home.  Our fishing guides here mostly are from the same kind of raising, that there Daddy and Grandfathers made their living here guiding and commercial fishing.  I have watched it grow and have made new friends from New York to Washington State.

You can not go wrong with coming here for your vacations to relax and enjoy some fishing or golfing.  Our golf courses here are many and some the best in the country.

Most guides have written about how hot the weather has been here the past few weeks.  This is true and such a scenario troubles the fish into staying further offshore than we like to travel in a day charter.

Nonetheless redfish and trout along with a few seabass provide the action. Although slow this past week just yesterday we landed over 20 fish that were a variety of non desiraables to redfish to 22-inches.  These are the best eating down to 18-inches.

With tides incoming at the start of the day, redfish should react to piece of bait or a lure such as a top dog MirrOlure.  As the water warms to its maximum for the day, not much will bite unless you fish for Spanish mackerel.  These speedsters are located in 10-feet of water outside of Homosassa Bay or along the humps of the Crystal River bay.

Anchoring is the best method.  Drop over a store bought chum bag or make your own.  Use 30-pound flourocarbon and long shank 1/0 hooks.  Cast in the direction of the chum slick and one important tip is to bring along a 100 shrimp and break them into thirds.  Dole these out sparingly but over a period of time until the mackerel begin to strike the surface.   use a full shrimp on your hook and free-line it out towards the small pieces of shrimp you tossed out.  Sometimes it is better to use a Cajun Thunder cork inbetween your standing line and the leader and hook.  A small splitshot #4 in size a foot above the hook helps to get the bait down and off the surface where it will collect grass.  A leader of about 3-feet long is good.

Now when you cast it out there, let the cork drift in free-line mode until your cork goes under.  Then set the hook and reel fast if your line goes slack as the fish could be coming towards you at mach 1 speed.

Also you can employ a jig with a piece of shrimp and retrieve it in quickly as the mackerel like the speed.  A silver spoon in half-ounce is a killer and for more fun try a top dog MirroLure.

I offer half-day, two-thirds day and full-day trips up to four persons.  This action should last until December.  For more information please join the site here and write to drop me a line.  You can find me on Google or e-mail captmikelocklear@gmail.com