Hello again, I'm Captain Steven Soults and this is the local Inshore Flats and backcountry fishing report for Florida's Nature Coast.
During the month of June, the waters of the Nature Coast literally come alive with a variety of game fish species and it shouldn't be too hard to find hungry fish on the move. Once again its that time of the year to head out to the garage and grab that top water box and head out to the shallow water flats for a chance at some nice 20 plus inch keeper size Trout. I have two or three top waters that I found to be very productive lately, such as the TOP DOG Junior by Mirrolure (Tan & White or Bone color), or a SKITTER WALK by Rapala (Silver Mullet)(they also have a smaller version of this lure called a Skitter Pop that lands very quiet and has been producing some very small Tarpon lately), but my favorite being the BANNA BOAT by YO-ZURI. Any of these lures I mentioned could be picked up by someone for the first time and become a master at walking the dog within minutes!!! On recent charters we have found good numbers of keeper size fish by WALKING THE DOG early in the morning(before 10:00 a.m) on the shallow water grass flats say (3 to 4 feet) off Hernando County. When the sun gets to high (after 10.00a.m) and Spotted Sea Trout are on the menu for tonights dinner its time to put away the top-waters and switch to a simple Cajun Thunder bobber with a soft plastic jig attached with just enough line on it to keep it out of the grass and jig away. This easily learned technique has produced many keeper Trout along with many other species of fish and is a great way to introduce young anglers into fishing without them losing interest. With that in mind, Spotted Sea Trout Fishing is about as good as it gets this month. We have been landing good numbers of Spotted Sea Trout in the 15 to 19 inch range throwing a 5-inch soft plastic jerkbait from SALT WATER ASSASSIN by Bass Assassin (http://www.bassassassin.com). (S&P SLV/PH/Char.TL SHAD) has been the color of choice, and many MONSTER Spotted Sea Trout over 20 inches and bigger have been landed using a simple 1/8 red jig head with a small pinfish hooked up under the lip and put in the rod holder while the boat is drifting on the deeper flats (say 10 to 12 miles offshore) with water depths between 8 to 11 feet tide depending, and the key thing to remember is that Trout are schooling fish, you want to keep drift fishing until keeper fish are found. If you find yourself drifting to fast, you might want to invest in a very handy tool known as a sea anchor. This valuable and essential tool slows the boats drift down to a manageable speed allowing you time to present your baits properly. Two key things to (remember while Trout fishing) 1.) The bag limit is 5 fish per person per day in the North Region, and 2.) Trout are a relatively fragile fish!!! You must handle and release them with care if we want to ensure the future survival of these species.
If Spanish Mackerel aren't on your summer time list they should be!! On recent charters we have had non-stop action all day fishing some of the Inshore rock piles found scattered throughout the grass flats off Hernando County in (approximately 8-10 feet of water) throwing again the 5-inch (Black w/ Red Spots) soft plastic jerk bait (intended for Trout) from you guessed it (Saltwater Assassin). The trick to landing these toothy speedsters has been to use a short piece of wire leader (approximately 6 inches of SURFLON Nylon Coated stainless steel in the (20lb) class with Size 3 leader sleeves) IS A MUST, crimped to a ¼ or 3/8 oz. jig head depending on the depth of water. Also, dont forget to pick up atleast 3 chum bags to help keep those Spanish Mackerel's near your boat when you find them!!
Also, with the water temperatures reaching the 80 degree mark, we have been starting to see small pods of Tarpon moving throughout the shallow water flats north of Hernando County by the Chasslowiska area. It shouldn't be to long now before we see even more schools of the Silver King appearing on our flats as well. I have been having a great deal of success catching smaller Tarpon South of Hernando County(Gulf Harbors) and North of Hernando County using a (Rapula Skitter Pop) (Smaller Top Water Bait). I recommend targeting any area that has a good sea grass bottom with good concentration's of bait and great water flow!!
If you have any questions or would like to book a trip to experience INSHORE FLATS FISHING AT ITS BEST please call Angling Adventures Charter Fishing Guide Service with Captain Steven Soults at (352) 686-0853 or you can try the cell at (352) 238-9339
Till next month!!! Fish on and tight lines!!!
