OUTDOORS

20 THE SUN OUTDOORS JANUARY 26, 2022

Reel Time on the road: The Nature Coast

Reel Time

RUSTY CHINNIS

Have you ever had a fishing trip that was so memorable you felt the need to pinch yourself to make sure it was real? I’ve been fishing a long time and I could count those times on one hand. Now I’ve started on my second hand. Allow me to explain.

I had traveled to the Nature Coast the second week in January this year and settled into a rental house on the Withlacoochee River in Yankeetown. About two and a half hours from Anna Maria, the Nature Coast is one of my favorite places to fish, photograph and explore. Over the years I’ve investigated the waters from Chassahowitzka to Crystal River, but last year at Captain Nick Angelo’s suggestion, I booked a couple of days with him north of Crystal River in Withlacoochee Bay. That trip enamored me with the wild beauty of the region and the redfish that were so willing to take a fly. The second day of my two-day trip started with an experience that I’ll never forget.

Angelo poled his flats boat through a channel and into a cove that had been inaccessible the day before. The sky was cloudless and the shallow water was clear and only 2 feet deep. As we eased towards the black-mangrove edge, Angelo pointed out a half dozen redfish silhouetted over the light bottom and positioned me for a cast. The first two presentations were ignored, but on my third attempt, a 28” red started tracking the fly as Angelo coached me on stripping the fly. The instructions worked and the red rushed and inhaled the fly as I strip struck to set the hook. The fish bolted towards the mangroves but turned as I applied pressure with the rod. Racing back towards the outlet that fed the cove, the red caused the line to “rooster tail” a thin line of water over the mirror-smooth surface. Applying pressure and alternately moving the rod from the left to right I was able to tire the fish after two more short runs. After a quick picture and video clip, we returned the red to the water. We had been fishing for a total of about 30 minutes when I turned to Angelo and said, "My day's already made!”

This is a wild and unforgiving part of Florida whose shallow waters are studded with limestone outcroppings, shallow flats and oyster bars. While I always champion using guides in areas I don’t know, this is one place I would never consider bringing my boat. Even Angelo’s mud motor, a specialized engine, was churning up mud and bumping bottom as he took me to places where it seemed angels (or airboats) would fear to tread!

On the first day, we were on the backside of a strong cold front that plunged temperatures into the low 40s with north winds to 20 mph. After a cold run across the open bay, we were able to fish in the lee of a group of mangrove islands. The wind had blown the water out of the shallow bay and we were unable to reach some of Angelo’s favorite backwater haunts. Fortunately, we found groups of hungry redfish huddled on the Gulf side flats. In the low morning light, we had to move extremely slow, sometimes seeing fish almost under the boat. This required nothing more than a quick, short roll cast and made it necessary to shorten my leader and downsize my bite tippet. Once we had the fish “dialed in” we enjoyed a morning and early afternoon of sight-fishing singles, doubles and small groups of redfish.

In the afternoon as the tide rose, we elected to investigate deep into the creeks and channels that feed the vast expanse of marsh grass hammocks. At one point we beached the boat and hiked to an ancient grove of grey weathered cedar trees. The feeling while standing at the base of those twisted sentinels was one of being the first to stand in this spot, a rare experience in today’s Florida.

The second day the winds died and although the day dawned cold, it warmed up to be perfect for sight fishing with multiple opportunities for hookups and a chance to explore the back bays and coves that had been inaccessible the day before. To top off the trip, just as we were about to “pull the plug,” Angelo spotted a large redfish close to a shallow oyster bar. On my first cast, I was able to hook up with what was the biggest and hardest-fighting fish of the trip. The big red made multiple runs into the backing with head-shaking appearances at the surface before finally tiring enough to be landed, photographed and released.

If you would like to experience one of Florida’s “last frontiers,” contact Captain Nick Angelo at 813-230-8473 or visit his website, https://shallowwaterflyfishing.com. It’s a trip you won’t soon forget.

This Withlacoochee Bay redfish appeared in the perfect place at the perfect time

SUBMITTED

Winter weather changes fishing targets

CAPTAIN DAVE WHITE

Well, winter has hit us with full force this past week. Fishing has changed drastically due to the major temperature drops. We here at Ana Maria Charters are fortunate enough to fish year-round, but it may not always be as exciting as we’d like. As the winter progresses and the winds keep pushing out of the north, we resort to fishing area docks and structures for sheepshead, black drum and redfish. Occasionally, we will target pompano and permit if conditions allow.

We use shrimp for bait in the wintertime, knocker-rigged or with a large split shot. The past few days have been nice enough for us to get offshore to the limestone ledges in the Gulf that run parallel to the Island. Hogfish, mangrove snapper, porgies and grunts have been filling the coolers. We don’t mind the cold as much, but the winds can keep us off of the water. We’ve had a pretty nice December and January, so I guess we’re due!

CAPTAIN RICK GRASSETT

Anglers fishing with me, out of CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key, had some action catching and releasing reds, snook and trout on DOA lures in Charlotte Harbor recently. Keith McClintock and Hal D’Orazio, from Lake Forest, Ill., fished backcountry areas of Gasparilla Sound and had some action catching and releasing several reds, snook and trout on CAL jigs with shad tails.

Look for reds, snook and larger trout in shallow water. Fishing the deep grass flats of Sarasota Bay is usually a good choice for action with a variety of species including trout, jacks, blues and more. Snook at night around bridges and dock lights is also a good option depending on conditions. If you have an interest in fly fishing, CB’s Saltwater Outfitters has added another Orvis-Endorsed fly fishing school on Feb 5. Contact them at (941) 349-4400 to sign up.

Our natural resources are under constant pressure from red tides fueled by industrial, agricultural and residential runoff, toxic spills and discharges, freezes, increasing fishing pressure and habitat loss and degradation, please limit your kill, don’t kill your limit!

CAPTAIN DAVE WHITE | SUBMITTED Longtime client and friend, Joey Rearden, of Atlanta, shows off a tasty sheepshead caught with captain David White of Anna Maria Charters.

CAPTAIN RICK GRASSETT | SUBMITTED Keith McClintock, from Lake Forest, IL, had some action catching and releasing reds and snook on CAL jigs with shad tails while fishing Gasparilla Sound with Capt. Rick Grassett recently.