Water Temperatures Cross The 70-Degree Threshold on Florida’s Big Bend–And The March Fishing Is Great!

This past week (the first week of March 2015), Gulf of Mexico water temperatures finally crossed over the 70-degree mark.  And the BITE IS ON!  All the ports in our regiion (Yankeetown, Waccasassa, Cedar Key, Suwannee, Horseshoe Beach, Steinhatchee, Keaton Beach, Econfina, Aucilla, St. Marks and Panacea) report great catches of spotted seatrout and redfish, …

14th Annual Steinhatchee Community Fishing Tournament, March 14, 2015

This is a huge event, and with temperatures moving steadily higher this week, you can expect to see lots of fish (and to have lots of competition!).  In addition to over $3600 in prizes, there’s a raffle that includes donations from local businesses.  The weigh-in is at 4:30PM at the Community Center.  Entry fees ($30 …

There’s Still Time To WIn Sea Hag Marina’s 2015 Trout Madness Contest

Winter is the time to catch big trout along our Natural North Florida shoreline.  And here’s a special offering from the Sea Hag Marina: Win a $100 gift certificate to Sea Hag Marina (Steinhatchee or Keaton Beach) by simply catching and bringing in the heaviest trout in February or March.  Entries must be photographed at …

Looking For A Guided Fishing Adventure in Natural North Florida? Visit Ross Hammock Ranch in Levy County!

Call 352 447 0296 NOW for information or to book your hunting and fishing adventure of a lifetime! Many visitors to our Natural North Florida prefer professionally-guided adventures, especially saltwater fishing.  That makes sense for many, as navigating our waters can be difficult, and there’s a decided advantage to fishing with a guide who fishes …

Fish Florida’s Untouched Upper Big Bend Shoreline

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We all know St. Augustine is old. The area surrounding the modern city was first explored in 1513 and it’s grown ever since. But 15 years later, Panfilo de Narvaez arrived in St. Marks, on the Big Bend, with 300 men. What followed there, at the confluence of the St. Marks and …

News Flash! Big Bend Inshore Fish Celebrate The New Year 2015

After somewhat of a “fish drought” in late 2014, Big Bend fishing for spotted seatrout and redfish has picked up significantly since New Year’s Day 2015.  I’m not sure exactly why, possibly due to some sunny days and cooler water temperatures, but there seem to be plenty of fish being caught from Yankeetown to Panacea, …

The Advantages of Using Plastic Shrimp Instead of the Real Thing

Many Big Bend anglers are convinced that plastic (can you say “fake”?) shrimp are the equal of live shrimp when it comes to fishing on our coastal grass flats.  It used to be that artificial shrimp looked nothing like the real thing, but in recent years they’ve almost reached a degree of hyper-reality!  D.O.A. Lures’ …

Seatrout Anglers! Don’t Fergit Yer Measurin’ Stick!

There are millions (probably billions!) of seatrout in our local rivers and creeks right now.  But while some are of the “keeper” variety, many are small.  And ever since the late Capt. Paul Cronk had his photo published in the Gainesville Sun with President Carter and what seemed to be a short trout,  Capt. Rick …

Cold Weather Means Big Seatrout at Steinhatchee

It’s December, and the cold-ish weather has brought cool water temperatures to the Gulf and River at Steinhatchee, in Taylor County.  That mean lots of seatrout are schooling, and anglers returning to the Sea Hag Marina have been bringing in steady limits (5 fish, one can be over 20″, none under 15″). Many folks are …

Cool-Weather Seatrout Tactics for Florida’s Big Bend

There’s no doubt that the spotted seatrout is the most popular of all the game fish we catch along our Big Bend coast.  These fish are plentiful, relatively easy to catch, and make fine table fare.  With the season now open all year, a daily bag limit of 5 fish (all over 15-inches; one over …