One of the great things about cooling water is that the water is very clear from the lack of nutrient that warm water nurtures. If there is a time to sight cast redfish, trout or snook, the calm windless days between the fronts that push in between now and Thanksgiving are the right days to get with a fellow angler to feed fish and watch them eat.

With a good friend polling the boat, this can be a fun time taking turns, one on the bow and one on the stern. One thing I love to do is watch fish and learn how each one swims, eats and sits.

Mullet are the most common fish to watch as they meander near the surface and will make a silver flash before the jump or sometimes not. Redfish are more deliberate: when they move and are closer to the bottom, sometimes near the surface among the mullet, but their profile is different than a mullet’s because a redfish has a large head and upper body.

Sight casting a live shrimp to a cruising redfish is best if you study their direction and tide movement. There is a cast to practice that has a soft landing: the difference is between throwing a fast ball or granny lob. With a soft but deliberate cast you can feather the line to make it land softer so not to spook the fish.

Lead the fish by about 5 feet and by the time both fish and bait intersect it’s a special moment to see them eat your bait. If the first cast is wrong, then keep your composure and try again. I’ve caught plenty of redfish into my 3rd try!

Incoming tide will be early morning or late evening this weekend. 

Homosassa Inshore Fishing Report from Captain William Toney

To schedule a fishing charter or shore lunch excursion with Captain Toney, visit his website. He is a third-generation fishing guide in the Homosassa area, a member of the Homosassa Guides Association, and he provides the Homosassa Inshore Fishing Report each week to NatureCoaster.com.

To read about our Shore Lunch excursion with Captain Toney, click here.

If you want to learn more about how to catch Nature Coast fish from Captain Toney, subscribe to his videos at https://inthespread.com