With a windy week ahead of us on the Big Bend, here are a few tips to help you catch some fish.

Tucking in behind keys or inside of bays is one of my first choices, but make sure that there is a deep water exit so you don’t run out of water and get pinned down in shallow water with the wind.

Another way to slow down your vessel’s drift is to use a drift sock or a bucket. A bucket with 10 feet of line on your forward cleat will keep the boat sideways, allowing more anglers to cast down wind.

I always try to instruct everyone to stay in their lane with their casting to prevent tangling that can become a huge mess when on a steady drift and high wind.  

The most likely fish you will catch on the flats drifting will be trout. It’s always a possibility for other species like flounder, lady fish, and jacks. In the springtime of year, I do best with larger soft plastics on a jig head then using a popping cork with a jig.

Long cast ahead of the drift with an upward jigging motion is best, not a side arm jigging motion.

River fishing may not be as productive because most of the sportfish have moved out into the Gulf, but there is always a chance for a snook around the docks or rocky points.

High incoming tide will be mid-morning this weekend.  

Homosassa Weekly Fishing Report from Captain William Toney

To schedule a fishing charter or shore lunch excursion with Captain Toney, visit his website.

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