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DISCOVER
FLORIDA’S FABLED FISHING GROUNDS
“It’s just better here.”
That’s
what you’re likely to hear if you
talk to an angler familiar with the
rich waters of Crystal River,
Homosassa and Inverness. You can bring
your lightest-weight fly rod, your
favorite fast-taper bass rod, your
deep-sea rig or your crappie stick.
Because no matter what kind of fishing
you prefer, you’ll find success
somewhere in Citrus County.
Sport fishers can tackle a wide
variety of species in the area’s
rivers, estuaries, grassy flats and
the Gulf of Mexico. Massive redfish,
trout, tarpon, cobia, grouper and
other species all await in these
waters. The Tsala Apopka lake chain in
the Inverness area also boasts some of
the very best largemouth bass fishing
you’ll find anywhere.
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Spotted
Sea
Trout:
inshore
and
near-shore
over
grass,
sand
and
mud
bottoms.
Deeper
waters
during
the
warmest
and
coolest
months.
Use
live
shrimp
or
baitfish
fished
near
bottom
by
free
lining
or
under
a
popping
cork,
or
soft-bodied
jigs
or
surface
plugs
cast
while
drifting.
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Limits:
15"
minimum
overall,
5
per
person
per
day,
including
one
over
20"
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Cobia:
both
inshore
and
near-shore
around
pilings,
buoys,
and
wrecks;
along
beaches
during
spring
and
early
summer.
Use
trolling
or
casting
lures,
jigs
or
live
pinfish.
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Limits:
33"
minimum
to
fork
of
tail,
one
per
person
per
day
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Redfish
(red
drum):
inshore
near
grass
beds,
oyster
bars,
docks
and
pilings;
deeper
channels
during
warmest
and
coolest
months.
Use
live
shrimp
or
pinfish
fished
on
bottom
or
free-lined,
or
soft
bodied
jigs
bounced
slowly
along
the
bottom.
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Limits:
18"
minimum
27"
maximum
overall,
one
per
person
per
day
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Spanish
Mackerel:
inshore,
near-shore
and
off-shore,
especially
over
grass
beds
and
reefs;
absent
from
north
Florida
waters
in
winter.
Free-lining
live
shrimp
or
cut
bait.
Or
casting
silver
spoons
or
jigs
worked
in
a
fast
motion.
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Limits:
12"
minimum
to
fork
of
tail,
15
per
person
per
day
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Ladyfish:
inshore
fish,
in
bays
and
estuaries;
occasionally
enters
freshwater,
occurring
in
tidal
pools
and
canals;
often
forms
large
schools
and
harasses
bait
at
the
surface.
Will
hit
just
about
anything
from
live
bait
to
all
types
of
artificial
either
on
top-water
or
fast-moving
jigs.
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Limits:
none
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Tarpon:
primarily
inshore
fish,
although
adult
fish
spawn
offshore
where
the
ribbon-like
larval
stage
of
the
fish
can
be
found.
Tarpon
are
sight-fished
along
Florida’s
Nature
Coast,
and
are
sought
after
by
fly-fishing
enthusiasts.
But
they
are
also
landed
using
live
bait,
including
white
bait,
pinfish
and
blue
crabs.
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Limits:
none
–
however,
a
permit
is
required
to
keep
fish
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Sheepshead:
inshore
species
around
oyster
bars,
seawalls
and
in
tidal
creeks;
moves
near-shore
in
late
winter
and
early
spring
for
spawning,
gathering
over
debris,
artificial
reefs
and
around
navigation
markers.
Use
shrimp,
fiddler
crabs
or
pieces
of
fresh
blue
crab
fished
on
the
bottom.
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Limits:
12"
minimum
to
fork
of
tail
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Flounder:
inshore
on
sandy
or
mud
bottoms,
often
ranging
into
tidal
creeks;
occasionally
caught
on
near-shore
rocky
reefs.
Working
jigs
or
live
bait
near
the
bottom.
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Limits:
12"
minimum
overall,
ten
per
person
per
day.
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Pompano:
inshore
and
near-shore
waters,
especially
along
sandy
beaches,
along
oyster
banks,
and
over
grass
beds,
often
in
turbid
water;
may
be
found
in
water
as
deep
as
130
feet.
Catch
with
live
shrimp
or
small
jigs.
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Limits:
10"
minimum
/
20"
maximum
to
fork
of
tail,
ten
per
person
per
day.
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Jack
Crevalle:
common
in
both
inshore
waters
and
the
open
sea.
This
fish
is
a
veracious
feeder
and
will
hit
almost
anything,
including
all
types
of
artificial
and
live
bait.
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Limits:
none
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Largemouth
Bass:
Without
a
doubt
the
most
sought
after
game
fish
is
the
Florida
largemouth
bass.
Whether
fishing
from
the
bank
with
a
cane
pole
and
shiner,
or
in
a
modern
high
tech
bass
boat
with
an
armful
of
rods
and
reels
and
a
dozen
tackle
boxes
filled
with
lures,
the
Florida
largemouth
bass
is
the
main
target
of
the
majority
of
anglers.
Many
of
these
lure
busting
monsters
in
the
10
to
12
pound
range
are
taken
every
year
in
local
waters.
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Limits:
14”
minimum
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Scallops:
Every
year,
from
July
1
to
mid-September,
scalloping
comes
to
Citrus
County.
Part
snorkeling
experience,
part
treasure
dive
and
part
saltwater
fishing
trip,
scalloping
along
the
unspoiled
shores
of
Crystal
River
and
Homosassa
provides
a
salty
adventure
to
fishers
of
all
ages.
Citrus
County’s
bay
scallops
rest
under
about
five
or
six
feet
of
water,
just
offshore
along
the
grassy
lip
of
the
Gulf
of
Mexico.
All
it
takes
is
a
snorkel,
a
mask,
a
mesh
bag
and
a
saltwater
fishing
license
to
get
in
on
the
action.
The
2007
scalloping
season
went
swimmingly,
and
seafood
lovers
from
all
over
the
Sunshine
State
and
beyond
ventured
to
Citrus
to
dive
for
the
meaty
morsels,
having
an
ocean
of
fun
as
they
literally
bagged
their
limits.
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Limits:
The
bag
limit
is
2
gallons
of
whole
scallops
(in
the
shell),
or
1
pint
of
scallop
meat
per
person
per
day.
In
addition,
no
more
than
10
gallons
of
whole
scallops
or
1/2
gallon
of
scallop
meats
may
be
possessed
aboard
any
vessel
at
any
time.
You
may
harvest
scallops
only
by
hand
or
with
a
landing
or
dip
net.
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