Steinhatchee Redfish Fly Fishing - Florida Sportsman

Steinhatchee Redfish Fly Fishing - Florida Sportsman

Here is a nice article about fishing in Steinhatchee by Florida Sportsman Magazine.

Reds are the main players for sight-fishing fly fishers.

By Tommy Thompson

The author depends on Clouser Minnows for both trout and reds.

The first time I fished Steinhatchee, I knew immediately that its shallows stood apart from those I’d sampled elsewhere.

From the mouth of the Steinhatchee River south to the Pepperfish Keys, big, upended rocks litter porous limestone bottom. Oyster and shell bars are not as common as they are to the south, from Horseshoe Beach to the Suwannee River. Continuous grassflats extend for more than a mile offshore.

If you sight fish with a fly rod, you can certainly do it on this unique stretch of Florida’s Gulf coast. The jagged, marshy shoreline is scrubbed clean by good tidal flow and protected by distance from the muddy outflow of the Suwannee.

From the mouth of Steinhatchee River, the shoreline of Deadman Bay begins a westward swing toward Rock Point and Dallus Creek. This is a natural catch basin for baitfish, redfish and surprisingly big seatrout. The town has become an angler-friendly destination within the last few years.

The Steinhatchee River channel is well-marked. To clear the extreme shallows on either side, you’ll have to run out quite a ways to hang a left and head south to the best flats. If you have a shallow-draft skiff, with a moderate tide and calm winds, you can easily run due south from marker No. 9, but on the lowest tides you’ll need to run as far out as No. 5 before you make your turn. And once you do, you find yourself nearly two miles off the coast, but don’t worry—the shallows you’re heading to extend several miles into the Gulf of Mexico in places, so don’t make the big mistake of swinging back to shore at full tilt.

Read More

Scalloping season under way in a big way around state

Pretty much every fan of outdoor sports in North Florida knows that scallop season is underway in the gulf, and that this year's crop of shellfish is an exceptional one. But young Chaeli Norwood of Sea Hag Marina in Steinhatchee can help shellfish seekers zero in on a batch of unusually-large early season bivalves. “The big ones,” she offered, “are north of the river — but not too far north — a mile or two south of The Birdrack. And the very biggest ones are out in water eight-to-10 feet deep.”
Read More

2011 Scallop Season to open early and close late.

The Panama City News Herald is reporting that this years scallop season will open a week early on June 25th and close two weeks later than usual on September 25th.

FWC also announced that it will expand bay scallop season to open a week early on June 25 and extend the season by two weeks to end on Sept. 25. Small Gulf Coast communities from Steinhatchee to St. Marks to St. Joe Bay will have three extra weeks for visitors and residents to explore and enjoy this low cost, fun family activity.

This is greeat news for everyone who loves to come to Steinhatchee every year to harvest Scallops. Make plans now for that extra trip this year.

Read More

Gainesville Sun Fishing Report 4-14-2011

The clear Steinhatchee flats have come alive with trout, and most fishers are faring well with various lures and natural baits in water 3 to 6 feet deep. Chartering inshore guides, Fuzzy Finch has enjoyed steady trout action every day of his stay at Sea Hag Marina. The Dawsonville, Ga., angler arrived Saturday. Fellow Georgia fishermen, Jeff Luke and Randy Puckett, have also pulled in loads of Steinhatchee trout over recent days. But Trey Williams docked with the biggest fish and the best Steinhatchee story of the weekend. The Cochran, Ga., angler was casting a Gulp! bait in water about 6 feet deep with light tackle when something more than just another trout latched on. After a tooth-and-nail battle, Williams wrestled aboard a fish about a third as long as his little Sundance boat. The kingfish would later weigh 25 pounds at the marina.
Read More