Fish and Aquatic Mammals in Homosassa Florida

Redfish- also known as Channel Bass, Redfish, Spottail Bass or just Reds, is a game fish in the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to Northern Mexico. Redfish usually occur along coastal waters. Three year-old redfish typically weigh six to eight pounds. The largest one on record weighed just over 94 pounds. When they are large they are called Bull reds and most people do not find the large ones good to eat. Mature redfish spawn near shorelines. Juvenile redfish typically inhabit bays and coastal marshes until they reach maturity between 3 and 6 years of age. They will readily accept any bait but prefer Menhaden, Shrimp, Mud Minnows and crabs. redfish are relatives of the Black Drum and both make a croaking sound when in trouble.	Permit - a game fish of the western Atlantic ocean belonging to the Carangidae family. Adults feed on crabs, shrimp, and smaller fish. Permit are usually found in shallow, tropical waters such as flats, channels, and muddy bottoms. They are usually seen as individuals or in small schools. Although Permit are found close to shore and even in some brackish areas, they spawn offshore. Young Permit are found usually in the surf zone where there are plenty of small invertebrates for them to feed on. Permits can be distinguished by their elongated dorsal fins and anal fin. The dorsal fin is shaped like a scythe. Permit tails are also deeply forked, and their bodies are compressed laterally, making the fish tall and thin when viewed from the front.
Trout- When hooked, trout will give you quite a show as it dances & thrashes wildly. Speckled trout are known by many different names such as spotted sea trout, specks, & yellow-mouths. "Specks" are found throughout the entire gulf coast & are easily identified. They are silver in color with olive-green tints on the back and numerous small black dots. The diet of speckled trout consists of small crustaceans, shrimp, & small fish such as pogies and croakers. The average size is 14-18" & weigh 1-3 lbs. Specks like shallow coastal areas near sandy & mud bottoms.	Grouper- typically having a stout body and a large mouth. They are not built for long-distance fast swimming. Grouper can be quite large. Grouper swallow prey rather than biting pieces off it. They do not have much tooth on the edges of their jaws, but they have heavy crushing tooth plates inside the pharynx. They habitually eat fish, octopus, crab, and lobster. Mostly considered an offshore species, juvenile gags mature in the bays and deeper grass flats. Red grouper are easily recognized by their color and by the sloped, straight line of their spiny dorsal fin. Black groupers are found mainly on rocky bottoms and in coral reef environments. Their depth ranges from anywhere from 19 to 108 feet. Juvenile black groupers are also found in seagrass beds off of the coast of Florida.
Cobia- The Cobia is a large, long, slim bodied fish with a broad depressed head, a protruding lower jaw. At first glance when scuba diving cobia can be mistaken due to its shark like shape and well proportioned size. The Cobia is a sleek and extremely strong fish. They range in size up to about 135 pounds. The largest Cobia ever caught in Florida weighed about 104 lbs. An average size fish will weigh 20 to 40 pounds. Cobia feed primarily on crabs, squid, and other fish. Cobia will follow larger animals such as sharks, turtles and manta rays in hope of scavenging a meal. Cobia are intensely curious fish and show no fear of boats.	Tarpon- The tarpon is a spectacular large fish which rightly carries the name of Silver King, Adult tarpon live in Gulf open waters, but young tarpon may be found in brackish water around marsh channels. Adults sometimes may also move up larger rivers that empty into the Gulf. This massive fish is a prized species for recreational anglers, and some of the world’s largest have been caught here in Citrus County. The bright, silvery flash that anglers see when the massive fish jumps out of the water and at the end of their line is a sure sign of angling excitement.
Mackerel- occur in all tropical and temperate seas. Most live offshore in the oceanic environment but a few, like the Spanish mackerel enter bays and can be caught near bridges and piers. Common features of mackerels are a slim, cylindrical shape. Tuna, dolphins, whales, orca, seagulls, marlins, sharks, and humans may hunt mackerels. By far, the most productive way to catch Spanish mackerel is trolling in a small boat, because you can move to the fish in most cases. Clear water is a key because Spanish mackerel are sight feeders. Trolling is more productive, but live bait will produce bigger fish. They are known for their fighting ability, and are an important recreational and commercial fishery.	Sheepshead- a marine fish that grows to 30 inches but are common from 5 to 8 in. They are deep and compressed in body shape with 5 to 6 dark bars on the side of the body over a gray background. They have very sharp spines along the dorsal. Their diet consists of bivalves and crustaceans such as clams, oysters, barnacles, and fiddler crabs. They have a very hard mouth with several rows of stubby teeth which help crush prey. As sheepshead are crustacean and bivalve feeders, favorite baits include shrimp, sand fleas and clams. Sheepshead have a knack for stealing bait, so a very small hook is necessary. Locating sheepshead in a boat is not very difficult: look for rocky bottoms or places with obstruction.
Flounder- While flounders have both eyes situated on one side of the head, they are not born this way. Their life involves metamorphosis. During metamorphosis, one eye migrates to the other side of the body so that both eyes are situated on the upward-facing side of its body. After metamorphosis, flounder lie on one side on the ocean floor; either the left or right side might face upward depending on the species. Flounder sizes typically vary from five to fifteen inches, though they sometimes grow as large as three feet in length. Their breadth is about one-half of their length. Flounder are ambush predators and their feeding ground is the soft mud of the sea bottom, near bridge piles, docks, and other bottom encumbrances. Flounder are sometimes found on bass grounds as well. Their diet consists mainly of fish spawn, crustaceans, polychaetes and small fish.	Scallops- Scallop season is open from July 1st to September 10th. Homosassa and Crystal River offer some of the best scalloping in Florida. Scalloping is a fun, relaxing past time that can be enjoyed by your entire family. Florida has a limited allowable harvest area for gathering bay scallops and most scalloping in the state is concentrated in two areas. Homosassa/Crystal River, and Steinhatchee. The hundreds of square miles of turtle and manatee grass in these shallow and pristine waters, provide a perfect environment for bay scallops, the species of scallop enjoyed by recreational harvesters in Citrus County. Bay scallops live in shallow saltwater environments such as bays and harbors. Bay scallops are about 2 to 3 inches long and encased in a fan-shaped shell that is gray to reddish brown on the outside and usually white with purple edges on the inside.
Manatee- Crystal River is known as the Manatee Capitol of the World. No where else on Earth can you do a manatee swim and interact with these gentle sea giants, so often associated with the legends of the mermaid. The abundant natural springs present in this area spew out millions of gallons of water to form the many rivers that flow into Kings Bay and then on to the Gulf of Mexico. These waters are a constant 72 degrees all year long serving as a haven for the warm blooded Florida manatee during the cool winter months.	Dolphins-Bottlenose dolphins are distributed worldwide in tropical and temperate waters. especially the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. Dolphins are both curious and friendly so it's not unusual to come across them while fishing in the Homosassa area. Bottlenose dolphins eat a wide variety of food items depending on what is available and abundant at a given time. In Florida waters they eat fishes including tarpon, sailfish, sharks, speckled trout, pike, rays, mullet, and catfish.

Area Fish and Aquatic Mammals