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E-Mail Me
Captain
Mark Zorn
US Coast Guard Licensed and Insured
Or Call:
352-489-5168
352-400-1925
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CLICK ABOVE FOR
GIFT CERTIFICATES
Red Drum (Redfish) are identified by the
black spots near
the base of the tail. Some Redfish may only have one
spot, while others may have many.
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TROUT TRIVIA
The gator trout you see above was landed
by Captain Mark. He caught this 28" 6lb-plus speckled trout
(spotted sea trout) with a live shrimp under a popping cork out of
Crystal River, Florida.
A trout this size is estimated to be 6-7 years old! Thanks to
the ban on gill nets and tighter restrictions on recreational limits,
fish like this one survive to reach their potential size and age class.
SNOOK Family
Centropomidae, Centropomus
undecimalis
Description:
Distinct lateral line; high, divided dorsal fin; sloping forehead; large
mouth, protruding lower jaw; grows much larger than other snooks; pelvic
fin yellow.
Where found: From central Florida south, usually
INSHORE in coastal and brackish waters, along mangrove shorelines,
seawalls, and bridges; also on reefs and pilings NEARSHORE.
Size:
Most Snook caught in this area
average from about 5 to 8 pounds. The *Florida Record" is 44 lbs.,
3 ozs.
Remarks:
Snook spawn
primarily in summer; can-not tolerate water temperatures below 60
degrees F; can tolerate wholly fresh or saltwater; schools along shore
and in passes during spawning season; feeds on fish and large
crustaceans.
The Florida records quoted are from the Florida Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission's printed publication,
Fishing Lines and are not necessarily the most current ones.
The records are provided as only as a benchmark.
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FISH FACTS AND
FLORIDA FISH IDENTIFICATION
Crystal River and
Homosassa River Fishing Charters
FISH WE LAND WHILE FISHING OUT OF
CRYSTAL RIVER AND THE HOMOSASSA RIVER
Index by common name
(Image
Illustrations and Copyright by Diane Rome Peebles
(used by permission)
Fish
that Bite Back
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Blue fish have sharp teeth and
are programmed to bite at everything. A towel or gloves can
be used to get a firm grip on his body. |
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Catfish are slimy, won't hold
still and have sharp dorsal & pectoral
spines that can inflict
painful, venomous wounds that often become infected. Use a
rag or gloves and a lot of care when handling. |
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Cobia are remarkably strong and
are known to become violent at the boat. There are 8-10
sharp stiff spines just ahead of the dorsal fin which can
produce serious puncture wounds. If you are keeping the
fish; gaff him, hang on tight and swing him directly into
the fish box. You can remove the hook later. |
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Big grouper
tend to be powerful, rough fish. Strong crushers in the
throat, spines on the back and rough gill plates mean you
should be sure he is more tired than you are before inviting
him aboard. |
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Jack Crevalle
have a small cutting projection near the anus. Paralyze the
fish by grabbing behind the head and pinching the black
spots. |
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Leatherjacks or skipjacks are
small silvery jacks that often hit small baits. Small spines
located ahead of the dorsal and anal fins can cause intense
pain. |
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Mackerel have a long thin
slippery body that can be hard to control and a mouth full
of sharp teeth. A towel or gloves can improve your grip, but
keepers over 10 pounds should probably be gaffed. |
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Redfish
have sharp gill rakers and strong crushers in the mouth that
can make them hard on your hands. Grab the fish behind the
head or by the tail. |
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"Shark"
and "Bite" just seem to go together. A shark's teeth
are serrated like a steak knife and multiple rows are
located in a wide powerful jaw. Since his skeleton is
cartilage, instead of bone, he can bend his head back to his
tail to bite the hand that holds him. Even a small shark, or
a normally docile species like the nurse shark, can inflict
a serious wound if miss-handled. The rough skin of a large
thrashing shark can also do serious damage to a fisherman or
his boat. Sharks pose an additional threat when landing or
releasing other species so keep a sharp eye out for trouble
whenever reaching overboard. Large sharks should never be
brought inside the boat and remember that even "dead" sharks
have been known to bite. |
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Snappers have their name for a
reason. They have sharp canine teeth in a strong jaw that
snaps shut like a steel trap. Sharp spines along the back
make the belly the best area to hold. |
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Snook have a small, but
extremely sharp cutter blade on the side of their gill
covers. While they have teeth, most small snook can be
lipped. Many guides prefer to lift a snook from the water
with a hand placed under its belly. Gloves, or even a lip
gaff are suggested with fish over 20 pounds. |
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Spotted seatrout
have sharp canine teeth, but not overly powerful jaws. Their
bite may be painful, but not usually dangerous. |
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Tarpon are large, powerful and
can jump with their entire body out of the water. If that
jump ends with the tarpon in your boat in can be very
dangerous and destructive. A large tarpon should never be
brought "green" to the boat, but tired out (not exhausted)
first. Small tarpon can be lipped, but gloves or a lip gaff
are recommended for fish over 30-40 pounds. If you ever
feed the tarpon at Pete's Pier in Crystal River,
you will see signs warning that a tarpon's mouth is both
rough and strong. |
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The most dangerous part of many fish will be the set of
treble hooks hanging from the lure in their mouth.
A sudden leap or thrashing can cause you to become as
securely caught as your prey. Removing hooks from your
anatomy is always painful and the experience is not made any
better when you are sharing it with a large fish fighting
for his life.
Whenever landing any
fish, take a minute to plan your next move, look around to
make sure the area is clear and see that any tools you need
are close to hand.
(This list
was brought to you by Hurricane Georges on 9/25/98)
WHEN IN DOUBT- CAUTION IS ALWAYS A GOOD PLAN ! |
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Can you distinguish between
these three species ?
You're not alone if you can't.
They are all very similar in shape and color, and many novice anglers
have trouble telling them apart. 
Jack
Crevalle:
Are colored bluish-green to
greenish-gold on the back and have a silvery or yellowish belly.
They have soft dorsal and anal fins almost identical in size.
There is a prominent black spot on the gill cover, and a black spot at
the base of each pectoral fin. There are no scales on throat.
Jacks average 3-5 Lbs, however they do get quite large. The
Florida record is 51 Lbs.
Jack Crevalle have a very prominent bone at the base of the tail,unlike
the Permit and Pompano.
Jacks have a much darker flesh
than Permit and Pompano and are not considered good to eat, although
some people do.
Permit:
Are colored gray, dark or iridescent blue on
the top, and shading to silvery on the sides. Fish found in
dark waters show golden tints around breast. Small permit have teeth
on the tongue (none on pompano). The permit has a much wider body
than the Pompano and a very tall dorsal fin. Permit grow up to 40
lbs in size. Permit are very good to eat.
Florida Pompano:
are greenish gray on back, shading
to silvery on the sides. Fish caught in dark waters show gold on
throat, pelvic, and anal fins. Pompano have a deep flattened
body with small mouth, and rarely grow over 6 Lbs. Pompano
are very good to eat.
SNOOK:
Although Snook are sometimes caught in this area, they are not a species
I normally target. Snook usually prefer the warmers waters a
little further South. But- there's always
that nice surprise when one of my clients gets a-hold of one !
However, below are a few exceptions to the average size catch in this
area....Check out this Huge Snook landed by Tom Olive while fishing out of Crystal
River
Click on the picture for a closer look
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