41 instructional videos on In The Spread
Fishing Videos
Learn from Captain Toney on In The Spread
Captain Toney is the host of a series of instructional fishing videos produced in partnership with In The Spread, one of the leading online fishing education platforms. These videos go far beyond typical fishing entertainment. Each one is a detailed, technique-driven lesson drawn from Captain Toney’s decades of experience on the Nature Coast.
Whether you’re preparing for an upcoming trip to Homosassa or just want to sharpen your inshore skills, these videos cover the real-world tactics, bait presentations, and tide strategies that Captain Toney uses every day on the water.
Redfish
Redfish are the signature inshore species of Homosassa and the surrounding Nature Coast. From late summer through fall, large schools of redfish push onto the shallow grass flats and oyster bars around the outside keys, creating some of the best sight-fishing opportunities in Florida. In the cooler months, reds move into the backcountry creeks and deeper channels near the Homosassa and Chassahowitzka rivers. Captain Toney’s redfish videos cover both live bait and artificial approaches, with a focus on reading tides, understanding seasonal movements, and presenting baits to pressured fish in shallow water.
- Best Live Bait for Redfish with William Toney
- Best Way to Catch a Redfish Using DOA Soft Plastic Lures
- Fishing for Redfish in Hot Weather
- Fishing Popping Cork Rigs for Redfish with William Toney
- Live Bait Tactics for Pressured Redfish
- Sight Casting Summer Redfish
- Simple Pinfish Tricks for Florida Redfish
- Top 5 Lures for Redfish with William Toney
- Slam Fishing for Florida Redfish Seatrout Snook
Seatrout
Seatrout (speckled trout) are one of the most popular and reliable targets on the Nature Coast, available year-round with distinct seasonal patterns. In spring and fall, the flats south of the Homosassa River hold concentrations of quality trout over hard bottom and rock grass. Summer fishing shifts to deeper bars and channels, while winter pushes the bite toward exposed sandbars and rocky structure where fish stack up in tight schools. Captain Toney’s seatrout videos break down the techniques, tackle, and lure presentations that produce fish in each season.
Snook
Snook are at the northern edge of their range on the Nature Coast, making Homosassa a unique destination where these subtropical predators coexist with traditionally temperate species. The area’s first-magnitude freshwater springs provide critical warm-water refuge during winter cold snaps, sustaining a resident snook population that also benefits from seasonal migrations of larger fish moving through the rivers, tidal creeks, and mangrove keys. Captain Toney’s snook videos cover both open-coast lure techniques around the keys and backcountry strategies for fishing rivers and tidal creek systems.
Mangrove Snapper
Mangrove snapper are a staple of Homosassa’s inshore rock and reef structure, particularly from late spring through early fall when warmer water pushes them into the shallows. The Nature Coast’s unique shallow-water limestone formations and nearshore rock piles concentrate these fish in surprisingly shallow depths, often alongside other bottom species. Captain Toney’s mangrove snapper videos cover how to locate productive structure, choose the right baits, and work through the progression of a bite on an inshore rock.
Grouper
The Nature Coast is one of the few places in Florida where anglers can target gag grouper in relatively shallow inshore and nearshore water. The rocky limestone bottom and shallow reef systems that extend from the Homosassa flats into the Gulf provide ideal grouper habitat in depths as shallow as 12 to 30 feet. Captain Toney’s grouper videos share his approach to shallow water reef fishing and his techniques for targeting gag grouper during the open season, including why cut bait often outperforms live bait in warm water and how to anchor and present baits around structure.
Sheepshead
Sheepshead are a wintertime staple on the Nature Coast. From January through March, these hard-fighting, notoriously finicky fish move into shallow nearshore waters to spawn, congregating around rocky structure, pilings, and reefs. The rocky bottom around Homosassa is ideal sheepshead habitat, and targeting them during cold months when other species slow down makes them one of the most dependable winter fisheries in the area. Captain Toney’s sheepshead videos cover the specialized rigging, bait presentation, and bite detection techniques needed to consistently hook these expert bait stealers.
Black Drum
Black drum are an often-overlooked inshore species that provide excellent winter fishing around Homosassa. When cold fronts push through the Big Bend, black drum (particularly smaller “puppy” drum) seek out the deeper holes and channels of the Homosassa River and surrounding tidal creeks, where they feed on shrimp, fiddler crabs, and other crustaceans. They are among the most cold-tolerant inshore species, making them a reliable target during winter conditions that shut down other fisheries. Captain Toney’s black drum videos focus on locating fish in deeper backcountry water and the specific baits and presentations that work best during the coldest months.
Tripletail
Tripletail are one of Homosassa’s most distinctive and prized species. Found floating near crab trap buoys, channel markers, and other surface structure from spring through fall, they are a favorite target for sight-casting. The Nature Coast’s extensive crab pot fields and nearshore structure create ideal tripletail habitat, though finding consistent spots can be challenging as public areas get pressured throughout the season. Captain Toney’s tripletail video demonstrates how to build and deploy your own fish aggregating devices (FADs) using simple, biodegradable materials to create private, productive tripletail spots in the Gulf.
Cobia
Cobia are one of the most exciting seasonal visitors to the Nature Coast. They arrive in spring and stay through early fall, cruising the shallow flats, shadowing rays, and holding near structure and buoys. Homosassa’s clear shallow water and extensive flat systems make it possible to sight-cast to cobia on the move, which is one of the most exhilarating experiences in inshore fishing. Captain Toney’s cobia content covers the seasonal timing, spotting techniques, and presentations that work on the Nature Coast.
Baits and Lures
Selecting the right bait or lure is often the difference between a productive day and a frustrating one on the Nature Coast. The inshore waters around Homosassa support a wide range of effective presentations, from live shrimp and pinfish to soft plastics, topwater plugs, and gold spoons. What works changes with the season, the water clarity, the tide, and the target species. Captain Toney’s baits and lures videos break down his top picks for redfish, seatrout, and other inshore species, explaining not just what to use but why each bait works in specific conditions.
Tackle and Techniques
Successful inshore fishing on the Nature Coast requires more than just knowing where the fish are. Rigging, bait presentation, tackle selection, and equipment maintenance all play a role in consistently putting fish in the boat. The shallow, structure-rich waters around Homosassa demand specific approaches: light spinning tackle sensitive enough to detect a sheepshead bite, rods with enough backbone to turn a redfish away from oyster bars, and leaders that hold up around rock and shell. Captain Toney’s tackle and technique videos cover his rod, reel, and line setups, live shrimp hooking methods, and the equipment care routines that keep gear performing trip after trip.
Freshwater
Homosassa sits at the intersection of saltwater and freshwater, with numerous first-magnitude springs feeding into the river system. These spring-fed creeks and runs are home to a thriving freshwater fishery that most visitors never see, including bluegill, bass, and catfish. For anglers looking to take a break from the salt or introduce kids to fishing in calm, clear water, the spring runs around Homosassa offer a completely different experience just minutes from the boat ramp. Captain Toney’s freshwater video explores panfish and bluegill fishing in these hidden spring environments, covering tackle, technique, and how to read the water.
Cleaning and Cooking Your Catch
A fishing trip doesn’t end at the dock. Knowing how to properly clean, fillet, and cook your catch is part of the complete angling experience, and Captain Toney takes it seriously. His filleting and cooking videos demonstrate clean knife work on redfish, seatrout, mangrove snapper, and other species, along with how to maintain a sharp fillet knife using a wet stone. He also shares his approach to cooking a fresh catch at his fish camp, including blackened redfish and snapper on the grill and crispy fried seatrout and snapper. If you’ve ever had a shore lunch with Captain Toney, these videos bring that experience to your own kitchen.
Watch on In The Spread
All of Captain Toney’s instructional videos are available through In The Spread. Visit InTheSpread.com to subscribe and access the full library of fishing education content from Captain Toney and other professional anglers.
Book Your Trip
Captain Toney’s charters book well in advance, especially during peak seasons. Contact him directly to check availability and plan your trip.