Well, its been a while since I have gotten around to updating the blog. Fishing has been terrific lately. Its starting to feel a lot like Fall in the mornings, and with the water temps falling ever-so-slightly the fishing is really starting to turn on. There have been good numbers of Snook and Reds, with many over-slot fish coming to the boat. Mackerel, False Albies (Bonito as we call them here), Cobia, and even huge bull reds have been terrorizing the huge schools of bait off the beaches lately. This has been providing excellent light tackle action with shallow water and top water plugs in the mornings, and evenings. We have been able to produce triple and even quadruple hookups on many occasions with folks that are looking to find some fish to rip drag off my light spinning outfits.

Inshore trips have shown great numbers of snook from 23-33″ and a few fish approaching that magic 40″ trophy size. Reds have run from 6-9lb average (about 24″-31″) with a good number of fish at the high end. Some giant reds have been located just offshore busting bait, but finding these pods of fish is not a sure thing and can take a little work. The trout are showing up in slightly larger sizes if you specifically try to target them, and some Nice 25-28″ trout have been taken with snook fishing on the higher tides in the AM.

Nearshore action has consisted non-stop, drag burning slugfests. You name it, and its here. King and Spanish Mackerel, Sharks, Bonito, Sharks, Cobia, Sharks, Bull Reds, Sharks, Grouper, and even Sharks! Some days have shown literally MILES of fish terrorizing bait schools on the surface. I have been primarily employing a Florida Keys-style run and gun approach to these schools, and that has kept the action fast and furious. This past weekend I had the pleasure of fishing with my brother and his girlfriend and I don’t think we went more than 10 minutes without a double hookup most of the day. Grouper are starting to show in some-what larger sizes. You still have to weed through the under size fish to find them, but we have been bringing home some tasty Snapper and Grouper sandwiches most days on the outside. Cobia are making a showing as well, and have been coming in mid-size schools to investigate my intriguing mix of dry, frozen, and live chum.

There have been some Tarpon around, ranging from juveniles in the 5-15lb range, on up to a 125lb that we landed on 10lb spinning gear (by accident) last week. It was a heck of a battle on a light snook rod, but we landed the fish after about an hour and a half, a two mile chase up and down the beach, and a sweaty, tired angler. We gave her some time to revive and she swam off in good shape.

Sharks are of course around in great numbers. They have been running mostly in the 75-150lb range. With the influx of oil-rich King Mackerel, we should start to have some shots at some real giants. This will be about the only chance to hook into a 400lb+ shark until late winter and into next summer. This is also prime time for breaking that IGFA Line-class WORLD RECORD for blacktip sharks. The rods are rigged, the bait is fresh, and the sharks are here.

The next few weeks are the start of the busy fall/winter season and the fishing looks to be about the best it can be.

BEST BETS:

Snook and Reds inshore under the mangroves and on grass ledges at the high end of the tides, under dock lights with good moving water at night, and prowling live grass and oyster bars during the low end of the tides. You cant go wrong inshore. For the kids, the schools of mackerel, ladyfish, and Bonito can offer non-stop action. Tarpon can even be found around the many schools of spanish macks and ladyfish. Try drifting a cut mack or lady around the schools of slowing moving fish as they bust up the bait. Just be ready to tangle with some sharks if you plan on doing this.

Offshore: Cobia, Snapper, and Grouper in the chum slick around structure along with more Macks (spanish and kings) than you can shake a stick at. The Kings are mostly under 15lbs, but some 30-40lb class fish are showing up in earnest. They should continue to get larger over the next few months.

Live baits: White bait and pinfish in the 3.5-6″ range for inshore, along with cut ladyfish and live finger mullet. Offshore look for 6-10″ threadfins, whitebait, sardines, and hardtails (bluerunner). The giant mullet that are around, and some jack crevalle can make for heart stopping hits if you choose to target sharks kite-fishing (although I think I am about the only one around here that does that!)

Artificial baits: inshore your best bet is an exude RT slug 5″ rigged weedless on a 1/16oz keeper hook in the Salt/Pepper-slktreuse and Rapala twitch n’ raps or mirrodines in olive flash and greenback/silver respectively. Nearshore and offshore mirrodine XL, mirrominnows, and twitch’n raps in any color and 1/2 oz gold spoons on the surface, and small butterfly style jigs or large jigs with shad bodies on the bottom for cobia, grouper, and big snapper.

Be safe, and drop me a line if you have any questions about my rigs/recommendations.

Capt. Tom
PS
Not many pics this time around, I am working on some still and video camera mounts for the boat that should be up and running soon to make the pictures a little better.