With yellow butterflies flitting around the ditches and bushes, the fall fishing season is officially here. These flying buttons are in time with the reduced daylight hours and slightly cooler temperatures that all mean it’s time to pack on some pounds for coastal game fish. It happens to help when a smorgasbord of bait is on the move in the shallower depths.
Water temperatures are still slightly elevated above the 84-degree mark. The clarity is very good, in spite of recent rains. There is quite a bit of floating grass on the surface, however, which makes casting plugs with treble hooks aggravating. Switching to in-line single hooks help mitigate that problem and also makes them easier to remove and less traumatic for fish to be released. Cannonball jellyfish are also around, but not in significant numbers.
Gazillions of mullet of all sizes are schooling and jumping with joy inshore and along the beach troughs. That’s a surefire dinner bell for reds, trout and jack crevalle. Showering schools of pilchards and sardines are more signs of feeding frenzies.
Redfish are prowling the shallows in search of a meal. Sandy bars with seagrass nearby are prime places to prospect for the spotted-tail drum. Weedless gold spoons and jerk or shrimp baits top the list of offerings. Darker colors for contrast in the clear water have been triggering strikes. Most of the fish are in singles or pairs right now. Expect the reds to start schooling soon and the big bulls to collect in the pass and bays gorging on menhaden and other calorie-packers.
Speckled trout are also on the alert. Topwater plugs like the Rapala Skitter Walks, MirrOlure Top Dogs and Heddon Super Spooks are all effective in clear water. As mentioned, in-line single hooks shed floating grass a little easier, but the hook-up ratios are not quite as high as trebles. Shrimp lures like the DOA standard 1/4-ounce, fished plain or under a clacker cork, are effective mid-column lures. I haven’t tried the new Z-Man Prawnstarz shrimp yet. It does look promising from the photos I’ve seen.
Our heart goes out to those along the Big Bend coast who suffered catastrophic damage from Hurricane Helene. That area will always be special to me and it will take time to recover. Mother Nature is resilient, though, and fishing should be great again as soon as boat ramps and other facilities reopen or rebuild. Best wishes to all for a speedy recovery!
If you have a favorite guide or outfitter who was impacted by the storm, consider donating to the International Game Fish Association’s Worldwide Anglers Relief Fund. The link is igfa.org/warf
Copyright 2024, Capt. Dave Lear
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