Fingers crossed Big Bend coastal anglers will catch a break this weekend if Hurricane Delta stays on its expected track into western Louisiana. The water is just starting to clear from other recent storms. The fish know autumn is here, so we just need some favorable conditions to get after them.
The combination of full moon, strong winds and high pressure system stymied many last weekend. Fish were still caught though, with trout, redfish and flounder topping the list. Getting away from the mouth of the St. Marks River was the key to finding clearer water. Trout are hitting surface plugs early and the floating grass isn’t too bad. A DOA shrimp suspended under a popping or clacker cork is also effective in drawing fish in. If the topwater bite slows or the strikes are half-hearted, switch to something that gets down in the water column. A suspending plug or soft-plastic touts and shad tails pinned on light jig heads continue to produce. Glow, pearl and chartreuse are the hot colors. Water clarity is improving, but there is still a reddish/orange tint, so something that stands out will attract attention. CAL shad tails in Stark Naked or Arkansas Glow are dead ringers for mud minnows. Or you could cast net the real thing or catch pinfish on the flats. Shrimp are moving out of the marshes and are another cast-net possibility.
With all the bait around (sardines, pilchards, menhaden and glass minnows) now is a great time to have some fun with the fast-movers. Spanish mackerel, bluefish, ladyfish and jacks are pounding the bait balls and a small silver casting spoon rigged on a trace of wire leader (or heavy monofilament) will get slammed. Watch for diving birds, surface eruptions and jumping fish to dial in the zone. Drift or trolling motor into range to avoid tipping off your presence. This is also a great chance to pull out the 6- or 7-weight fly rod with a Clouser minnow or epoxy minnow fly. The pelagics won’t be around much longer.
Water temperatures are in the lower to mid-70s, so there are still sharks and tarpon cruising through. Gear up accordingly and be ready to cast when fish are spotted. A large twitch bait like a MirrOlure 65M in green back/pearl is a favorite lure for the big ones.
Friday looks like the calmest day, wind-wise, for the weekend slot. Saturday and Sunday will be a little breezier but not un-fishable. Better pack some rain gear for Saturday, though. The quarter moon won’t be producing super-strong tides. Highs will crest around daylight or just after before bottoming out by mid-afternoon. The best times for action will be the first couple hours after sunrise, with another window sandwiching the low for an hour or so.
Copyright 2020, Capt. Dave Lear. All rights reserved.