Author: skipper97

The autumn season is officially in full swing and except for elevated winds, the weekend outlook is very promising. Bait is thick, the water is clearing and cooling and the fish will be chomping coming off Thursday’s full moon.

Water temperatures have dipped into the mid- to upper 70s. Although it’s still tinted slightly reddish or orange, it’s clear with visibility up to three feet. The floating grass is mostly gone, but the cannonball jellyfish are thick. So are the mullet, pinfish, ballyhoo and other bait.

Trout are being caught on topwater lures and subsurface in brighter colors to stand out. Glow and chartreuse have been big producers. DOA shrimp, Sureketch touts and Zman minnows are more good choices. The prime depths are four feet or less.

Find the mullet and you’ll find the reds. A mullet imitation surface plug will fool the drum, but it’s hard to beat a Aqua Dream weedless gold spoon. A CAL shad pinned to a spinner blade will also attract attention. Those same CAL shad tails, sans the blade, bounced along the bottom will tempt flounder.

For bigger game, there are still some sharks around, plus a few tarpon and cobia. Make sure you have heavy enough tackle for the job or the fight will be over before it really gets started.

Keep another rod handy with a small silver casting spoon with a trace of wire leader. The Spanish mackerel are thick and you’ll find ladyfish, bluefish and jacks in the mix. This is fast-paced fun action and all will really stretch a line.

Lows will occur mid-mornings through the weekend, with a good surge of incoming water (more than 3 feet) cresting by later afternoons. Expect periods of very high feeding activity the first hour or so after daylight and again the two hours before the high tide peaks.

This is the last weekend of the 2020 CCA STAR tournament, so be sure to log your entries in time. There are still no qualifying tagged redfish on the board. Hopefully some lucky anglers will score in the final hours.

Copyright 2020, Capt. Dave Lear. All rights reserved.

Wahoo! Cooler temperatures and sunny skies are ushering in the fall season. Boating traffic is down for several reasons and the fish are turning on. The next couple of months can be some of the best times to be fishing along Florida’s Forgotten Coast.

The inshore water is still not back to ideal yet. It is slowly clearing from the run-off effects from Sally’s storms, though. Floating grass is dwindling, too, which makes working a topwater plug with treble hooks that much easier. Temperatures have eased down into the upper 70s, but might bump up a tad this weekend with the expected highs back into the mid-80s. That’s OK. The fish know the daylight hours are getting shorter and it’s time to start packing on the pounds in advance of leaner months ahead.

Finding clean water is still the best way to find trout. Use a Skitter Walk, Top Dog, Super Spook or Chug Bug to locate prime water. Depths four feet or less seem to be holding the most fish. Action and commotion are more attractive than colors but silver/black, pearl or gold patterns are always a good place to start. In addition to trout, reds will hump up and inhale a surface plug, along with Spanish mackerel, bluefish, ladyfish and jacks. Even the lowly sailcat will give a good tussle on top.

Redfish continue to prowl the shallows. The fish are more timid on low water, so stealthy approaches are key. The venerable weedless gold spoon is an ideal search bait, but once you decipher the pattern, soft-plastic jerk baits, bucktail jigs and flies will all fool the copper drum. The bigger fish are showing up with more frequency, especially around the oyster bars and channels. Live pinfish, finger mullet and mud minnows pinned to the bottom are seldom refused by hungry reds.

Flounder is another species that shines in the autumn months. Bounce a DOA 1/4-ounce shrimp or Sureketch tout slowly along pinch points to see if any flatties are home. Chances are good that if you find one, you’ll find neighbors by fan-casting the area. Docks, creek mouths and canals are more good places to search for flounder.

It never hurts to tote along a medium-heavy spin outfit this time of year. It’s better to be well-armed should a cobia, tarpon or spinner shark wander into casting range. They won’t stick around too much longer, but these heavyweights are still common along our stretch of coast.

Lighter winds are forecast for the weekend, along with higher temperatures and greater chances of showers. The ‘tweener moon phase won’t produce monster tides, but there will be enough movement, combined with the calendar, to offer good opportunities. The best windows will be an hour or so on either side of the morning high tides.

The 2020 CCA STAR Tournament wraps up October 4. Be sure to get out there and score some entries before the deadline. No tagged redfish have been caught by registered anglers, so five sweet boat, outboard, trailer packages are still up for grabs. www.ccaflstar.com for more details.

Copyright 2020, Capt. Dave Lear. All rights reserved.

There aren’t much in the way of actual reports from the past week due to rough conditions in advance of Hurricane Sally. But the secret to catching fish this weekend will require finding clean water, not an easy task after days of high winds, churned-up seas and tons of rain.

There is some good news. Temperatures are starting to cool off, which will spur appetites and the daylight hours continue to dwindle by minutes every day. Those triggers, along with turning leaves and other natural signs, are a harbinger of good fishing days ahead.

With all the rain and continued run-off dirty water and lower salinities will be common. Trout especially don’t like silty water, so if you can find pockets of clear or slightly stained depths, work those hard. Going deeper is another good option. That may require more weight to get into the strike zone. DOA shrimp in 1/2-ounce sizes, Sureketch touts and CAL shad tails with heavier heads bounced just off the bottom, over the top of the grass, will be a good bet. Adding a squirt of Pro-Cure bait gel in mullet or menhaden flavors never hurts.

Redfish are much more tolerant of murkier water, but they have to find your baits or lures to eat them. Using live pinfish, finger mullet or mud minnows under a popping or clacker-style cork will help the fish hone in on the offerings. Gold spoons are effective with their flash and wobble or you could try a soft-plastic lure pinned to a spinner blade rig. Reds find those hard to resist, too. Look for reds around flooded oyster bars and grassy shorelines. Overslot reds will begin foraging on bait in the bays and passes in the weeks ahead in anticipation of winter.

Flounder will be on the move and feeding heavily before the water temperatures plunge. Check the charts for funnel points like cuts between bars or tidal creeks where water flow will concentrate bait. Shrimp and shad tails bounced through those zones will often produce good numbers of these tasty flatfish. Mud minnows are tops in the real bait department.

Shifting weather patterns will likely make for breezy conditions again this weekend. Coming off Thursday’s new moon, tides will be strong, albeit late on incoming water. Daytime lows will bottom out mid-mornings with more than four feet of flood tide returning by late afternoons. Expect a period of high activity the last hour before the low and very high window for an hour on either side of the highs.

As is prudent after every major storm, keep a sharp lookout for floating debris in the water. A misplaced dock plank or drifting log can end the day in a hurry and could result in an expensive repair bill to a prop or lower unit.

Copyright 2020, Capt. Dave Lear. All rights reserved.

Weather continues to be a big factor for coastal pursuits. The outlook for showers and thunderstorms remains high for the upcoming weekend and the eventual run-off into the coastal rivers and creeks continues to impact water clarity inshore. Decreasing daylight hours and the hint of fall mean good fishing is on tap, however.

Water clarity nearshore and in the backcountry is definitely stained and murky. As a result, using aids to help the fish find offerings is recommended. Live bait is always an option with shrimp and small baitfish topping the list. Suspending those baits under a popping or clacker cork will help the fish hone in to the sound. Sound is also an advantage with artificial lures and scent can be added using a squirt or two of Pro-Cure bait gel in matching flavors.

Under the current circumstances, lure color choice can also mean the difference. Gold or gold glitter stands out in the reddish, tannin-stained water. So does pearl/glow or chartreuse. But the resident bait will take on the hues of the environment, so it pays to have some darker patterns like root beer or black/silver in the box as well. Switching to different colors when the bite slows is another good way to keep the action going.

Trout are much more sensitive to dirty water than their reds counterparts. Heat is another discriminator between the two drum species. The deeper water in the refuge has been clearer and the ability to get cooler are why the trout bite up to 10 feet has been more consistent. For reds, target flooded shorelines, creek mouths and submerged oyster bars.

Spanish mackerel, pompano, bluefish and flounder should all be picking up as the month progresses. Cobia and tarpon will be leisurely shifting east and south, too, along with the visiting sharks. It never hurts to have a medium-heavy rod rigged and ready to go in case one of the larger gamefish options pop into casting range.

There’s still a few more weeks left in this year’s CCA STAR Tournament. No tagged redfish have been caught by registered anglers, so several great boat/outboard/trailer packages are still up for grabs, along with a host of other cool prizes. To register or learn more, visit: www.ccaflstar.com

Winds will be trending east according to the forecast at light to moderate levels. Strong gusts are certainly possible with expected showers and thunderstorms. The waning crescent moon won’t be generating super-strong tides. Daytime highs will crest a couple hours after sunrise and fall throughout the rest of the day. Expect a high activity window while the moon is up the first couple hours after the morning highs.

Copyright 2020, Capt. Dave Lear. All rights reserved.

Thank goodness the calendar has flipped. Even though temperatures will still be summer-like, daylight hours are decreasing by a few minutes every day. That’s a cue for coastal fish that autumn is here and it’s time to bulk up..

The near daily thunderstorms have pumped a lot of freshwater into the rivers and tidal creeks. As a result, water clarity ranges from good to downright muddy in places. If you can find clean, clear water stick with that until it plays out. If murky water is the only option add scent, noise, different colors or a combination until you find something that works. Gold and root beer are often effective in these situations since the natural baits are darker-tinted. But if the fish can’t find your lures, you can’t catch them. So be prepared to mix it up with glow, pearl or chartreuse. Adding a squirt of Pro-Cure bait gels will increase the scent factor, while popping or clacker corks help the fish to hone into your offering by the noise.

The next few weeks will see the return of seasonal game fish as they slowly make their way south. Spanish mackerel, pompano, bluefish, cobia and tarpon are definite targets and add to the normal bread-and-butter species of trout and redfish for Forgotten Coast anglers. Flounder will also be staging in the shallows before easing offshore once the water temperatures dip significantly.

There is just one month left in the statewide CCA STAR Tournament, which runs through October 4. No registered anglers have caught a tagged redfish, so five boat/outboard/trailer packages are still up for grabs. There’s also plenty of other prizes to fish for, including college scholarships for the junior anglers. But you have to be registered to win. To learn more or to sign up, visit: www.ccaflstar.com

The weather looks good for the upcoming long Labor Day weekend. Temperatures will be on the toasty side, but lots of sunshine will be a welcome change. Winds are expected to be light out of the north to east. Protected waters should be smooth to a light chop, again another welcome feature.

The first high tides will crest before daylight, but those first few hours after sunrise should be productive before the lows bottom out mid- to late mornings. A strong push of incoming water—nearly three feet—will crest in the late afternoons. Per the solunar predictions, a high activity feeding period will occur two hours after the afternoon highs. An average window will sandwich the hour on the morning lows.

Be safe out there and please practice common courtesy at the ramps and on the water. Labor Day weekend is historically the last big boating hurrah of the season, so expect increased traffic and be patient.

Copyright 2020, Capt. Dave Lear. All rights reserved.

It’s been a tough week for Big Bend coastal anglers and the weekend prospects don’t look a whole lot better. Regular thunderstorms have dumped a lot of tannin-stained fresh water into the bay and the water temperatures are still hotter than a sauna. Elevated winds and more showers are expected Saturday and Sunday. But with August almost over, there’s definitely good inshore fishing on the radar as the daylight hours start to shorten.

Like it’s been much of the summer, the trout bite has been mostly relegated to the backcountry tidal creeks or depths approaching 10 feet. Early morning hours have consistently been more productive. If floating grass isn’t too thick, a topwater plug will generate interest. For the depths, try a 1/2-ounce DOA shrimp, Sureketch tout or Z-Man shad. Gold patterns typically work well in murky water, with pearl another option.

Redfish are much more tolerant of the heat and brackish water, but they haven’t been on fire lately, either. An Aqua Dream weedless 3/8-ounce spoon is the perfect search bait to locate cooperative reds. Cast around the edges of oyster bars, flooded grassy shorelines and creek mouths to entice red drum.

The flounder action should start picking up soon as the flatties begin staging before cooler weather moves them offshore. DOA CAL shad tails in Stark Naked or Mole with a 1/8-ounce jig head bounced off the bottom will produce these tasty scrappers. Sand troughs, creek mouths and drop-offs around oysters will concentrate the fish. If you catch one, fan-cast the area as others are likely in the vicinity.

There’s a little over one month to go in the CCA Florida STAR tournament and no tagged reds have been caught by registered anglers. At least one was boated in our area, but the angler had failed to sign up, losing out on his/her choice of a boat/outboard/trailer package. The tournament ends October 4. To sign up and be eligible, visit www.ccaflstar.com

Weaker tides are forecast for the weekend, with the lows well before dawn and highs cresting around the lunch hour. Incoming water will be less than 1.5 feet. The best solunar period is predicted for 11 am to 1 pm as the moon is down.

Good luck if you go and keep an eye out for lightning and thunderstorms.

Copyright 2020, Capt. Dave Lear. All rights reserved.

The dog days of August continue to howl, unfortunately. Super heated water temperatures and searing heat haven’t made for ideal inshore fishing conditions again this week. If you’re determined to get on the water, cooler early morning outings are recommended. You’ll be less likely to encounter thunderstorms and showers by going early, too.

The trout bite has been inconsistent. A few quality fish are being fooled by topwater surface plugs, soft-plastic shrimp and jerk baits. Many of the others are smaller fish, with the usual by-catch mixed in—catfish, ladyfish and aggressive pinfish. The feeding windows have been short, so if you’re in the zone take advantage of the opportunity. Colors haven’t mattered as much as solunar influences. Fish the peak periods based on the moon phase and you stand the best chance.

Redfish have also been spotty, lately. Weedless spoons are the best search bait to zero in on the whereabouts. Covered oyster bars, creek mouths and rock grass patches are the prime places to try on moving water.

There have been a few reports of schools of tarpon the last week or so. Watch for rolling fish or ones crashing bait schools. Larger swim and twitch baits cast ahead of the travel path will likely generate a response. There are still plenty of big sharks around, too, if you crave a tussle.

Black drum are another option. Those big bruisers aren’t table fare, but they will stretch a line. Quartered blue crabs soaked in deeper holes on slack tides are the ticket for the giant drum.

Rain and thunderstorms are predicted for the weekend forecast. Winds are expected to be on the lighter scale, clocking from south to east by Sunday. Coming off this week’s new moon, tides will be high before dawn, falling more than three feet by late mornings. The tides will crest again by early evening.

Copyright 2020, Capt. Dave Lear. All rights reserved.

It’s endurance time along the Forgotten Coast. The water is hotter than a sauna, the ambient air feels like a blast furnace and the fish are on the Atkins diet. Put it all together and that’s why August is the toughest month of the year to fish this stretch of Florida..

Better days will be here soon, though. The temperatures aren’t going to plunge immediately, but as the hours of daylight start getting shorter the fish sense what’s on tap and resume feeding more aggressively. In the meantime, dawn patrols are still the best opportunity to work the shallows. Temperatures are cooler at first light, there’s not as much boat traffic and you get to watch a bonus sunrise. This is also prime time to throw a noisy surface plug, if the floating grass isn’t too thick. Trout, reds, ladyfish and jacks will all hammer a Super Spook, Top Dog or Skitter Walk and the visual aspect is an angling treat. It’s a short-lived thrill, however. By the time the sun is well overhead, usually by mid-mornings, you might as well go scalloping or head to the nearest sand bar for a refreshing swim.

Those who insist on fishing beyond the early window will be better off going deep. Trout, flounder and sea bass are all possibilities in depths of 8-12 feet using heavier jigs or soft baits. Bounce the lures slowly along the bottom and you’ll likely end up with something for the grill or fryer. Another option is run-and-gun after the bait balls in the nearshore depths. Jumping or frantic bait on the surface, diving birds and oil slicks will tip off the locations. Drift or use the trolling motor to get within casting distance before tossing silver casting spoons to the edges. Hold on tight to the rod, ‘cause you never know what may pounce on the other end.

There haven’t been many reports of cobia lately. Sharks and the occasional tarpon will provide rod-bending action if you’re so inclined. Gear up to at least medium-heavy gear with a lot of line capacity for either Jaws or the silver kings. Bigger swim baits and suspending hard plugs are productive offerings. A frisky pinfish, pogy or mullet tethered to a surface float will also seldom be refused. Remember, tarpon must be released carefully unless you pre-pay for a world record tag and many species of sharks are protected now, too. Check the latest regs before you go.

With the waxing crescent moon phase, don’t expect a lot of water flow this weekend. Only moderate high tides will occur late mornings to around lunch. The lows will bottom out before dawn with only slightly more than one foot of incoming water. The best daytime feeding window will be a two-hour slot sandwiched on either side of the high tide. Winds are expected to be on the light side from the south/southwest. As is typical for the summer season, the likelihood of thunderstorms are possible, particularly in the afternoons, so stay vigilant.

Copyright 2020, Capt. Dave Lear. all rights reserved.

Fishing has been excellent this week, thanks in large part to the full moon tides. Trout have been smashing topwater lures and many of them are hefty. We’re just getting started with the dog days of August, however, so early morning forays are still the best times to go.

The water on the flats is still in the low to mid-80s. It’s super clear right now and the floating grass isn’t as bad as it has been earlier this summer. All those factors are ideal for a noisy surface plug like a Rapala Skitter Walk, Heddon Super Spook or MirrOlure Top Dog. Reds are also popping the plugs but not with quite the same enthusiasm.

By mid-day, the topwater bite has generally shut down. That’s the time to switch to touts, shrimp lures and jerk baits and target the mid-column depths. There have been consistent catches of keeper trout out to 10 feet or so. To get in the zone may require increasing weight up to 1/2 ounce and working the lures slowly so they dance just above the submerged sea grasses.

There’s no shortage of jacks and ladyfish right now, either. Watch for erupting bait schools, jumping fish or diving birds to pinpoint the location. Small silver casting spoons are the top choice and faster retrieves will mimic the action of the fleeing bait.

The marine forecast looks favorable for more action this weekend. High tides will crest before dawn and fall all morning, setting up the ideal scenario. The water exchange will be more than two feet so that should trigger some appetites. Keep an eye on the horizon for pop-up thunderstorms in the afternoons.

Copyright 2020, Capt. Dave Lear. All rights reserved.

The good news is the weather patterns are stabilizing for a couple days, so the chance of thunderstorms on the water will be down. The bad news is the tropics are heating up, so boaters need to pay attention to the forecast.

Fishing is status quo from last week. Hot water has cooled off the bite. The best opportunities to find some fish is early in the mornings when the flats are the coolest. A noisy topwater plug like a Rapala Skitter Walk, Heddon Super Spook or MirrOlure Top Dog will pique interest, if the floating grass isn’t too thick. If it is, try a jerk bait rigged with a worm hook or a weedless plug like the DOA PT-7s.

Once the sun gets up overhead, moving to deeper water is advised. Bounce a Sureketch tout or DOA shrimp or CAL shad slowly along the bottom in depths of 8 feet or greater. Trout, sea bass, flounder and Spanish are the likely targets. Be sure to slowly approach and cast around any objects like crab trap floats or big mats of grass. A tripletail may be lurking nearby.

Redfish are scattered but still coming to the net on Aqua Dream spoons mainly. Gold is the standard, although pink works well in tannin-stained water. Silver or chartreuse get the nod in clear. Reds will also take any lure intended for trout, but the spoons cover a lot of water and look enticingly like a scuttling crab, one of their favorite morsels.

Another option with the heat is run-and-gun after bait schools in the nearshore depths (15 feet and deeper). Watch for showering bait, jumping fish or diving birds to pinpoint the action. Small silver casting spoons with a trace of light wire leader will trick Spanish mackerel, jacks, bluefish, ladyfish and maybe even some small king mackerel. Stop and drift or use the trolling motor to get within casting range of the bait or you’ll put everything down.

There are plenty of sharks around for a real tussle on live bait. You might even get some jumps out of a cooperative silver king (tarpon) with a lively pinfish soaked in deeper holes early before the boat traffic picks up.

Scallops are reportedly thinning out some, but the ones still out there are big and fat. Amberjack season opens in Gulf state waters on August 1, so that’s another species for offshore enthusiasts to target now that red snapper has closed.

Right now winds are expected to be moderate from the west or northwest. That’s subject to change based on the storm’s track and intensity. Early bird anglers will find dead low tides right at dawn or first light, with almost two feet of incoming water by early afternoon. With Monday’s full moon, the flow will be strong. The solunar tables are calling for high feeding activity for an hour either side of the afternoon high tides.

Copyright 2020, Capt. Dave Lear. All rights reserved.