Cooling temps, changing weather patterns and an abundance of bait fish are what most anglers are homing in on these days on the local flats off the Nature Coast. As the summer heat begins to give way to cooling temps and fall breezes, many inshore fish begin migrating from their offshore haunts back into the nutrient rich inshore creeks, cuts, coves and flats that scatter our local water ways. Black Drum, Speckled Trout, Pompano, and Jack Crevalle are commonly the first on the scene, and when they arrive they tend to arrive in force.
It just so happens that the inshore arrival of many of the top game fish coincides with the major migration of mullet, herring, glass minnows, and ballyhoo that are making their return voyage offshore to spawn. It's when these two migratory groups meet for the first time that all of the fire works really begin. During a recent trip with a group of clients where we were specifically targeting heavily feeding fish on the surface, I witnessed a Jack Crevalle bust a 4lb mullet out of the water with such ferocity that it was shot out of the water nearly 15ft in the air before being engulfed upon its return. That is exactly what anglers have to look forward to when targeting the return of these heavily feeding fish: Major explosions, Acrobatic leaps of faith, and drag screaming runs for cover.
The interesting aspect to consider when targeting these migratory species is that normally these fish tend to leave and return together. So it is not unheard of to see 100+ fish schools returning to the shallows. With this scenario not only considered a possibility but a probability it pays to have multiple rods rigged and ready with a variety of baits and lures just in case these fish decide they want baits that are big or small or lures that can be retrieved fast or slow. It never hurts to be prepared for all situations. I always like to have 2 rods rigged with casting spoons (Barbs Pinched) for extremely aggressive Big Jacks, 2 rods rigged with ¼ oz jigs for the fish that are feeding just below the surface like Speckled Trout and Ladyfish, and I even bring along a couple more rods that can be rigged with live bait if the situation calls for it.
During your travels if you find that some of the schools of fish you are targeting are a little harder to approach than others I have found a great way to bring these fish into closer casting quarters. On all of my charters these days I bring a rigged spinning rod with a HUGE topwater plug (NO hooks). This works very well for enticing large schools of fish closer to the boat. The trick when using this technique is to work the lure as fast as you can on the surface to draw the attention of feeding fish. You may even want to tie on a small piece of wire to ensure that these fish are not able to make off with your "Hookless Beauty."
With cooling temps approaching, great fishing action abound, and a variety of species to target this is an Awesome time of year to take in some great Nature Coast Fishing. So if unforgettable fights and drag screaming runs are what you're after give Red Hot Fishing Charters a call today we can HOOK YOU UP!!
Capt. Kyle Messier
(352) 634-4002
kylemessier@yahoo.com
WWW.REDHOTFISHINGCHARTERS.COM
