Well here lately I feel like I’ve gone on like a broken record about Tarpon fishing. Well, that is still the main thing that I have been doing every day so I can’t really speak from first hand experience as to what the fishing is doing inshore. I can tell you what I have heard around the dock though, and for a solid offshore report I suggest reading Capt. Judy’s fishing report. What I do what to do, though, is give you a little forecast for what is to come over the next couple of months so you can start preparing.

Inshore Fishing Report

Recently there has been very little fish cleaning going on at the dock. I’m sure part of it is that while we are out doing full day Tarpon trips many other anglers have come and gone by the time we get back. The other part, according to what I am hearing from inshore anglers, is that there are a lot of small fish around right now when it comes to both Trout and Redfish.

Trout, Redfish, and Flounder are holding in their usual places near live oyster shells, creek mouths, and man made structure. One good thing is that although the fish are small, they are widespread. I find that this is a good time to do some scouting. You should feel confident that in most places you will at least get some bites, so now is a good time to check a lot of spots that you have never fished or haven’t fished in a while. Some will be better than others and you can put the best ones on your short list when times get tough. I find that generally most spots are good through a season. What I mean is that last year’s hot spot isn’t always this year’s hot spot, but if you find a good one right now, it should be good through the fall.
Inshore Fishing Forecast

Usually some time in September the inshore bite will kick it up a notch and you will start to see limits of Trout coming in. It seems that this usually happens in the latter part of the month and lasts for a couple of weeks before taking a short dip in early October. Once we get through the dip, it usually goes full speed through the winter barring any crazy weather. The Trout will typically transition into “creek and deep mode” once it gets good and cold while you will find Redfish moving onto mud flats and into creeks. The rat redfish that are everywhere right now will continue to grow to string stretching size at a rate of about one inch per month.

***Remember if you find a great Redfish hole, it doesn’t mean that there is an infinite supply of fish there. If there are 50 fish in that school and you and 2 buddies take your limit every time you go, it won’t take long before you have to go find another hole. My suggestion is fill your cooler with Trout and leave a few Redfish to fight another day. That way you will have an ace in the hole if fishing gets tough!***
Nearshore Fishing Report

Tarpon fishing is still the main focus nearshore… at least for the fishing guides. We have modified our approach to Tarpon fishing to include Bull Redfish this year. Nearly every trip we are finding at least one big Redfish and sometimes over 10! When Tarpon fishing gets slow I have been swapping out my live line and going with 2 bottom rigs instead. I also use my smallest baits on the bottom rigs to make sure that the Reds can get the whole bait in their mouths. When I start seeing Tarpon again I go back to my live line and focus on the Tarpon again.

Of course there are plenty of Sharks to be had. Recently I had a 4 hour trip and our targets were “Sharks and maybe a Tarpon”. I anchored in 8 feet of water and hung a chum bag over the side. It took about 5 minutes to get some Sharks behind the boat and after that we had to start fishing only 1 line at a time. If you want to add some excitement to your shark fishing, find some clean, green water and start chumming.

Hang a chum bag and start cutting pogies into halves or thirds and throw them over the side. Get two pitch rods rigged with one natural bait and one artificial and have a blast sight casting the sharks. If you get in the right location you’ll quit bothering with the natural bait and just have a ball getting these meat eaters to try plastic!
Nearshore Fishing Forecast

Bull Redfish! Next month when Tarpon fishing slows down, Bull Redfish should go into full swing. Your target areas will be rips, bars, and breakers, and deep holes. Be on the lookout in a few weeks for the mullet run on the beach. Usually this is the best time to get all the bait you need for Bull Redfish season and it is the signal that it’s game on.

While there are 101 ways you can rig for Bull Reds, I opt for simplicity and go with 4 bottom rigs with a 3 ounce sinker on each line. I find that 90% of the time this will be enough weight to keep the bait on the bottom. If you are fishing in heavy current you might want to have some 4 ounce sinkers on hand. I use big circle hooks and 40 to 80 pound leader. There is no need for long leaders or Fluorocarbon. Short monofilament leaders will do just fine.

My favorite bait for big Redfish is fresh cut mullet but there are plenty of other options. If you can get your hands on some fresh pogies I would definitely suggest doing that. Sometimes if I am out of mullet I will buy some squid to start out with. Once I start fishing I will catch whiting and start switching out the squid with fresh cut Whiting. They can’t stand an ol’ Whiting head! Blue crabs make excellent bait as well.