November is a “wild card” month for us in Central Florida. Typically it’s an extremely windy month and we start seeing some “cold” in the cold fronts signaling Winter’s imminent arrival.
As the water transitions from warm to cool this area often encounters a few weeks of foul, dirty conditions. While I liken this phenomenon to a norther lake “turning over” the reality is our shallows don’t go through this process, though the water’s appearance will look as though it does.
Obviously, avoid these areas if sight- fishing is your passion. However, if you like to soak cut bait on the bottom or free-line a live mullet this dirty water is not necessarily your enemy. Use your senses when it comes to the dirty water locations. If your eyes tell you the area is harboring life and your nose is not offended by a repugnant odor there’s no reason to not give it a try.
For the lure tossing crowd and yes, I’m part of this crowd; choose lures with plenty of vibration or flash. Spoons like Aqua Dream”s and spinner-baits can reap big rewards as they offer both and they’re easy to fish. Soft plastic lures like the Z-Man Grass Kickerz are minnow shaped with an oversized tail and you’ll “feel” the low level vibration of the tail’s wobble as you retrieve it. You can bet the fish can home in on it this vibration even in water too dirty to see more than a foot or two.
Top-water plugs are still effective this month as long as the surface isn’t blanketed with floating grass. While I love walk-the-dog plugs a popper or propeller lure can often out fish them in dirty water. Of course a walking plug with rattles will offer another dimension to the equation. Experiment with the different rattle pitches offered by the various manufacturers!
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