by Capt. Sam O’Briant
It appears as if we have made it through the summer and are entering one of the two transition periods in our area. We have the fall migration south and the spring migration northward.
The first part of October may be just a slight bit cooler than September, but still hot. Then we will have the first real cold front come through, usually about the 20th or so of October. This will lower the humidity and the temperature generally quite significantly. This also triggers the appearance of the southern migration of several different schools of pelagic fishes. There should be schools of little tunny and Bonita along with king and Spanish mackerel. Then there will also be cobia and schools of redfish. These will find their way into our passes and Pine Island Sound.
All of the above-mentioned fish will be going by in or near shore along with some schools of big jacks. The redfish will have started forming their large schools for the fall season. Some of these will be from a new infusion of redfish coming in from the Gulf and others from our local resident fish. If you are fortunate enough to catch one, you can tell the difference by their color. The local ones will have a deeper bronze color while the new ones will be whiter.
With all this competition from visitors passing through, what will our local fish be up to? The first part of the month will continue much like August and September. Then after the first cold front comes through things will change ever so slightly. The snook will still be hanging around the outer coastlines, cruising the beaches and under the mangroves. They will start feeding, preparing for their winter journeys up the creeks and rivers. Minnows still work best if you can find them. Redfish will be schooling. You can have a blast if you run across a school. They are fairly skittish so you have to almost sneak up on them. Throw past the school and bring your bait back in slowly. If you spook the school, sometimes they will only move a few hundred yards and start feeding again. Cut-bait will work best on the reds but spoons, minnows, and shrimp can be used. Trout will remain over the grass flats looking for shrimp, crabs, and other crustaceans. The larger trout will probably prefer minnows. If the kids are along, use shrimp. Shrimp means more bites but probably smaller fish.
Another fish that hangs around all year but will be more abundant is Spanish mackerel. The passes will be the best place to look, but they may show up anywhere in Pine Island Sound. If you are targeting Spanish mainly, you may want to use a wire leader. Their teeth are deadly. Mangrove snapper will also be starting to move out through the passes. Small pinfish or the like should suffice.
Keep an eye to the sky and good fishing till next month.