September is my favorite time of year to go fishing! Days and nights are getting cooler and fishing gets better as each day passes. Torrential down pours have kept our waters dirty, but hopefully this month will be drier.
INSHORE FISHING: The dirty water and low salinity has fish constantly moving around. Even if we have a dry September, we’ll still have to deal with the dirty water, but as it gets cleaner, the fishing will improve. As the water cools, the trout and redfish bite will improve on the grass flats. Look for schooling mullet, there are usually a few redfish and even a few trout mixed in with them. Cast gold spoons or soft plastics around the tail end of the schools. Mornings or late evenings are the best times to find fish, especially on the flats. As the sun starts to come up higher, move toward the bayous and fish the deeper docks and bridge pilings using a bottom rig with live shrimp, menhaden, etc. Prepare to see schools of big jack crevalle. They push schools of mullet, and you’ll know when you see it! Try throwing a top-water lure at them and work it fast. The black snapper bite should continue to be good. Most are caught around the bridges and jetties toward the mouths of the passes. Get as close as possible to the pilings and use live shrimp with a small number one hook and a split shot…the same way you’d fish for sheepshead in the winter.
NEARSHORE/OFFSHORE: The gulf has been a tough bite, but it’s getting better. Bait has been hard to find and many people are running down the beach a few miles to find it. If the water is clean around the pass then you’ll have a good shot at finding them around the bars and buoys, but if the water is dirty, try running down and look for them on top.
For kings, try running off towards the south west edge, but some will be found in close. You’ll need to get your baits down deeper to get more king and AJ bites, so use a downrigger. On the inshore wrecks, within 10 miles of the pass, you’ll find good numbers of amberjack. Most are too short to keep, but they’re a blast to catch on light tackle! Try downsizing…use 50-60lb fluorocarbon leader and you’ll get a lot more bites that way.
The grouper bite should get better this month. Most can be found in 180-250 feet of water. Try running off a little deeper than you normally would if conditions allow it and have bigger weights ready for strong currents.
September is great for white marlin, but the sailfish and blue marlin bite is hot too. Dredging for billfish is a technique that has doubled the number of fish caught for many. If you want to learn more about it, call or come by the shop…we’d gladly get you rigged up with all the right dredge equipment and bait.
CAPT. PETER WRIGHT, JR.
The Ships Chandler
646 E. Hwy 98
Destin, FL 32541
850-837-9306
www.theshipschandler.com
