By: Capt. Billy Norris
Fall is finally here! Say goodbye to extreme heat and get ready for our cooler-weather fish to start showing up. Everything is set up correctly for it to be an awesome fall/winter fishing season, and we are ready for it!
The water temperature has finally started to drop. Although it hasn’t decreased much so far, the gulf temps are down from 90 degrees F to around 76F right now. The temperature drop can make a big difference, especially concerning our migratory fish. Our coastal waters are full of bait schools. Every stretch of beach has pelicans, terns, gulls and frigates diving in the water after a myriad of baitfish. The schools are a mixture of threads, pilchards, glass minnows, spanish sardines and more. The cast net has been coming up with such a variety of baitfish that you have tons of options for how to fish that day. The birds are diving from above, but the schools are being hammered from below as well. Preying on them from the water are all sorts of predators, from small to large. There are jack crevalle, spanish mackerel, blue runners and sharks tearing through the shoals all day. In addition, more prized gamefish including redfish and snook have been present as well, taking advantage of the opportunity to gorge themselves on the easy prey.
All of this action is setting us up for a dynamite winter bite! However, there are a few factors that need to remain consistent to make sure that we have a good winter. First, no more hurricanes! Hurricane Milton hit less than a month ago, and although it didn’t do catastrophic damage, we did get substantial runoff. In addition, the Tampa/Sarasota area did get hit hard, and as a result we are seeing a substantial red tide bloom in their area. Although not nearly as bad in our area, we are getting a slight red tide bloom. Luckily, it’s not the middle of summer. We are in December, and red tide does not like cold temperatures, so the first cold front that runs through should knock it back quite a bit. If we can avoid a hurricane between now and the end of the 2024 hurricane season we will be in great shape. The second factor that needs to remain on course is no dumping of water out of the Caloosahatchee. Progress has been made on the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) water relocation plan, but it is still a work in progress. If we can avoid a dump of discharge water, which inevitably leads to, or fuels an existing, red tide, we should be good!
The nearshore wrecks and reefs are providing excellent fishing right now! Lately we have been landing some nice cobia, gag grouper, and plenty of large reef snook. If you are heading offshore to fish for grouper or snapper, make sure that you check updated regulations, as NOAA and fisheries have once again changed and altered regulations and closures. Very soon, we should start getting our kingfish showing up in the area as well, so time to bust out that steel leader!
Fishing has and should continue to be awesome. Snowbird season is upon us, so get ready for traffic, crowded boat launches, and all of the other fun that it brings with it. But, if you have the chance to get out on the water this month, it is pretty much void of other anglers, and you can have a great day on the water! If you would like to book a trip with us, give us a ring at Pale Horse Fishing Charters (239)285-7710 and be sure to follow us on facebook and instagram for up-to-date catches!