By Caitlyn Gatrell
Rainy days fishing are more fun and productive than one may think! Especially when you’re fishing in the abundant than in Southwest Florida. Whether you’re fishing in the back waters, along the mangrove or shore lines, or off the nearshore points, there’s action everywhere. The rain really brings out the feistiness in some of these creatures, especially when other factors are already good too.
Rainy fishing days can have their moments of course. Sometimes the rain comes down hard and it hurts, especially when you’re driving. If you don’t have the right gear you can get soaked and cold. And honestly, sometimes the mosquitoes still attack you even in the pouring rain, so that combo can get a little overwhelming. But don’t let that stop you from trying it out. Because when you’re out there and the adrenaline arises from the conditions and active fish you’ll feel more inclined.
Always keep an eye out for lighting and seek shelter or head out if needed. But if it’s safe to go, you can set up an umbrella or take shelter underneath your T-top and let your bait sit out. My favorite is letting a live mullet sit in a flowing current or drop off. I take some shelter, enjoying the sound of the drops on the water’s surface, and wait for my line to take off. Hooking fish on artificial islands is also fun. I like to use topwaters in the rain, often hooking up to feisty tarpon.
As a matter of fact, tarpon are the main species I target when I’m on a rainy trip. Especially in the back waters, we seem them rolling all around with bait squirming near the surface. I think big rain drops also can get them fired up, including any debris that may fall due to the wind. Sometimes we even seem them lunge out of the water, so it’s pretty exciting to watch them chase and strike on our bait. Even if I’m soaked head to toe, cold, and miserable, I always get that awesome feeling when I hook up to one.
Tarpon aren’t the only species to catch out there during the rain. We commonly catch various grouper species, jack, and more. The grouper are fun to catch as they are tough fighters and like to dig and hide. But when you’re in tougher conditions and the rain is pouring down and the currents flowing hard, it’s even more of a challenge. One that I accept and enjoy!
Overall fishing in the rain isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and that’s okay. But as long as you practice safety and skill, you’ll be okay. And once you hook up to some monsters during the storm, you’ll really be okay! It’s a challenge but it’s one that can produce some great results.
Tight lines to all!