By Capt. Jamie Thrappas, Yellow Dawg Fishing
October is by far my favorite month for nearshore fishing at the inlet, and in general my favorite time of the year. It is the end of the mullet run, cooler temps, and cold fronts will start to push through triggering feeds. More than anything October means snook in my book, but it also means big bull reds, and of course tarpon! When possible I try to fish the outgoing tide as it always produces more than any other tide and the days leading up to the full moon in October will also be your best shot of a fishing day to remember.
As a charter captain I almost exclusively use live bait to reduce casting issues like knots, crossed lines, and the worst case scenario of someone getting hooked. For snook I use live croakers, big finger mullet, and larger select shrimp. I like to use a 20-40 lb fluorocarbon leader either free lined or with a light pinch weight. Unless I’m doing a drift on an outgoing tide then I’ll use a Carolina rig but I recommend a 3/0 or 4/0 circle hook. For big reds I recommend using a Carolina rig with 30-40 lb fluorocarbon leader, 4/0 circle hooks, and my bait of choice includes live mullet, croaker, cut mullet, and blue crab halved!
Lastly, tarpon I will look for these silver kings on my side scan and it’s one of the only fish I’ll let my customers throw an artificial at. I like 5-8″ big paddle tails, usually dark backed with silver or white bellies. It’s a numbers game when using artificial so the more you throw the better your chances are at getting a bite! If I can’t get a bite I go to live bait and I usually use medium sized mullet free lined on a long 40# leader with a 4/0 to 6/0 circle hook.
No matter what, don’t miss out on October fishing or you’re really missing out! As always if you see us on the water say hello! If you want to experience a great time to fish, give me a call to book a trip!
