By: Capt. Greg Poland
October is one of my favorite times of year to be on the water in the Florida Keys. We are finally starting to get a little break from the heat of summer, and once the first cooler weather starts pushing through, you can really feel the change in the fishing. The fall bait run is getting underway, and when the bait starts moving, everything with teeth seems to show up.
The Everglades and Florida Bay are where I like to spend a lot of my time this time of year. The snook fishing has been good, and we are starting to see more redfish mixed in along the shorelines, islands and creek mouths. Juvenile tarpon are another great option, and when you find them feeding on schools of bait, it can be pretty exciting watching them come crashing through.
I like to keep several different rods ready because you never really know what is going to eat next. One rod will usually have live bait under a cork, another will have a live bait fished closer to the bottom, and I’ll keep a third rod rigged with a jig head and soft plastic so we can cover some water while the live baits are doing their thing. A 12-15-pound spinning rod with a good fluorocarbon leader is plenty of fun when a snook decides to eat.
If you spend enough time fishing the Glades, eventually the tax man is going to show up – sharks! When the sharks figure out what you’re doing, you better be ready to get that fish to the boat fast as they can turn a good snook or tarpon into lunch pretty quickly.
If I have a young angler on the boat who wants to pull on something big, I’m always looking for a way to make it happen. There is just something about watching a kid’s face when a big fish starts taking line that never gets old.
The Atlantic side is starting to change as well. October can be a great transition month offshore, with mahi still around and blackfin tuna, kingfish and wahoo becoming more of a possibility as we move toward fall. I’m always keeping an eye out for birds, floating debris, weed lines and anything else that might hold bait. Reef fishing is another good option this time of year, especially when the wind doesn’t cooperate for an offshore run. There are plenty of snapper and other reef species to keep the rods bent, and sometimes the best plan is simply to put some fresh bait in the water and see what shows up.
For me, October is really about being flexible. If the weather is right, we can run offshore. If the wind picks up, we’ll head into the backcountry. If the bait is thick in the Glades, we’ll follow it and see what is feeding on it. If you’re thinking about getting out on the water this fall, temperatures are more comfortable, crowds are lighter, and fish are transitioning into their fall patterns.
— Visit Capt. Greg at 305.393.3327 or email gregpoland@icloud.com |
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