[dropcap]S[/dropcap]eptember is here and fall fishing is approaching. Don’t grab your jackets just yet though. September can be, and usually is, a continuation of August. Most cool fronts will not reach the Forgotten Coast this month. Expect continued summer heat and summer fishing patterns to continue. Normally it is late September before we start to see water temperatures drop, and the true fall fishing pattern to increase the hungry fish action.
Ochlocknee Bay continues to be a reliable summer fishery. It has plenty of deep water adjacent to oyster bars around Bald Point. Trout can be found on the edges of the channels. Look for an incoming morning tide and work the 4 to 6 foot zone. The area between the channel markers at the mouth of the bay will hold fish all summer, and explode with life when the fall action picks up.
Fishing in Alligator Point has been good, as the water has been holding pretty good tarpon numbers on both the beach and bay side. Look for rollers, and set up so they swim to you. Live bait will put fish in the air. There has been plenty of bait along St Theresa, and it is worthy of a ride with a cast net. Also look for schools of bait offshore. Sabiki a dozen and bring them back alive to feed a passing tarpon. They will be gone soon, so this could be your last month to catch that monster tarpon.
During the summer months, it’s hard not to mention Dog Island Reef. It is loaded with bait and predators. If catching fish is your goal, than hit this reef. Trolling will catch plenty of Spanish mackerel and maybe a big king or two. Bouncing jigs will catch just about everything, and if all else fails, sabiki a few pinfish for bait. Float them under a cork and they will be eaten!
Inshore from St Theresa to Carrabelle will have plenty of bait swimming inside the bay. A good rule of catching fish is to follow the bait schools, and a trolling motor works great for this style of summer fishing. Get within casting range and throw jigs into and around the edges of the bait schools. You might be surprised what you find. Redfish, big Speckled trout, tarpon, and cobia are all crashers of the bait schools. It’s not always jacks and bluefish. If you see water being smashed, investigate!
Offshore, the kingfish bite will continue to be great! Most fish seem to be holding around towers K and O. The grouper bite is always a bit slow in the summer heat, but there are still plenty of gags and reds to catch. Cobia are still lurking, and a high number of chicken mahi have been caught this summer. Never underestimate the power of the towers….they hold fish!
If you need help finding your fish, give us call/text at (850) 510-7919 and we will be glad to book your next fishing adventure. ENJOY your September!