by Capt. Dave Stephens
Well, fellow anglers, Mother Nature has done a great job at bouncing back from the catastrophe that plagued our beautiful harbor a year ago, while we dodged one of the most powerful storms of the past century in Dorian. Schools of redfish have moved back into the harbor, and I have seen some of the best red fishing in a couple of years. On high tides, look for fish to push up to the mangroves, nice green overhangs are the key. On low tides, look for fish on the bars. Schools of large mullet will be holding reds. This time of year, these guys are not very picky.
If you’re not confident in catching live bait, just visit your local tackle shop; shrimp will get the job done. For the anglers wanting to catch some reds on artificial, October is your month. Look for mullet which also school during the fall months. I’m sure you know mullet are vegetarians, and our grass flats are full of what our predator fish feed on. As the mullet move across the flats they stir up the bottom. Fish such as reds, snook, and trout follow to take advantage. Soft jerk baits and gold spoons are great lures to locate the feeding fish. I recommend a lure that can cover a lot of water. Once you locate feeding fish, slow down and fish thorough, chances are there will be a large number in that area.
The FWC has opted to keep our snook fishery closed to harvest this fall. I do not think this fishery should be closed indefinitely, like some other anglers; I would just like to see a healthy enough population where anglers can enjoy catching the kind of fish that stole my heart as a kid, not just a juvenile fish. I say this because the one that got away is the one that brings you back!
Snook is by far our top-targeted game fish in SWFL, and we are fortunate enough to fish for these great fish year-round. I know there are times during our winter months that our snook fishery slows down; however, we are not waiting for a migration. A few days of warm weather can result in a great day of catching these guys!
Contact Capt. Stephens at 941.916.5769
