by Darcie Arahil, Contributing Writer
Offshore fishing has been hit or miss this past month due high winds and temperatures, hopefully September will bring much needed changes to the conditions! Time is of the essence; when you’re planning a fishing trip this month, get out there as early as possible to catch the dawn bite! The surface water temps warm up quickly during the first hour of daybreak therefore it is important to have lines in the water before the fish swim to deeper water to escape the heat. Hopefully within the next few weeks the mullet run/fall bait migration will take place, which will be a fairly easy bait to cast net in the ICW. In the meantime, large numbers of small sardines and pilchards can be found around the mouth of Boynton Beach and Palm Beach Inlets.
Another exciting fish to target this month will be wahoo! Last month, the full moon produced a smaller than usual number of wahoo. The impending September full moon will give you another opportunity to catch one if you haven’t already. If you like to high speed troll, I would recommend using Ballyhood lures such as the Banshee Cowbell or Wahoo Express Lures. When the conditions are favorable and wahoo are thick, they will attack any lure you are pulling past them. Wahoo fishing gives you an incredible adrenaline rush, especially when you feel the head shakes while reeling in the fish and hand lining them through the transom door.
For the anglers that prefer reef/wreck fishing, this month should also produce a good bottom bite. I would suggest using a ‘sinking line’ which means a 15ft, 60 to 80lb leader on a swivel, and a heavy sinker to hold the bottom. The hook you use depends on the type of bait you prefer to fish the bottom with. When fishing on one of these structures, you will catch big amberjack, assorted snapper including nice sized muttons along with a few groupers or even a wahoo.
Inshore fishing should be on FIRE with the mullet run right around the corner! You can use mullet to fish for snook, tarpon, jacks and trout. Small finger mullets are also perfect for snook, which are being caught and released throughout the day around the inlets right now as the spawning season continues. Good luck anglers! Please check out my Facebook page, Darcizzle Offshore, for more fishing tips, tricks and to share your catches and fishing adventures with me!
Please be sure to check out my YouTube Channel “Darcizzle Offshore” for how-to info, tips, tricks & more! Until next time, be safe and Keep On Catchin’!