Indian River Fishing Report – September 2017

During the month of September, anglers can expect to experience some good fishing throughout our region. A wide variety of game fish will continue to provide plenty of reel screaming action with the right approach. To begin with, anglers will want to get an early start. During this time of year, fish such as redfish and trout will be most active during low light conditions.

When targeting redfish, anglers might want to use the preferred method of catching reds which is sight casting. Anglers will find that calm conditions at first light are ideal. A hungry red can put up a good fight on light tackle. Typically, these fish are not picky when it comes to eating. Live shrimp, fresh cut bait (mullet or ladyfish), gold spoons, or even scented jerk baits will all work well. Now the hard part, anglers will want to cast their lure in front of the fish to increase ones chances of hooking up with a quality red. Many of these reds can be caught along channel drop offs, old boat docks, or even the flats. Once you are hooked up be prepared to hold on tight. Many of these reds will measure within the legal slot size limit of 18 to 27 inches with an occasional larger fish.

When targeting trout, anglers will want to use small top water lures that mimic small bait fish or even scented jerk baits such as Bass Assassin 4 inch Saltwater Sea Shad (Electric Chicken). These two types of baits are a great way to make long accurate cast to a targeted area along the flats. To do this, anglers will want to use the right equipment which consists of a 7 foot medium action spinning reel combo equipped with 20 pound test braided line and mono leader. During this time of year, some of these trout will measure over 20 inches long.

Oh yea, I almost forgot. SNOOK season has reopened. Have you have never caught a “line Sider” that measured 30 plus inches? If not, than you put it on your bucket list. Snook are known to be ambush feeders. They like to feed near bridge pilings, docks, rocks, and other submerged structures. They can also be caught in saltwater, freshwater, or even brackish water. Many of these snook will feed on shrimp, crabs, baitfish (pinfish or mullet) or a variety of scented jerk baits. One of the best times to target these hard fighting fish is to fish during low light conditions or structure that is lit up at night.

Capt. Keith Mixon
Mixin’ Work With Play Fishing Charters
ww.mixinworkwithplay.com
321-212-8484