By Capt. Marshall Wallot, New Legacy Fishing Charters
In the month of September, many anglers may have noticed that we have an abundance of mullet present in the Intracoastal and Ponce Inlet areas. This phenomenon drives the large predatory fish absolutely insane! These large schools of mullet will continue to grow through the month of October. The trick will be to match the hatch, with a similar presentation to how these baitfish are swimming in your area.
Outgoing tide and the last 2 hours of incoming tide will be prime feeding times for tarpon, snook and redfish. I recommend freelining large mullet with 4ft-5ft of 60lb leader and a 7/0-8/0 strong hook around the schools of fleeing baitfish for the snook and tarpon. The redfish will primarily be hanging under or to the sides of these mullet schools and may require additional weight to get them in the strike zone.
Artificial lures can be extremely productive as well during these times. If throwing lures, I recommend using a profile similar to the size bait you see in the area. Trying different patterns and colors that make your lure stand out can sometimes trigger an unexpected strike, even when they aren’t as hungry. Happy hunting anglers, get out there and go bend some rods!
