by Capt. Craig Korczynski, Contributing Writer
September has arrived; summer has come and gone. The fun is not over yet. The mullet run this month offers spectacular fishing along beaches and inside the ICW. Snook, tarpon, trout, jacks and many other predator fish ambush the mullet schools. Bait schools shower along the surface as snook and tarpon breach the surface gulping baits in the process. Top water plugs offer exciting action for anglers; predator fish strike with a vengeance becoming airborne as they explode on the plug aggressively.
Snook can be targeted in the inlets, beaches, grass flats and along seawalls and docks. Top water plugs like Heddon super spooks or spook jrs are an excellent choice for surface strikes. DOA C.A.L. 4-inch jerk baits and DOA bait busters entice snook to strike near surface and sub surface. The mullet schools are great areas to locate snook; morning and evenings are the best times to fish. Night fishing is another option for snook fanatics. Bridges and docks provide plenty of action; channel edges also produce plenty of drag screaming action as well. The snook may gather in pods at times, many of the bigger female snook are on the outside of these pods. The size of the snook ranges from 5 to 25 pounds. Fly fishing anglers can entice snook with popper flies; snook breach the surface exploding on popper flies. The sea walls, docks and channel edges are all areas were bait gather, drawing snook to these areas to feed. An 8 or 9 weight fly rod will work just fine for battling the linesiders.
Tarpon offer heart pounding action for anglers, with the fish dancing on the water’s surface after devouring a mullet drifted with the tide. Many of the tarpon are schooled together and can be seen rolling on the surface. The size of tarpon ranges from 10 to 80 pounds. The best bait to use for tarpon is live mullet or pinfish. Artificial enthusiasts, the top water Heddon Spook Jr, DOA bait busters and DOA C.A.L. 4-inch jerk baits are all great baits for the silver king. The key to tarpon is stay in front of them, stay quiet and present bait in a natural presentation.
Sea trout, big jacks, goliath grouper, black drum, and many others all offer rod bending action. Find structure or potholes along grass flats, locate bait schools in the area and you will find the fish. The trout and drum hang on drop offs, willing to inhale baits on the bottom. The jacks like fast moving top water Heddon spooks on the surface. For those anglers who want steady action, nothing beats a live mullet; just cast one out along drop offs or structure and hold on tight. Nothing beats seeing a predator fish explode on a live bait. It puts a smile on everyone’s face.
Well that is the fishing report for September; hope you all enjoyed. Remember any day on the water is a good day. Tight Lines! Capt. Craig Korczynski, PhlatsInshoreFishing.com.com 561-644-4371. Visit us on Facebook or Instagram, PhlatsInshoreFishing.