By: Eric Henson
Crazy for both fishing and the weather. However, if you pick and choose your days correctly, prepare to have an outstanding day of both fishing and cool crisp air to enjoy. The fish are waiting on the good weather as well, so they can feed generously, put on a few pounds and prepare ahead when there will be less food available; this can make fishing extremely productive!
The first fish I like to target in October is Juvi Tarpon. No matter their size, these fish are going to give you everything they have and undoubtedly will win! But, since they are not cold temperature tolerant, this is pretty much the last month to have some fun with them, at least with any type of consistency. Occasionally you can catch them, in our area, during the cooler months but they generally pop up out of nowhere and aren’t happily feeding. So, try and get out there and catch them while your chances are still high.
Then the second species is the Redfish! These fish will still be grouped up looking to destroy any bait or lure that comes across their nose. Also, there are still some absolute trophy size reds out there if you are looking to break your current PB ‘personal best” Redfish. I promise if you come across a school of a hundred or more reds all 30-40 inches, your mouth will drop to the floor and you will be trembling in your boots with anticipation.
Last but definitely not the least is Mr. Linesider, aka Snook. As these fish start to head towards the backwater for warmer water temps, keep an eye out for what looks like big dark logs on the flats. They will literally sit as still as they can until you get close enough and realize they are GIANT snook! So, if you think you see one in the distance, just take a cast before getting too close because once you are close enough to identify them, they’ve already seen you coming from a mile away.
Well, timing is everything this month. Be safe and have fun out there on the H20 with a bit of cooler air! Cheers, Eric