BACKCOUNTRY / BAY / INSHORE:
The tourists are starting to thin out but the heat is still here and there is still a good bit of fresh water in the bay. The good news is that you don’t have to change your tactics much. The speckled trout are still being caught early in the morning in the shallower water near the banks. If you’re using live bait, the method is the same: flat-line your live bait (no weight) in shallow water close to shore and let it do its job. With the visibility so poor in the bay, you have to change your color patterns so they can be seen, and choose ones with some sort of rattling noise maker or a top-water. During the heat of the day the fish will move down into the grass, so if you are using live bait and it gets slow, try a popping cork about 3’ above your bait. Give it a pop every few seconds and it will pull the fish to your bait. If you are hunting redfish, they’ll be found in much the same areas with the exception that they may be moving in bigger schools, and can be spotted when they’re pushing water around or tailing while feeding. Stealth is of the utmost importance. If they’re moving, get ahead of them and let them come to you. If it’s slow for reds out on the flats, check the deeper holes around the bayous and under the boat docks around the bay. Spanish mackerel are being caught trolling and casting to the schools. Starting a chum line will also bring them into casting range. Some really nice flounder are being gigged and caught with hook and line using live bull minnows and finger mullet fished on the bottom near ledges and drop offs; white or pink paddle tail grubs bounced along those same areas have been working well too. The big bull reds are still being caught around the bridges and in the pass. When the tide is high and going out is when they feed the best. Use small live blue crabs, fiddler crabs or live shrimp. If the reds aren’t feeding on top, try enough weight to get them down deeper. On the beach, some reds are being caught in the surf along with a few flounder as well. The tarpon are still cruising the beaches and can be caught on white baits, pinfish, blue crabs, or fresh cut lady fish steaks. Catching a tarpon on a fly rod may very well be one of the most rewarding types of fishing there is, but you need to be mentally prepared to miss a few or see plenty and not get them to eat. It is definitely a high risk-high reward fish to target.
OFFSHORE:
Plenty of red snapper are being caught on the wrecks and structures and can be kept Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. A live cigar minnow or pinfish will do great, but frozen cigar minnows will also work. The toughest part is getting the bait past all the trigger fish: they’ll pick you off on the way down. That would be ok, but you can’t keep triggerfish because they’re closed with no open season in sight. Gag and other groupers can be kept and are being caught in good numbers right alongside the snapper. Mangrove snapper and scamp can also be caught using the same gear and bait on the same wrecks. The dolphin are still around and holding to just about anything free floating, especially mats of sargassum grass; don’t overlook the chance for a triple tail in there, too. Big king mackerel are being caught trolling and flat-lining around the wrecks and buoys.
Use a gold hook rig to catch a few cigar minnows or stop and see Capt. Jackie or Capt. Charlie on the bait boats inside deep water point in Grand Lagoon and buy a net-full.
As the crowds get smaller, the fishing gets better around here and it’s one of the best times of the year to be out spending time fishing with family and friends. So grab a couple of them and get out here and soak a bait.
CAPT. DARYL SHUMATE
Liquid Native Charters
850-624-6968
Liquidnativecharters.com