BACKCOUNTRY / BAY / INSHORE:
The crowds are gone and that means less pressure on the fish which is good news for local anglers. The speckled trout and redfish are still holding on the flats in their typical late summer pattern. Early in the morning before the sun gets high, the trout and redfish will be pushed up on the flats, feeding in very shallow water. As it heats up, they will move out onto the deeper flats with grass, or into the channels around the mouths of the bayous. Use top-water lures early in the morning and late in the afternoon, then switch to soft plastics or suspending baits in the mid part of the day. Obviously, there’s no bad time to use live bait. There are still plenty of Spanish mackerel in the bay around the pass and the bridges; use a spoon for casting and trolling. Some really nice mangrove snapper are being caught in the bay around the rocks and shallow structures using small shrimp or cut bait on a lightweight bottom rig. Big bull redfish can be caught under the bridges and in the pass on an outgoing tide using blue crabs or fiddler crabs and most other live baits. On the beach side there are still a few tarpon around but they are skittish. There are still plenty of king mackerel being caught by trolling or flat-lining live bait around the buoys and structure.
OFFSHORE:
Red snapper and gag grouper are still being caught on the wrecks and structure with live cigar minnows or frozen cut bait if you can get them past the schools of triggerfish and amberjack. Some really BIG mangrove snapper are being caught on the wrecks as well. Dolphin are being caught around floating grass and floating structure on just about any small bait you have. Some sailfish have been caught trolling fairly near inshore using live bait flat-lined.
Hopefully the water will clear up and these last few months of late summer to early fall will be as good as ever. See you on the water!
CAPT. DARYL SHUMATE
Liquid Native Charters
850-624-6968
Liquidnativecharters.com