Hello anglers! September is a fantastic month to fish our area! All of the migratory species are still sitting pretty in our warm waters, the structure oriented fish will be aggressive, and the flats will be on fire with trout, redfish, and others.
BAY: The water temps are still hot, so work those shallows early and late in the day. Nothing beats a top water plug over a shallow flat at sunrise and sunset right now. If I see a lot of grass or debris floating on the surface, I go to soft plastics or live bait. A stealthy approach and long casting distance are a must for peak results. That light braided line will pay for itself in the long run for casting distance and durability. I prefer 20 lb test Power Pro for flats fishing. As the sun gets up, I like to move to deeper structure, such as docks, bridges, or rock piles and flip live shrimp, crabs, or baitfish on slip sinker rigs for inshore species. I expect this late summer and fall to be a good one for mangrove snapper. I’ve seen increases in numbers and size the last couple years.
OFFSHORE: Grouper have been a little slow up close, but through my years I’ve learned that when it’s time, it’s time! So rig strong and just keep dropping those big baits, it’s about to turn on! Once hooked, the first 5 seconds are 90% of the battle. I like to work one or two baits down low, one at mid-column and one on the surface. Groupers and various snappers will hit your bottom baits, amberjacks and triggers at mid-column, and king mackerel and mahi mahi are up top. Vary baits and rigs to broaden your species and keep hook size in accordance with bait and tackle sizes. Remember to troll those duster/cigar rigs and diving plugs between bottom destinations. I often hang some memory makers trolling open water.
SURF: Shark fishing will be great this month. I prefer cut bonito, but many fresh cut baitfish will produce. Larger surf rods tipped with wire leaders and a 3-5 ounce lead are usually sufficient. There will also be many Spanish mackerel, bluefish and lady fish caught along our beaches this month. Keep a couple of light spinning rods rigged with Gotcha Plugs and spoons. Don’t forget a shrimp on the bottom could yield a redfish, whiting, pompano, and others.
Thanks for reading and fish on!
CAPT. JASON SHINGLER
Adrenaline On H20
Panama City, FL
(850) 348-2282