[dropcap]S[/dropcap]eptember always brings a welcome change to the fishing of the Sebastian area. The mullet run will help all aspects of fishing both inside and outside Sebastian Inlet. The brightest spot I see in the fishing future is snook. Although the snook population took a hard hit during the freezes of 2010, numbers of snook showed a marked increase in the Sebastian area this summer. Whereas most of the lagoon’s fish species are directly dependent on the slowly recovering grass beds for food and cover, snook are happy living around man-made structures, such as docks, bridges and inlets. It is around these types of areas as well as mangrove shorelines that anglers should focus their attention over the next couple of months.
Sebastian Inlet will be the focus of Sebastian area anglers with the start of snook season September 1st. The biggest hurdle facing snook anglers right now is obtaining croakers and pigfish for bait. Because these species rely on a healthy lagoon and its grass beds more so than the snook that they are used to catch, they have been in short supply. I have been cast netting bunches of good sized mojaras in the lagoon; they can be a good substitute snook bait. Night time anglers at Sebastian inlet throwing buck-tails and bombers and swim-baits will always take their share of snook.
I am hopeful that bunches of big redfish will follow the mullet down the beaches and take up residence in the inlet through the fall. Spanish mackerel, jacks, bluefish and tarpon also give inlet fishermen a passing shot as they follow the bait down the beach in the early fall. The Sebastian River will spark back to life as the finger mullet enter the estuary. Snook and tarpon are both available throughout the river in September and finger mullet or something resembling them is sure to draw strikes.
I have always enjoyed fishing the late summer season in Sebastian. A tropical storm in September or a cold front in early October and viola you’re fishing what seems to be a whole new place. The lagoon is clawing its way back to life one square foot of grass bed at a time, but it is still far from its old self. If we recreational anglers could help it along by practicing catch and release with seatrout and redfish for the next year or so it could speed the overall recovery immensely.
For more Sebastian Area fishing info, out the frequently updated videos on my website homepage at www.sebastianfishingguides.com.
Tight lines!