Shortening day lengths and the cooling water temperatures spark the feeding urge in every species of fish available in the Sebastian area, and that’s what makes October my number-one month to fish here. September was very fishy, with the finger mullet showing up early and leading all kinds of action from the ocean to the rivers. Snook and reds have been very cooperative at Sebastian Inlet both day and night and the lagoon came alive with the arrival of the finger mullet as it should. Add more migratory species and some cooler weather in October and we could be looking at the best fishing in the last five years. If you have been wanting to fish Sebastian don’t put it off any longer, October only comes once a year.
SEBASTIAN RIVER
The Sebastian River has juvenile tarpon in it 12 months a year, but in the winter and summer they have short bite windows and can be down right frustrating. Spring is good, but the tarpon don’t feed with the urgency that they do in the fall. Add in a million or so tasty finger mullet and the term frenzy could be applied on occasion. Live fingers fished wherever rolling tarpon are seen is the best way to put a lively juvenile tarpon on your line. Fly fishermen and plug casters will also enjoy some of the best tarpon action of the year, throw finger mullet patterns. Snook numbers will continue to rise in the Sebastian River, as post spawn fish return from the inlet and ocean. The bridges and oyster bars early and late in the day with live mullet, and the docks while the sun is overhead with D.O.A. Shrimp and Bass Assassin jerkbaits will bring some snook to the boat. Keep your eyes open for schools of big jack crevalle that enjoy rounding up schools of mullet in the lower Sebastian River.
INDIAN RIVER LAGOON
The flats of the central lagoon will be at their best in October. Trout and reds will be on the flats all day long hunting the masses of mullet that have already begun to invade the lagoon. Find the bait and find the fish is a general rule that is especially true in October. Topwater plugs reign supreme in the fall, with jerk baits and suspending plugs like the MirrOlure Catch 2000 Jr. possibly being even more productive but not as fun. Jack crevalle of all sizes will keep anglers busy between trout bites. The occasional snook will surprise anglers on the flats, but most of the inshore snook will be setting up ambushes along mangrove shorelines and around docks. D.O.A. shrimp and jerkbaits fished in, around and under the cover will draw strikes from linesiders of all sizes.
SEBASTIAN INLET
October is a prime month to fish the world renowned Sebastian Inlet. Snook fishing day and night will peak out in October. Redfish, mostly oversized, will join the snook between the jetties for the “fatten up” before winter binge. The snook and reds spread throughout the inlet giving anglers more areas to fish and they also seem to become less picky about what live bait they eat. Croakers are never a bad choice, but pigfish, shrimp, pinfish and mullet will all draw strikes at the right time and tide. Sebastian’s North Jetty will be temporarily closed dusk until dawn due to some jetty anglers’ malicious attempts to hit fishermen in boats and boats transiting the inlet with sinkers and lures. The closure will begin around October 1st and will continue until a permanent remedy to this unacceptable behavior is found. This closure will be a great benefit to those boating anglers willing to brave Sebastian Inlet after dark.
NEARSHORE ATLANTIC
The fishing along the beaches can be explosive in October. Tarpon will school outside Sebastian Inlet as long as bait stays available. Live mullet, greenies and even pinfish pitched at pods of rolling fish will bring strikes. Jigs, plugs and flies can also do the job when the bite is on. Spanish mackerel should show up in hoards from the beach out to five miles, wherever the glass minnow are. Spoons, jigs and flies are all you need to fill the cooler with Spanish in the one- to five-pound range. Jack crevalle, bluefish and little tunny can also be found enjoying the near shore smorgasbord in October.
The weather is changing, the fish are moving and the bite is on in Sebastian!!
Tight lines!
Capt. Gus came to the Sebastian area in the mid 1980’s and has been a full-time guide since 1992. You can reach Capt. Gus at (772) 589-0008 or by email. To learn more visit the Pattern Setter website.
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