Let’s hope that September brings a good mullet run this year as last several hasn’t been very good compared to the previous few years. As this month is is one of my favorite months to fish from Melbourne to Sebastian, the bait is plentiful and the Tarpon, Sharks Snook, Trout and Redfish are as well.
Inshore anglers looking for slot sized redfish will have their best months this month and next during the mullet run. I like to focus on the flats, spoil islands or mangrove shorelines loaded with bait in the Indian River Lagoon from Melbourne to Sebastian from mid-late September. Start out early mornings using topwater lures like the Rapala Skitterwalk V or suspending baits like the Twitchin Minnow and Twitchin Mullet If soft baits are your preference, the Storm 360 GT Coastal jerkbaits and paddle tail baits have been working well lately or the DOA Cal 4” jerkbaits or paddle tail in the mullet pattern or rainbow trout work well.
Snook season opens up and anglers will be out in droves trying to get their keeper fish. While most will target Sebastian Inlet, you can beat the crowds and up your odds by fishing docks and mangrove shorelines in the Lagoon from Melbourne to Sebastian and the focus on the many creeks as well. Live bait or artificials should work well early in the morning and late evening and live baits are preferable during the day.
When the mullet run gets into full swing towards the end of September, Tarpon, Snook, Sharks, Jack Crevalle, Kingfish will be following the schools of bait on the beaches from Melbourne down the entire coast of Florida looking for that easy meal. Best bet is to use some of that live bait and fish the outer edges of the bait pods. The Rapala XRap Long Cast is size 14 will be an excellent hard bait to use when targeting the bait pods. I also like to use DOA Baitbusters and DOA Swimming Mullet during the mullet run along the beaches. All of the above lures use single hooks instead of trebles which are better for the fish that you have to release and safer for the angler.
Capt. Glyn Austin
Going Coastal Charters
www.goingcoastalcharters.com
321-863-8085