September is one of my favorite months to fish both inshore and nearshore from Melbourne to Sebastian. There has been more bait around in the lagoon this summer than we have had in several years and that should provide for a good mullet run as the last several years has been a bit on the slow side. Along with the mullet, the snook, trout and redfish should be plentiful. Snook season opens up September 1st and anglers will be out in droves trying to get their keeper fish. Sebastian Inlet will be packed day and night with people on the jetty and in boats, and the crowds don’t always bring the patience that’s required when fishing, so keep a cool head in the heat of the day and night and you will get your limit. Live bait during the day is best and live bait, jigs and lures all work well at night.
The best part of the mullet run normally starts mid to later in the month. Threadfins and sardines will be on the beach nearshore as well as mullet and so will the tarpon, snook, sharks and jack crevalle. There will also be kingfish following the schools of bait looking for that easy meal. Best bet is to use some of that live bait and fish the outer edges of the bait pods. Rapala’s X-Rap Long Cast in size 14 will be an excellent hard bait to use when targeting the bait pods. I also like to use D.O.A. Bait Busters 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.
I like to focus on the flats, spoil islands or mangrove shorelines loaded with bait in the Indian River Lagoon from Melbourne to Sebastian in late September. My favorite bait to use is the Rapala Skitter Walk for topwater and the Twitchin’ Minnow and Mullet for subsurface baits. If soft baits are your preference, D.O.A. C.A.L. 4” jerkbaits or 3” shad tails rigged on VMC 1/8 ounce and 1/4 ounce jigheads are the way to go.
The mullet should also pour into the creeks from Melbourne down to Sebastian later in the month, and the gamefish are sure to follow. Hopefully the heavy rains we have been having will slow and the freshwater runoff into the lagoon will decrease. There is no need to go way back in the creeks; anglers can fish the mouth of the creeks and around the many oyster bars and docks closer to the Indian River Lagoon. I use the same baits in the creeks as I use in the Lagoon during the bait run.
Capt. Glyn Austin
Going Coastal Charters
www.goingcoastalcharters.com
321-863-8085
Capt. Glyn Austin is a lifelong Brevard County Resident and full time inshore/nearshore fishing guide. Glyn runs a 23’ Shoalwater tunnel boat which is comfortable for up to 4 anglers and will let us get shallower than most flats boats for inshore fishing and offers a smooth dry ride when fishing the Inlet and nearshore waters of Brevard County.