By: Capt. Dave Stephens
We managed to make it to September, with the past months being hot. Charlotte Harbor has a lot of good things going on and we should start seeing our redfish fishery pick up. In the fall, months large schools of fish begin to move in the harbor from the gulf. These schools can often be found on local bars, and along mangrove shorelines. When locating fish in open water, I look for large schools of mullet. As mullet feed on the algae, they stir up the prey that reds like to feed on. Things such as small shrimp, crabs and baitfish. Another fishery that begins to heat up is the snook fishing. The main reason for this is the spawn is over, and winter preparations begin. I know it’s crazy to think about winter, but a solid fat reserve is a life-or-death deal for these fish, therefore, a large number of fish will still be on the flats and shallow mangrove islands. However, a large portion of fish will be moving closer to deep water access. Areas like the local canals will start having numbers of fish moving in. I like fishing around old docks, and round deeper creeks or flats that have deep water access. Although September is not considered a month for tarpon it can still be very productive. We have large schools of fish in the harbor this time of year and ladyfish will be chasing glass minnows all over the harbor. Many times, I have found large tarpon feeding on ladyfish in these situations. I recommend keeping a larger rod on the boat just in case. The fall can be a very exciting time to fish in Southwest Florida, and the most difficult decision to make can be what to fish for! Remember it’s still storm season so keep your eye on the sky, as storms can roll in very quickly.
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