Freshwater Bass to Rat Monster Reds:
The Salt & Pepper Report
The Salt & Pepper Report
 | ||
| Dinner |
 | |
| Not Dinner! |
 |
| Sail Kitties & More |
Hot Bite in Cooler Waters!
As the water temperatures go down, the fish bite goes up and up; it is spiraling as the greenbacks to fingers are on a pilgrimage in bring many a species together into a feeding frenzy. Sharks, big Spanish, Blues and moving Tarpon to the occasional Smoker ( lone King Mackerel in the over thirty pound class), have made their presence along our shorelines, from Charlotte County beaches, north and south all along our Florida west coast and pleasing anglers along the surf lines, piers and those patrolling in boats along the last troughs to the beaches. Jacks, bluefish and ladyfish were destroying bait schools as diving birds were bombing from above all along the sides of the Venice City pier at Sharky’s. Between the tides, migration of various bait pods and a continuing shift of winds from all factors of the north, staking fish are moving into the inlets, passes and outer backwater lanes in a transitional phase of summer to fall feeding. The bottom fish, as say Flounder, have been on the move and beach catches have been everywhere there is a wash off a sandbar. The kings are leaving the reefs to deepwater in following the migrating bait pods, as the tarpon are in a slow mode with the hook ups still there but on a decline as fall phases of the year begin to take place. It may be hotter than Hades out on that flat surface due to a whimpering NE blow but to the fish, they know and the bite is starting to warm up with the hottest still on its way. Silly-Willies to Sand-fleas have been producing pompano, which are schooling just off our area beaches and caught best in the early mid-darkish to creep of the sun time of the morning.
Specks to Reds have been holding in the two through sixish foot of the water columns and caught on the falling tides along deeper edges of grass flats, oysters and near sand bars. Funny thing is, Snook and Reds for some reason are hanging it out together mid-day in getting away from over head rays under the mangroves and stacked together in corresponding holes with many caught on live pinfish to our top water bass slammer the Bass Pro Shop XTS and on those great topwater splashes, the Baitbuster in producing my favorite type of action, hit’, splash topwater crash! Redfish and speckled trout are beginning to show a real perk, of what is looking to be an excellent fall fishing season.
Specks to Reds have been holding in the two through sixish foot of the water columns and caught on the falling tides along deeper edges of grass flats, oysters and near sand bars. Funny thing is, Snook and Reds for some reason are hanging it out together mid-day in getting away from over head rays under the mangroves and stacked together in corresponding holes with many caught on live pinfish to our top water bass slammer the Bass Pro Shop XTS and on those great topwater splashes, the Baitbuster in producing my favorite type of action, hit’, splash topwater crash! Redfish and speckled trout are beginning to show a real perk, of what is looking to be an excellent fall fishing season.
Could I have a glass of water please, the salt is making me thirsty:
Bass are biting best on plastics, lures, rippers, jigs, crank baits and by dropshotting, but for the heat of the day, topwaters chunked or flipped out around the sides of floating hydrillia to pads are producing slot bass. Most of my larger bass were being caught on large shiners, purchased at Fine’s Bait & Tackle in North Port, operated by Legendary Proangler/Captain Ray Moss, retired, where you get bait and where the action is, fresh to salt, Ray’s got game. Angling the docks, grass edges and rocks, Edwin skunked my butt in producing two 14 inchers to my fish on, fish gone all day long! Needless to say, panfishing is excellent, as is for Cats, and Pacu but the Bass are on a transition along with the weather and a thousand casts will produce or that lucky one but in general; Bass are holed up and not on a bite as of yesterday in the North Port canals. Predictions are as the weirs quit over flowing and the dams close back up, the fish will again proceed back into a normal feeding behavior. The fall temperatures will slowly drop water temps. And bite will be strong as we head out of hurricane season and back to a dry run. Fresh or salt, CPR must be practiced all the time regardless if it is a trash to Bass, red to hardhead, as they all have a place within our precise marine ecosystems. Always practice positive mentoring through fish with all you fish with and again; Catch, Photograph and Release, (CPR) ensures that again we may catch a bigger, fatter fish or one of its relatives in the future, do not be a fool and ruin it for others who have respect. Jump on the boat with us and practice safe fishing fun in following the rules to regulations. If you do not like it, speak out, write letters or form to join a coalition in changing the rule as we anglers have a mighty say, if we just use it.
“FISH ON!”
