Monday, 04 October 2010 13:49 | Written by Stewart Ames
As September comes to a close, most Tampa fishing guides are eagerly awaiting the return of larger schools of redfish. Unlike a normal September when redfishing tends to heat up , fishing has been strangely quiet in the Dunedin / Palm Harbor Area over the last month. Inshore waters got excessively hot this summer however and this may have pushed good numbers of fish out into the gulf. Recently cooling water temperatures should bring these hard fighting fish back inside St Josephs Sound, however. Supporting this theory, several larger schools of fish have been sighted in the last week. For greatest chance of success, fish higher water on the strongest tide days, when redfish will move shoreward looking for dinner. A broad range of baits will entice these fish, however the best choice right now might be a whole small finger mullet, about five inches long, as these baits are being seen everywhere. One of the best areas to secure these tasty redfish morsels is in against mangrove shorelines, where these juvenile mullet will give their presence away by flipping or by jumping clear of the water when pursued by predators. One toss of the cast net should secure 15 to 20 baits minimum. Live finger mullet are best fished whole under a bobber but can be fished as cut baits as well. Fish mangrove points and near shore potholes on the high tides for best success.
Other inshore opportunities still include both trout and snook. Trout can be found outside on near shore rocks just off of local beaches as well as in swash channels immediately adjacent to local passes. When you get to your spot, chum generously with whitebait and look for trout in hot pursuit of these offerings. Most baits are caught at the surface so it will be evident if trout are there. Fish are also holding inside our barrier islands on flats that drop off into deeper channels. Unlike winter trout fishing, you'll have to sort through a fair number of short or borderline fish to find the keepers but fish in excess of twenty inches are available. Live whitebait will produce best. Use fifteen pound flourocarbon leader with a 1/0 Owner Mutu Light Circle hook for best results. Snook are still being seen and occasionally caught around gulf passes. The fish tend to be fewer in number and smaller in size than during the prime snook months of May / June / July but thirty inch plus snook are still present. As colder weather approaches, it is logical to expect these fish to leave over the next month or so.
The shorter days of October promise to ignite Tampa fishing opportunities on near shore reefs and rock piles. The arrival of our first "cool" front has already dropped water temperatures to the eighty degree mark. Large mackerel in the three to five pound range 0918rogercmackhave been present for the last three weeks and have provided great, light tackle sport.
Small patch reefs and rock piles just a mile or two off the beach will hold these fish. A favorite technique of Tampa fishing guides is to chum heavily with whitebait when arriving at their preferred area of hard bottom. Any self respecting mackerel in the neighborhood should show up within fifteen minutes. By using long shank hooks and short steel leaders made of 30 lbs Malin Hard-Wire, you'll prevent most "bite offs" and can often experience non stop action. Cast unweighted pilchards back into your chum slick and hang on. Mangrove snapper typically enter the picture in October as well...although they have yet to show in any quantity inside of ten miles. Last year was the best year for these delectable fish in recent history and, with a little luck, their abundance will be repeated this year. Any day could be the day that they show up. An interesting sidelight to the mackerel fishing has been the almost daily presence of great barracuda. Once the mackerel are chummed up and in full swing, barracuda have been showing up, cutting these fish in half at boat side. Be prepared for this event with a heavier spinning rod spooled with thirty pound line and a sixty pound wire stinger rig (hook with a trailing treble hook). If a small mackerel is subsequently landed, keep it alive and quickly deploy it on this larger rod under a balloon. The ensuing battle on medium spinning tackle always promises to be exciting. These fish will occasionally jump, always take at least a couple of powerful runs and make for a great picture. The year's first kingfish have been caught and although there are not a lot of fish in close yet, it shouldn't be long. The same "ballooned" mackerel is an exceptional bait for kings. The blistering first run will separate them from the barracuda. Blue runners and large whitebait can also be deployed on this larger outfit and will occasionally attract a cobia or spinner shark in addition to the kings and "cudas". The variety of species available makes these trips some of the most exciting Tampa Fishing Charters of the year...especially since a trip back inshore on the high tide might yield some nice redfish...icing on the cake. Good luck and good fishing.
Captain Stewart Ames
Gone Fishing Charters
US Coast Guard Licensed Captain
Member Florida Guides Association
sames001@tampabay.rr.com
(727) 421-5291
Last Updated (Monday, 04 October 2010 17:32)
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