Inshore forecast

Spots heat up as the water cools

As the water temperature cools, the Spanish mackerel action will heat up. Anglers look forward to the arrival of these nearshore predators because schools of king mackerel will be right behind.

October is simply the best fishing month of the fall. Even more baitfish will move in from the north, following the cooler water, and nearly every species that lives in or migrates through the bay area will be active. Inshore, schools of big redfish have returned to the flats, the snook bite should be the best it has been in months and speckled trout will be active. Cobia can be found along nearshore rocks, big jack crevalles will charge into the shallows and smash anything that gets in their way and jumbo Spanish mackerel will be back. The list goes on.

Look for baitfish to be thick along the beaches and flats as the pelagic species such as bonito, bluefish, mackerel and kingfish offshore force them to seek the limited shelter of the shallows. It is not uncommon for the water to be black with bait in the swash channels between sandbars and beaches. This creates an opportunity for pelicans and terns to gorge themselves before the lean winter months, and the birds in turn make finding bait easy for fishermen. One well-placed cast of a net often will provide enough bait to fill every live well onboard. If you are after the pelagics, moving just offshore and chumming with live bait will draw a variety of fish close to the boat.

A live well full of scaled sardines also can work magic on a pod of redfish roaming across open grass flats. While some reds settle in a certain area and remain there for days or weeks, schools returning from the gulf have a tendency to wander and can be difficult track as they pass the boat and keep going. The trick is to pole or walk the boat ahead of the school and have a dip net full of live baits ready to toss as they come through. If you can get the fish to stop and eat, they will stick around as long as you feed them. But have your live well stocked, because a school of 30-inch reds can eat a lot in a short time. Once the frenzy starts there is not much a red will refuse, so this is the time to break out fly rods, ultralight tackle and surface plugs.

Florida's most popular game fish, the snook, should also be more cooperative as the fish take advantage of the feeding opportunities before winter arrives. Most will be found in backwater areas, around channel edges and drop-offs that hold a lot of bait. River mouths, creeks and residential canals also will be hot spots as the water cools. The occasional monster snook also may be found in a pothole at low tide well out on the flats. The fish have no choice but to move away from the mangrove shoreline when the water drops, and they put up an incredible battle.

Speckled trout fishing always gets better with cooler temperatures. Schools of big specks appear from points unknown and the smaller fish become more active. The two seldom intermingle, so there usually is a trade-off between quantity and quality. The bigger fish tend to stay in shallow water, generally 3 or 4 feet, while the smaller ones are found in 5-10 feet. Trout nearly always are found around sea grass beds. Some of the best areas to drift for trout are Bunces Pass near Fort DeSoto and the lush grass flats west of Ozona and Palm Harbor.

Regardless of your favorite inshore fish, you don't want to miss the fall explosion this month across the bay area.