Inshore fishing report

It all comes down to weather

By ED WALKER
Published November 4, 2005

Weather will be the primary factor in how good the fishing is this month.

First off, heavy winds associated with cold fronts can make fishing, or even boating, difficult. And if there is a large drop in temperature, the action on the flats likely will be adversely affected for a day or two.

The mild days between weather systems are the best. This is the time of year when water temperatures pass through the magical 70s. This transition between summer and winter brings in migratory schools of baitfish and the pelagic species that follow them, such as cobia, mackerel and sharks. They join the resident inshore species such as snook, trout, redfish and flounder to give anglers a wide variety of options close to shore.

Watch for schools of Spanish mackerel working just off the beach early in the morning. As they attack pods of tiny glass minnows and juvenile sardines, bonito, ladyfish, bluefish and even a few smoker king mackerel often join in. Early is definitely better, because the action peaks at dawn and gradually drops off. By noon the excitement is usually over. Pulling alongside a roaring feeding frenzy and tossing in a spoon, top-water plug or shiny fly into the foam virtually guarantees a hook up.

Another species known to join the party is the giant gulf redfish. Herds of these bright orange fish materialize out of the depths and eat anything they can find. Most of the gulf reds are much larger than the slot size of 18 to 27 inches, but they are a lot of fun to catch and release.

All the action along the beaches can spill into the flats and bays. Schools of bait fleeing the offshore melee often move to very shallow water, where there is a whole new pack of predators waiting. Speckled trout are one of the first to capitalize on this incoming food over deeper grass patches near the passes. Areas with good tidal flow within a mile of the gulf can become stacked with specks when the bait arrives. Bunces, Hurricane and Clearwater Passes are all good spots to try. The east side of the barrier islands such as Honeymoon, Three Rooker and Anclote Key can also be good when the bait pods move over the grass.

This month also kicks off the fall mullet run. Roe-laden black mullet gather into huge schools in preparation for spawning. As the southerly winds begin to pick up before a weather front, the fish move toward the gulf, eventually moving through the inlets and running offshore when the wind shifts to the Northwest.

Between spawning runs the mullet schools can cause large "muds" on the flats as they nibble mud off the bottom to extract algae. These muds often attract fish such as redfish and trout that feed on crustaceans that have been exposed.

When the weather is nice, the snook bite is likely to be good any time during the day, provided you can find an unpressured batch of fish. If you have the luxury of fishing any time, outgoing tides in a late afternoon are when the snook feed the best. Anglers with a lot of patience will find a few trophy snook prowling the bridges late at night.

Before the recent foul weather, pompano fishing was excellent. We were landing limits of good sized "pomps" by casting small yellow jigs along sandy channel edges on ultra-light spinning gear. Mixed in were permit in the 2- to 5-pound class. Both of these coveted members of the jack family should hang around all month. They will however, move in pursuit of a preferred temperature and clean water. During hard cold snaps they disappear from the edges of the flats and show up in the warm water of power-plant outfalls. All it takes is one pompano to skip in your boat's wake to indicate where the fish are holding.

Timing is everything this month. Fronts will slow things down, then good weather will get things going again.

Ed Walker charters out of Tarpon Springs. Call 727 944-3474 or e-mail info@lighttacklecharters.com

[Last modified November 4, 2005, 19:44:12]