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Cool days, clearing water? See red

By ED WALKER
Published October 7, 2006

Fishing has improved both offshore and inshore since local water temperatures began to drop.

For flats fishermen on the Nature Coast, fall means redfish. The resident reds have become much more active and schools of oversized fish have begun to move from the open gulf to a variety of inshore spots that were previously empty. Some of these gulf-run fish weigh more than 15 pounds, with a few tipping the scales to 25 pounds or better, far larger than the normal size typically found on the flats. Since these bruisers are new arrivals, they are usually aggressive when it comes to feeding. They will readily strike live and cut bait as well as artificial lures.

Encountering a school of breeder-sized redfish on the flats can lead to truly memorable outings. On many occasions in the past, we have found schools of 100 or more in water less than 4 feet deep. Chumming with live sardines in these situations can create incredible feeding frenzies. Multiple hook-ups are the norm, and after a while it is fun to experiment with different lures or mundane items just to see what you can make them bite. Believe it or not, we have caught reds from such frenzies on bubble gum, roasted peanuts in the shell, bare hooks, and even a chicken wing. When they are fired up they also rip the floats off your line while you are fighting other fish, making free-lining the preferred technique. By rationing the live chummers properly you can often keep the fish near the boat and biting for hours.

How the offshore fish and those that spend all their time in the estuarine system interact is difficult to say. The schools may intermingle or they may not, but by winter the really big ones do seem to disappear again, presumably back to deep water.

As the water cools in the fall, it usually becomes much clearer. This makes it easier to locate the fish visually. In some cases they will also create "head wakes." These subtle waves in the water may resemble an out of place boat wake to some, but to the trained eye they are cause for excitement. Ideally the wakes will appear just long enough to reveal the position of the school then fade away. This indicates that the fish were moving but have now settled down in the area. When this happens, quietly and slowly work it over by making long casts and scanning below the surface for the reddish bronze backs of the fish. The idea is to find the fish before they see the boat. If you see them first, you can move the boat into a position that allows you to reach them, but from as far away as possible to keep them from getting spooked. There is no mistaking it when the school sees you first. The head wake rises up and the fish rapidly push away.

During calm and sunny conditions, getting out of the boat and wading into casting range may be the best approach. Wear foot protection because if you step on something sharp and fall down you may flush the whole school. You may cut your foot also. And there's always the need to shuffle your feet to warn off stingrays.

When you do chase a school of redfish on foot it is a good idea to hang a few spare lures or hooks on your hat. If the fish are moving, you may end up a good distance from the boat after a while and walking the whole way back over soft bottom to tie on a lure can be hard on the leg muscles.

Keep an eye open for the tell-tale signs of whether redfish schools are on the flats this month. You never know where they may show up, but if you find them the action is usually hot and heavy.

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

[Last modified October 7, 2006, 06:44:56]