Outdoors

For those who are quiet, daybreak offers potential for rush of activity

By Jim Huddleston, Times correspondent
Published August 17, 2007

The summertime weather patterns of west-central Florida lead to calm conditions at daybreak and great sightcasting opportunities.

Redfish are easily spotted in low water as they tail while feeding during the incoming tide.

Tarpon can be seen finning at the surface on shallow flats before boat traffic drives them into deeper water off the intracoastal waterway.

Many schools of snook are still holding along the beaches and have actually eaten better after the rains last week.

Once the sun climbs high, most of the inshore game fish can be seen easier, but they harder to catch in the heat of the day. Subtle hints, such as a wake or bait spraying along the mangroves, are key things to blindcast to during the low light of daybreak.

The many grass flats of Pinellas County that are 3 feet or less are great starting areas to look for the bigger schools of redfish.

When low tide is at its lowest point, look for birds working a particular part of a flat and come back during higher water to look for reds feeding.

These birds are there because of the high number of fiddler crabs, grub worms and small bait that get exposed on shoals or trapped in water pockets. The redfish will school up and hunt together to cover key feeding zones.

As fall approaches, many of the larger breeders in the 30-inch class are moving inshore.

Using artificials at dawn disguises the presentation and covers more water while searching for fish. Weedless spoons in silver or copper with a bucktail trailer are great for working long flats. Long, eel-style jerkbaits rigged with an 1/8-ounce weedless jighead are also working well, as these will imitate the many small ballyhoo that are all over the shallows.

Redfish tend to work toward the mangroves as the water gets high enough. With the summer's high water around the moon phases, these fish will push into the trees and become hard to find.

Look for openings in the mangroves and tail-hook a pinfish to allow it to swim into the shade of the tree line.

This type of fishing involves a stiffer rod rigged with 40-pound leader to give the angler a chance of pulling a fish out of the heavy cover.

The angler-redfish battle must take place below the waterline as to not allow the fish to tangle the line in the overhanging mangroves.

At daybreak, happy tarpon will work shallow water and can be seen finning at the surface. This is a sure sign of feeding fish. A quiet angler who takes the time to set up on the school will be rewarded most times.

The slick, calm waters in the morning means that all boat noise is amplified when a hatch is slammed or a lead foot hits the deck walking around the vessel.

Those who are set up before nearing the tarpon increase their chances at getting a bite on an artificial. Shallow-diving, lipped plugs or sinking plugs in mullet colors are working. A big greenback or threadfin is the best available live bait option.

This has been a late run of tarpon, and many are still cruising the beaches and crashing baitpods in 15 to 20 feet of water. Once a school has been spotted off the beach, set up on their route of travel, then place live baits under corks and dead baits on the bottom with weights.

The snook run has also been late this year, and many of the larger females are just now approaching regular spawning areas, bringing many males in tow.

Smaller sardines will attract the bulk of the males, and pinfish that hold on the bottom will catch the attention of the females. By tail-hooking the pinfish, a slight twitch of the fishing rod will make the bait swim away from the boat and toward pressure-sensitive spawning snook.

Opening the bail on the reel will get more distance and cover more ground. Keep a little tension so that the bite is felt before line races off. With the closed season lasting until September, be sure to take the time to revive any snook that is caught. Lethargic snook only become an easy meal for dolphins, and they are getting enough of the snook already.

Jim Huddleston charters out of Tampa, Palm Harbor and Clearwater and can be reached at 727 439-9017 or at jim@captainhud.com.

[Last modified August 17, 2007, 00:26:04]