Outdoors

Captain's Corner

By DOUG HEMMER
Published September 11, 2007

What's hot: Reds will be the go-to fish for the next two months. The schools will get larger as they prepare to leave the flats toward the end of October. Most fish are in the 25- to 35-inch range. When schools move, their wakes will look like mullet, but the wake is larger. Early in the morning, look for the school on the windy side of mangrove islands. Start where you see mullet jumping. As the morning gets late, reds will start moving to areas that have less fishing pressure. You can follow the school with a push pole or use a trolling motor on low speed. If you chase the school too hard, it won't stop until it has found a quiet spot.

Tips: One trick I use early in the morning is to throw a topwater plug near mullet. When I get a surface strike, I'll switch to live bait. During low light, you won't be able to see redfish. The topwater plug can help you find them. During high tides, look for the schools to be close to or under mangroves. On lower tides, target the front of oyster bars and potholes outside mangroves. Remember to look for the wake that schools make when moving. This will help you keep track of the school.

Doug Hemmer charters out of St. Petersburg.Call (727) 347-1389.

[Last modified September 10, 2007, 23:46:51]