Thursday, September 11, 2003

August has ended and so has the full rage of summer. But the midday heat can still put a damper on the bite so early mornings and late evenings will be the rule.

The still morning air usually begs for snook fishing with top water plugs. A bit of "walking the dog" by one angler with the other following with a jig or sub-surface plug has been productive on bigger fish. The commotion caused by the surface plug will get a nearby snook's attention and usually draw her in. However, many more will follow than will actually bite. Often, the submerged plug or jig will coax a reluctant reluctant follower to bite. The real trick is convincing your fishing partner that you are not just using him as chum and "stealing" his fish.

Please remember to take extra time to properly revive these fish. The water is warm so they will fight to near exhaustion. If released too early, they are an easy meal for the numerous sharks that are all the sharks that are still around.

Large white bait has been hard to come by with all the rain and runoff and most of the threadfins are pretty far offshore. However, finger mullet are pretty plentiful. A tank full of volunteers usually assures a good tide of snook fishing!!

By midday the snook will likely be in the shade, so remember the "five by five rule". Cast your bait five feet from the trees and catch a snook. Cast your bait five feet under the trees and catch five snook!!!

Around the last new moon we experienced some excellent tarpon fishing. Casting top water plugs to rolling fish in the passes, we jumped some of the largest fish in the summer. We generally were targeting big fish, so a little diligence was in order for a bite. However, few things are more exciting than catching a big tarpon on plugs. Put one of these dinosaurs in the air and you will know exactly what I mean ... the explosion on the surface, the scream of the line, the aerobatics of a 100+ plus shiner at the end of you line. I love this show!!!

Some of the best fishing this month and next is fishing the is small back water creek mouths for snook and tarponettes. This is perhaps some of the best saltwater fly fishing that you will find. I recently had several anglers come in from Naples fly fishing who put 11 in the air one creek. It was a blast!!!