Fall has arrived and with it comes cooler weather and shorter days. But don’t put your rods and reels away just yet because here comes the best fishing of the year! Fishermen will continue to find success with live bait but artificial lures should become increasingly effective. Make time to get out on the water, you will be sure to enjoy it!
Redfish have been happily eating live and cut bait fished on the bottom. Mullet especially are everywhere you look and can be easily netted. We’ll rig the bait on a size 3/0 circle hook paired with enough weight to hold the rig firmly on the bottom. You can use this setup on docks as well as on the flats. Leave your rod in the holder and wait for the reel to start screaming as the fish hook themselves.
Artificial lures have started to really produce for trout and the traditional paddle tail design has been awesome. I’ll use a 1/4oz. Trout Eye jighead and tie a loop knot to give the lure even more action. Vary your rate of retrieve as you try different spots for pockets of fish. To make your lure even more attractive, try putting a piece of shrimp on the hook. You can use pieces of live or frozen shrimp and it will put a scent on your lure that fish find hard to turn down.
With the colder water temperature, redfish are starting to form bigger schools. These larger schools make for superb sight fishing on low tides. On clear days, you can see these redfish roving around in circles with their golden backs flashing in the sun. Use patience when approaching the schools and when you make your first shot cast to the edges so as not to spook the school. Jerk shad artificial lures rigged on size 3/0 flutter hooks are the way to go.
See you on the water!
