Home Stretch

West coast anglers take advantage of another shot 

I had my skiff under the power of the trolling motor. In the back of my mind, I made a mental note to start wearing my Levi s as the light Supplex slacks I was wearing were not quite enough to stave off the cool fall temperatures. In the early morning light of this typical fall day, the tide was rushing in the pass as I slowly cruised along. Off the stern of the boat I noticed a mass of nervous water. Suddenly, like a depth charge from below, the water erupted around the school of shiny baitfish.

 Small silver mullet rained out of the water like trailers off a fireworks display. The school quickly regrouped and hot on their tails we noticed a hundred pounds of chrome rolling off the edge of the pod. I instructed my client to slowly feed his live bait out. He pulled thirty yards of line off the spool as I eased back on the throttle on the electric trolling motor. Soon, his hooked bait joined the school. Not to our surprise, the water boiled in the middle of the pack and his line slapped to attention. The angler gave two quick jabs as the reel sang its tune. Fifty more yards of line melted off the spool before the tarpon erupted like a trident missile. Its body twisted in desperation to rid itself of this strange predicament. Give and take, jump and run, give and take. After forty minutes of head to head battle, the tarpon laid alongside the boat for that special Kodak moment. A quick resuscitation ensured a healthy release and it was immediately back to plan A to search for more hot action. As the calendar rounds the corner into the later part of the season, large schools of various species of bait begin their southern migration along the west coast of Florida. Many species of predatory fish will follow them and tarpon are the kings amongst the melee. The fall months offer a small window of opportunity for the tarpon junky to get a second shot at the giant of the backcountry. Only a few perceptive anglers have taken advantage of this unique opportunity in the past although with the onslaught of the information age, more anglers are becoming privy to the fact that this late season fishery actually takes place. That s ok though as there is plenty of action to go around.

By early October, tightly packed schools of bait will not be restricted to just the beaches of Naples and Marco Island. Scaled sardines, glass minnows and even menhaden will also move into the shallow water bays and quiet coves that litter the Ten Thousand Islands and Everglades National Park. When pursuing your day s supply of bait, cast nets are clearly the way to go. A good preference would be nets that have a quarter inch to three eighth inch mesh. Larger meshed nets have a tendency to gill the bait thus hampering its quality. Always take note of where you locate the bait as sometimes the schools will pop up in the strangest of places. Barring any harsh weather, the bait schools may remain in a specific area for weeks although it would surely be to your advantage to have a variety of places to look for bait. Baitfish in our area will primarily range from one to five inches. Any size live bait will do the trick but the larger the offering, the easier it will be to deliver. The perfect sardine for general purposes is two to four inches. Hook sizes should vary according to the size of the bait. You most likely won t need a hook any larger than a 3/0 in size. Make sure that you use a shock leader from thirty to fifty lb. test between your hook and swivel. Utilizing fluorocarbon in clear water can also be advantageous due its near invisible qualities. With so much forage available, fall is a premier time for catching all of the usual inshore targets. Late season tarpon are not as prevalent in numbers as the spring run of fish though one thing is for sure, fall tarpon do mean business! They have completed their spawning rituals and are getting ready for the harsh rigors of winter. These fish are here to gain weight. They will gorge themselves until the first few cold fronts blanket the sunshine State. The key to finding tarpon, is finding the bait as the tarpon will usually be hot on their tails. Snook on the other hand, will be staged at ambush points where the current is the strongest. Small or weak baitfish will get trapped and confused in these tidal rips and a well placed bait, jig or plug will most likely get results.

The local snook population is also starting to think about moving to the far reaches of the backcountry so you will find them over a broad range of water. If live bait is scarce, have no fear. As the water cools, the algae will start to die off and the water clarity will improve. Very shallow bays will provide excellent opportunities to sight fish for snook and redfish with jigs and flies. Streamer flies in baitfish patterns are ideal for fly fishermen. Deceivers, Puglisi Minnows or the Matt s 40 will get hammered by snook and redfish alike. In addition, don t be surprised to discover a tarpon resting in a bay just off the beaten path so be prepared. And don t forget your polarized glasses, they are an absolute must! Redfish deserve an extra mention when discussing what one might expect in the fall months. The transition period during September and October marks the time when redfish initiate their fall spawn.

It is common to hear about anglers fighting redfish until their arms are about to fall off in the major passes from Naples throughout the Islands and all the way to the south of Chokoloskee. Redfish like to congregate in the passes to spawn and feed and they usually light up during a particular phase of the tide. It won t be hard to know when this phenomenon occurs. Usually anglers can t wait to spill the beans at one of the local tackle shops. Even some brain surgeons find more importance to redfish bragging rights than their actual occupations. For most anglers, discovering a spawning school of redfish is like a rite to passage. If you get into a school of reds in a pass, they will eat just about anything. Live baits, jigs, diving plugs and sinking flies will all get equal attention and double-digit catches are almost always a sure bet. Most of the fish will be oversized so get ready for some great action. The shallow bays and oyster bars of the Ten Thousand Islands will also hold reds during the fall season. It is preferable to fish the side of a bar or point that the current is flowing on. Baitfish get disoriented by the strong flowing current and become easy prey for waiting reds.

Trout fishing will peak during the fall months. Cooler water temperatures bring the trout into the Islands where they congregate around grass beds. The deeper runs along the Islands will also produce trout and should never be overlooked. Live shrimp fished under popping corks are almost always a sure bet although if artificials are more up your alley, it s hard to beat a curly tail jig on quarter once head. Larger trout like to lie where snook do and on occasions will swim side by side. They are usually off the bank and always where they can quickly drop off into deeper water if an escape route is necessary. While working the area for the previously mentioned species, jacks, ladyfish and mackerel will fill in the gaps. These species are not fussy. They don t require a high degree of casting skill to catch either. That is why they can help make for a successful day of family fishing. Jacks and ladyfish often cruise along the shore lines with snook or redfish. They will stage on points that have moving water. Live bait, jigs and plugs will get results. Any Southwest inshore fisherman will tell you, it s not uncommon to catch snook, trout, redfish, jack or ladyfish all at the same spot. That is why our area is such a pleasure to fish. With just about every species on the take in the fall, an angler is sure to have plenty of action. Fall signifies a major change in Florida. Fish prepare for the harsher months of winter by gorging themselves in our islands. You owe it to yourself to get in on the frenzy.

About the Author:

Captain Matt Hoover is a USCG licensed charter captain who has lived in Naples for over 25 years. He has a tremendous amount of experience fishing the inshore waters surrounding Naples, Marco, Ten Thousand Islands and the Everglades National Park. Matt is endorsed by Action Craft Boats and has been an Orvis endorsed guide for eight years. He has also invented a number of the fly patterns that are sold by Orvis today and has helped spread the popularity of many fly patterns that are currently used on the West Coast today. In 1993, Captain Hoover claimed a world record for snook on a fly in the 2 lb. test tippet category. He is also a fly casting instructor and can help you become better at your game when you spend a day with him on the water. Captain Matt Hoover has also written a number of feature length articles for major fishing magazines and currently writes a weekly fishing column for the Marco Daily News. He offers half and full day trips and recommends you don t hesitate to call for any additional info or just to talk fishing. Captain Matt Hoover can be reached at: Home: 239-732-6550, Cell: 239-289-6103 fishhoover@aol.com www.NightFlightCharters.com