FALL FISHING IS HERE! 

Hi everyone! It has been a very hot summer out on the water! Fishing in July and August although hot, was good and fall is shaping up to be great!

The days are getting shorter and the water is finally cooling a bit after our most recent encounter with Hurricane Idalia. Luckily my area was mostly spared with only some coastal flooding. The local seafloor was shifted a little as well but conditions have improved and the fishing is getting good again! Days are filling fast so don’t hesitate to call or email to secure your day on the water!

Here is what’s happening:

Redfishing will be a main focus through next couple of months. The reds always begin to school this time of year. The larger fish move offshore through the passes and spawn, only to return eventually, allowing anglers to catch big fish during this migration. The jetties and mitigation reefs that line the coast from Dunedin southward will hold redfish in the fall months. However, the backcountry will be teaming with schools all the way up the coast.

Snook are still around and will also be a target for many anglers through this month. They have already spawned through the summer and will make their way back to the eastern mainshore as late as November, preparing for the colder months in the warmer shallow waters. This year proved to be a down year for numbers of snook in my area compared to years past. My colleagues and I contribute this trend to recent years of red tide outbreaks and overfishing pressure caused by an influx of boaters and anglers during and after Covid. That being said, lots of snook were caught on my trips this summer and hopefully the bite will improve through the next couple of months as they begin to migrate and the water cools a bit.

Trout are thriving and are very thick in some areas between Clearwater and Tarpon Springs. The multitude of smaller baits cast-netted each morning, offer a perfect sized meal for these voracious eaters on the flats. Of course the larger female variety will be moving into the St. Joseph Sound region in the early winter months of December and January. Any of you who have fished with me around then know how fun that can be! Until then, we are catching lots of the smaller, yet several keeper sized trout.

So that’s is what is going on out here now and what to expect in the near future! Please don’t hesitate to call 727-365-7560 or email at brian@captbrian.com to get yourself in the books before the calendar is full! I look forward to seeing you all on the boat soon!

Let’s Go Fishing,
Capt. Brian