Fall 2020 fishing
Inshore
Fall 2020 fishing was one for the books. We had our share of good days on the water, however it was far from our typical fall fishing season. A strong northeasterly flow limited areas that we were able to fish and sometimes kept us off of the water completely. Fortunately, we were able to find good action with large redfish and plenty of quality trout fishing in protected rivers and creeks. Live shrimp and DOA cal lures did most of the heavy lifting for us this season.
Topwater
Fall 2020 fishing did offer us a few nice little windows to do my absolute favorite technique for inshore fishing. An earl start with calm and preferably overcast of foggy conditions = topwater fishing at its finest. People often ask what is your favorite plug to use for topwater. That answer can vary, but just throw what you like and mix it up. I generally use a plug with a smaller profile and a natural color. However a little color or a different pitch can be the key on any given day so mix it up. Strike King plugs, paul browns, zara spooks, skitterwalks, and mirrolures will all get the job done as will the oddest little plug out there. Doa makes a pt (poodle turd) that casts a mile and happens to be as weedless as it is deadly!
The quality of the fish caught while fishing topwater plugs in our area is only matched by the excitement of the bite. On a side note, it is a good idea to mash your barbs down when casting plugs. It will rarely cause you to lose a fish and it makes hook extraction much easier. (fish or human). This type of fishing will die off as the fish and bait settles down for winter time. It generally will pick back up as our waters warm in the spring months and continue to be productive into the summer months. Early starts are crucial once the summer heat starts to kick in.
Flood tides
This fall brought us numerous floodtides to get out and hunt for tailing redfish. On the majority of the days that we fished, fish were happy and plentiful in most areas as long as the tide got up like you want it to. A well placed shrimp or crab pattern fly gets the job done more often than not. If you are a spin fisherman, opt for a weighted weedless shrimp, small jerkbait, or crabby critter. Bass lures and trailers work excellent in the flooded grass.
Fall 2020 fishing brought us some days with huge tides either naturally occurring or brought on by the strong and persistent easterly flow. These conditions flood too much marsh and spread the fish out or they are simply too deep to see. That is when you break out the shotgun and chase marsh hens (clapper rails) through the marsh. Our mash hen hunting season was very strong with quick limits being the norm.
Bull Reds
Fall 2020 fishing for bull red drum was a bit different this year. We had a solid start, with several slow periods throughout, and some red hot windows as well. This year we spent more time fishing inshore as opposed to just off the beach primarily due to wind and rough weather. We also experienced a serious heatwave and higher than normal water temperatures that I believe adversely effected the bite at times. Overall, we had some excellent days and had to work extra hard on some as well. Late in the run, we were able to find some giant schools just offshore and had a bunch of fun jigging bull reds out of these schools. This method of fishing should continue to be effective through the cooler months and well into springtime.
I hope everyone enjoyed this fall 2020 fishing report. We will be at it whenever mother nature allows throughout the winter months and will keep you updated both here and on our social media pages. Spring 2021 will be here before we know it, so give us a call and get your tripletail and cobia dates lined up!