Summer is winding down and fall will be upon us. The weather will be cooling down, and the fishing will be heating up. Feeding patterns will change, so we have to change our tactics. Redfish in this area have begun to school up, Snook are moving to their winter haunts and the larger sea trout will be found as shallow as 2 feet of water. Top water plugs such as Zara Spooks, Chug Bugs Top Dogs and Skitter Walks will all catch fish. These fish will be hungry and will eat aggressively. Just remember to stay within casting distance as not to spook the school. My favorite rig for trout this time of year is a Mirrorlure SheDog with a 18 inch leader tied to the rear split ring and all hooks removed. On the end of the leader, tie a one eighth ounce jig with a Berkley Gulp shrimp or a Cotee GrubTail in rootbeer or gold Metalflake. Don’t be surprised if a Spanish Mackeral decides to crash the party. As the water cools near shore grouper fishing in a little as 6 ft of water will add to the excitement. Shallow water grouper fishing is totally different. Tackle consists of a 7 ft medium heavy rod with a large capacity spool and a good drag that you can lock down tight. I like to use 50 lb PowerPro line with 80 to100lb test leader. Bomber Long A shallower diver is my favorite lure. Find a rock or a ledge and anchor and position the boat within casting distance. Cast past the structure, reel in just on the out side edge of the area, and not over the rock or ledge and hang on. These fish will test the mettle of the best and will fight all the way to the boat. Time to go fishing!
Tight lines and smoking drags, Captain Larry Roderick