Late Summer to Early Fall Fishing 2018

September 18, 2018 Capt. Dave No comments

July, August and September brought a typical summertime pattern for reds. If the tides were not high enough for thefish to get into the grass, I concentrated fishing for these

Reds in the Grass

Reds in the grass

fish on the low tides. When the tide recedes the fish are pushed from the long grass and from around the oyster rakes. They school up on select mud flats for protection. They can be incredibly spooky at this time. The best time for this type of fishing is when the low tides are early in the morning. Low ti

10 lb red on a Stealth Bomber

des an hour or so after first light will often offer fish moving around, pushing water and aggressively eating. Lot’s of times we will see the fish crawling with their backs out of the water or feeding with their tails up. Later in the day, many times the fish just sit on the bottom and sulk.
The shrimp are bigger now and beginning to move out of the creeks. Keep an eye open for reds actively feeding on these Fall shrimp at creekmouths on an out going tide.
September flood tides were off the charts. Shots at dozens of fish on a tide were the norm. I expect October to be the same.
Toward the end of October, there may be a few more days of tailing tides, depending on the water temperature. In late October, the water typically begins to cool and clear. This heralds the arrival of the winter pattern of huge schools of red fish in clear water.

Trout and Flounder

Livewell full of trout. Have to keep a few for dinner

Now the shrimp are larger and moving out of the creeks, the Fall pattern of trout fishing is beginning. A few weeks ago, i went out and caught good numbers of 15-18 inch speckled sea trout. Once the water cools a little, trout fishing will really turn on.
I have been so busy chasing red fish, I have not had a chance to target this great eating fish, but reports say Flounder are still being caught.