Greg and I went fishing yesterday morning with hopes that fall fishing was in full swing and the redfish were in an agressive feeding mode. We arrived at our location before first light and were greeted with light north winds. We starting drifting shell over shell in 2′ of water with no luck. As the sun started to break over the horizon we made our way to a deep (8′ of water) channel and found plenty of bait getting sucked out of the surrounding flats with the outgoing tide.
We saw and heard the occasional trout slurping bait on the surface. We tried a variety of lures with no success until Greg hooked a thick 24″ trout on a Bass Assassin sea shad in hot chicken. Greg jokingly made the comment that he was going to call it a day after landing that fish. We spent about an hour trying to trick the trout into biting our offerings with no more luck. We moved back shallow over shell and I caught a small red and trout.
About mid morning we decided to cover shorelines looking for signs of fish feeding in the grass with the strong outgoing tide. As the day progressed the winds increased and switched from the north to the east, which made positioning a little tough. We split up and to cover more water and I found a productive area. I was throwing a redfish skitterwalk near sparse patches of spartina grass that protruded several feet off the shoreline. I had plenty of blow-ups and hook-ups, but I had trouble getting a fish in the boat. I managed to pick up one mid-slot red before I met back up with Greg.
He didn’t see much activity in the area he covered so we moved on. I spotted the first and only school of the day coming down the shoreline our way. I let Greg have the first crack at them while I waited on the shoreline ahead of the school in the direction that the school was moving. Greg and I made a few casts where we saw some popping shrimp but we lost track of the school. My lure (TTF Flats Minnow in mumpy glo) was sitting in the water when all of sudden my rod doubled over as the school rushed by stirring up the mud and drumming on the way past my kayak. Another solid mid-slot fish. I got the whole encounter on video.
We stuck around for a little while longer seeing if the school would resurface but they were nowhere to be found. We spilt up again and covered shorelines. I found more fish blind-casting to areas similar to where I had found fish earlier. I switched to a small topwater (bone/silver spook jr) to see if I could get more hook-ups but to no avail. I caught a couple more fish but again I had problems keeping fish on. Greg on the other hand continued to struggle to get bites.
I ended the day with a handful of reds to 25″ in addition to at least a dozen agressive blow-ups that didn’t connect and approximately a half dozen fish that came unbuttoned during the fight. Alternatively, after Greg landed a solid trout early he struggled to get bites the remainder of the day. He probably should have taken his own advice. The bite was sporadic but it started around 9:00 and lasted into early afternoon when we left. The moon and high tides made things a little tough be we were able to catch a few fish. Fall is definitely in the air and they fish are shallow and hungry. My favorite time of year. When bays are less crowded and the fish are gluttons. As soon as the water level drops down to normal levels redfish are going to be easy pickin’s. So easy a caveman can do.
I’ll post some video when I’m finished editing it, so be on the look-out.
