Absolute Florida Flats Fishing, a fishing guide service serving the West central Florida gulf coast area of Tarpon Springs, New Port Richey, and Clearwater reports the inshore fall fishing season is about to bust open. The migratory spawn baitfish (pilchards) are filling all of the beachs and inshore fishing flats. The bait that’s returning in acre’s is for the most part small but the good medium to large baitfish are around it just takes a little looking and patience. Snook season is open for the 1st time in 3 years due to a closure caused by the hard cold winter of 2010, not to mention the big Red-fish are beginning to arrive to do there annual spawn in shallow water. The only missing ingredient is a few little baby cold fronts to lower our water temperatures a few degree’s, this will mark the return of the bigger spotted Sea trout and put the feedbag on all inshore species anticipating the winter, the day’s are already getting shorter that will only help. Even the nearshore reef and wreck fishing will get red-hot with the Gag-grouper and the fall migration of King-fish that will be here before you know it, good sized Spanish Mackerel are already making a showing in the area. Start your day catching (castnetting) a live-well full of the pilchards, depending on the tides start your fishing in and around the pass’s, the Snook are in transition they can be found at this time anywhere from the artificial reef’s to the beachs, pass’s barrier island edge’s and flats right on back to the estuary system’s and main shoreline flats, they can be found on almost any kind of structure. When anchoring up-tide of your target try turning loose a dozen or so live chummers (baitfish) and look for any indication of a strike, boil, or swirl then throw one in there with an appropriate size hook, feedinfg it back with the current, you’ll feel the pick-up, put your reel in gear and reel, alway’s crank before you yank, you have to get tight on these gamesters to be able to sink the hook in the hard boney jaw of the fish then try and steer him out of harm’s way with your rod horizon tal to the water ! GOOD LUCK, TIGHT LINES, INSHORE FLATS FISHING AT IT’S BEST !
