OCTOBER ON THE WATER
October is a refreshing month around Southwest Florida. After a long hot summer, we get relief with cooler days, a noticeable drop in humidity, and fewer thunderstorms. This combination sets off good fishing opportunities as they are hungry, active, and on the move.
Fall is the time that schools of redfish devour anything in their path across our inshore waters. Often there may be several hundred or more working across the shallows on an eating mission. If you’re lucky enough to cross paths with a school, it’s a memory not soon forgotten. Fishing for schooling redfish peaks in October generally lasting until we get our first real cold front. Exactly when that is, only time will tell.
Snook are on the move transitioning from their summer homes around the Gulf beaches and nearby areas and move closer to their winter haunts inshore. Snook of any size are a fun challenge. Live bait puts odds in your favor, but with cooling water and fishing becoming more active, artificial baits can be a good choice. Snook season is open in October.
Good sea trout action is another benefit of cooler water; active and hungry, and at times feeding in schools under bait pods over the inshore grass flats. Trout can run in size from small guys under 12 inches to fish well over 20 inches. Both live bait and lures work equally well with trout this month. With a little effort, a fresh trout dinner is a good possibility.
Mangrove snapper fishing was good all summer inshore. Many will make their way offshore by month’s end. Look for artificial reefs and ledges or hard bottom in depths from 20 to 50 feet to hold concentrations of fish. Snapper should be holding in and around the Gulf passes, where days with slower tides often present the best opportunity. Live shrimp with light tackle is the best way to go, and if you are anchored, a chum block is a great idea. Always have a heavier rig in the rod holder with a live flatlined bait. You never know when a big cobia, tarpon, king mackerel, or some other species might come into play.
Expect sheepsheads to begin making a presence later in the month. As they move in, there could be some big ones mixed in with the snapper around nearshore reefs and along the beaches or structure around the coast islands. Sheepsheads will not eat any type of fish. Live or dead, shrimp is the go-to bait for most anglers. As the water continues to cool, sheepsheads numbers will increase and peak into winter months.
October is one of the best months of the year to fish around Southwest Florida. There are plenty of days with great comfortable weather, hungry fish, plus the winter crowds have not yet returned.
Stay up to date with fishing regulations by visiting http://www.myfwc.com. Also, upload the Fish Rules app on your phone. It has current regulations with pictures to help identify fish.
For charter information, please contact us at Gulf Coast Guide Service and “Catch the Action” with Capt. Bill Russell, call or text (239) 410-8576, website: http://www.fishpineisland.com, email: [email protected].
Capt. Bill Russell is a native and lifelong resident of Pine Island who has spent his entire life fishing the waters surrounding Pine Island and Southwest Florida. For the past 29 years, Bill has been a professional fishing guide who takes pride in customizing each trip to ensure everyone on board has a great time and will return again. Come join us and “Catch the Action.”
