Florida Fishing Guide Fishing Report
Happy September everyone, from your Florida Fishing Guide, Captain John Tarr. It has been a bit since I put a fishing report or blog out, and I apologize for that. Things have been more than hectic, in life and business. September marks the end of summer for most places in the United States, but those of us in Florida just have to wait and see if we are actually going to participate in fall or winter at the end of the year. However, there are some things that we don't have to wait for: snook season opening, the mullet run beginning, shorter days, spawning redfish, and good fishing. Water temperatures have begun to drop, from the summertime highs, and it should help with an increase in overall fishing activity. This summer was a brutal one and the fishing past about 11am was miserable. Now, it's almost bearable and there are still some afternoon fish moving.
As we shift from summer to fall, fishing will start to focus more on the main three: redfish, snook and seatrout. Tarpon may or may not stick around, for a few months, just depending on the weather and water temperatures. Last January's freeze had a more significant impact on the residential tarpon that we had hoped for, so even during the peak of season, it was not nearly as good as it had been. With that though, the "normal three" will more than make up for not having tarpon around.
Redfish have been and probably will be the main focus of most trips and what most clients come to catch. As we pass
through year 5 of catch and release only, within the Indian River Lagoon System, the redfish numbers are slowly recovering. While our numbers of fish still aren't where they need to be or where they were during the 1980s-2000, they are much better than they were during the last 10 years. There are definitely enough fish to keep it fun and challenging throughout the day. I say challenging, because the redfish in our area are not stupid. They may be some of the most "educated" redfish in the world and they require patience and ability to catch them on a regular basis. As a fly or artificial-only fishing guide, it is even more challenging. It is as close to stalk hunting as you can get on the water. Casts need to be quick and precise. Presentation to these fish is everything. Anglers need to understand and be cognizant of the fish's "area of awareness"; if you are unfamiliar with that term, I suggest checking out the video below on it. Making quick, accurate presentations into the area of awareness will increase the likelihood of success.
Snook have been the second most popular target this year. If there was ever a fish that was the definition of a backstreet brawler, the snook is it. Powerful, intelligent, and dirty to the core fighters, they challenge anglers of all skills. The smaller ones are typically eager to cooperate with anglers; but large snook can be some of the most frustrating fish you will ever encounter. We've seen quite a few trophy snook (snook over 40 inches), gotten a few to eat, but have yet to land one successfully. The next couple of months should produce some great snook fishing and I will keep trying to help clients land that lifetime snook. Even if you don't get the fish over 40 inches, the average snook of 22 inches is an absolute blast to catch.
Seatrout will round out the top three target species for the next few months. Much like snook, small seatrout are usually eager to cooperate with anglers; especially early in the morning on topwater. Also like snook, the bigger they get, the tougher they can be to catch. Trophy fish over 30 inches are still around, and their numbers are slowly improving, after being decimated during Covid, from the shear number of people catching and keeping them. Stalking trophy seatrout and sight fishing them requires the ultimate patience and comes second only to chasing permit on the flats. Trophy seatrout are wary, their camouflage is unmatched, and they can be extremely picky when it comes to what they will eat. I have more success than a lot of other anglers, especially hen it comes to fly fishing for them, because I have spent years perfecting techniques and flies to fool them.
Florida is a great place to come visit and enjoy the waters this fall and there will be plenty of activity to keep you happy. Come enjoy a day of excited relaxation, and come experience why Florida is still the leading destination for fishing in the United States. To book your trip, e-mail me captainjohn@tailhunteroutdooradventures.com or call me (386) 314-5998.
Until next time, Tight Lines and Screaming Drags:
Captain John Tarr
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