The Fall and Winter season is all about inshore fishing. October is one of my most favorite months to fish the Indian River Lagoon and Sebastian Inlet. The mullet run is still in full swing and we've been having lots of action inshore lately.
The lagoon has been fantastic from Turkey Creek down through Wabasso area. We're catching lots of snook, redfish, trout, and jacks fishing the spoil islands and mangrove shorelines. There's been an abundance of fresh water coming out of of the creeks and Sebastian River due to the amount of rain we've had in the last few weeks. This in turn keeps the mullet schools more congregated towards the river. The water level in the lagoon has also been unusually high this month which makes it a lot easier to get into those shallow areas with my bay boat. Go to baits have been of course live mullet, cut ladyfish, cut mullet, and big live shrimp. As far as artificial baits go, Slayer Inc. paddle tails in the rootbeer/ chartreuse or silver mullet color, Mirrolure top pup for early morning topwater, and a great search bait is the infamous gold spoon.
Sebastian Inlet has been on fire with slot to just over slot redfish lately. We're starting to get some of the big bull reds but they usually don't come in heavy until the end of October. Most of our luck for the reds has been using big live shrimp, pilchards, and finger mullet around the jetties. The snook bite has been off an on. Early morning has seemed to be the best for the snook bite. We mark the schools on our fish finders but it's just whenever they feel like eating. You gotta be patient and pick your tides right cause the bite will turn on and turn off within an hour. I like to bring a variety of live baits when fishing the inlet. Pigs, pins, croakers, and hand pick shrimp are the usual choices. Like I've said before, those inlet snook are the only fish I know with a dinner menu. Not only snook and redfish but the jack crevalle have been thick out the mouth of the inlet. Fun fighting and will definitely wear out your arms in no time. We've also got the occasional goliath and some nice 10 to 15 lb cubera snapper too.
Unfortunately, the seas have been pretty rough the last few weeks so fishing the mullet schools along the beach by boat has been tricky. There's been big tarpon, jacks, snook, and reds hammering the mullet schools but getting to them has been tough.
As far as offshore goes I think I might be stepping away from it for awhile. The costs are high to run a trip and the beating the boat takes as well as myself is pretty relentless. I'm most likely going to step away from offshore fishing until I get a bigger boat that's made for that water. I'll still run out but only on very nice days until that new boat comes into the works.
Big thanks to all my customers and I look forward to fishing with each and every one of y'all again.
