It's been a while since my last report. Between the Tropical Storms, Hurricanes, the economy, back to school, etc., there have not seemed to be to many people interested in fishing. This is quite a shame as the fishing has been quite good.
Lets talk about what you've been missing. This is the time of year when the dolphin typically start their migration back south from cooling northern waters to warmer southern waters. Add in all the easterly winds and swells we've been having and the combination has pushed lots of debris into and through our area. Along with the debris there have been plenty of dolphin. Most of the fish have been in the 5 - 15 pound range with some larger ones mixed in. Throw in some wahoo that are deeper under the debris and schools of dolphin and the combination of fish makes for a tasty treat at the table. Most all of this action has been along the blue/green edge which has been mostly on the deep side from 5 - 11 miles out. There have been plenty of frigate birds working the edge and they'll put you on the fish.
Now lets move in closer. There is still action with kingfish, bonito, and barracuda. The bottom rod seems to be the one that is still seeing the majority of action. Work the artificial wrecks in the 200 - 300 foot range and hold on tight as you tangle with the strong and powerful amberjack (commonly referred to as AJ or reef donkey). Reel up one or two AJ's and you'll be ready to move on to another species of fish. Anchor up on wrecks in the 100 - 180 foot range and the tasty mutton snapper could be added to the fish box. When you can find some north current, the chances of getting a visit from a sailfish will greatly increase and don't be surprised if a sailfish crashes your bait while you're working the edge for dolphin no matter how far out you find the edge.
For those who want to stick to the inshore waters, there are plenty of finger mullet and the tarpon are having a feast. This is the time of year when the tarpon are in the 5 - 20 pound range and, yes, there can be some bigger ones mixed in. Slow trolling finger mullet along seawalls, canals, current edges, shadow lines, and mouths of canals will have you in awe as these acrobatic fish put on a spectacular aerial show. It'll be a couple of more months before we get our winter push of tarpon at the inlets and along the beach. Besides the tarpon, mix in some hard fighting jack crevalle and some snook and any inshore angler should be in fishing heaven.
For those who want to get together and find out more about the various styles of fishing and how to in our area, Tom Davies is putting together a series of seminars in the auditorium at the IGFA Hall of Fame. The first one is Oct 2nd at 6:30 pm. It's free to the public, so make some plans to attend. The plans are to hold this event once a month. Check the fishing forums and blogs for future dates. I'll being doing a seminar on winter tarpon fishing at the inlets and along the beach at the first event.
There you have it. The fishing is good. All it takes is to pick up the phone and call 305 965-9454 or email me at nkostyo@bellsouth.net to schedule your trip. There are plenty of open dates and everyone needs some play time to take their minds off the everyday grind and events of the past several weeks. Call me and lets get out there and catch some fish.
Captain Dave Kostyo
Knot Nancy Fishing Charters, Inc.
305 620-5896 Charter
305 965-9454 Cell
www.knotnancy.com
nkostyo@bellsouth.net