North Pinellas, Capt Stewart Ames

Fishing in September will be similar to August, but with a few more options starting to appear. The dependable redfish will be available and is best pursued on the big tide phases.  For the angler intent on tangling with a redfish on days with weaker tides, residential docks or deep potholes represent the best options. Even amidst the heat, redfish will still feed fairly actively so once fish are found, success will follow. Tossing under docks is best accomplished with cut baits as these heavy baits can easily be shot up into the shadows where fish will be to escape the summer sun. Keep the drags fairly tight as bigger fish hooked here are only a dock pole away from freedom.

Snook are still available in lesser numbers on the beach and can still be coaxed into eating whitebait.  Don’t expect a big group of fish to turn on and offer rapid fire fishing as they did earlier in the summer.  Late summer and fall snook fishing becomes a much more “one at a time” proposition and fish size is, on average, smaller.  Recent trips have produced two or three fish though so snook are still a viable option. In the next month to six weeks, more fish will move to mangrove shorelines and back country locations.  Although many of the really large fish start heading back out to sea to near shore reefs, quality fish remain inshore. Catching snook in backcountry waters where docks and mangroves are present is an entirely different game than beach fishing, with the fish having a much larger advantage.

Towards the end of the month, mackerel will begin to show up in greater numbers,both inshore and on near shore reefs.  Mangrove snapper will likely be an option in the not too distant future as well.  So as summer starts to cool down, fishing will heat up and, if 2017 resembles the previous 2 years, fishing options could remain strong well into December. Good luck and good fishing.

Captain Stewart Ames