    
Capt. Mike Winn
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 | | Posted on Thursday, October 03, 2002 - 11:11 pm: | |
Subject: Big Bend Report
BIG BEND
A break in the weather last weekend allowed many anglers to take advantage of great fishing and flat seas, but Hurricane sure put a dent in the fishing this week. I hope I did not mislead too many of you with my weather forecast last week. Weather conditions change by the minute and by the time Saturday morning rolls around; my weather information is a day and a half old. I will continue to put in my two cents, but don’t take my word for it, ask NOAA before you decide to go, or not to go.
Thanks to Sunday’s new moon we are looking at some pretty high tides over the next several days. Prime time to hit the flooded bars with your gold spoons and top-water plugs ready. Redfishing is not quite as hot as weeks past, but still a good bet just about anywhere in Big Bend waters. A pinfish or live shrimp stuck to a jig-head and fished under a popping cork or Cajun Thunder will entice both redfish and trout.
Trout catches are less than impressive, but the situation is only temporary. Look for better catches through the next few weeks if the storms leave us alone. Cleaner grass flats are accounting for the best catches.
Cobia are still roaming inshore and offshore waters. Not a lot of catches being reported, but it only takes one to make your day. Live or cut bait will do the job.
Spanish mackerel have rewarded fishers who made their way through high wind and seas to Seahorse Reef at Cedar Key and Spotty Bottom out of Suwannee. Anglers trolling silver Clarke Squid spoons and Floreo jigs faired well. More than a few fish in the four- to seven- pound range were boated over the weekend off Cedar Key and Suwannee. Unless you just enjoy replacing wire leaders every few minutes, use an Albright knot to attach 25- to 30- pound mono leader to your mainline above the wire.
For anglers able to make their way a little further offshore, good numbers of grouper await. Bottom fishers and trollers working depths from 25- to 40- feet have met with the most success. The strong tides should grab bottom fishers’ attention, and once the current and the bite slows around slack tide, break out the diving plugs and give trolling a try. Trolling is a great way to find new grouper spots as well as putting gags and kingfish in the box. You may want to use a wire leader in front of you plug. On your way offshore stop of on a grass flat and catch a few dozen pinfish. When the gags stop eating your frozen baits, you’ll be glad you have them. Don’t forget to put out a flat-line while you are bottom fishing. Kingfish, cobia and Spanish mackerel can all be suckers for free-lined live or dead bait.
If we are to get a fall king run this year, it should start any day now. Try slow trolling live baits, or dragging dead baits with a pink sea witch skirt. When using dead baits and a skirt you should troll fast enough to keep the baits just below the surface and/or skipping every now and then. If you move too slowly, the wary kings will get too good of a look at your bait.
Good fishing, see you next week!
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