September Snappers
Report Date: October 1, 2013
September is a very slow time of year in South Florida for both business and fishing. It is a good time to get caught up on maintenance, tackle, and prepare for the season which will start around the first week in November.
My preferred method of fishing in September and October is trolling. There is not much current or wind this time of year so my tactic is to cover a lot of ground.The beginning of the month produced lots of action on the troll. We were averaging between 15-20 bonitas and a handful of mahis per trip. The mahis were on the smaller side but I heard reports that they have grown up over the past few days. Amidst the bonitas are big sharks, barracudas, wahoos, and kingfish.
September – November is the peak season for swordfish in South Florida. We can target these magnificent creatures in the daytime or under the stars at night. Both methods produce these exquisite species of billfish. South Florida is the most popular place to target swordfish. It is not uncommon to catch a 400 lb sword this time of year.
If you prefer bottom fishing I have been having some very good luck with deep water snapper and grouper. Our gulfstream current tends to slow down in the fall which provides ultimate conditions to catch these wonderful eating fish. Vermillion snappers, yelloweye snapper, scamp grouper, silver porgy,lionfish,almaco jacks, and warsaw groupers are our typical catch in the fall. It provides good action for the unpatient.
If you have kids that like to fish, the Spanish mackerel are showing up in good numbers. They are here early this year. The other day we caught 15 spanish and 25 blue runner s in an hours time. This is a great learning experience for junior and pee wee anglers. They provide a great fight on light tackle and are normally close to the beach.
October is a good time to fish South Florida. There is very little boat traffic, which makes better fishing, with less pressure on our reefs lines and gulfsteam waters.
There is an assortment of fish waiting for us to capture. So pick up your phone and let’s make it happen.
Capt. Fred David
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