Goodness gracious, it’s all good in paradise! If it’s Redfish, Speckled Trout, Flounder, Spanish Mackerel or King Mackerel you’re in search of - then go fishing!!!! For you Speckled Trout fishermen, now is your time! You’ll need to spend time on the grass flats, just find the ones that are holding bait and its Speckled Trout on the grill tonight!! Stay in 3 to 6 foot of water and the best time to fish is definitely in the mornings and afternoons--this is when the surface lures work best, like the Top Dog Jr or the Skitter Walk. After the sun gets up change over to a suspending lure, Big Bite Baits of Eufaula, Al. is making a killer soft plastic Jerk Shad, look for them and the Rapala X-Rap to do the job for you. Slot sized Redfish can be found nearly anywhere, by fishing the flats where you’re fishing for the Speckled Trout, but go a little shallower. The best place to find these fish are the docks throughout Santa Rosa Sound. When fishing the docks, pitch a live shrimp or a Berkley Gulp Shrimp into the dock structure on a 1/8 or 1/4 ounce jig head, the secret is to just let it sit there. DON’T MOVE IT! If there is any Redfish close he will come and get it. I like 15 or 20 pound test Power Pro. With all the structure and barnacle ridden pilings you need all the abrasion resistance you can get. You will catch Flounder doing the same. You will be able to find them around any structure including bridges and rock piles. A variety of live and artificial baits will work, I prefer live bull minnows and the Berkley Gulp 3” Shrimp in the natural or new penny color on a 1/4 to 1/2 ounce lead head jig. Now, for the Spanish and King Mackerel, get to one of the bayous and net you some ly’s or menhaden, then head to the 3 mile bridge and slow troll them or anchor and run them under a balloon near the shipping channel. This is the time of the year that you can catch up some real good fish in the bay. And don’t be surprised if a Cobia or a Tarpon takes your bait - it happens every season. Then here comes the best, it’s almost time for the running of the Bull Reds. I always use Halloween as the mark for the beginning of the season. This kind of action just can’t be put into words; it’s one of those things that has to be experienced to believe it. Life’s grand in Paradise!!!! I know one thing for sure - You ain’t going to catch’em sittin’ on the couch!! So get out there, and take a kid fishing. Tight Lines and Screaming Drags, Till Next Time! God Bless. Professional Fishing Guide Capt. Eddie Woodall Full Net Fishing Charters www.fullnetcharters.com Thanks to my sponsors, Blazer Bay Boats, Yamaha Outboards, SPRO Fishing Tackle, Gamakatsu Hooks, Big Bite Baits, Inc. Pure Fishing - Berkley Gulp & ABU Garcia, Shakespeare Fishing - All-Star Rods & Penn Reels.
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