Gittin’ Ready: No Not the Song, but the Fishing — October 15, 2011

No, I’m not thinking of becoming a song writer, but I’m here to let you know the Laguna is about to explode with our fall feeding frenzy. Our fishing has been good the last few weeks, but this week with our cooler weather our water temp has fallen into the 70’s. The fish have just exploded with the cooler temps. Folks just don’t understand how one can pull up to them catching 18” to 20” plus trout and say LETS GO! Now that we have our trout let’s go get some “filet mignon with a tail”. (Flounder) It’s a guides dream when you get your trout you can pull your clients, if they want to and go target flounder.
     
Fishing has been excellent with most folks catching good trout on top water and easily on plastic. Just because we have a 5 fish limit the law will still allow you to catch and release. Many guests are only keeping 4 and then looking for that last one at the end of the day. Leaving 1 on your limit avoids having 5 and then hooking one deep only to die and go to waste.
 
Small top waters in bone, trout pattern and chartreuse has been the go to baits. Same with plastics. Find the bait and just start fishing the fish are there. We have been catching our flounder on ¼ oz jig heads with red with white tail plastic. Remember to fish the jig extremely slow and on the bottom.  Target the drains for flounder and the flats for trout.
 
Not to forget our salt water grass carp (Redfish) their on the sand in VERY SHALLOW water. Spoons and top waters have been producing well. We are catching many over sized as they are starting to make their move to the East Cut in preparation to move into the gulf to spawn. Lots of 30” plus being caught.
 
Hunting has been excellent and we are seeing more birds arriving daily. We do need some cold weather with duck season coming on fast. We are seeing flights everyday but not the numbers we normally do. All facts have pointed to one of the best water fowl seasons in years. Hope they hurry up and get here.
 
With out water temps falling watch for some REALLY BIG TROUT to start showing up. All our guides are saying the same, THIS COULD BE THE BEST WINTER IN YEARS FOR A TRULY TORPHY TROUT. Can’t wait.

Remember keep the smaller trout and release the big mommas for their genes to be passed on.