by Captain Mike Merritt
As cool weather approaches I am reminded of camping out in the Islands over the years. One time especially stands out as my brother in law and I went out and camped on New Turkey Key. It got so cold and windy that we had to move in to the back country.
We ended up at Plate Creek Chickee. I couldn’t set up a tent as we had no nails for the deck and with the winds it wouldn’t work. So we slept on our cots and I literally froze all night with that wind. Let’s hope we don’t get a severe cold front this year.
Cold fronts will change everything. Some good and some bad but the fishing will change. All the winter species will be showing up and live shrimp will start to be the best bait to have.
We can expect Sheepshead, Black Drum, Seatrout, and Mangrove Snapper to all become more abundant as water temps drop. This makes for some great fishing with lots of variety.
Depending on how fresh the back country stays will determine how far into the back country all these species go. Many of our species will venture into the fresh water areas but it really depends on just how fresh it is. As the dry season continues and the fresh water drains out the fish will move farther into the back. This is nice because then if the winds are blowing you still can expect a good day fishing.
Last year I was catching Permit into December so you just have to wait and see what happens. I always say every day is a new day!
Snook are still being caught on the outside Islands but that will always depend on water temps. Redfish have thinned out and it is a little more work to get these guys right now. They should also be moving into the back country but we will see. The Seatrout bite has been phenomenal lately and should stay this way for the rest of the year. We have been catching them on the bars and on the flats. Live baits, jigs, and popping corks are all working as these guys are hungry.
Tarpon are also still around but will be moving south. I usually catch good fish till about December but this depends on how cold it gets and how long it lasts. The bottom line is the fishing has remained very steady and this should continue. It’s great weather right now and hopefully we have a mild winter here.
Good luck fishing!
Capt. Mike Merritt
Guide | (561) 252-4324 | SnookFishing1@juno.com
