September 2, 2020
by: Bill Aucoin
WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. – Welcome to Angler Insider sharing the best spots and plots to catch fresh and saltwater gamefish each week in Central Florida.
The Brief
- Weather: Isolated afternoon storms
- Release all snook, redfish, and seatrout south of Hernando/Pasco line.
- Keep only one snook between 28-22 inches north of Hernando/Pasco line.
- Revive fish before releasing them.
- Mangrove snapper: Keep up to five 10 inches or longer.
- Bass: Keep up to five but only one 16 inches or longer.
- Panfish: Keep up to 50 of any length.
- Crappie: Keep up to 25.
- Flounder: Keep up to ten 12 inches or more.
- Spanish mackerel: Keep up to three, 12 inches or longer.
- Covid-19: Keep distance, wash hands, don’t share lures.
Saltwater
Rain-swollen rivers and creeks are sending strong brackish water into the Gulf and bays. Fish those passes for snook, reds, and seatrout, especially on falling tides. Wade-fish and cast soft plastic lures under mangrove branches for snook. The best action will be on either side of the Gulf pass. Juvenile tarpon are also on the prowl. Work jetties and oyster bars for mangrove snappers and flounders.
Drift deep grass next to sandbars for seatrout. Reds, too, especially if you see mullet jumping or swirling. Spanish mackerel, jack crevalle, and bluefish are on the move. They are all muscle and will test your drag, your leader, and your knots.
Freshwater
Heat and heavy rains are still the forecast so stick with the bass program. Fish early; fish late. Fish moving water. Schoolies will hit spinner baits. Bigger bass are more shy. Finesse a weed-less worm through natural cuts and pockets of vegetation. Mike Faust slow-fished a Carolina rigged worm and caught an 8-pounder on a Kissimmee Chain shell bed recently.
Bream are eating insects along shorelines. Crickets, cooler air, and water temps are coming and so are the crappie. The catfish bite is starting up, too. Hey, we have a new flathead catfish record. Lavon Nowling caught a 69.9-lb. catfish on the Yellow River in Santa Rosa County.
Publishers Note: While The Free Press will always be free for our readers, and ad-supported, we are asking our loyal readers to consider a monthly donation of $3 to maintain our local journalism and help us grow, as we ramp up ad sales locally.
You can click here to support us.
We thank you all for your consideration and supporting local journalism.