St. Vincent Island to Steinhatchee
Includes Apalachicola, St. George Island, Carabelle, St. Marks and Keaton Beach

Nov. 20-22

Inshore fishing is ON FIRE!!!

Inshore: Expect cloudy possibly rainy weather Saturday and clearing by Sunday to have nice mild weather in the mid 70’s for the next several days in the beginning of next week. WOW, WOW, WOW Just as we expected this past week the fishing has been ON FIRE! The captains are reporting that they haven’t seen fishing like this in many years. Most days they’ve been boating over 200 fish and having 50-100 keepers in the day. They have been fishing the oyster bars using live bait, fresh dead bait and occasionally when all the bait is gone they are using cut bait and continue catching nice keepers. The speckled trout and silver trout as well as med sized black drum have almost taken over many of the oyster bars between the Apalachicola River Channel and Pickalean. Target redfish and black drum around tall grassy areas around ditches or deeper canals around any of the bay side barrier islands on a rising tide using live bait, plastics or fresh dead bait. During this time of year the fishing action is hot for inshore species; redfish, black drum and speckled trout around any structure such as rocks or bridge pilings near deeper water.

Although we’re not really expecting to catch much this week in the head of the bay with the river on a rise. The head of the bay is a place you can go on windy days as it is protected by land and trees and less subject to high winds. If you venture to the head of the bay, fish around the openings of East River, Big bay, Little bay and any location where fresh water and saltwater mix. The bait to use north of the Apalachicola Bridge is live bait such as shrimp or greenies, or fresh dead shrimp “Texas rigged” fishing the bottom.

Last week and most likely for the next several weeks expect to find speckled and silver trout mixed with an occasional redfish located under the seagulls that are “working” the bait pods. Tie on a 1/4 or 1/8 oz lead head (no swivel) with different colored plastics and cast into the location that the birds are hovering and diving. Reel med/slow in an erratic pattern but keeping the grub or lure from touching the bottom.

Redfish (mostly over sized) have been caught in and around Bob Sikes Cut, Cat Point, Dry Bar, East Hole and Pickalean oyster bars (on a rising tide) or around structure such as bridge pilings near a channel or rock jetties using live bait or fresh dead bait. Prepare for larger redfish by using bigger circle hooks as well as heavier line as it is heartbreaking to hook and see a huge fish and have it pop the line because you were not expecting your record sized fish to bite that day...

Offshore:

Please note: Red Snapper and Greater Amberjack season is closed in both state and federal waters therefore any caught must be returned to the water unharmed.

Offshore the fishing in general should be very good near shore as the fish have a tendency to move closer to the bait pods that are exiting the bay. The Reef balls/ coral reef off of Dog Island were fantastic this past week with many fish caught (mostly redsnapper catch and release) grey and lane snapper and an occasional gag grouper were brought in using frozen squid. The St George Island and Apalachicola bridge rubble sites were another great place to fish this past week they were using live pinfish as well as mixed frozen bait catching catching red snapper (of course) gag and red grouper (mostly undersized) a few keepers and a mixed bag of black sea bass, triggerfish and grunts for a fantastic cooler of nice eating fish. Ok guys it’s time to start getting your hard plastic trolling gear in order, check and replace the rusty or missing treble hooks, replace the ones that are not salvageable and get ready to start trolling soon as we all know cold weather and waters are coming... Let’s get prepared for winter fishing while it’s still warm enough outside to do so comfortably.

Be safe; leave a float plan with someone at the dock, keep an eye on the weather and tight lines!

By Captain Sandra Allen
E-mail | www.bookmeacharter.com

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