without a hook check to see if it was cut by a fish or something else. If your leader has little curly-qs then you can be certain it was a toothy critter, probably a Spanish mackerel or shark. The schools of redfish should be cruising Pine Island Sound all month. Towards the end of the month they will start breaking up and returning to their smaller groups. Once again shrimp or by Capt. Sam O’Briant cut bait will be most effective. The f you have just come back for the winter, things have changed snook will be in transition from their summer quarters to their winter since you were here last year. You may find that some sand haunts. You will start to find them bars have moved or shifted. Your entrances into the mangrove up the creeks and rivers as the end shorelines may have changed. You may find that some of the mangroves have been wiped out or blown into the water. It will of the month nears. They may be looking for food with the approach take years for these trees to totally return. of winter. If snook are your prey of Another problem we need to work around is all the choice this month, either minnows freshwater that has entered the estuary. There was a heavy rain event one weekend followed by Irma the next weekend. Then on of artificial lures should be your bait of choice. You should still drift the top of all that the Corp of Engineers have been releasing water from Lake Okeechobee. There was so much freshwater that the shorelines and pot holes if able. fish were pushed offshore. By now hopefully we have recovered Everybody’s favorite, whether you want to admit it or not are and salted up the water again so the fish have again returned speckled trout. They are pretty, good home. eating, and the larger ones can put The last thing that will affect our fishing this month are up a good tussle on light tackle. As the passing cold fronts. Depending on the differential in always, they will be found on the temperatures, the fish could go on a hunger strike for a day grass flats and around the mangroves. The larger gator trout will or two after the front passes. If there is only a couple degrees difference then you probably will not experience any noticeable be caught on minnows while medium to small ones will readily take shrimp. If kids are involved, use shrimp and watch their change. eyes light up. Now with all these things facing us what might we expect This is a transition month, next month we can expect the this month? The schools of king mackerel, cobia, little tunny, and others will continue their southern trek. We will find more winter habits to take over. So, until then have fun and enjoy Spanish mackerel around the passes and throughout Pine Island while keeping the kids engaged. Capt. Sam is a local licensed guide for hire who may be reached at 239-994-1495 Sound. They will be hit or miss but if your line comes back or captainobriant@gmail.com
Seasonal Changes
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