Happy Memorial Day weekend! See where the fish are biting in Gulf waters
Memorial Day weekend. A time for remembrance.
Be sure to take a moment of silence to thank those brave soldiers we lost protecting our freedoms.
Looks as if Mother Nature is in a good mood. Forecast includes high temperatures in the low 80’s with lots of sunshine. Excellent opportunity for friends and family alike to share an extended weekend.
For those of you planning on hitting the water this weekend be prepared for elevated wait times at your local boat ramps. Here’s a couple tips to make it quicker and more enjoyable for everyone.
Double check before leaving the house. Keys, plug, sunscreen and at minimum a light weight jacket.
Before getting on the boat ramp, remove your rear straps, motor support, chain and jack strap. Some leave their strap secured until boat is halfway down the ramp. Most do not need to if you have trailer bunks. NEVER remove that strap if you have rollers instead of bunks.
At the ramp, be sure to have all your items and belongings already in the boat before backing down the. If there is only one experienced boat launcher, be sure to have one of your party hold a rope when backing the boat off the trailer. I use a 20’, ½” round soft braid that comes with a cleat loop. Be sure you tie the rope to the cleat that’s on the dock side. As the driver backs slowly down the ramp, simply walk the boat to the end, pull out of the way for the next operator.
Know your buoy markers. When heading South, out of or down river, the Red markers will ALWAYS be on your right. (Right Red Return)
DO NOT tow your kids on a float, blowup duck, paddle board etc in the main marked channel in rivers like the St Marks. Though not illegal, it’s common sense with all the traffic.
Be sure to have life jackets on board. 1 coast guard approved for each person.
Until next week, be safe have fun and ALWAYS wear your life jacket while boating.
Cliff (JR) Mundinger
APALACHEE BAY
Otto Hough (Facebook @myhometownfishing) says,” Well, the past post new moon weekend saw many anglers smiling broadly in their photo ops while lifting up some quality trout, reds, Tripletail and cobia. Every species was providing ample opportunities for a memorable experience after the slam.
That low pressure system that arrived Monday over the Big Bend sure messed up the first few days of the week with boomers hanging nearshore, but fishing conditions are shaping up to be fairly decent for the Memorial day weekend with early to midmorning high tides along the coast, coupled with a light northerly breeze off the hill.
Even though it's a "between the moons" tidal flow weekend, sunrise topwater plugging ought to be fun around the coastal creek mouths and skinny water flats. Walking the Dawg over the hard bottomed skinny water creek mouths has been enticing some awesome explosions from the trout and reds.
One fish that's shown up in large numbers this season in Big Bend waters are the Tripletails. It seems most every crap trap buoy has been holding a fish, albeit about one in five is of legal length. Tripletails have a special appetite for a lively shrimp under a small cork pitched up above the buoy, then eased along with the current into their strike zone. Remember, this great tasting fish must be at least 18 inches, with a daily angler limit of two.
Just know that this is Memorial day weekend. There will definitely be a crowd at every Big Bend ramp all three days. Given those early high tides, beat the crowds by dropping in the hole as close to safelight or sunrise as possible to fish some fine conditions. As always, my advice to all, wear an auto-inflatable PFD. These are a comfortable, inexpensive life insurance policy when on the water, anytime fishing or boating. Nautical safety when on the Big Pond is paramount, even more so on a holiday weekend. Boat safely. Just FISH!!
INLAND
Early morning fishing on Iamonia was on fire the first few days of the week prior to arrival of midday storms. The bass were definitely in an active feeding at sunrise, both Monday and Tuesday. Working large paddletails worms like the Zoom Magnum Speedvibes or Z-man FattyZ across the fringes of the pads enticed many a good 15" to 16" bass to strike, plus a few fine 4 to 6 pound photo op "catch & release" bass. Also garnering the attention of the bass were softbait frogs like the Zoom Horny Toads and Z-man ToadZ, worked quickly over the fringe pads. Both Watermelon Red and Junebug Red color schemes seemed to generate equal results.
ST GEORGE ISLAND
Captain Russ Knapp (850-653-5072) reports, “The weather forecast for the weekend is totally in the "who the heck knows" category with a possible low-pressure system developing of the SE Atlantic coast. Everything depends on what happens out there so recheck the forecast on Friday and be ready to be flexible with your plans.
Tides at the Cut this weekend feature a very early morning .3 low, followed by a late morning 1.4 high and closed out with a late afternoon .9 low. If the low-pressure system gets cranked up, we will get some pretty strong North winds which will push water out of the bay so the tides will be lower than predicted .
In the bay, Capt. Randy Peart (850 320 4214) has had very good results fishing on the edges of the coves for Redfish on a high tide. Capt. Randy suggests using a "Red Fish Magic spinner bait or a good quality small Gold Spoon for best results and remember to fish on the high tide.
Offshore, Capt. Clint Taylor (850 370 6631) reports the Pelegic are here with a nice Tuna put in the boat this week so if the weather is good fuel up and head out.
Tip of the week -- some of the most entertaining videos on YouTube are Captains learning why you never underestimate Haulover Inlet in Miami. Haulover is a man-made channel and can put new meaning into " we need a bigger boat", if there is strong outgoing tide and a strong incoming sea the place is simply Evil. In one recent video, the Captain was thrown from the boat with the emergency kill switch cord on his wrist. The emergency kill did its job but unfortunately this resulted in the boat having no running engine and the people on board having no way to get to the very wet Captain. SO--always have a spare emergency kill cord on your boat and be sure somebody knows where it is located and how to use it as well as having a basic idea of how to run the boat.
KEATON BEACH
Capt. Pat McGriff (onemorecast@gtcom.net, 850 838 7541) says, “We had some great trips last week with limits Thursday & Friday and some really nice trout to boot. We threw back two trout over the slot Saturday and Sunday while only one over-slot fish tossed back Monday. Each day it has been slick for 3–4 hours making for a brutal wait for the breeze. Saturday, we found trout wanting Assassin’s Pink Ghost 5” shad bounced on an assassin spin lock 1/8 oz. jighead in Chartreuse. in spite of the slick out in 5.5.- 6.6 feet of water. Then when the breeze finally showed up we left the clearer deeper water to move back to some stain in 4 - 4.5 managed to get 11 trout including a 22” kept and two larger ones tossed back. We caught the 7 on pinfish in the breeze. Monday, I went back to the same area and couldn’t get a trout to eat a shad?
We found some reds Monday in 3.0 – 3.5 feet of water and brought back 4 to 26” with four anglers on board. Oh yeah we also had a 35” (fork) cobia landed and released by Logan Tucker from Macon, Ga. on Monday. Jerome Tucker, his Dad jumped a monster Tarpon around 175-180 lb. class. Didn’t last long on ten pound test..........gone. Great Jump though.
Let’s Go Fishing!
MEXICO BEACH
Captain Kevin Lanier of (KC Sportfishing Charters 850-933-8804) As May rolls in so does the anticipation of summer fishing and the long hot days ahead. With changes put in place by the Fishery Management folks please, check your regulations before you head out. Unlike years past, we are not having a Greater Amberjack retention season this month and we will Gag grouper will not open on June 1st as it normally does.
Meanwhile, Nearshore fishing has been good with keeper Reds and Flounder gigging has been productive. Look for those calm nights and wade the shallows. Pompano are still thick and you can catch you limit most mornings. Early starts are the key. Enjoy the sunrise and your cup of coffee as you watch your surf rods go off.
Offshore continues to be very weather dependent. On the days folks are getting out fish are there. We are still catching Vermillion Snapper and Trigger fish will be open until the end of May. Squid is the go-to bait for these. For the Beeliners keep your bait right on the bottom, maybe a half turn up. There have been a few King Mackerel caught in the area so, for you diehard King fisherman get those flatlines out while bottom fishing.
Trends should continue to improve and the Federal Charter Red Snapper season will open June 1. Recreational season opens June 16th.
BIG BEND KAYAK REPORT
Salt strong coach Matt Lanier (Matt@saltstrong.com) tells us, “It looks as if we are beginning to see the start of the summer pattern: surprise afternoon showers with 98% humidity. The rain can often be frustrating, as Mother Nature never takes a day off when we do, but it can also often help the fishing conditions in these warmer months!
These rain showers that we get in these warmer months are often a huge help in that they cool down the water temperature, flush out bait in the marsh, and can provide cloud cover on a normally very hot day. All of these things are helpful, and in my opinion, makes the rain a wonderful thing… that is, if there is no lightning.
We often talk about how in the warmer months you want to try to follow the water flow and current. If the tide is coming in, come in towards the shoreline with it. If the tide is going out, go further out with it. Following the current, finding good water flow, and finding the bait will be crucial as the water temperatures start to warm more.
The trout will likely be in the deeper holes on the flats, on the ledges of the flats, or even the opening of the river or creek channels. But as these temps start to rise, you may want to look for them a bit deeper than we did in the spring. Be sure to use jig heads heavy enough to get you down in the deeper part of the water column, where those fish are at. Typically, a 3/16th or 1/4th oz will do fine.
Most mornings, redfish are cruising the flats and shallows for an easy meal, but will also often return to the shorelines with the incoming tide, but on those hot days as the sun gets higher in the sky, they will generally move a bit deeper and sit in the potholes on the flats, just as they do when the tide falls out, in search of comfortable waters and conditions.
If the winds allow, you can start the mornings with a topwater plug of choice to entice those massive blowups just after sunrise. Productive lures, as of lately, have been the Skitter Walk, Moonwalker, One-Knocker or any other walk-the-dog style topwater.
Once the sun is up, your lure choice should generally move to something subsurface. As the higher the sun gets, the fish are less likely to feed on a topwater, so switching to a paddletail or a jerk shad, or even a hard suspending twitch bait has been productive, but the most important thing will be to find the bait and current.
One important thing is to keep moving if you aren’t finding feeding fish. With the warmer temperatures, the fish will be on the move, and we need to be doing the same to find their preferred feeding zones. Try not to spend too much time in one area if you aren’t getting the bites you are looking for.
We are quickly approaching The Florida Redfish Series Stop 6, here in Panacea, on June 3rd. This is the last regular season event. This is your last chance to get your second tournament in to be eligible for the 2-day championship in September, so be sure to get signed up so that yo9u can join in on some fine lip ripping! For more information on this event or others, be sure to go to flredfishseries.com for more information.
The Rocking Reds Fishing Tournament in Panacea is not long after, with an added kayak division this year! It’s nice to see the kayak division in this year’s event, so boats and yaks alike, get ready to fish a local event for a good cause! This is a two-day event with a great pay-out, so mark your calendars for this June 24th & 25th event at Wooley Park in Panacea.
If you find yourself on the water and fishing in a spot where you haven’t gotten a bite for the last 15 minutes… it’s time to move. Keep looking for the 90/10 zone where those fish are holding. Don’t waste time in unproductive areas. The fish are moving and so should you!
To get the kids on some fish quickly, a live shrimp or GULP! under a popping cork around creeks, creek mouths, and even grass lines is a solid producer of fish. And the best part is you never know what you’ll catch because everything eats shrimp… EVEN ME!
If you plan on getting out this weekend, be sure to wear sunscreen! The sun can take its toll very quickly so stay covered up, and always make sure you check (and double check) your gear and the weather. But most importantly… STAY SAFE & HAVE FUN!
LAKE SEMINOLE
The Bass fishing on Lake Seminole has been Excellent through the month of April! May is one of the best months on Lake Seminole to catch big Bass on Topwater lures! Planning a trip to Lake Seminole in June? Be sure to have some Topwater Lures like Buzz Baits, Walking Baits and Hollow Belly Frogs in your tackle box!
Buzz Baits are an excellent choice for finding productive areas on the lake. One of my favorites is a 3/8oz Strike King Pro Model in Chartreuse and White, it has a very sharp hook and a sound that that gets the attention of the big Bass. For line, I prefer 30lb Cortland Master Braid, it has great cast ability and is strong enough to get the big Bass out of the grass. A high speed reel at 7:3.1 is a must and my go-to rod for this technique is a Temple Fork Outfitters 7’4” MH Tactical Bass series, it has moderate action and a soft tip but a backbone to get a great hook set.
When the Bass are in the grass, the Hollow Belly Frog is hard to beat! My go-to is the Spro Bronzeye Popping Frog, it has a double heavyweight Gamakatsu hook that is extremely sharp and heavy enough to get the big Bass out of the grass! I like to fish the Frog over the grass and through holes in the grass. Rod, line and reel choices are very important with this technique! A high-speed reel is a must, at least 8:3.1, and a heavy Braided line I prefer is 65lb Cortland Master Braid on a 7’3” XH Temple Fork Outfitters Tactical Bass Rod. This rod has a fast tip and has the backbone to get the biggest Bass out of the grass!
The Shellcracker have been bedding on Lake Seminole through the month of May and will continue into June! I had a AWESOME trip with the Eric Boiling and his buddies Robert and Eddie from Pensacola, Florida!
For a Lake Seminole Fishing Adventure this June give me a call at 850-264-7534 or follow us on Instagram @ Capt.paultyrefishing and Facebook @ capt.paultyrefishing
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Here is this the Memorial Day weekend's Big Bend fishing report
