On the Water: Cooling weather brings changes to November fishing
This month we have days with pleasant weather and often combine summer and winter fishing conditions from week to week. As cool fronts drop down the state, our coastal waters are cooling down. With the change, fish are transitioning from summer to winter patterns. November brings a mix of warm and cool weather.
Fishing for seatrout is a great option as the weather cools as they’re often plentiful and feeding on small bait fish. As we near the end of the month and water temperature continues to drop, shrimp and shrimp-type artificial lures become the top baits as smaller bait fish become scarce.
As we switch to shrimp, pompano catches increase as they feed on crustaceans and mollusks. Small bucktail and pompano-style jigs work great when slowly bounced across a sandy bottom. When under power, if you notice one or several dinner plate silver fish skip off your wake, it is most likely pompano. Not sure why they do it, but it’s a great way to locate them, and they run in schools. Circle back around and fish the area, and you’re often rewarded.
It can be a great time for targeting redfish and snook if it doesn’t get too cold too quickly. Redfish can tolerate a sudden drop in temperature, but snook not so much. Snook are on the move from their summer homes around the beaches and relocating throughout the inshore waters. If it remains relatively warm, they are feeding over inshore flats, oyster bars, shorelines and sand holes. If it turns cold quickly, they will seek shelter from the cold in protected areas like canals, rivers and shorelines with deep water. It’s still a little early in the season for hard cold fronts, but they are possible.
Schools of redfish that prowled the inshore waters over the last few months move offshore or break up. It’s possible to run into a school, but most reds will be in pairs or small bunches. Look for reds tailing over shallow flats on the lowest tides and in the same areas as previously mentioned for snook. Snook, redfish, and large seatrout are often caught together.
Spanish mackerel, bluefish, sharks, ladyfish and jack crevalle are foraging on bait schools inshore and off the beaches. A short distance offshore, bait pods get harassed by both Spanish and king mackerel, plus bonito and an occasional blackfin tuna. Expect some big sharks and possibly tarpon and cobia hanging around the feeding activity as well.
As the month wears on and the water gets cooler, sheepshead are on the move and hold up around structure in nearshore gulf waters and inshore. Fish them inshore along the beaches and passes, and around deeper oyster bars, creeks and docks or bridges.
The first run of sheepshead generally shows in nearshore reefs and hard bottom or ledges. Nearshore reefs are a good place to run into everything from tasty snapper to giant goliath grouper.
Coordinates for all man-made artificial reefs are available to the public and make a great day trip on a calm day. Some of the most productive reefs are well within sight of land in 30 to 50-foot depths. Also, keep an eye out for tripletail hanging just under the surface around floating debris and buoys.
As the busy season kicks in, our weather is often good. On the water, it’s a great way to spend time away from the crowds and catch a fish or two.
Keep up to date with fishing regulations by visiting Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission at www.myfwc.com. Also, upload the Fish Rules app to your phone. It has current regulations with pictures to help identify fish.
If you have a fishing report or for charter information, please contact us at Gulf Coast Guide Service; phone (239) 410-8576, email gcl2fish@live.com or you visit us on the Web at www.fishpineisland.com
Have a safe week and good fishin’.
As a lifetime resident of Matlacha and Pine Island, Capt. Bill Russell has spent his life fishing and learning the waters around Pine Island and Southwest Florida, and as a professional fishing guide for over 20 years.