- November 23, 2024
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The fishing was on the slow side for about a week following the full moon, which created higher tides than normal and more difficult fishing conditions.
The good news is that the action has begun to pick up again now. Trout, redfish, flounder, jacks, ladyfish and mangrove snapper are all biting. Even some fish that are not normally caught in the Intracoastal Waterway have been brought to the boat.
Let me start by telling you that in 20-plus years of fishing the Intracoastal and backwaters, I have never had a tripletail brought to my boat. All that changed this past Monday.
I had Al and Becky Jacquay, from Indiana, on board for a half-day trip and had them fishing with live shrimp. The first spot we stopped at, they had a couple of small trout and a few jacks. Then, we moved to the next spot when Becky hooked into a fish that put a wicked bend in the rod.
At first glance, I wasn’t sure what kind of fish it was. As it tired and came to the boat, I couldn’t believe she had a tripletail on her line. We got it in the boat, snapped a few pictures (see above), then put it on ice for Becky and Al to have for dinner.
Later on in the day, Becky also landed a ribbonfish — also not a common catch in the Intracoastal. What’s next? A great white?
I still haven’t seen any tarpon in the Intracoastal or canals that I fish. I also haven’t heard of any in the surf. I do, however, expect to see them within the next week or so. They usually appear when the first sea turtle nest hatches, which should be sometime next week.
Also, as schools of menhaden start showing up, the tarpon will be with them because that is one of their primary food sources. I hope you’re geared up and ready.
The flounder bite in the Intracoastal should start to really turn on in the next few weeks. More fish should be caught, and the size of them should start to get bigger.
It’s also a good time to start hitting the dock lights at night for nonstop trout action. Look for dock lights that are close to the water for your best action. The closer the light is to the water, the more bait it attracts. The more bait, the better your chances of finding fish.
