two men carrying large fish in their hands

RED OCTOBER!

Tampa Bay Redfish.

As far as I’m concerned, the only good thing about 2020: Fall is finally here.

October is by far, one of the best months of the year to catch redfish. That’s why I, and I’m sure a few others refer to this month as Red October. Its redfish spawning season and there’s always a possibility of running into an acre or more of spawning bull redfish. If you’ve never experienced this phenomenon, it’s a sight to be seen. The water actually turns red, and a large school can be spotted a hundred yards away.

These fish mostly stay in deep water, but I have encounter them on a few grass flats in the mid-sections of Tampa Bay. Schools of 300-plus are common. The most I’ve ever caught on one charter was 96 in five hours. Had I stayed longer I would have easily caught over 100.

The snook fishing also picks up in October. Last month the snook fishing was the slowest of the year due to extremely warm water temperatures. On some of the local grass flats, it exceeded 90 degrees.

A couple of fish that will remain active this month will be mangrove snapper and Spanish mackerel. Both species can be caught around bridges, artificial reefs and wrecks.

Usually, I get too busy to write fishing reports as often as I’d like, so, if you’re interested in seeing my most recent post, please like my, Facebook Page to receive updates. For charter reservations call/text Wade at 813-286-3474.

“Stay fishy my friends!”