This week has been getting better and better by the day, this is for two reasons. We were getting closer to the full moon as the week went on, and we had the first small cold front actually make it through the area. The front didn’t change much as far as the weather went but it did bring a lot of dry air and some very comfortable and cool mornings and evenings. These conditions only solidify the fish on the west coast of Florida to begin their fall migration into the backcountry and begin to feed to fatten up for the winter.
All my trips this week were started in Hudson, as the bait has been very easy for weeks now and it is a short run after I pick up my clients to where we typically start fishing. Most of the fish are ready to start the migration but are still stuck in limbo, as the water and air temps are going up and down. This makes the fish move accordingly. If we get a cold night or two the fish move up inside the canals, creeks and rivers, and then when it warms up they come right back out. But the one thing that is consistent is once they get in a spot they sit in it for a few days, the downside to this is once somebody finds them or is told about them, you may never get a chance to fish there!!
But back to the good stuff, the fishing off of New Port Richey has been good for the past few weeks now and this week we caught plenty of Snook, Trout, and even the redfish have started to show up in decent numbers. However, the best thing going for a month now was the Cobia bite, I have not said anything about it because I had it all to myself…well the cobia is out of the bag so to speak now. It did stay quiet longer than I thought it would for sure, but somebody is always watching.
The great part of this late cobia run was I was catching them the same way I was in the spring, on the backs of rays, which is always a blast. I also had two hard bottom areas in very shallow water that they were hanging out at. The size was also surprising from 20 inches to 40 inches they were all grouped together. I’m sure they will leave as the water cools down but they were fun while they lasted. Another thing I noticed this week is the big Gator trout that have started to show up, while I’m not catching a ton of them off the Port Richey coast their numbers are growing. This is a good sign of things to come this winter when the negative low tide will pull them into the holes and troughs and we will be fishing in the proverbial barrel.
I love the Florida heat but a can say for sure I’m ready for the cooler weather and the fishing it will bring, I am booked solid for October but I still have a few days left for November and December. Remember those are the months for negative low tide trips, and I have the only boat in the area to get you to the fish when there is no water around. So don’t wait or you will miss the boat!
Till next time tight lines,
Capt. Greg DeVault