Topwater Action

August, September, October, and the first couple of weeks of November brings incredible top water action to the Nature Coast. Tons of small bait fish attract predators like Ladyfish, Bonita (Little Tuny or False Albacore), Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish, and Jack Crevalle creating a FEEDING FRENZY. Every day you can see huge schools, sometimes more than an acre in size. These small minnows are eaten when they are microscopic and, as they grow up, they attract bigger and more predators. They are near the bottom of the fo! od chain and most are eaten long before they reach adult size.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR:

Some folks really don’t care what kind of fish they catch, as long as their rod gets bent tight and often. These are the folks charter captains love. Then there are others who say "If I can’t eat the @#$, I don’t want to catch it." What do you look for to keep from catching "inedible" fish. Listen up guys, here is a "TRADE SECRET." Ladyfish throw a lot of spray and they often leave the water in low, flat jumps. They school more losely than Jack Crevalle. Bluefish feed under the schools of Ladyfish. If you see tightly bunched birds feeding over Ladyfish, you can bet that Bluefish are down below. Jack Crevalle most often feed in a ! tightly packed mass that turns the water yellow. They make medium sized splashes and often absolutely churn the water. Jacks seldom jump clear of the water while feeding.

Spanish Mackerel feed around the outside of schools of Jacks and sometimes around Ladyfish but they are seldom bound with Bluefish because Bluefish will bite the Macks. Spanish Mackerel are easy to identify by their high, arching jumps. Bonita tear great big holes in the water, often throwing water 6’ or more high. When you see that much water flying, it is obvious that they are big fish. They often clear the water much like Spanish Mackerel.

HOW TO CATCH THEM:

I see folks throwing every kind of lure imaginable into these schools, usually with little or no success where I have strikes on every cast. Here is another "TRADE SECRET." If you are not getting strikes, your lure is too large or too slow. It is as simple as that. I use a lure called a "Gulf Coaster." It is a small pearl colored jigging spoon that is an absolute killer. It weighs about an ounce and you can cast it a mile. We reel it so fast it bounces along the surface. I sometimes get 5 or more strikes per cast. If a fish gets off, another one climbs on. If you can’t cast, troll these lures with one set at 125’ and! another at 150’.

Don’t cut through schools of breaking fish but circle the schools and bring the lure right through the feeding frenzy. Use a little courtesy, if a boat is working a school, don’t horn in on him. Find your own school. Some days, my parties catch a hundred or more fish on light tackle this way.

WHERE TO CATCH THEM: