Fishing with Capt. George Tunison | School in session for Red October
This month, Redfish, Captiva and Boca Grande Passes are the best bets for catching the area’s largest redfish. But, if you’re casting the inshore flats, oyster bars or mangrove edges is more your style, you’re in the right place as school is definitely in during Red October.
Ocean-going bull reds or drum well exceeding the 30-inch mark tend to stay in and around the passes during fall, while their younger cousins school up in small pods of threes and fours, or in large hundred-member schools and probe the flats. Or, they play ambush around mangrove edges.
Unfortunately, we don’t have the sheer numbers of fish found in redfish central Louisiana, but local anglers are reporting more fish and considerably more schooling activity than in previous seasons.
Occasionally in the fall, bigger reds will wander into shallow water. Several years ago I caught two in the mid-20-pound-class – one in October and one in November – both taken on gold spoons within sight of Bert’s Bar in Matlacha.
Redfish, snook, and lone gator trout are known to hitch hike and mix in with mullet schools, so these schools are always worth an exploratory cast, or three. Like with any schooling fish, cast the school edges first.
After moving here 26 years ago I was ready to catch everything I’d been reading about in Florida Sportsman magazine while snowed-in “up north”.
I considered myself quite knowledgeable and more than ready for any redfish encounter. Before long, I was standing in my new overpriced skiff and following school after school of reds.
“This is going to be easy,” I told myself. Cast after cast with spoons, topwater plugs and plastic shrimp brought zero luck. I would move to another school with the same results.
After two days of total frustration, I finally stopped at the bait store and asked for help. The sunbaked locals all gathered around the shrimp tank and listened intently, then shook their heads and glanced knowingly at one another till one finally spoke up.
“No, you’re on the right path just keep at it,” they said. The other locals shook their heads and muttered serious agreement and several, “Good luck and catch-em-ups,” and, “Get some pictures,” as I exited. I thought I heard laughter from the shop as I was pulling away. Wonder what happened?
Make sure you know the difference between a moving school of mullet and a school of feeding and moving redfish as to the unschooled, they look similar.
On multiple trips this past week we caught reds and bonus snook on a whole variety of lures from spinnerbaits, buzz baits, chatterbaits, flies, creature lures, top water plugs, pinfish and shrimp.
This catch included my first snook caught on a largemouth, tandem-blade spinner bait, and a first redfish on an Arborgast Hawaiian Wiggler from the 1940’s. This early 1936 Arborgast design sported the first split rubber “Hula Skirt” which nearly every modern skirted spinnerbait and buzzbait of today still uses.
What bass angler doesn’t like the hard strike of a good bass when they wallop a spinnerbait around a log or lily field? Pound-for-pound reds hit much harder on these blade baits, and I firmly believe they’re trying to kill it rather than eat it.
A staple in Louisiana and Texas for redfish, spinnerbaits haven’t caught on with most Southwest Florida anglers. Make sure to add a trailer hook to your spinner and buzz baits.
However you like to pursue this hard-pulling and always-willing-to-fight bronze battler, Red October is the month to get it done. If you want to enjoy a big plate of blackened redfish, you’re allowed one per day (two per vessel) not less than 18 inches or over 27 inches total length. The season is open year-round.
Looking for a jumbo snook but haven’t had much luck inshore? Head out to our nearshore reefs where diver friends are reporting seeing huge females milling around.
Capt. George Tunison is a Cape Coral resident fishing guide. You can contact him at captgeorget4@yahoo.com or (239) 440-1621.