OCTOBER 2014

2014: October Pier Fishing Forecast

October is an excellent time to do some serious pier fishing. This is the month that all the available fish have gotten bigger and more plentiful. Your odds of catching these “monster” fish increase dramatically due to fewer fishers and more “elbow room” on the piers. It is also a month of cooler weather which decreases the water temperature keeping the fish inland for longer periods of time.

One fish that many anglers will welcome during this time is the Sailfish. During this month in 2013, they were seen in great numbers around both piers, many 50+ pounders were pulled over the rails. Bait of choice is fresh hard tails plucked directly from around the pier pilings. Gear may include the use of 20lb. monofilament line with plenty of length for “the run”, 6’-7’ rod, 6’-15’ of 80lb test for terminal leader, and circle hooks. The #4 Sabiki rigs work best for catching the bait. They must be a minimum of 63” lower jaw fork length. Bag limit is 1 per fisherman per day. All landed fish must be reported to NOAA within 24 hrs. 800-894-5228 HMS PERMIT REQUIRED. No closed season.

Spanish mackerel are plentiful this time of year giving everyone a fair shot at catching them. Large ones are pulled from the water consistently and many people have caught their bag limit using hard tails and mullet chunks or finger mullet fingers, and most have been caught mid-way down the pier instead of at the end. Recommendations for gear: metal leaders are not needed despite their sharp teeth due to their keen eyesight. Use a fast retrieve spinning reel with a large diameter spool filled with 10-12lb. test line

King Mackerel are the stars of October. We have many fishermen who drag up some big ones in the 18-22lb range. The bait of choice is hard tails which are plentiful. Other methods include using neon orange bubble rigs, “Gotcha” lures of the silver body and red head variety, tail or no tail, and frozen cigar minnows. Fishing gear should be no less than 20-pound line and tackle. Higher rated tackle may be recommended if you are targeting larger kings. Steel leaders are required to survive those sharp teeth. Hooks must be sharpened to a fine point to ensure a good catch. Reels must have strong drags and be filled with at least 300 yards of line to accommodate the “run.” They must be at least 24” at the fork and their bag limit is two per fisherman per day.

Flounder will be plentiful as well. They can be caught with both natural baits such as frozen squid, finger mullet, and minnows. Other methods include Bucktail lures of various sizes sweetened with strips of squid or mullet, fluke rigs, two hook bottom rigs, or spinner blade hooks. They will bite in dirty water but prefer clean, clear water. Most flounder are caught close to the beach but are often found in the slots between the beach and the closest sandbar. They prefer high tide. Use live bull minnows or cut shrimp fished with light 10-15lb test line. Average size caught from most piers is 1-2 lbs. but they may exceed 10lb. Bag limit is ten per day per fisherman and their season is always open.

The fall run of the pompano begins this month. For best results use 1-2oz. yellow tailed Pompano jigs, cut shrimp, or sand fleas. They can be caught by surf casting or spin casting. Most are caught in shallow water close to shore and around the shallow end of the piers. Local movements are influenced by the tide. They live in schools so if you find one, you’ve found its friends so be quick to get that line back in the water. Measurement on this fish are 11”-22” at the fork and the bag limit is one per person.

Other possible peak catches include: Black Drum, Black Snapper, Mangrove Snapper, Red Drum, Sheepshead, Spotted Seatrout, Stripped mullet, White Trout, Bonita, Blue runners and Whiting.