Fall is upon us! I spent the last week waiting to fish because of an extended Nor'easter that has been ripping the coastline of the southeast US. Winds of twenty to thirty miles an hour coupled with building rain storms kept most everyone in port this week. Even the big charters stayed home as seas built to twelve feet and higher.
Fall is like this, but it is not like this every day. The rain is building up as cooler air pours in over warmer water. Water temperatures on the surface are still in the 80 degree range. With air temperatures coming in from the north in the sixties and seventies, the convection builds a lot of rain.
You can prepare for fall fishing by knowing what to expect, and by making sure you get ready to fish before the fronts come through.
Baitfish on the east coast are migrating south as the water cools. Target fish are right with them, feeding along the way. Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, and bluefish are all moving south. Tarpon, who spent the summer months as far north as North Carolina are also following the food south. So look for the baitfish schools, and fish accordingly.
Bottom fishing can be great in the fall. Fish that are normally in deeper water will move shallower as the water cools. This can cut your run time in half to arrive in fertile water. They will remain in this mode for a month or two, until the water really begins to chill down. At that point, they move back out to deeper water, and in some cases, they, too, migrate south. Be prepared for some awesome near-shore bottom fishing in October. Until the water reaches around sixty degrees, the fishing will be great. At that point, you will need to follow the bottom fish back out to their deep water refuge.
Fall fishing can be really great. The sun is not quite as hot, the fish are active and feeding, and the cool nip in the air can make the day seem perfect. Like I used to tell my son, David, it's just great being there, regardless of whether you catch anything!
Are you ready for fall? Do you look forward to fishing the cool weather? Tell us about it on our Reader Submission Page, or on our Saltwater Fishing Forum!
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