Fish know fall is coming because of the reduction of daylight minutes in a day. The shorter days make many species start a whole new pattern of activities.
For example, the grouper complex will start moving into traditional spawning areas. That migration mirrors the cigar minnows, sardines, and squid. I’ve always said this and will repeat it: Find the bait, find the fish!
The cigs and sardines form large schools that attract several predators, including kings and sailfish on the surface, and the big snappers and grouper will also be on them. The shortened daylight hours become obvious during the middle of this month when it triggers the “feed” to fatten up for winter and the spawn. Go to the traditional areas you’ve found bait in the past, and that’s a great place to start fishing.
The best bait of all is whatever is there.
Just put your sabiki right back down.
Another thing I’ve said in the past is: don’t go to a Chinese restaurant and order a pizza, meaning don’t drop baits foreign to fish working a school of cigs and sardines. Always have a couple boxes of frozen cigs and/or sardines just in case you need help finding the bait. At least you’ll have a bait that “matches the hatch” of what they usually eat.
This is also the time of year to find squid inshore, mixed in with cigs and sardines. If you have a live squid for bait, its life expectancy is under 10 seconds once it touches the bottom on a jig. It’s an instant bite, just like several other baits mentioned above.
I try to stay on the sabiki catching baits while everyone else on the boat is fishing with grass grunts, sailor’s choice, cigs/sardines, etc. If you get on a big knot of cigs or sardines, it might be helpful to have two people on the sabiki filling the livewell. The best bait of all is whatever is there. Just put it right back down.
Do you want to see how to make your own Sabiki? Click here to view my “Make Your Own Super Sabiki” video.
The only problem I have with the live or frozen minnows is everything on the bottom will give them a whack. You wind up catching a lot more snapper and smaller bass than using a larger live bait. We almost always have live pinfish from the marina that eliminate most trash bites. If you have a larger pinfish, grass grunt, or sailor’s choice on the jig, nothing but larger bass, grouper, jacks, and big snapper can put it in their mouth.
I like to target grouper by putting the larger live baits down on the jig, eliminating the undesirable bites. Of course, this is also a very attractive bait to the sharks. You have to pay the “tax man” in a grey suit every now and then, but that’s just the chance I take. Check out my rigging and fishing videos on the website or YouTube to see what I’m talking about.
SALTWATER TACKLE YOU MAY WANT TO TRY:
7/0 and 11/0 J-Hook Chin Weights: Target fish include Tuna, Wahoo, Mahi or Common Dolphin, King Mackerel, Wahoo, and more. Easy to rig!
4 oz. Crab Decoy Jig: Target fish for Striped Bass, nearshore Drum, Snook, Grouper, west coast bottom fish, and more.
4 oz. Tuna Squid Decoy Jig: From the eastern, western, Alaskan, and gulf coasts, target fish include: Tuna, Dolphin, Wahoo, Fluke, Flounder, Striped Bass, Seabass, Amberjack (east coast), Yellow Tail (west coast), California White Sea Bass (west coast), Grouper, Snapper, Halibut, Ling cod, and all Alaskan bottom fish.
8 oz. - 12 oz. 10/0 Squid Decoy Jig: Catch BIG Grouper, Amberjack, Giant Stripers, and more.
FreshWATER TACKLE YOU MAY WANT TO TRY:
For smaller freshwater fish try:
Size #6: Target fish include Panfish including Bluegill (Bream), Sunfish, and Crappie. Also great for Trout, Carp, White Perch, and more.
For larger freshwater fish try:
Size 1/0: Target fish include Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Larger Trout, Carp, Walleye, and more.
Barefoot Jig: Target fish include Trout (speckled and gray), Drum (red and black), Flounder, Striped and Hybrid Bass, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye and more!
For larger catfish fish try:
7/0 Catfish Circle Hook: Target fish include Blue, Bullhead, Channel, Flathead, and White Catfish.
