October 2016 Red October yes there are redfish all over our area from the Gulf well up into Charlotte Harbor Lemon Bay to Pine Island Sound. The schools of the big breeders will be hunting out in the Gulf for food so they can fatten up for there migration offshore. As the waters start to cool down and the bait starts moving south the Kings and Spanish mackerel will follow and as you troll for these toothy critters you may find a school of the big reds. Yes they will attack a spoon trolled behind a no. 1 planer on a 30 lb. setup with the drag set a little loose. A kingfish of keeper size will burn some line off quick, as the line gets in the water it creates drag that will slow your smoker down. The reds will pull but not as fast but the reds pull longer.  In our area the reds in Charlotte Harbor have been nick named Pit Bull reds by Mark Sosin. They can be found all along the ICW where there is bait, pinfish, green backs , and finger mullet. There are schools that come into Charlotte Harbor to Matlacha Bridge, Punta Gorda Bridge and Myakka Bridge. Through all of this area there islands and creeks points that will hold these hungry critters. When you find them most will be over the 27” limit so get your pix quick and get them back in the water. Not to many people know that reds when they are released they like to lay on there back to relieve stress. In the past we kept them alive in the live well they turned on there backs and we tried to turn them over till we learned that is not helpful to there survival. You put them in the well and let them alone, they turn over in a few minutes and do well. Also the snook have been moving back to there normal areas and will feed on points and deeper holes where they congregate close to bait. Trout and flounder can also be harvested on and around the sand spots. This month you can harvest your inshore slam with keeper fish, yup snook, red, and trout. Looking offshore there should be lanes, mangroves, and yellow tails on reefs and natural ledges from 50 to 70 feet. The red grouper and the gag grouper are in there natural migration as the water cools the red go deeper and the gags come in shallower. This all happens as the water temperature cools down and helps the fish move. This is just before the winds from the cold fronts will start cranking up so get out there and get fishing. If you don’t have a boat Capt. Bart Marx can help give him a call 941-979-6517 or e-mail captbart@alphaomegacharters.com  And always remember singing drags and tight lined make me smile. <*(((((>{

October in S.W. Florida has a nick name Red October. The reds are scattered all over the harbor in the big schools and there will be the smaller groups 2’s n 3’s.You will find these guys along the mangroves and the edges of the bars searching for food. You will possibly encounter the snook as well in these same areas using fresh caught bait greenies/whitebait you can use them to scout out the area. Throw a few out there and let them swim around till you hear the pop of snook or reds chasing these baits. Then you hook a lively one on and cast in the general area and hold on, fun is about to happen it may be a snook or a red. October is also one of the months that you can catch your inshore slam with keeper fish, snook , red, and trout. The bigger schools of reds will be closer to the Gulf waters along the ICW where they can find plenty of food. They will feed on pen fish and whatever other baits they can run down to fatten up for the journey offshore to spawn. In the past we have caught some of the big over slot reds trolling for king mackerel out in the state waters inside 9 miles. Yes this month you can troll in the Gulf for kings and Spanish mackerel, this would be the start of there migration this time of year. They tend to follow the bait balls as they tend to move south for the winter. Kings like 72 degree water my Pop’s always told me, they will hang around as low as 68 degrease if the bait is still in the area. And as the waters cool down this month the natural migration of the groupers takes place. I have learned over the years that in the summer the red grouper head closer to shore and the gag’s go out deeper. This month as the waters start to cool down the reds start to move out to deeper waters and the gag’s move in closer to shore. So get out your trolling rigs and get them ready. And for those that like to get out there offshore the snapper’s should be still plentiful in 60 feet of water lanes, mangroves, and yellow tail. Capt. Bart Marx owns and runs Alpha Omega Charters if you would like to book a trip with him call 941-979-6517 or e-mail at captbart@alphaomegacharters.com And always remember singing drags and tight lines make me smile. <*(((((>{

October 2016 Red October yes there are redfish all over our area from the Gulf well up into Charlotte Harbor Lemon Bay to Pine Island Sound. The schools of the big breeders will be hunting out in the Gulf for food so they can fatten up for there migration offshore. As the waters start to cool down and the bait starts moving south the Kings and Spanish mackerel will follow and as you troll for these toothy critters you may find a school of the big reds. Yes they will attack a spoon trolled behind a no. 1 planer on a 30 lb. setup with the drag set a little loose. A kingfish of keeper size will burn some line off quick, as the line gets in the water it creates drag that will slow your smoker down. The reds will pull but not as fast but the reds pull longer.  In our area the reds in Charlotte Harbor have been nick named Pit Bull reds by Mark Sosin. They can be found all along the ICW where there is bait, pinfish, green backs , and finger mullet. There are schools that come into Charlotte Harbor to Matlacha Bridge, Punta Gorda Bridge and Myakka Bridge. Through all of this area there islands and creeks points that will hold these hungry critters. When you find them most will be over the 27” limit so get your pix quick and get them back in the water. Not to many people know that reds when they are released they like to lay on there back to relieve stress. In the past we kept them alive in the live well they turned on there backs and we tried to turn them over till we learned that is not helpful to there survival. You put them in the well and let them alone, they turn over in a few minutes and do well. Also the snook have been moving back to there normal areas and will feed on points and deeper holes where they congregate close to bait. Trout and flounder can also be harvested on and around the sand spots. This month you can harvest your inshore slam with keeper fish, yup snook, red, and trout. Looking offshore there should be lanes, mangroves, and yellow tails on reefs and natural ledges from 50 to 70 feet. The red grouper and the gag grouper are in there natural migration as the water cools the red go deeper and the gags come in shallower. This all happens as the water temperature cools down and helps the fish move. This is just before the winds from the cold fronts will start cranking up so get out there and get fishing. If you don’t have a boat Capt. Bart Marx can help give him a call 941-979-6517 or e-mail captbart@alphaomegacharters.com  And always remember singing drags and tight lined make me smile. <*(((((>{