September marks the beginning of our transition into fall offshore fishing along the Treasure Coast. While live bait can still be incredibly productive, we’ll gradually shift our focus back toward trolling as bait schools become less predictable and pelagic fish begin spreading out along current edges, color changes, and offshore structure.
This is the time of year when the dredges come back out, squid teaser chains hit the water, and rigged ballyhoo once again become a staple in our spread. As we begin targeting deeper water, our trolling program allows us to cover more ground in search of sailfish, mahi, blackfin tuna, kingfish, and one of our favorite fall targets—wahoo.
September often provides excellent opportunities for trophy wahoo off Stuart. We’ll frequently pull planer baits rigged with J-hook ballyhoo, split-tail mullet, or even XL bonito strips to target these speedsters. Wahoo bites happen in an instant, and when they do, there’s usually no mistaking what just ate the bait.
Kingfish action should continue improving throughout the month as they stage along the reefs and offshore ledges. Blackfin tuna remain a possibility along strong current edges and offshore bait concentrations, while mahi can still be found around scattered weed lines, floating debris, and clean blue water where favorable currents converge.
Although we’re transitioning back into trolling, we’re always prepared to adjust our game plan. If we locate healthy bait schools or find sailfish actively feeding, we’ll never hesitate to switch over to live bait. Staying flexible and fishing the conditions is one of the biggest keys to consistently producing quality catches this time of year. Don’t be afraid to drop down to a lighter class leader or use a shorter trace of wire if the bite is slow on calm clear days it can make a huge difference for finicky fish!
Bottom fishing also remains a great option when conditions allow. Vermilion snapper, lane snapper, triggerfish, and the occasional mutton snapper continue providing steady action over productive bottom areas, giving anglers the opportunity to head home with fresh fish for dinner.
With summer fading and fall knocking on the door, September brings some of the most exciting offshore fishing of the year. As the seasons begin to change, it’s also the time of year to keep a close eye on the weather. The best fishing often comes when favorable weather windows line up with clean water and good current, so don’t miss those opportunities. If you’ve been thinking about getting offshore this fall, September is a great time to get your trip on the calendar. We look forward to seeing you on the water.
September mullet run fishing is finally upon us. Having a cast net on board is mandatory if you want to catch fish in the river this month. Fishing around mullet schools along the Indian River, we can expect good action from big snook, tarpon, redfish, seatrout, jack crevalle, & sharks. Fishing channel edges with larger live mullet will provide good tarpon action this month. If you’re looking to catch snook use live mullet around docks, seawalls, mangrove shorelines for steady action. Use 6/0 circle hooks with 60-lb fluorocarbon leaders to help bring larger snook boatside when using live mullet for bait. Expect a few big jack crevalle in the mix while targeting snook. Snook season is open and the slot size is 28″–32″, with a limit of one per person per day.
Nearshore fishing can be spectacular if you can find the right beach with large pods of mullet with predators airing out on mullet schools. This requires driving to local beaches to find where the predators are actively feeding. Binoculars are a great idea for scouting for fish. Sometimes fishing right off the beach with artificial lures can produce some epic tarpon and snook action if you are in the right area at the right time. Early mornings and late afternoons around sunset can be best for finding feeding fish along local Treasure Coast beaches.
