Fishing the Everglades

October Reds! And Snook, of Course! 

 October is always a great month to catch lots of Redfish here in the 10,000 Islands. We should be able to catch them all throughout the Islands this month. Also, some of these fish will move up into the rivers and hopefully stay up there till winter! But right now, the Islands are going to be the best fishing. A low incoming tide will get you the most consistent action. You should be able to catch these fish all the way up until the tide floods and they get up into the roots to feed. Once that happens, they will be a little harder to find until the tide drops again and they come back out. They can be found in a variety of places and you can catch them on a variety of baits. Scented soft plastics on a jig are probably the most effective method when it comes to artificials. Live shrimp is, of course, always effective on the Reds. They love eating crustaceans. How you present your bait or jigs depends on the depth and the bottom. Reds are typically a bottom foraging fish, so keep this in mind. Their sense of smell and sound make up for their eyes when in murky water. They will utilize these senses to find your baits even when visibility is zero. If you work that jig slow along the bottom, they can hear it, and when they go looking, they can pick up the scent quickly. Reds are fun and this time of year, you might find some pretty large schools. 

Of course, we catch a lot of nice Snook every October, and many times they are feeding along with the Redfish. Incoming tide early in the morning is a good bet. Some of the biggest Snook I have caught in the last 10 years have been in October. Working a top water over an oyster bar as the tide is flowing over it is probably one of the best Snook bites you will ever get. I love the top water feed, and this month it will still be good. Of course, live bait should be very abundant in the Islands this month also. That is one reason the bite is so good. Snook, Reds, and Tarpon will all feast on Mullet, Pilchards, and Greenies as they move in with the tide. 

 This is definitely one of my favorite months. Over the years, the fishing has definitely declined, but we still have some great years, and I am hoping this will be one of them! I always look forward to October as I know many of my clients do also. I have a lot of great memories of a 20-lb. plus fish being caught during October here in the Islands. Especially at night, which is something that I rarely do anymore. We spent many fun nights catching big Snook in these Islands. I am so busy fishing during the day there is no way I can do an all-nighter and fish the next day! Those days are gone but not forgotten. We truly have a wonderful paradise here and we are blessed to be able to enjoy it. So, I hope your October bite is as good as mine! Good luck fishing! 

Captain Mike Merritt was born in Coral Gables, Florida, lived in Australia as a child, and then moved back to Everglades City, Florida, where he graduated from Everglades City High School. He caught his first snook at the age of eight and has been catching them ever since. He is a third-generation fisherman and has been guiding in the Everglades National Park for over 30 years. While the glades are his primary fishing grounds, he also owns The Amazon Prime Ecolodge and has been fishing in Brazil’s Amazon for the last 12 years.