Inshore and Sounds
The month of October offers Georgia inshore and sound fishermen a bigger bite scenario than September. Inshore fishermen get to experience the early big bull redfish migration. These monsters start their migration pattern from the creeks, rivers, and upper sound areas. Once making their way to the sounds, the bull redfish find a suitable place to “bulk up” before heading to the beachfronts and then to the ocean. Schooling baits such as mullet and menhaden provide much feeding opportunity for these fish. Where you see any surface action stop, wait, and look for any turbulence of underwater feeding, or seabirds in a heavy feeding or holding pattern. Other places to look and fish are areas where currents come together forming some sort of a rip. Now, not all rips will hold the interest of fish, but I can guarantee you, once you figure out what to look for, instant hook-ups can happen.
Here are a few suggestions. Always looks for any surface oils sometimes referred to as cat paws. If there is any bird feeding action always check out the size and type of the seabirds. A flock of pelicans most likely will indicate schools of menhaden under the surface. On the other hand if the pelicans are mingled with other small sea birds then you have a possible big feeding frenzy going on down under! This would be your sign to “fish here!”
Offshore bottom fishing and trolling
When it comes to offshore fishing during October lots of different bites can happen in the most unusual places. As the fall migration patterns begin offshore as well, fish have to bulk up fast which means major feeding times all of the time. Nearshore artificial reefs and natural live bottom areas will hold plenty of different size bottom and top water fish. For those fishermen that want to get some big bottom fish action I suggest filling the live well before reaching the fishing grounds. The best place to stop to load up on bait is wrecks located at the artificial reefs in 55-plus feet of water depth. Please know that most of the yellow buoys marking the offshore artificial reefs are gone. These buoys held the interest of all types and sizes of bait fish. Make sure that you have GPS coordinates for all structure on the artificial reef that you are going to fish.
