As we wake in the early hours now to grace the cool fresh morning air, I’m not the only one who is glad that the days of hot sweltering summer heat are almost behind us.  A transitional change is definitely in the air.  With the arrival of the equinox, the Chinese mid-Autumn festival, and season premiers of your favorite soap operas on TV, Autumn/Fall is upon us.  This change in season should bring about days when fish will stay active through most of the day.  This also brought about the massive migration of mullet and other baitfish down the Florida coast, with them pelagic predators nipping on their heels.  I welcome this change and embrace it with an entire arsenal of baitfish flies and the latest lures from DOA Lures.

Mullet headed south

Speaking of DOA Lures, they have released a new color for the CAL jerkbait known as #425 Watermelon/Clear Holographic.  This new color is VERY fishy as have been wacking quite a few clear water redfish from Flamingo to Islamorada with it.  We term the phrase “match the hatch” in Fall and this color matches the miriad of small fin fish that are found in vast numbers on the flats this Fall.  When matched with one of DOA’s hot heads on either a weighted or unweighted weedless hook, they look absolutely irresitable.  You can also chuck these light jerkbaits a mile with the G Loomis Greenwater GWR930S 10lb Power Pro.

Image by Jerry McBride and Ron Romano (SLAM Mag)

Flamingo Redfish on #425 DOA CAL Jerkbait

The ideal conditions have provided shots at some tarpon, both big and small.  With all the baitfish roaming around, you sometimes don’t know when to expect to find some laid up tarpon or group of baby tarpon to throw a fly at.

Islmorada Baby Poon

The bigger variety in Dark Water...

Redzone apparel had provided me with a couple of their SPF50 micro-fiber shirts.  The printing is guaranteed not to fade on these shirts as they are permanantly embeded into the color on the shirts.  They are comfortable to wear all day and look real sharp.  I like them!!!  They also produce shirts for the many boat manufacturers on the market, including Maverick Boat Company.  Jeff Harrell of Finatic Designs (same guy who designed that cool Rasta Tarpon “one love” sticker) and Ken of Breathe like a Fish have sent me a couple of their face masks with the breathable vent holes.  Unlike the popular Original Buffs, these face masks have overhanging flaps on the front and rear of the mask that are perfect for shirts that don’t have some sort of mock turtleneck or raised neck.  I just thought that idea and the meshed breathe holes were a great idea I’d mention.  Also be on the lookout for a new bonefish and fly shirt design from Ihuntfish.  I had a chance to see it in person and thought it was a pretty cool design.

I have been eyeing MinnKota’s new iPilot system on their trolling motors and it looks like I will be testing a reveiwing one very soon as I have on the way to be part of a removable setup on my Maverick 18 Mirage.  This new skiff is extremely versatile and the addition of a trolling motor should open some doors for a variety of different types of fishing.  I used to shun trolling motors but I think having the iPilot system with spot-lock will be pretty cool.  Of coarse, it will be removable for days when I plan to stay on the pole all day.  I’ll look forward to using the new iPilot and reviewing it.

For those of you who fish EP Flies, Enrico Puglisi will be at the Vero Backcountry this coming Thursday (Oct. 7th).  Maverick Boat Co. and Vero Backcountry will be hosting the Maverick/Backcountry Cup, fly tournament on Saturday, December 4th.  Mark your calendars for this date, as this proves to be a real fun tournament with lots of cool prizes and great comraderie.  I will have more info on the tournament up shortly.  If you are interested in registering or inquiring about the tournament, contact Capt. Eric Davis at the Vero Backcountry or Charlie Johnson at Maverick Boat Company.

Stay tuned… Fall is only starting to rev up and there should be lots of great things to come from big bonefish in Islamorada to absolute baitfish slaughtering mayhem in the Gulf.