September is the month that we turn the corner on exhausting heat,

But, it is also a time when you can boat plenty of freshwater fish if you follow

a few important points.

     Because it is so warm during the day, it is important to start your fishing trip

very early.  Your first three hours will usually be the most productive.  Also, with

water temperatures ranging in the eighties, fish don’t move as fast as normal.  So,

slow your retrieve down – be more patient.  Look for shad bait activity, especially

at ambush spots like points, mouth of creeks, and where channels diverge.  Target

areas where there is a significant drop from the pad line out.

    Fishing the St. Johns River and connecting lakes, there are some lures, plastic baits,

and live baits that you can count on to catch bass and bluegill.

    The Devils Horse (100 series) in various colors is a top notch surface bait.  We

Usually remove the front spinner and trade out the weak hooks for Gamagatsu trebles.

Work the lure slowly, gently popping the eye downward so that it throws up one

little bead of water, mimicking a needle fish nipping the water with its bill.

Sometimes the bass strikes are not vicious, instead, they will take it down from

the back.

    Culprit and Bass Assassin worms in 7.5 inch dark colors are a standard plastic

bait that yields good bass catches.  Generally rigged Texas style with 1/8 oz bullet

weight and a laser sharp hook.  Gambler’s 4 inch Cane Toad and Ugly Otter are

heavy chunks of rubber that can be cast without weights and therefore will ride a

little higher in the water on the retrieve.  All these baits are good in heavy cover like

lily pads, hydrilla and eel grass.  Dark colors are preferred in the tannic waters.

    Of course, we can never leave out live bait as a great method for catching bass.

Wild river shiners are very popular with guides and sports alike.  They account for

many trophy size lunkers and are easy to fish.  Use a weedless hook and allow your

bait to penetrate the cover and attract a bass that has receeded from the light.

    Bluegill are a great warm weather fish and can be found in abundance on the

shell beds during full moon or shore lines of rivers and creeks any other time.

    Crickets, live worms and 1/32 oz Beetle Spins are always popular and

Productive baits for the feisty bluegill and shellcracker.  But, we want to mention

Another deadly method.  Accarde Tackle makes a 211 Bream Killer with a #6

hook that works great on a fly rod.  Black, chartreuse, and yellow are the best colors.

They have long rubber “legs” that are very attractive to panfish.  Even if you don’t

have a fly rod, rig a 14 foot cane pole with 16 feet of 10 pound mono and “sling”

the killer to the edge of the bank and pop it back slowly.