Normally November is a month of transition, water temperatures are falling and winter weather is

around the corner. It’s a month that redfish will eat almost anything because they know that with falling

water temperatures their food supply will be disappearing.

However, this year October has been warmer than normal. We’ve only had one cold spell that I thought

would run the Mullet south and get the fiddlers to bury up but that hasn’t happened. There are still

Mullet going by my dock on a daily basis and fiddlers are still on the grass flats. This has been one of the

best Mullet runs I’ve seen in years. Nassau Sound is loaded with bait and the Reds are in the surf at the

tip of Little Talbot Island. The Trout are schooled up and feeding heavily at the mouth of Simpson’s

Creek. I saw an 8 ½ lb. and a 13 lb. Flounder caught this past weekend in Nassau Sound. The fishing is

as good as it gets and should stay hot as long as this weather remains warm. November 2 is the full

moon and the following six days the water will be in the grass. Again as long as the weather remains on

the warm side fishing will be good. If you want to get one more shot at the tailing reds, the first week of

November is your chance. Once the water temperatures drop the fiddlers will disappear and the reds

will stop going up and looking for them. You might still see a red’s tail on a grass flat but it will pop up

and then disappear and not come up again. Remember they are hungry and looking for food but when

the fiddler’s disappear you’re not going to see their tails waving in the air as they feed. I have caught a

tailing red as late as December but it is not the norm.

Fly fishing for Spotted Seatrout is one of my favorite things to do in November. The Trout will be

schooled up in large numbers with lots of action when you find them. One of the best ways to find the

trout is with a spinning rod and a jig with a plastic tail. I usually use the trolling motor and the spinning

rod to cover a lot of water and then anchor up and use the fly rod when I find the fish. I like a 6 or 7 wt.

rod with a fast sinking tip line. You need to vary your retrieves. I use a countdown method to vary the

depth of my retrieve, then change the speed and length of the strips to find what works. Once you find

the right combination of depth, speed and action getting your limit shouldn’t be a problem. Chartreuse

This is a month you need to change your approach. In September and October we chased the reds on

the high water grass flats but in November after the first week, we will no longer find the Reds there.

Fiddlers are buried up and Reds stop going up on high tides looking for them. The Mullet run is over but

there still should be some Reds in the surf. They will be harder to find because without the Mullet

there’s no reason for them to be in breakers. It’s time to concentrate on low water fly fishing.

The tides in November are all above normal low tides, there are no negative low tides until the first

week of December . These higher then normal low tides mean that the Reds don’t have to leave the

back creeks and mud flats. They can stay and feed and feel comfortable. This is the time for the kayak

and the fly rod. You want to fish the last two hours of the falling tide and the first two hours of the

incoming tide. This is when the water is the lowest and bait and fish are the most concentrated. The

kayak is the boat of choice because it will float in water even a redfish has trouble swimming in. The

stealth of a kayak allows you to get close and a fly rod allows you to present a fly without spooking the

fish. It’s a deadly combination!

The best flies are very lightly weighted. Mini or macro lead eyed flies in black, brown and tan work the

best. This is not the time for a lot of flash. Rob, president of The First Coast Fly Fishers has been tying

his flies on a heavier hooks and not using any lead eyes. He feels that when you’re fishing in six inches

of water you don’t need the extra weight and splash when the fly hits the water. I can’t think of anyone

who is more successful at low water fly fishing than Rob. We hope to have Rob teach one of our

Saturday morning tying sessions, we’ll keep you posted . The Fox Clouser size #4, Black Clouser Darter

size #4 and #6, Black and Gray Clousers size #6, Black Micro Minnow Size #4 are all good patterns this

month. Just remember, small, light and natural colors without a lot of flash will work the best.

As of writing this article, the flounder just haven’t turned on yet. They seem to be picking up so my

pursuit to land the world record on fly. I will keep you all posted.