September Inshore Fishing Report – Palm Coast & Flagler Beach
The mullet run is in full swing, and it has made for some very productive fishing throughout Palm Coast and Flagler Beach. Redfish, snook and jack crevalle have all been taking advantage of the abundance of bait moving through the area.
The topwater bite has been especially good during low-light conditions, either first thing in the morning or later in the day. My go-to topwater baits are a Rapala Skitter Walk or a Florida Fishing Products Night Stalker. Work these around the flats, creek mouths and shorelines where you see mullet getting pushed or bait being busted.
Once the topwater bite starts to slow down, switch over to a jerk shad or paddle tail. I like a 5-inch Berkley Jerk Shad rigged on a 5/0 Twist Lock weighted hook or a 1/4 oz jighead. Another favorite is a 4-inch Saltwater Assassin paddle tail. Both are great choices this time of year because they imitate an injured or separated mullet.
Live mullet and live shrimp have also been producing really well for redfish, snook, flounder and black drum. Fish them on a 1/4 oz jighead or use a 2/0 to 3/0 circle hook under a popping cork. Creek holes, flats, docks and deeper edges throughout Palm Coast and Flagler Beach are all worth working.
For black drum, concentrate on Matanzas Inlet, bridges, docks and deeper creek holes. A 1/4 oz Crusher jig tipped with a dead or live shrimp or fiddler crab has been working well. Black drum are bottom feeders and aren’t typically aggressive, so get the bait down to the bottom and give them time to find it rather than working it too much.
With the mullet moving through the area, September is one of those months when you never know what is going to hit next. Keep an eye out for nervous water, bait getting pushed along the shoreline and birds working—there’s usually something feeding underneath.
Tight lines!
Captain Tim Jarvis
Three Lagoon Fishing Charters
321-794-3182
