Flagler County Fishing Report – May 2024 recap Fishing Report brought to you by Chris
with Skinny Water Lures.
According to Chris from Skinny Water Lures, as temperatures rise in the Palm Coast
Intracoastal Waterway, they are finding success with topwater lures. Chris says, the month
started off with water temperatures having surpassed 70 degrees, with hot days reaching into
the mid-80s. This has led to a surge in the topwater bite, with good numbers of redfish and
speckled trout being caught on topwater lures at first light.
Popular spots have been the flooded grass flats and pinch points, where we have experienced
heart-pounding topwater blow-ups. The SWL one-knocker topwater lure, available in white,
chartreuse, and orange, has been the preferred choice.
For those looking to improve their topwater fishing techniques, experimentation is key. Trying
different styles and retrieval methods, such as speeding up or slowing down the retrieval and
incorporating pauses, can help increase bite rates. When targeting redfish with topwater lures,
it's important to maintain a steady retrieval, especially when a fish is following or attempting to
strike. Suddenly stopping the retrieval can cause the fish to lose interest.
Anglers often make mistakes when using topwater lures, such as setting the hook too early out
of excitement. It's crucial to maintain a steady retrieval to allow the fish multiple opportunities to
strike before setting the hook. Additionally, many anglers make only a few casts in an area
before moving on. Remember, topwater lures serve as a way to attract fish to the area, so
making multiple casts can increase your chances of success.
The thrill of using topwater lures makes for an exciting fishing experience. By avoiding common
mistakes and honing your technique, you can maximize your success with topwater fishing.
Mid month we are thrilled to report that the bite had finally turned up, and It was perfect fishing
conditions, with warm days and afternoon showers bringing the fish to life.
We had been experimenting with a new wake bait style lure, and it had proven to be a
gamechanger. This innovative lure was designed to act like a topwater and a subsurface lure in
one, depending on how fast or slow you retrieved it. By keeping the lure just a few inches below
the surface, we were able to catch several upper slot redfish by retrieving it quickly.
The lure's unique design featured a one-knocker style bearing that created a knock-knockknock
cadence as it was retrieved, which seemed to entice the fish to strike. Throwing this lure around
the flooded grass flats was a recipe for success, as it seemed to draw the redfish out of the
grass and into the open water.
But the real highlight of the month was the success we had with the SWL suspending twitchbait
on the outgoing tide. As the tide went out, the redfish would belly crawl through the mud,
exposing themselves as they searched for baitfish swimming along the banks. We would cast
several feet in front of the exposed fish, and as the lure hit the water, the redfish would blast
through the mud to attack it.
The twitch bait's amazing coloration and flash seemed to mimic the appearance of a bait fish
popping out of the water, making it the perfect lure choice for this situation. The lure would
suspend just inches below the surface, allowing the fish to see it clearly as they swam by.
Nearing the end of the month we were met with more hot days and afternoon showers, and a
full moon making an appearance. we've seen some exciting changes in the fishing patterns.
The bite was on fire, with many fishable days leading up to the full moon. However, as we
approached the full moon, high tide flooded the waters, making it challenging to find our target
species. During these flooded tides, we found that fish would push back into areas that were
previously inaccessible or move into grass flats just outside of casting distance.
To target these fish, we relied on lures that could draw them out of the grass. The SWL wake
bait was a standout performer, with its action combining elements of topwater and crank baiting
to entice strikes. We found that working this lure parallel to flooded grass was effective in
drawing redfish out of their hiding spots.
As the tide changed and began to recede, we noticed a significant increase in activity. The
afternoon showers brought overcast conditions, which prompted us to switch to a 4" SWL
Texas-T lure with more flash and thump. We focused on areas like pinch points and creek
mouths, where we found redfish had pushed out of the grass flats and were ambushing baitfish.
This pattern yielded multiple upper slot redfish. We also encountered good numbers of flounder
around these areas, using a SWL curly tail grub on a jig-head. By dragging the grub along the
bottom, we were able to find those prized fat flounder.
In addition to redfish and flounder, we're still getting reports of mid-size snook being caught
around the docks in the Palm Coast canal area. According to local anglers, live mullet or twitch-
style baits are effective for these acrobatic snook. Be sure to bring a sturdy rod and leader line,
as these snook are known to put up quite a fight.
Tight lines, and we hope you have a great time on the water!