- The allure of night fishing:
Night fishing has its own unique appeal, offering anglers a tranquil and cooler environment to pursue their favorite catch. As the sun sets, the Matanzas River transforms into a serene haven, with reduced boat traffic and peaceful surroundings. Additionally, many species, including flounder, trout, and snook, tend to be more active during the cooler hours of the night, making it an ideal time to target them.
- The role of dock lights:
Dock lights play a crucial role in night fishing, especially when it comes to attracting baitfish and predatory species. These lights illuminate the water and create an ecosystem that draws in a variety of marine life. Flounder, trout, and snook are known to gather around these lights, making them hotspots for anglers seeking a successful night fishing experience.
- Targeting flounder:
Flounder are highly sought-after flatfish known for their delicious taste and challenging fight. To target flounder around dock lights, a reliable setup is a bottom rig with a Carolina or sliding sinker. Attach a fluorocarbon leader to reduce visibility and add a live or artificial bait like a finger mullet, mud minnow, or shrimp. Cast your line near the dock lights and allow it to settle on the bottom. Flounder tend to lie in wait for passing prey, so a slow and subtle retrieval is often effective.
- Pursuing trout:
Spotted seatrout, commonly known as trout, are a popular game fish that inhabit the Matanzas River. They are known for their aggressive strikes and acrobatic fights. For targeting trout at night, a popping cork rig works well. Attach a popping cork to your main line, followed by a fluorocarbon leader and a size-appropriate hook. Live shrimp, artificial shrimp lures, or small baitfish imitations are effective bait choices. Cast your rig near the dock lights and create a subtle popping motion to attract trout.
- Hooking snook:
Snook are prized game fish known for their strong runs and impressive size. To target snook at night, try using a lighted DOA Baitbuster lure or a suspending twitchbait. These lures mimic the movement of baitfish and are effective in attracting snook lurking around dock lights. Alternatively, a live finger mullet or pinfish can entice these voracious predators. Cast your lure or bait near the dock lights and retrieve it with a combination of jerks and pauses to imitate wounded prey.
Conclusion:
Night fishing the Matanzas River offers anglers a reprieve from the summer heat while presenting exciting opportunities to land flounder, trout, and snook. By utilizing dock lights to attract these species and employing the right baits and rigs, anglers can increase their chances of a successful night fishing expedition. As always, it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with local fishing regulations, including bag limits and size restrictions, to ensure sustainable fishing practices. So, grab your gear, embrace the tranquility of the night, and venture into the Matanzas River for an unforgettable angling.
Chris from Skinny Water Lures mentioned the daytime fish bite has still been on fire. With the full moon approaching on the 3rd look for the fish activity and feeding to ramp up.
The moon phases definitely have a big impact on our fisheries because the moon will dictate our tides. When the water is moving, the fish feed well so the full moons really get waters moving and the bite is very good around this moon phases. We find that the few days leading up to the full moon, or the few days behind the full moon, make for great day time fishing. If fishing on the day of the full moon, the daytime bite can be a little slower. Fish are able to feed all day and night when we have large full moons, casting plenty of light into the water allowing predators to be more active for longer periods of time. As the full moon approaches, the fish get excited and start taking advantage of the more powerful tides and more time to feed. Once the full moon gets to full swing, the fish have been feeding hard for a few days and nights, and they seem to get more sluggish and less aggressive. On the backside of the moon, they get excited and hungry again like they know the moon phase is changing. Take advantage of this increase in activity while you can on the front side of the weekend or the start of this coming weekend. Early morning topwater and late morning paddle tail action have produced good numbers of Redfish around oyster bars and deep drop offs. Good size flounder are being caught around pinch points and channel opening with moving water. Focus bouncing a jig head with a curly tail grub on the bottom. A stead jig heads drag across the bottom works as well. Nighttime activity has picked up due to the hot days. Focus around well lit docks with moving water. Plenty of redfish, trout and snook have been hanging around these areas at night. Lastly we want to take a moment to wish everyone a Happy Safe Independence Day. Take a moment to remember our military and first responders on this day.
