Ahoy there, Flagler fishing enthusiasts! Captain Adam Morley here from Genung’s Fish Camp, your go-to spot for bait and tackle right on the scenic banks of the Matanzas River. It’s been an exciting week on the water, with the finger mullet running thick in the flats and the topwater bite for redfish nothing short of spectacular at high tide. There’s just something about that explosive strike on a surface walker that gets the heart racing.
Last week, we had a bit of a challenge with the wind, but with a loud enough topwater lure, we could still get the redfish’s attention. Those explosive strikes are worth every effort. Personally, I haven’t seen or heard much about trout or flounder lately, but that might be because I’ve been too wrapped up in targeting redfish with topwater lures. It’s my favorite way to fish, and honestly, there’s no topping that topwater action.
On the surf side, the pompano have mostly headed north until their fall run brings them back. But don’t despair—there are still plenty of whiting and bluefish being caught in the surf, so there’s plenty of fun to be had there.
While the bite in the Matanzas has been good, we might see a bit of a slow down for a few days after this full moon passes. From my experience, though, this lull usually only lasts a few days. So, don’t let it get you down—just get ready with a few good excuses for when the fish aren’t biting. Some of my favorites include: too windy, the tide was too high or too low, currents were too strong or going the wrong direction, the moon phase, too much bait in the water, too hot, too cold, didn’t get my bait from Genung’s Fish Camp, too many boaters, didn’t have the right bait, my fishing buddy was making too much noise, and the classic equipment failure.
On a more serious note, let’s all remember the importance of conservation. Clean water is vital for our fisheries and the sport we all love. Every effort we make to keep our waterways clean and healthy helps ensure that future generations can enjoy the same incredible fishing experiences we do. So, pick up that trash, support conservation efforts, and treat our precious resources with the respect they deserve.
Tight lines, everyone, and see you on the water!
Captain Adam Morley
Genung’s Fish Camp
This week’s fishing report from Skinny Water Lures is brought to you by Chris. With hot days and afternoon showers, and a full moon making an appearance at the end of the week, we’ve seen some exciting changes in the fishing patterns.
To start the week, 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 week on the water!
