The fall fishing season has arrived in Sarasota, FL and we’re seeing some noticeable changes. Cooler mornings and tolerable day time temperatures have replaced steamy hot summer days. We’re seeing schooling redfish and snook have had longer bite windows with cooling water temperatures. There is still plenty of bait around and juvenile tarpon are still around in Sarasota Bay, Roberts Bay, and Little Sarasota Bay. Adult tarpon have thinned out, especially after Hurricane Idalia turned up the Gulf waters.
The New Skiff
Those of you that have fished with me before know that I have been fishing out of a Maverick Mirage for the last six plus years. The Maverick was a good skiff, but like all Mavericks, it had limitations. It was never as dry of a boat as I would have liked and, although it was in great shape, it had a dated hull design and cockpit layout.
When I set out searching for my next skiff, I was looking for a few specific upgrades. First, I wanted a more modern hull design that kept me and my anglers dry. Second, I wanted a boat that could float in 5-6” of water. Finally, I was looking for a skiff with more stability.
I ended up narrowing my skiff search down to a Hells’ Bay Professional, Floyd’s 10 weight, and an obscure dark horse called the Wingmaster Pahayokee. After taking test drives and talking to owners of all three skiffs I decided on having my next skiff built by Wingmaster. Larry Nolen at Wingmaster completed my new skiff in August. The new skiff is the cat’s meow and is only the sixth of its kind.
Fall Fishing Availability
This fall, I’m spending a bit of time guiding in Louisiana for giant bull redfish. But, for those of you that would still like to fish in the Sarasota area this fall, I will be back in the area for the week of Thanksgiving and already have a few people scheduled for fishing during that time. I still have plenty of dates open, so if you’re coming down for thanksgiving, I should be able to get you out.
Fall Louisiana Redfish Trips
I’ll be guiding out of Woodland Plantation, which is the premier fly fishing destination lodge in Louisiana. Fall in Louisiana provides one of the most unique opportunities for anglers to target ridiculously large redfish in extremely shallow water. It’s not uncommon to catch a redfish over 40 inches in less than 18 inches of water this time of year.
If you’re interested in targeting redfish in Louisiana, feel free to contact me (941-400-6218). There are plenty of other lodging options available and I’m happy to help you find the right place for you. Most anglers find that 3 days of fishing is the right amount of time to schedule on the water and it offers a buffer in the case of inclement weather. I still have some availability in October as well as November, but my calendar is filling up pretty quickly.
Thanks For Reading!
Captain Brian Boehm
941-400-6218
Quiet Waters Fishing
Sarasota, FL
