They say the best time to catch fish in saltwater is the day before and the day after a big storm. The low pressure triggers the early bite, and the aftermath of the storm churns up the ocean bottom and the bait. As Hurricane Ian passes though, it will put a big damper on fishing prospects, but by late weekend, the bite should be back on.
In the Bay, it’s spot, Spanish, ribbonfish and lots of big red drum. Puppy Drum and speckled trout are also turning on and the big King Mackerel are off Virginia Beach. There are some huge flounder coming to net now, and the sheepshead and spadefish are still bending rods. Offshore, there have been increased catches of blue marlin, white marlin, and Wahoo.
However, a major hurricane often signals the end of good billfish action, sending the marlin and sailfish further south. We’ll see.
On the OBX, fishing was terrific until the storm, but the puppy drum, bluefish and speckled trout action in the sound will only improve, plus the rockfish from the north will soon be passing through. The piers were catching all types of fish and should return to normal by Sunday or Monday.
October is typically one of the best months of all to wet a line in the ocean and bay.
Freshwater
The rivers are low, and navigation can be difficult. At least, they were low before Friday. After the storm passes through, they maybe roaring. In lakes and ponds, crappie are edging shallow as the weather breaks. Trout stocking begins this month, and a healthy rain will help disperse the fish.
Bowhunting begins soon and many will turn their attention to deer, but October is a dynamite time to fish our rivers and lakes. The first few downward ticks of the water temperature trigger a massive feeding spree in most all freshwater fish.