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VOLUSIA COUNTY EDITION

SNOOK SEASON

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MUST HAVES

FALL’S FALL’ BOTTOM BONANZA

LOCAL REPORTS & CATCH PHOTOS VOLUME 31 • ISSUE 378

PHOTO CREDIT: CAPT. SHANE TROTTIER WHATEVER TURNS U ON FISHING CHARTERS WWW.WHATEVERTURNSUONFISHING.COM IG: @WHATEVERTURNSUON

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PRO FISHING TECHNIQUES

Snook Season Must Haves

CAPT. MIKE SMITH

inally, September is here and everyone’s favorite inshore fish is back on the menu. This article will cover the best bait and tackle to hunt down slot-sized linesiders. Check your local rules and regulations before keeping any snook. You can do jail time and get heavy fines by harvesting under- and over-slot snook.

WHAT TACKLE DO YOU NEED TO CATCH A KEEPER SNOOK?

It really depends upon where you are fishing for them. If you are out on the flats or on the beach, then you can get away with lighter tackle. You can land a slot snook with a medium-action rod, a 2500 series reel spooled with 10 pound braid and a 30 pound leader. You don’t need heavy tackle when there is no structure around to get cut off on. If you are fishing for snook around docks, bridges, rocks, mangroves or oyster bars, then you might want to use heavier tackle. A medium/ heavy rod with a 4000 series reel spooled with 20 pound braid and a 40 pound leader will usually do the trick.

WHAT ARE THE BEST BAITS FOR CATCHING SNOOK?

Natural baits usually work the best for snook. Snook love croakers, pinfish, mullet, shrimp and white baits like threadfin herring. The key to using natural baits is using the correct sized hook for the bait that you are using. You wouldn’t want to use a 5/0 hook with a shrimp or a white bait because it’s too heavy to allow the bait to swim. You would want to use a 1/0 or 2/0 hook for those smaller baits. Conversely, you would not want to use a small hook for a large, 10-inch mullet. The small hook would most likely not set properly once the snook ate it. You would want to use a 5/0 or larger hook for a large mullet. You want to match your hook to the bait

4 NATIONAL

SEPTEMBER 2026

size, not the size of the fish that you are trying to catch.

WHAT ARE THE BEST LURES FOR SEPTEMBER SNOOK?

The best thing about September is the mullet run typically begins about then. Millions of mullet will flood the inshore and offshore waters of Florida; a little later for Georgia and the Carolinas. Every marine predator will be gorging themselves on these delicious baits. Mullet imitations of varying sizes will be a good bet when the schools are passing through. The key is to match the size of the mullet in your area. Mullet within the schools might range from 15 inches down to 4-inch finger mullet. Large topwater lures work great around the outer parts of the schools. My personal favorites are Heddon’s Super Zara Spooks in pearl white, but oftentimes they will hit any color that mimics the size and profile of the fish they are feeding on correctly. Another great choice is the D.O.A. Bait Buster Shallow Runner. This is a soft plastic topwater/ subsurface lure that perfectly matches 4- to 5-inch mullet. Go get ’em. Capt. Mike Smith, owner of Fish Your Ass Off Charters, has been fishing the inshore waters, oyster bars and grass flats of Florida for more than 40 years. Reach him at (561) 339-2317, email: contact fishyourassoff.com or visit fishyourassoff.com.

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TIPS FROM A PRO •

DROP SHOT FOR THE TOUGH BITE

TYLER WOOLCOTT

he end of summer is drawing near, and the !shing is getting a little tough. From !shing pressure through the summer to warm water temps, this September can be a grind at times. Fish tend to get a little lock-jawed, and this can be really frustrating. When this scenario presents itself, I pull out a spinning rod, downsize my line and bait, and slow down my presentation to get !nicky !sh to eat. One of my favorite techniques this time of year is a drop shot. My drop shot rig consists of a weight tied to the end of the line with a hook and soft plastic tied in about 12 to 18 inches above the weight. #ere are two styles of baits I like to drop shot. One of them is a !nessestyle worm like the 13 Fishing Rabbit Ear Joy Stick Ultra #in 4.5’ worm. I like a worm on my drop shot when I’m targeting largemouth, especially in Southern states. #ese !sh are usually feeding on a little bit larger forage, and the !nesse worm is a perfect !t. Rig this worm on a 1/0 Hayabusa FPP Straight hook with a 1/4- or 3/8-oz. WOO! Tungsten weight for the perfect presentation. #e other soft plastic I like on a drop shot is a small bait!sh imitator. #e 13 Fishing Vertigo Minnow gets a ton of bites. When you !nd !sh chasing small bait!sh or you’re up north where there are smallmouth bass, this style of soft plastic gets the job done. Rig it on a Hayabusa DSR132 #1 !nesse hook with a 1/4- or 3/8-oz. WOO! Tungsten weight, as well. I like to keep things simple when it comes to colors. With !nicky !sh, you want your bait to look as natural as possible. I match colors to the forage in the lake. When throwing the !nesse worm, my favorite colors are the green pumpkins and even pinkish colors like a morning dawn. With the bait!sh, I stick to white and pearl or your green pumpkin and brown. A drop shot is an awesome way to get bites when it gets tough. With the bait suspended o$ the bottom above your weight, it gives !sh a di$erent presentation than the normal Texas rig. Pitch it around hard cover like

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wood and rock, drag it through grass or throw it around dropo$s or deep spots. I always have a drop shot rigged this time of year, and it puts !sh in the boat. Drop Shot Gear: A drop shot is a !nesse approach. I use a 13 Fishing Omen Black 7’1” medium fast action rod paired with a 2500 size spinning reel. Spool this combo with Seaguar 10-lb. Smackdown braid leading to an 8- to 12-lb. Abrazx fluorocarbon leader depending on the cover and water clarity you are dealing with. Capt. Tyler Woolcott is a professional tournament angler, as well as owner/ operator of Florida Big Fish Adventures, providing bass and saltwater guided fishing trips: www.floridabigfishadventures.com.

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A FAMILY KEYS

LAUGHTER, LUNACY & LOBSTERS

PHOTO COURTESY OF KNOCKIN TAIL LURES®

here is a special kind of chaos that happens when you put your entire family on a center-console boat in the Florida Keys with a pile of lobster gauges, oversized gloves, nets and tickle sticks. Everyone starts the day believing they are an expert lobster hunter. #at con!dence usually lasts until the !rst person gets into the water. Our mission was simple: catch Florida spiny lobsters. #ey have long antennae, great camouflage, and the ability to shoot backward faster than you would think possible. #e basic idea sounds easy. You snorkel across the shallow reef, look under rocks and ledges, and watch for antennae sticking out. Once you !nd a lobster, you slide a tickle stick behind it and gently tap it forward. #en you position your net so that when the lobster shoots backward, it goes right into the net. At least, that is how it is supposed to work. With my family, it looked more like an underwater comedy show. At one point, my teenager managed to guide a lobster straight toward his own shorts. #en we tried to measure our !rst catch underwater with the required lobster gauge and accidentally let it escape.

S By Capt. Michael Okruhlik Watching it disappear while everyone was laughing through flooded masks was probably the funniest part of the day. For the !rst few hours, the lobsters were winning. We missed with the nets, bumped into each other and wasted plenty of time chasing lobsters that had already found another hiding place. Eventually, though, we started to !gure it out. We found several lobsters tucked beneath a patch of seagrass and !nally got into a rhythm. One person worked the tickle stick while another handled the net. Every lobster was measured carefully before going into the bag. By the end of the afternoon, we had a legal catch and enough lobster for a meal none of us would soon forget. One of the best things about lobstering in the Keys is that some dockside restaurants will cook your catch. We pulled up to a restaurant o$ering “Hook and Cook,” handed our bag to the chef, grabbed a table seaside and waited. #e chef served the lobster !ve di$erent ways. We had split tails grilled with garlic butter, lightly fried lobster, blackened, chilled lobster with mango and lime,

and a few others. Every dish was di$erent, and every plate came back empty. By the end of the night, we were tired, sunburned and covered in dried saltwater, butter and mango juice. We didn’t catch the biggest lobsters in the Keys, and we de!nitely didn’t look like professionals doing it. But we caught enough for an incredible family meal—and made the kind of memories we will probably laugh about for years.

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Rahill Wins 2026 Florida Python Challenge

he Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and partners announced the results and winners of the 2026 Florida Python Challenge, an event intended to raise awareness about invasive species while engaging the public in Everglades conservation through removal of invasive Burmese pythons. Over the course of the 10-day event, 907 Python Challenge participants from 30 di$erent states, as well as from Canada and Vietnam, collectively removed 280 invasive Burmese pythons from south Florida. A highlight of this year’s event was the return of Everglades National Park as a partner and one of eight o&cial Python Challenge competition locations. #is year’s Ultimate Grand Prize winner of $10,000 was Tom Rahill (pictured), who removed 96 Burmese pythons during the competition—all of which were removed from Everglades National Park, contributing directly to Everglades conservation. #e longest python of the competition was also removed from Everglades National Park, measuring 16 feet, 5 inches, and removed by Rahm Levinson. “#e number of invasive pythons removed from the Everglades during the 2026 Florida Python Challenge is a major victory for Florida’s native wildlife and a testament to what can be accomplished through strong partnerships and public participation,” said FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto. “#e 2026 Florida Python Challenge was a resounding success, made possible by the dedication of our sta$, the generous support of our partners, the continued leadership of Gov. DeSantis and the commitment of the many competitors who participated in this year’s event. With more than 1,600 pythons removed through Florida Python Challenge events to date and more than 19,000 removed by FWC and South Florida Water Management District contractors since 2017, these collective e$orts continue to reduce the threat Burmese pythons pose to Florida’s native wildlife and ecosystems.” #e 2026 Florida Python Challenge was hosted by the FWC and the South Florida Water Management District, working closely with partners at the National Park Service and the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida.

For more information on Burmese pythons, visit MyFWC.com/Python. The public can also help by reporting pythons and other nonnative snakes, tegus and monitor lizards to FWC’s Invasive Species Hotline at 888-IVE-GOT1 (888-483-4681), and by reporting sightings of other nonnative fish and wildlife online at IveGot1.org or by downloading the free IveGot1 smartphone app. More information on nonnative species can be found at MyFWC.com/Nonnatives.

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LAST-MINUTE TRIP PRODUCES RECORD BLUE RUNNER By CAM Staff

last-minute invitation to go !shing turned into a trip for the history books when Danny Ireland landed a 10.1-pound blue runner, breaking a Florida state record that had stood for nearly 30 years. #e !sh surpassed the previous Florida record of 8.5 pounds by nearly 2 pounds—and came within 1.1 pounds of the 11.2-pound world record. #e remarkable catch happened Saturday, April 18, after his friend Brandon called Ireland late on the night before to invite him along on a family o$shore !shing trip in Southwest Florida. Ireland’s original plans for the weekend had fallen through, so he jumped at the opportunity. #e group started at one spot that produced little action before moving to a nearby reef and began to chum. Brandon quickly got some yellowtail snapper !red up and started catching them one after another. After trying unsuccessfully for mangrove snapper with his girlfriend’s rod, Ireland switched to his go-to setup: an 8-foot Shimano Teramar paired with a Penn Slammer 4500 DX, rigged with approximately 20 feet of 20-pound leader and a 1/0 hook. He free-lined a piece of thread!n to the left of the yellowtail school. “A couple left the school to come over to my bait, and before I knew it, the bait disappeared on the surface, dragging and ripping instantly,” he recalled. At !rst, he thought he might have hooked a mahi-mahi. But the powerful run quickly suggested otherwise. #e !sh took him around the back of the boat and became tangled in several lines, forcing the crew to cut them in an e$ort to keep the !sh hooked. Ireland was doing everything he could to end the !ght, even cupping the spool and tightening the drag in hopes of breaking the line so he could get back to !shing for snapper. But when the !sh !nally came within sight of the boat, everything changed. “#at’s a record blue runner! Get it in the boat!” Brandon yelled. #ere was just one problem: the landing net broke.

With no other option, Ireland grabbed the blue runner by the tail and managed to pull it aboard. #e group took photos before getting back to !shing and continued catching !sh throughout the day. It wasn’t until they returned to an area with cell service that they realized just how signi!cant the catch might be. Ireland looked up the existing records and quickly realized the !sh was going to be close. A shrimper at the dock weighed the !sh at 10.5 pounds on his scale. Two days later, after the !sh had been kept on ice, Ireland took it to a certi!ed scale at Marina Jack’s in Sarasota. #e o&cial weight came in at 10.1 pounds, enough to break the longstanding Florida blue runner record and just 1.1 pounds shy of the recognized 11.2-pound world record. “I’ve been !shing my whole life and never would’ve imagined I’d break any record, let alone on a last-minute trip,” Ireland said.

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Brian Gober

Rare Breed Charters

aptain Brian Gober is an OUPV Licensed Captain with Rare Breed Charters, specializing in inshore and nearshore fishing throughout Ponce Inlet and the surrounding waters of Central Florida. Brian’s passion for fishing began at a young age. Growing up on the water and creating lifelong memories fishing with family sparked a love for the outdoors that has only grown over the years. Today, he continues that tradition with his own family while sharing his and whatever else the day may bring. Captain Brian is committed to providing a knowledge, experience, and passion for For Brian, fishing is about more than safe, exciting, and memorable experience fishing with every guest who steps aboard. just the catch, it’s about the adventure, the aboard Rare Breed Charters. With a strong understanding of the local stories, and the memories made along the waterways, seasonal patterns, and the way. Whether you’re a seasoned angler CAPTAIN variety of species found along Florida’s chasing your next epic catch, visiting BRIAN GOBER coast, Captain Brian enjoys putting Florida and looking for an unforgettable RARE BREED CHARTERS anglers on everything from redfish, snook, day on the water, or introducing your 386-295-4581 www.rarebreedcharters.com trout, and flounder to nearshore species family to fishing for the first time,

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Captain Sean Smith 386-318-1036 SRC Adventures srcadventures.com Nearshore/Offshore

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SEPTEMBER FISHING REPORT

eptember marks the beginning of our transition into fall fishing here in Ponce Inlet, and with it comes one of the most exciting times of the

year: the mullet run. As schools of mullet begin moving through our waters, the action picks up and our hunt for trophy bull redfish begins. Around the jetties, anglers can expect opportunities for bull reds, big snook, and tarpon feeding heavily during the fall migration. Live mullet, croakers, pinfish, crabs, and larger artificial lures are all great options for targeting these bigger fish. In the backwaters, creeks, and surrounding inshore areas, we’ll continue targeting slot-size redfish, smaller snook, mangrove snapper, and speckled trout. These areas can provide steady action and are a great option for anglers looking for a variety of species. September is an exciting month on the water, with cooler-season CAPTAIN patterns beginning to develop BRIAN GOBER and some of the biggest fish of the RARE BREED CHARTERS year starting to show up. The fall 386-295-4581 www.rarebreedcharters.com bite is just getting started!

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Locally Owned With A Locally OwnedMenu With A Chef Inspired Chef Inspired Menu Millie’s offers fresh LOCALoffers seafood, Millie’s meat and produce. fresh LOCAL seafood, meat and produce. Millie’s south

S.Ave, Atlantic Avenue 3218 S. 3218 Atlantic Daytona Beach Shores Daytona Beach Shores, FL 32118 386-275-1492 3218 S. Atlantic Avenue Daytona Beach Shores, FL 32118

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386-275-1492 Millie’s North 330 S. AtlanticHours: Ave, Ormond Beach 386-275-1492

Monday 11am-9pm • Tuesday closed 386-238-9756 Hours: 11am-9pm Wednesday - Saturday • Tuesday closed MondayMonday: 11am-9pm Sunday11am 9am-9pm - 9pm Wednesday - Saturday tuesday: Closed 11am-9pm Wednesday - sat: 11am - 9pm Sunday 9am-9pm sunday: 8am - 9pm

8 VOLUSIA COUNTY

SEPTEMBER 2026

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PONCE INLET & BACKWATERS FORECAST

eptember is the beginning of my favorite part of the year, fall fishing! This is when the mullet run happens, everything we try to catch all year comes together to take advantage of the bait that will be readily available like big snook, bull redfish, tarpon, and the mighty jack crevalle. Plus cooler weather is right around the corner making it much more enjoyable on the water! The mullet run can make for some exciting fishing, and if you can time an outgoing tide around sunrise or sunset your setting yourself up for a chance of a day you won’t forget. I recommend a 6000 series reel up to an 8000

for this time of year. You don’t want to get outgunned by a trophy fish. Pair that with 40-60# braid and 40 lb fluorocarbon leader and you’ll be in a good spot to land a 35 inch

and fish on a weekday. Watch the tide and moon charts and if you can get a day that’s 1/4 noon and an outgoing tide that work in your favor, get out there and make a memorable day of fishing. As always if you see us out there say hello and snook, a 40lb red fish, and a 80lb tarpon all in if you want to schedule a trip to see what fall the same day! Mullet are my go to bait in the fishing is all about give us a call today to set up beginning of the mullet run . As the migration a trip! goes on I do feel like mixing it up with pinfish, croakers, live & halved blue crabs will also help CAPT. JAMIE THRAPPAS you produce hook ups. Yellow Dawg Fishing With school back in and with the holidays www.yellowdawgfishing.com right around the corner you can get the inlet (386) 366-3424 almost to yourself if you’re able to sneak out

No Job too big or too small Residential and Commercial Services including: - Land Clearing and Site Development - Asphalt paving ,milling services, and material by the load. - Concrete - foundations , slabs, driveways, and commercial services - Demolition & Site Cleanup - Fill and Compaction - Bobcat & Excavator services including pond digging

Call us today! (386) 218-6969 1980 Cameron ave. Sanford, fL 32771

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sharks, barracuda, redfish, and snook. The Youth Angler Program is made possible by all our retailers who stock Sol Fishing’s gear such as our Hats, Decals, aptain & The Kids strives to always and Performance promote youth anglers both at shirts and many the local level as well as nationally through our “Youth Angler Program.” If it was more products. Stop by New Smyrna not for passing down techniques, traditions, Beach Outfitters and the love for the water, it would slowly Outriggers, Donald’s fade away. It is our mission to always instill conservation and ethical fishing to our youth! Bait & amp; Tackle, 38 Live Bait & amp; Capt. Evan started the Youth Angler Tackle, E & J Bait Program after finding out how many kids in & Tackle Sunglass the New Smyrna Beach area had never been Cabana, Shades of fishing, never been on a boat, and was born New Smyrna Beach, and raised in the area. Since that day Capt. Evan strives to getting more and more youth Boaters Exchange, anglers on the water each and every year! Sol and Pedago of NSB to get your Sol Fishing will do everything possible to make Fishing gear to help every young man or ladies fishing dreams come true. It does not matter if the kids want support the Youth Angler Program! Sol to go offshore or inshore, Sol Fishing will Fishing’s amazing sponsors such as Tidewater target whichever species they want to catch. Boats, Legacy Marine, Black Oak LED, Penn, Some of the most recent species that the youth anglers have been wanting to target are Plano, Fenwick, and many more all make this amazing program possible! red snapper,lane snapper, cobia, amberjack,

10 VOLUSIA COUNTY

SEPTEMBER 2026

CAPT. EVAN SANDERS

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Sol Fishing

www.solfishing.com

407-796-2088

he fish really slowed down in Florida, Wilbur By The Sea, to be exact, so we packed up the Maverick pick-up and headed straight North to Canada, where my in-laws live, in a little town north of Montreal called Rawdon. There are lakes, rivers, waterfalls and chutes, and lots of deep woods with trails to walk God‘s country. Ya, mon! We drove for two days and arrived in the wilderness. The fresh air, smells, and deep green were very refreshing. After the extreme heat from Florida, it’s in the high fifties in the morning, and gets up to eighty by the afternoon here. We decided to go to one of my favorite lakes, Lake Blanc, a pristine glacier lake near the town of St. Damian. We brought our own little electric motor with a battery, and rented a jon boat to cruise 5 miles an hour trolling for trout. We get the boat and start fishing, immediately letting out at least 100 feet of line with a spoon. Silver, bronze, or copper. Sometimes the spoons have bright colors on them, also. They’re attached to a 4-foot leader rig - or whatever you wanna call it - with a nice fat blood worm on the end, with a little tiny hook. You just start to troll at a very, very relaxing and slow pace. You sort of let the line sink to the right level and you know what that’ll be. That’s when the fish will bite. After a while of going up into the lake and trolling, I get a little nip, then a nice bite. I got so excited, I pulled too hard and horsed it. I yanked the hook right out of its mouth and lost it. A real rookie move. We lost another two at the boat and then I got a really nice smack and hauled in a 14-inch rainbow trout. Ya, mon! And the day was just starting: We ended up with two beautiful rainbows and a brown speckled trout.

It’s a new day and we’re heading out very early this morning to go back to Lake Blanc. That seems to be the place with the most fish. I’m going with my brother-in-law Patrick and his son Philip Mariette and we are stoked. The fishing started off real slow, trolling around the lake for a few hours, and then it started and didn’t stop. We got nine trout! I only got one, those guys got four apiece. Like I said, I’m a big rookie. We’re going for a big cookout tonight. One of the real pleasures of Canada is cooking trout on a barbecue with some big sweet fresh corn, grilled. Next, me and my wife Sophie are heading up to Nova Scotia. I’m gonna try to locate a local guide, to pay it forward and go beach and rock walk fishing, and get some striped bass. I hear they catch all kinds of things from the beach, even salmon. It’s about a 12 hour ride to Digby, Nova Scotia, which is the scallop capital of the world, so they say. I’m definitely showing up hungry and thirsty. Ya, mon! First we are stopping in Quebec City on the St. Lawrence. This is on our way to Nova Scotia, to the Bay of Fundy, where there are 36-foot tidal surges, and we’re going to fish for striped bass. So far, the trip to Canada has been very fruitful and exciting, but now it’s time to put on the reggae music of Toots and the Maytals, one of my favorites, and me and these rainbow trout are heading to the smoker. MARCO POMPANO

Surf Fishing Guide Marcopompano@gmail.com (386) 212-4838 Wilbur by the Sea Facebook @ Marco Pompano

WE HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO FLOAT YOUR BOAT!

www.surplusunlimited.com

Family Owned & Operated For Over 30 Years!

386-252-5019

613 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL 32114

We Buy & Sell Marine Closeouts & Surplus

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Central Florida Favorites Best Boat Dealership & Best Boat Service & Repair 2025 Winner

12 VOLUSIA COUNTY

SEPTEMBER 2026

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KAYAK SUMMER SUNRISE SUCCESS ON KENANSVILLE LAKE

ong before the sun crested the Florida horizon, Kenansville Lake was already alive. The humid summer air hung heavy over the sawgrass and maidencane, and waves of insects surrounded the launch as three Nucanoe kayaks quietly slipped into the water. It was the kind of morning every Florida angler knows well, hot, muggy, and full of anticipation. Fortunately, once we paddled away from the shoreline, the bugs slowly disappeared and the fishing action began almost immediately. Located between Indian River and Brevard counties, Kenansville Lake has become one of Florida’s premier destinations for trophy largemouth bass. Unlike many reservoirs that rely on deep structure or rocky shorelines, Kenansville is a vast, shallow fishery dominated by hydrilla, maidencane, lily pads, and expansive vegetation mats. During the summer months, the early morning hours often provide the best opportunity before Florida’s intense heat settles over the lake. As daylight spread across the horizon, the first pattern quickly revealed itself. Thick floating vegetation mats held aggressive largemouths waiting to ambush prey moving across the surface. My first productive mat produced three quality largemouth bass on a hollowbody frog in short order. It wasn’t an isolated pattern either. Fishing alongside me, Andrew Blair and Greg Matakaetis were both finding success on similar vegetation mats using frogs to trigger explosive surface strikes. Every cast carried the anticipation of a violent blowup, making for an unforgettable start to the day. Like many Florida summer patterns, however, the frog bite gradually slowed as the morning progressed. Rather than continuing to force a fading pattern, we began covering water in search of active fish. Before long, scattered schools

of largemouth began revealing their location by pushing baitfish to the surface. Every so often the calm water would erupt into a feeding frenzy as bass crashed through schools of bait before disappearing just as quickly as they had appeared. Those brief surface explosions provided an important clue. Instead of chasing every busting fish, I turned to my electronics to locate the bait beneath the surface. Side imaging allowed me to identify schools of baitfish holding in slightly deeper water, and it quickly became clear that the largemouth were positioning themselves nearby, waiting for opportunities to

feed. Once the bait was located, the presentation became simple. A slowrolled bladed jig worked alongside the schools consistently triggered aggressive strikes from bass keyed in on the forage. The adjustment completely changed the remainder of the day. Several quality largemouth in the four- to five-pound class came to the kayak using this approach, proving that the fish had simply relocated rather than stopped feeding. Then came the fish every angler hopes for. As the bladed jig worked slowly past another school of bait, the rod loaded up with the unmistakable weight of a true Florida giant. After a tense fight in open water, an impressive 8.5 pound largemouth finally slid close

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enough for me to grasp, a fish that made every early alarm clock worthwhile. The day reinforced an important lesson about summertime bass fishing in Florida. Success often depends less on finding fish than on recognizing when their behavior changes. Early in the morning, the bass were positioned shallow beneath vegetation mats where frogs produced explosive topwater strikes. As conditions changed, the fish followed roaming schools of bait into slightly deeper water, where electronics became the most valuable tool on the kayak. Being willing to adapt and allowing side imaging to locate active baitfish turned what could have been a slow afternoon into one of the most productive days of the trip. Fishing from our Nucanoe kayaks proved to be another advantage throughout the day. The ability to quietly maneuver through shallow vegetation, stand comfortably while casting, and transition efficiently between shallow mats and open-water bait schools allowed us to cover water without disturbing feeding fish. Combined with modern sonar technology, the kayaks gave us the versatility to stay on active bass as the pattern evolved. Kenansville Lake once again proved why it has earned its reputation as one of Florida’s finest bass fisheries. From explosive frog bites at sunrise to offshore feeding schools later in the day, every adjustment rewarded us with another opportunity. Sharing the experience with friends, watching patterns unfold in real time, and ending the trip with an 8.5 pound trophy bass made for a day none of us will soon forget. Some fishing trips are remembered for the number of fish caught. Others are remembered for a single unforgettable bite. This one delivered both.

TYLER BEAN YOUTUBE.COM/ @TYLERBEAN21

SEPTEMBER 2026

VOLUSIA COUNTY

Under NEW Ownership by Cody Moore, Third Generation Fisherman

New Smyrna Outfitters specializes in offshore bait and tackle as well as inshore, flats, and fly fishing gear. Along with carrying all of the equipment you need, NSO offers services like rod/ reel repair, line spooling, splicing, rigging, outrigger setup, and NSB Outfitters offshore and tackle, tackle, that’s as well much more. Ifspecializes you are notinlooking forbait fishing ok,as NSO also offers the best in apparel, eyewear, drinkware, and and inshore, flats, and fly fishing gear, with extensive options in apparel more. Some of the quality brands include but aren’t limited to accessories. New Smyrna Outfitters has the knowledge and experience Costa, Bajio, Olukai, Free Fly, Marshwear, Aftco, Anetik, Yeti, to guide through whatever typeNew of fishing looking to do. Stanley, Hemlock, Salty Crew. Smyrnayou’re Outfitters strives to carry the best brands and offer the best customer service.

SAME STREET, NEW LOCATION! 223a Canal St. | NewSmyrnaOutfitters.com (386) 402-8853 Mon-Sat 9am-6pm | Sunday Closed

Winter Caught Bally Hoo

14 VOLUSIA COUNTY

SEPTEMBER 2026

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EDGEWATER BACKCOUNTRY FORECAST

e have been waiting all year for the first day of Fall after a long Florida summer, the first fishy change of the season is the start of the mullet run. Most of the migrating baitfish stay in the ocean along the beach and near the inlet, but some of the schools come inside and travel along the intracoastal waterway on their journey south. Followed by inshore migratory game fish, cast net mullet for bait, use larger ones for Bull Redfish, Tarpon, Sharks and bigger Snook, finger size for Jack Crevalle, Bluefish, Ladyfish, Spanish Mackerel, as well as resident fish like Flounder, Trout, Mangrove Snapper, slot size Reds and Snook. Free line baits on the surface or fish deeper with a small weight under the bait schools, try mullet live, fresh dead, or cut. Lure and fly fishermen can have good action with top water or subsurface lures which imitate mullet. Snook season opens September 1, bag limit is 1 per person, slot size limit is 28” to 32” overall length, a snook permit on your fishing license required to keep one. Best places to target snook in our area can be the Intracoastal Waterway bridges and docks, Ponce Inlet channel and jetties, Spruce Creek, Tomoka area, Haulover Canal, also in the Edgewater Backcountry. Try mangrove & oyster shorelines and points with deeper drop-offs and flowing current. Use a larger bait or lure to target keeper size snook, try live mullet, pinfish, pigfish, croakers or

large shrimp, for artificials use swimming type plugs for surface action or jigs for fishing deep. Fall can have some of the best action of the year at Ponce Inlet, main attractions are big spawning Redfish, Snook, Sharks, and Tarpon.

Drifting the inlet channel and its western entrance is the most popular technique, free lining whole or half blue crabs, live pinfish, pigfish or mullet, on outgoing tide can be the best choice most days. Use heavy enough tackle

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to land the big Reds quicker not to stress them any more than necessary by an extended fight with light tackle. The best way to photograph your trophy red is to hold them horizontal, do not hang them vertically by the jaw with a fish grip, and then return them to the water as fast as possible. If you want to know the weight of your big red or any large fish, measure the length and girth with the fish in the water, then calculate the approx weight using the formula, length times girth squared divided by 800. Late summer patterns will continue for a while longer on Mosquito Lagoon, for Seatrout, early morning top water lures and soft plastic jerk baits, after the sun is up, live pigfish or croakers freelined on drop offs, in holes and sloughs near mullet schools. For lagoon Redfish stay shallow, with soft plastics, select shrimp, live finger mullet or cut bait. Night time dock light fishing will continue to be be good, fall migratory fish arriving will also be feeding on baitfish and shrimp attracted to the lights, Snook, Trout, Jacks, Bluefish, and Ladyfish can be thick at the right lights, fish moving tides especially outgoing for the best action. CAPT. MICHAEL SAVEDOW

Edgewater River Guide EdgewaterRiverGuide.com (386) 689-3781

SEPTEMBER 2026

VOLUSIA COUNTY

Live Where Others Vacation!

SAM TRANQUILINO LIC. REAL ESTATE AGENT

Hanna Group, LPT Realty • 144 E. Indiana Ave. DeLand, FL 32724 C: (386) 337-0416 O: (386) 873-7095 • E: SamTranquilino@HannaGroupExperts.com W: SamTranquilino.lpthomesearch.com • O.W: Hannagrouprealty.com • Volusia County native • Licensed real estate agent since 2017 • Dedicated to exceeding client expectations • Strong communication and personalized service

www.USHarbors.com

Ponce De Leon Inlet South, FL - Sep 2026 High

Date AM

High

Date

Rise

Set

Tue

12:01

3.6

5:25

0.3

6:15

0.6

7:01