Inshore Fishing Report 9/10/21 - Keaton Beach, Florida

Inshore fishing along the Taylor County, Florida coast has been relatively productive considering we are still experiencing quite a bit of intense summer heat. Speckled trout have been cooperative early in the mornings and late in the afternoon on days when there is significant tidal movement. When the water is not moving during the middle of the day, the bite can be tough.

Most of the keeper fish we've been catching have been found in depths of 4-6 ft. We've had good success using popping corks rigged with soft plastics or live shrimp. When choosing a soft plastic color this time of year, be sure to pick one with plenty of sparkle and flash to grab the attention of the fish.

We've been finding a few redfish among the trout on the flats. The larger, over-slot redfish seem to bite well during the incoming tide in 2-4 feet of water. The redfish are biting on the same baits that the speckled trout are biting, so no need to change lures to specifically target reds.

There is still quite a bit of floating seagrass on the flats, which can make fishing with topwater plugs difficult. On occasion, we can catch the perfect combination of wind and tidal movement that allows for some open spaces to throw topwater plugs. As fall approaches, we expect to see less floating grass and more opportunities for topwater fishing on the flats.

We have been able to catch a few flounder on the days when weather conditions are nice. These are being caught on sandy patches between the grass. Just like the trout and redfish, the flounder are biting live shrimp or soft plastics suspended with a popping cork.

All of the recent storms have added a significant amount of freshwater to the flats, so the fish are being pushed to the deeper, salty water. We're hoping the storms will subside a bit as we move into fall, providing many more opportunities to catch a limit.

Are the fish biting? You never know until you go ...

This fishing report is brought to you by Captain Jason Witherspoon of Spoon Fed Charters in Keaton Beach, Florida.