During September, water temps begin to drop. Slowly at first due to radiative cooling, and then increasingly as cool fronts invade the state.
Just as humans are invigorated by the cooler air, so are fish by the cooler water. For bass, it’s a time to school up and feed on shad. Two popular spots for schooling bass on the fly are Toledo Bend and Lake Claiborne. EP baitfish patterns, pearl spoon flies and deceivers fished on intermediate line will induce strikes.
On the coast, this is the best month for shallow-water tarpon. Veteran fly anglers will try their luck for poons in the Biloxi Marsh, the northern end of Lake Borgne and the southeast area of Lake Pontchartrain.
September finds schooling reds on the beaches, passes and in interior lakes. If you encounter a “redfish blitz,” then even a bare hook works. Otherwise, fish flies with lots of movement — such as deceivers, seaducers and clousers — and use an intermediate or sinking line to get them down.
Speckled trout make their fall run on the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain, where fly anglers can easily kayak or wade. Most fish will be throwbacks, but poppers will draw strikes from bigger fish. You’ll find bigger trout out west along reefs in Vermillion Bay and in the surf at Holly Beach.
The white trout run peaks this month. Find a reef or hard bottom with moving water and you can load up on 12-plus-inch fish. If you use a floating line, use a long (9-foot) leader and a weighted fly. Let the fly get to the bottom, then make short, quick strips.
