Just What the Doctor Ordered

If you squint your eyes and look real hard you can see it. If you tilt your head back and listen you can hear it. The first signs of September and the greatness that comes with it are just on the horizon and, like the message on your rearview mirror, “Objects are closer than they appear!”

Few pages on the calendar elicit the hope and excitement that September provides, a much-needed shot in the arm to remedy the wickedly hot August doldrums. All sorts of great things this month, college and high school football, the first official cool front will appear briefly, hunting seasons get underway, and pretty near every conceivable pattern of fishing will be in play. It’s easy to see how September can be the prescription we’ve all been looking forward to.

Most folks who fish or hunt will view this month much the way an offensive lineman gazes upon an all-you-can-eat buffet, they want a little bit of everything on the menu. Late summer and fall patterns will emerge as the weather begins to shift to a more favorable set of conditions. Typically we will see the first decent cool front blow in and give us a sample of the north winds we had longed for when the thermometer was reading triple digits.

Besides bringing slight relief from the heat, the north breeze winds will kickstart the fishing as they push water from the marshes for the first time in many months and deliver all manner of shrimp and baitfish into Sabine Lake. This massive dump starts the feeding frenzy and schooling action that so many anglers look forward to every year as the trout and redfish gather up and go ballistic on all the food that is suddenly available. The dead giveaway will be the massive flocks of gulls and terns shadowing the bait from above and providing anglers a clear sign that points to the fish. This pattern is perhaps the most anticipated because of all the action it brings and the ease of which it can be exploited. This is easily one of the very best times to introduce a new angler or kid to the sport because it’s hard to go wrong.

If schooling fish and higher traffic is not your idea of fun, don’t worry, you can still enjoy several other productive patterns. September is historically not regarded as a big trout month but we will see some quality fish caught, no doubt. The wade fishermen will enjoy a little calmer action on the flats near the ICW along the Louisiana shorelines as most of the angling pressure will be a little farther out into the lake hustling schooling fish. The wading angler will enjoy a little more mixed bag during this month as trout, redfish, and flounder will all congregate near marsh drains enjoying the constant flow of food provided by the tides. It’s funny how you see the smile on a hardcore big trout hunter get a little bigger when they accidentally stumble upon some solid flounder.

The constant in all this mayhem due to occur is the presence of redfish; they will be everywhere. Although October is arguably a little better for bigger redfish schools, there will be enough of them roaming around to keep anglers busy. In fact it’s not uncommon to see a great trout bite get interrupted when the redfish decide to crash the party. Countless soft-bodied Corkys have met their demise courtesy of these copper-toned eating machines. There will be loads of oversized reds patrolling the lake and they will give you all the pull you want whenever they’re in search and destroy mode. Watch for gulls hovering just above the surface, appearing anxious and ready to grab whatever hapless morsel appears as they follow the redfish. Unlike trout, the redfish don’t always push their prey all the way to the surface, which drives the birds crazy. If you watch closely you can usually tell what fish the birds are over just by the way they act because there is definitely a distinct difference.

One of the other more popular patterns that will really get going will be using live bait in deep water like the ship channel, Sabine or Neches river, and ICW. A basic Carolina rig with your favorite live bait fished along breaks will be a great option as long as the fresh water runoff remains minimal. We have spent countless hours fishing like this and it’s a great way to relax, very social, and not to mention extremely productive. With the price of gas so ridiculously high it offers up a great budget option as well. I can’t tell you how many days we burned fewer than five gallons of gas while easily catching our limits. It’s a fantastic option and you can find a place to fish in virtually any wind as well.

Now we all know that September will kick off the start of the highly-anticipated fall fishing, but it will also offer up the first opportunity for hunters to get out in the field as well. Dove season as well as early archery will get going along with one of my absolute favorite seasons – early teal. I have become a huge fan over the years of teal season for various reasons and my love for this time of the year only gets stronger as I get older. There are very few things that compare to the sight of blue-wings buzzing the decoys at first light. A good Saturday morning hunt followed by an afternoon of grilling bacon wrapped teal breasts and college football is about as good as anyone can ask for in my opinion.

September holds plenty of promise and is just the beginning to the best time of my personal favorite season. There are not very many times that provide so many quality options for those of us that enjoy the outdoors. Fishermen and hunters alike will rejoice as we flip the calendar page and head into arguably the best stretch of the year. Take full advantage of all that September provides and also be sure you renew all your hunting and fishing licenses as the new seasons begin. Nothing puts a damper on a great day on the water or in the woods like an unnecessary ticket. Enjoy this month and, if you get a chance, take a kid with you and show them how special the outdoors can be.