Fall marsh fishing is shrimply fantastic!

Up until a week ago, we were suffering through one of the hottest spells of early Fall ever, with several high temperature records.  Then came this cool front with highs in the 60s and 70s and lows in the upper 40s. Here on the home lake, the water temperature dropped from 80 degrees to 65 this morning!

Everyone is enjoying this cool weather including the fish.  As the water cools, and oxygen levels rise, both freshwater and saltwater species exhibit "Fall vigor".  They are more aggressive and fight harder when hooked.

On the coast, speckled trout have begun invading the marsh, where they're finding huge numbers of big shrimp.  How thick are the shrimp right now?  Two of the locals here have been going to Rockefeller Refuge and using cast nets, catching their limits in just 30 minutes!  Then yesterday I got a report from TigerJake, who caught several keeper specks - 14 to 16 inches - busting shrimp under diving birds.

Normally, larger trout are piscivourus while juvenile trout prefer crusteceans.  But from October through mid-November, shrimp are the main course for the Snaggle Tooths of all sizes.   My fly box reflects that... mostly shrimp patterns with a few baitfish mixed in just in case. 

Shrimp Flies on the menu

My number one shrimp pattern for many years was the EP Spawning Shrimp. David Olsen showed me his Polar Fiber Shrimp and that worked even better due to the translucency - and a look similar to the popular Vudu Shrimp lure. 

But eventually I went back to natural materials.  I picked up several patches of Artic Fox at the International Fly Tying Symposium several years back and it makes for an impressionistic shrimp with lots of action.

But to be honest, there are any number of shrimp patterns that will work great this time of year.  Recently, Chris Williams shared one of his favorites with our local club for our monthly tying session. The Shrimp Slurpee is a unique top water shrimp pattern by Bend-It-Flies in Charleston, SC.  

VOSI

For submergent shrimp patterns, there's nothing more effective than fishing them under a "Vertically Oriented Strike Indicator" or VOSI.  Back in the early 90s, I had this idea of creating a flyrodders popping cork by taking a cigar-shaped perch float, cutting it in half, and making a concave face on each flat end. 

The VOSI works because (1) the sounds of feeding activity attract fish, and (2) it imparts a vertical motion to the fly, and as many of us know, seatrout are vertically challenged.

The key is to use a long tippet section - about 30 inches - so the popper and dropper are more vertically aligned in the water.  Also, placing the VOSI on heavier tippet impedes the popping action.

This crustacean feeding frenzy won't last long.  Get out and enjoy this great weather and great fishing.