ESPN Saltwater

In a clear case of supply and demand, Florida's fall beach scene offers some of the year's most concentrated angling action. Here, diversity and abundance combine for an unmistakable and irresistible opportunity.

Similar to the Atlantic Coast's annual mullet run, threadfin herring ("greenbacks"), scaled sardines ("whitebait") and Spanish sardines heading for warmer wintering grounds in South Florida form huge aggregations throughout the Gulf of Mexico's shallow coastal waters.

For anglers, these briny buffets attract virtually every coastal predator for several weeks of nearly non-stop action.

Those fortunate and fleet-footed forage fish that have run the gauntlet of predators through the summer months now face the daunting challenge of traversing the open beaches en route to their southern wintering grounds.

Most will not live to see Turkey Day, as everyone with a mouth and a stomach will be gobbling their share.

Predators know winter is coming. Instinct keeps them on schedule, with shorter days and declining temperatures signaling the chilly season's approach.

The fish realize two key points:

• They have to eat hardy now to survive winter's leanness; and • Their chow line is making tracks for southern waters.

This annual occurrence congregates just about every species of gamefish  and a few questionable tag-alongs  into a gluttonous gathering. The usual cast includes tarpon, jacks, Spanish mackerel, kingfish. little tunny (bonita), sharks, cobia, ladyfish and hefty blue runners.

Predators come from inshore, nearshore and offshore waters with one thing on their mind  filling their bellies as fast as they can. Finding pods of forage in shallow beach water certainly fits that plan, and when the chewing starts, you'd practically have to fish without hooks to avoid catching something.

Find the fun

The carnage occurs throughout the Gulf coast, mostly around inlets and the mouths of bays and harbors. Bait balls will often hold over rocks, along channel edges and around coastal structure such as jetties and piers. The latter provide landbound anglers greater-than-usual access to a plethora of coastal species in close proximity.

Early mornings typically offer the best show, as the rising sun illuminates the shallow beach brine, thereby making the forage easier for predators to locate. Once the show starts, it's a non-stop food fest for several hours.

Tides will move the bait in and out during the day, and that's an important factor for the fisherman on foot. Boaters, on the other hand, have more flexibility to move with the moving bait.

Now, despite their voracious behavior, the fish blasting bait schools on the beach have their range of tolerance for angler proximity, so keep your distance to avoid spooking the fish.

With the wind — and preferably, the sun at your back, shut down 50 yards or so from the bait school, cut the motor and drift into casting range. Dashing right up to a school of baitfish under attack will stymie the action. Once you put the fish down, you can face a long period of waiting, so play it stealthy.

Your best bet will be to observe the school to see if there's any discernable direction to where the gang is moving. With so many different species of predators pushing the bait like a chaotic cattle drive, the action will surface, subside, and pop up 50 yards away.

During these timeouts, there's no firm way to pattern where and when the show will emerge, but watch the sky for clues. Pelicans, terns and gulls will watch the bait school from above and dip down to grab their share of live and freshly chopped baits. Stay with this crowd of shrieking aviators and you'll stay with the fish.

Catch 'em how you can

Hardly an example of technical fishing, the fall beach bait deal offers the rare chance to catch multiple species on just about anything you care to throw on baitcasting, spinning or fly gear. Jigs, spoons, topwater plugs, soft plastic jerk baits, artificial shrimp and Clouser flies are some of the top choices.

If you can get close enough for a good toss, a live whitebait or pinfish under a cork will be met with finned enthusiasm.

Of course, when scores of highly competitive fish turn their appetites toward the huge supply of natural forage, one might wonder why a hooked bait or an imposter would even stand a chance of getting noticed.

It's all about vulnerability — work your baits and lures around the outskirts of the mayhem and your offering resembles a wounded straggler.

Chumming is normally futile because there's already a ton of food in the area, plus the fish are in such a frenzy that they get tunnel vision. The only real application for appetizers is later in the morning when the action starts to wane. After the bait ball has been pummeled relentlessly for hours, what's left of the pod will be so fragmented that the inherent appeal dissipates.

When this happens, hordes of predators will remain in the general vicinity where they'll swim for hours, still amped over all the activity. Soaking a chum bag and chopping fresh baits might concentrate enough for a second round of action, but don't be offended if no one comes to your "after party."

They might just be full for the day. But take heart in knowing that until winter grips the area you can look forward to a daily beach bait bash somewhere along the Central Gulf Coast.

Editor's note: David A. Brown has a B.A. in journalism from the University of South Florida and you can see his work in Florida Sportsman, FLWOutdoors.com, Cabela's Outfitter Journal, TIDE, In-Fisherman, Louisiana Sportsman, The St. Petersburg Times and Saltwater Angler. He also ghost-wrote and published "Fish Smart — Catch More!" for Tampa's cable TV host Capt. Bill Miller (www.billmiller.com) and a couple more publishing projects will be docking soon. He operates a professional writing/marketing agency, Tight Line Communications.