I love fishing in Florida in the fall. Of course, I also love fishing in Florida in the winter, spring and summer, but right now it's fall, so that's what I love.

What's to love, you ask? To start with, I don't have to get up as early to be fishing when the sun rises. In midsummer I'm dragging out of the sack at 5:15 or so to give me enough time to gulp some coffee and load up the boat. This morning I casually sauntered out to the boat at 7 and enjoyed a gorgeous sunrise as I ran south on the Indian River to my favorite grouper hole along the edge of the Intracoastal Waterway.

Then there's the fall mullet run. It's in full swing now and one cast of my net gets me dozens of baits, actually far more than I can possibly use. I used to try to keep them all, but now I carefully select a half dozen or so of the smallest and friskiest and toss the others back. 

Water temps are getting good, too. I hadn't been out in a few days because of the strong winds generated by a vigorous little low pressure system near the Bahamas, so I don't know precisely when it happened, but my fish finder thermometer registered 78.9 degrees this morning, the first time I've seen the water under 80 degrees since last spring. I know I feel friskier in cooler weather and the fish seem to as well. I'll note, however, that there were still more than a few tarpon swirling on the surface this morning, a reminder that summer isn't far gone.  

The only trouble with fishing in fall is that it confronts me with a big question: when to fish? 

During the heat of summer there's no dispute: up early and back home by 8 a.m. as the blazing sun rises higher. Winter has its own requirement: midday, when the sun is high and the fish are seeking warmth. But in fall it seems like just about anytime is a good time. Thus the temptation becomes to start early and stay late and perhaps to neglect some other responsibilities. But what's more important than fishing?