[dropcap]A[/dropcap]s summer wraps up, and afternoon thunderstorms become less frequent, the Treasure Coast offers more than just triple-digit temperatures and 100% humidity. August offers good action for divers and fishers alike, as long as you know where to look for it.
August marks the start of lobster season and most of the nearshore reefs and rock piles are holding them. Tarpon are on the beaches. As you work your way off the coast, look for pods of tarpon and jacks as they run the beach feeding on schools of mullet and glass minnows. Slow trolling large live mullet is a great way to provoke lazy tarpon to bite, and good luck keeping it away from a hungry jack.
If you venture just a little further off the beach, and all the way out to the six mile reef, large schools of sardines and thread-fin herring scurry along the surface as kingfish, bonita and cuda attack from below. Use a second hook, or “a stinger” coupled with a light drag and watch ratios skyrocket.
There aren’t a lot of sails around right now, but there are a few resident fish. This time of year is a great time to pitch live baits to free jumpers and sight cast to fish laying on the surface, I can’t recommend running around all day in search of these opportunities, but I do recommend trying to be ready for any opportunity that may present itself.
Reefs and wrecks in the 45- to 95-foot range will continue to hold a few cobia for the guys looking to put a little meat in the freezer, but if you’re interested in that, the main thing to focus on during the heat of the summer are the yellowfin tuna on the east side of the Gulf Stream. The yellowfin usually stick around though the middle of next month, with larger fish showing up at the end of the season, so you better eat your Wheaties.
Whatever you decide to do this summer, I hope it’s Off the Chain, and remember, drink plenty of water.