July and them dog days of summer go hand in hand. Water and air temps are high and the fishing can be great at times. Beating the heat is key here, stick to early mornings or the largest tide movement of the day.
Another key for fishing this time of year is live baits. Having live baits, like pilchards or small pinfish, will increase your bites. Trout, redfish, and flounder aren’t inclined to chase down artificials much because of the heat and lack of oxygen in the water. Most predators are looking to eat larger live baits early and settle down during the day and high temps.
In the mornings, I like to float these live baits over the grass flats in 2- to 4-feet of water for trout and reds. Use a popping cork with a 14- to 24-inch leader and a 2/0 circle hook. As the sun gets and high and temps rise, I’ll move to deeper grass and channel edges in 4- to 6-feet of water and fish live baits on the bottom. Here, I use a ¼ ounce egg sinker and short 10- to 12-inch leader with a 2/0 VMC circle hook. This rig works great for trout and flounder.
CAPT. JORDAN TODD
Saltwater Obsessions
850-227-6550