Flagler / Palm Coast – August Fishing Report

Summertime Fishing

August is a great month to hit the beach and target the usual suspect’s tarpon, kingfish,sharks and jacks. Look for shrimp boats to dump their by catch and get ready to hook into various species of sharks using 7/0 Daiichi circle hooks and a minimum of 80lb. test leaders. Once the sharks get their fill look for the tarpon to move in to finish off what the sharks didn’t. A tarpon’s favorite meal seems to be the trout dumped by the shrimp boats, float one in the mix of chum and hold on. Best set up for tarpon is a 6/0 live bait hook with 80-100lb. 6ft. leader.

Look for Schools of jacks pushing water on calm days in 30-55ft. of water, a well place fly or live bait is a sure hook up as jacks are ferocious eaters. Make sure you don’t use inshore tackle because these are not your typical inshore jacks. Ocean running jacks push weights up to 40lbs. so gear up properly or be prepared to get spooled. Inshore Jacks can be found cruising the ICW at first light heading north busting bait. These fish move at a fast paste so keep that motor running and keep up.

The inshore bite continues at first light tossing your favorite topwater lure along grass banks at high tide or along sandbar edges at low tide. During low tides look for schools of reds to gather in the deepest parts of the flat possibly mixed in with the mullet, a live mud minnow on a Daiichi 2/0 circle hook and bb split shot will get the job done. Live bait fisherman can also target redfish around oyster beds and grass edges using a live shrimp and popping cork to get their attention.

ICW banks are holding some nice trout when the current is moving and bait is present. Free lining a live shrimp is hard to beat but for the artificial fisherman a Z-man Paddle Tail and Slayer 1/8 ounce jig head jigged off the bottom will put specks in the boat.

Capt. Chris Herrera

www.PalmCoastFishing.com

386-503-6338