Central Florida Inland – August Fishing Report
Rain, Rain & More Rain!
Well, forest fishers, we wished for rain last year; and our wishes dang sure came true. Mother Nature seems to be on the same track this year, and I hope everyone stays safe during the ongoing hurricane season.
Bass anglers need to keep covering water during these summer months. Bass are plenty ready to strike a lure, but they’re spread out around shaded areas. Keep moving and casting soft plastics until you find a good one. Note: “Drains” (rain run-off) are also key spots when they’re flowing.
When I get a strike or spook a bass, I try to back away from that spot; then come back with a quiet approach. Smaller baits will help get a “reaction strike”, instead of a “reaction spook”. I like to use junior swim baits while I’m moving, then switch to a pitching craw (1/4oz) when I go back to a fish.
If you’re a fish-fry lover, then catfish are on the menu right now. Channel cats are the tastiest type, and last summer we saw a giant 38 pounder come to the scales! Most cats will be in the 3-5 pound range, which is plenty to eat, and a lot of fun to catch. Set out multiple rods, rigged with chicken liver or wiggler worms, and keep an eye on your lines. The dams at Rodman and Moss Bluff are prime spots for shoreside fishers, while boaters have the entire Ocklawaha and St. Johns River to find their honey holes. Tip: Start with the swirling river “eddies”.
The shrimp run on the St. John’s starts at the end of this month. The Palatka bridge area is where most people throw their cast-nets, but shrimp make it all the way down to Lake George. The limit is one 5-gallon bucket per vessel.
Hybrid stripers, bass, and other species will school up on the shrimp pods. Look for topwater blow-ups and diving birds along the main river channel. Rattle-traps, shrimp imitators, and swim baits produce fish on every cast when thrown into a feeding frenzy.
There’s plenty of good options to choose from right now. Keeping an eye on the weather is the key to success. No one wants to fish in a storm, but the moments right before, and right after, can be legendary.