Port Canaveral Offshore – August 2024

August fishing can sometimes be a challenge but also a fun time. The cold water is usually still around and causing issues for bottom fishing and finding bait. By cold water, I’m talking about the yearly thermocline. It’s very cold! Just check your weights when you bring them up. Sometimes you can mark a line on your bottom machine as well, separating cold from warm line. Just because you can’t get a bottom bite going doesn’t mean the bottom fish don’t come up in the water column a little. Get on the wrecks and chum. You will find the cold pushes the fish up. They try to get to the warm water level. It’s not uncommon at all to see amberjack, snapper, cobia, mangroves and many other species not far from the surface. Picking out the biggest fish can be fun, especially for your charters.

Kingfish should continue to do well, many fish in the 40- to 50-lb range. But also a lot of snakes to weed through. Makes for some fun steady action for charters.

Nearshore beach fishing is going to really be picking up. The tarpon are there and rolling every day on bunker pods and, honestly, any bait you can find inshore. You can slowly troll them or just drift in the mornings with live bait. We have caught them on everything—chunk baits, live baits and artificials. There is not much they won’t eat. Beach fishing in 20-30 feet is a blast. You’d be amazed how shallow all these fish come in. Kings, bonito, crevales, cudas and many other fun fighting fish. Look for the schools of bunker. If you find them, you will find the fish.

Shark fishing is about as good as it gets right now. If you’re looking for some fun with the kids, anchor up in 20 feet off the beach and hold on. Bonita and king are excellent bait choices for the toothy critters. The big ones start roaming the beaches right now since there are many baby sharks. Yes, they eat their own.