Summertime Blues
Every August, anglers around Tampa Bay seem to ask the same question: Where did the fish go? There’s no doubt the bite gets tougher this time of year, but the answer is rarely one thing. Heat, rain, fluctuating salinity, and scattered bait all contribute to the summertime blues.
Assuming this August follows the usual summer pattern, the key is to adjust. Fish cooler periods, target moving water, and look for shade, structure, and lights. Here are a few ways to improve your chances.
· Fish early and be in position at daybreak. Artificial lures can help you start casting right away along mangroves, points, and potholes before the sun gets high.
· Since live bait (greenbacks) can be tougher to find, stop by your local bait store and pick up medium to large shrimp as a backup.
· Try fishing at night around dock lights. Shrimp work great after dark, and the cooler water makes it easier on both the angler and the fish. Around docks, I like a 7-foot rod for accuracy and control. A 1/0 hook, 30-pound fluorocarbon leader, and 20-pound braided line give me enough strength to turn a fish before it gets under the dock.
· Bridge fishing at night is a different game, and your tackle needs to be a little heavier because you never know what is lurking in the dark water under Tampa Bay’s bridges. Over the years, I have caught tarpon, black drum, trout, and some big redfish there. For trout and tarpon, use lighter spinning tackle and let a live bait drift naturally from the dark side into the light. For bottom fishing, step up to medium tackle with a larger spinning outfit or conventional reel, at least 30-pound line, and a 40-pound leader. Fresh-cut blue crab is hard for black drum to refuse, and live threadfins are excellent for tarpon. Position the boat up-current and under the bridge so your baits drift back to the pilings. With light tackle, let the bait slide past the shadow line into the light where trout and tarpon are feeding.
Pompano, sheepshead, black drum, tarpon, and trout are all possible around the Howard Frankland, Gandy, and Sunshine Skyway bridges, especially when there is good current.
Change tactics this month and spend some time along the edges of the Tampa Bay shipping channel. Mangrove snapper, gag grouper, Key West grunts, sea bass, and cobia can all be found around deeper structure and hard bottom.
