By: Capt. Bruce Andersen
August is one of the hottest months of the year here in the Florida Keys, but don’t let the heat keep you off the water. While temperatures on land can be downright steamy, conditions offshore are often surprisingly comfortable. A steady ocean breeze, slightly cooler temperatures, and the calm seas that are common this time of year can make for a beautiful day on the water. It’s not unusual to leave the dock at sunrise and spend the day fishing on glass-calm seas.
Offshore fishing remains excellent throughout the summer, especially for mahi-mahi and blackfin tuna. The mahi can be found all summer long,
and you never know when you’ll come across a
set of birds or piece of debris holding a giant school of hungry fish.
As we move into late summer, the blackfin tuna fishing really starts to heat up. Every year we look forward to the beginning of the late summer and fall tuna run, when schools of blackfin gather around our offshore humps, including the Islamorada Hump, the 409 Hump, and the West Hump. These fish are incredible fighters and so much fun to catch. While we catch them by trolling small lures and vertical jigging, by far my favorite way to target blackfin tuna is live bait fishing and chumming with live baits such as pilchards and cigar minnows. Watching a school of tuna explode on a handful of live baits is one of the most exciting experiences in offshore fishing. The biggest challenge is often getting them to the boat before the sharks decide they want an easy meal.
The reef fishing is just as productive during August. Yellowtail and mangrove snapper are still providing excellent action around the reefs. For anglers who enjoy bottom fishing, August offers opportunities to catch quality mutton snapper along with a variety of grouper species, amberjack, almaco jacks, and many other bottom dwellers that call our reefs and wrecks home.
One of the things I enjoy most about August is the variety of fishing available. On any given day we can fish offshore for mahi-mahi and blackfin tuna, then spend part of the afternoon on the reef catching snapper and other bottom fish. Few places offer that kind of diversity.
If you’re looking for a great way to escape the summer heat, come spend a day on the water in the Florida Keys. Whether you join me aboard the Captain Easy or fish with one of the many outstanding professional charter captains and fishing guides throughout the Keys, August offers some of the best offshore and reef fishing of the entire year.
— www.captaineasycharters.com | You can reach Captain Bruce Andersen at Capt. Easy Charters, MM 85, call 305.360.2120 or email at: captbrucekey@comcast.net