This has been one of the hottest summers that I remember in several years. Inshore deepwater structure has been producing sheepshead, black drum and speckled trout. We are also catching speckled trout early mornings on our trips using topwater plugs, and holographic swim baits and curly tails under 4Horsemen popping corks. Most days that bite has been fizzled out by mid morning. We are sightfishing schools of redfish with MirrOlure topwater plugs, gold spoons and Saltwater Assassin plastics. They will eat all day long if you can find them. Just remember to keep your distance and not spook them.
Pro Tip
Most topwater plugs come with terrible hooks straight out of the package. I always change mine out with 4Å~ strong #2 hooks before they ever make the first cast. I like VMC hooks in coastal black nickel but there are several brands on the market that are outstanding and hold up very well. There’s nothing worse than losing a quality fish due to a hook and failure!
While we can’t control the bite we can do the little things that help creep the odds up in our favor while out there.
