By: Capt. Bruce Andersen
August, here we go. We’re in the dog days of summer and it is blazing hot out there! As hot as it is I can’t think of a better way to beat the heat than heading offshore for some fishing with maybe a quick dip at the sandbar on the way home. Pack up the family, bring plenty of cold beverages, sunscreen, and a big straw hat and go enjoy the beautiful waters of the Florida Keys one last time before school starts!
We’ve got several options for fishing this time of year. Offshore, mahi fishing is still a great option and some of my better days fishing for dolphin have come late in the summer, especially the last couple of years. The black fin tuna fishing also really starts to heat up in August, and together with the mahi make for an awesome offshore experience. So far this year the seaweed hasn’t been nearly as bad as many reports on the news and social media had made it out to be. There’s actually been a little bit less sargasso weed than many of the past several years, but there’s still enough to form up nice weed lines and large patches most days which is great for mahi fishing.
On the reef the snapper are biting! Mangrove, yellowtail, and mutton snapper are all part of the catch. The tail end of the mangrove snapper spawn is still going strong with huge hordes of mangroves on many of the reef spots in 30 to 60 feet of water. I like to chum heavy for these fish. You’ll often get the small and medium sized fish chummed right up to the surface where you can catch them on light spinning tackle. While this is going on don’t forget to put a bait on the bottom for a chance at the large ones! Cut bait of many types will work, but live pilchards will really spark up the bite if you have them.
After a day of fishing it’s always a great idea to hit the sandbar for a quick dip to cool off! As long as I have enough notice that you’re interested in the sandbar it’s always an option on the way in from a fishing charter. Give me a call and let’s get out there one more time before summer is gone!
— 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