August fishing can be some of the best of all year, but the water and air temps can be a little hot and this is when you need to change up things a bit! You may need to go a little earlier in the morning or fish a little later in to the evening; just finding those cooler water temps can make the difference in catching fish or not!
One fish that really likes warmer weather is the flat and happy flounder; it has been a good year for these guys so far! I believe the flounder bite so well when it’s hot is because they lay on the bottom where the water is the coolest; whatever the reason, flounder bite well in August! Have you ever tried using just artificial baits for flounder? It is a lot of fun and you can catch some pretty big ones fishing with artificial baits. Some of my favorite lures for flounder fishing are Berkley Gulp’s five- and six-inch Jerkshad in colors pearl, Chart Pepper Neon, Baby Bass and New Penny. Another bait that has just hit the market is the Berkley Havoc Grass Pig pattern in colors Pearl White Silver Fleck, Swamp Gas and California; these new baits have great action for jigging for big flounder.
Another hot weather fish is the bait-stealing sheepshead, the hotter the better for these guys! Fishing for sheepshead is not hard at all, you just need some patience waiting for the very light sheepshead bite! These hard fighting fish make great table fare and you’ll see why I fish for them so much when you catch one. Fishing around bridges, bulkheads, docks and rock piles is the place to catch these fish. I prefer fiddler crabs as bait; they are about the easiest bait to catch for sheepshead fishing. A Carolina rig with 40-pound mono and a small sharp live bait hook will do the trick to catch you a sheepshead. Try a good braided line like 15- or 20-pound Spiderwire Stealth for sheepshead fishing; when you hook a good sheepshead they will do all they can to break you off on the structure, trust me!
As we make it into August the bigger redfish (bull reds) make their way to the beaches for their fall spawn. These bulls are hard-fighting and very fun to catch. Most of them are over slot so remember to take the time to revive them before release them. Fishing around inlets, sand bars, or in the surf is the best places to find these reds. I always use circle hooks when fishing for bull reds, since most of the fish are over slot it is a good idea to use a hook that will hook them in the jaw, not in the throat or deeper. Fresh cut dead or alive menhaden, mullets or spots make good bait for the bull reds. Keep your eyes peeled on the bull reds for tags; there are a lot of tagged bulls out there!
Tarpon fishing will still be going strong in August; this is one fish that is always fun to have on the end of your line! I look for tarpon around local inlets, shoals and hard bottoms close to shore. Live or fresh dead baits like menhaden or mullet on the bottom are the best bet for getting a bite out of these beasts. I prefer circle hooks in sizes 7/0 to 10/0 and my leader material is always Berkley Big Game 60- or 80-pound fluorocarbon; tarpon have great eyesight! Tarpon are around from early July to late September most seasons around Wrightsville Beach.
Tackle run down: Penn Battle Spinning reels in 3000 & 4000 sizes for the sheepshead and flounder. For tarpon and bull reds: Penn Battle 6000 & 7000 and 320LD Penn casting reels. Rods are Fenwick HMG & HMX 6’6” & 7’ medium and med/heavy for the sheepshead and flounder. For tarpon and bull reds: Ugly Stik Tiger Lite Jigging series. Line is Spiderwire Ultra-cast in 10- and 15-pound for the smaller guys and Berkley Big Game mono in 30- and 40-pound for the tarpon.
Thanks for reading Coastal Angler Magazine!
Capt. Jot Owens, Penn Reels Elite Staff • Ranger Boats Pro Staff
www.captainjot.com • 910-233-4139
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