Along with hot summer temperatures comes hot summer fishing! For best success play the temperatures in your favor – fish early morning or late evening for the hottest bite. Early morning means on the water by 5am and then fish until about 10am. Late evening fishing means go fishing from around 7pm till about 10pm, especially focusing on days when the afternoon showers have passed. A word of caution – watch the weather because summer showers can move in any time of day. Remember, fishing is great after the storm.
The bite this month is endless with an abundance of species to catch both in the local lagoons, the Inlets, beaches and offshore fishing. Tarpon, redfish, trout, flounder, mangrove snapper, cobia, and kingfish, are the rod bending candidates in August just to name a few. Fishing in the local lagoons and beaches – start early with a topwater bait like a Rapala Skitterwalk or Zara Spook. As the sun rises go to a jerk bait or crank bait or even a small half ounce buck tail jig. For the jerk bait, try a DOA CAL Shad in white or root beer colors, retrieved fast enough to stay above the grass. Look for fish to feed on broken bottom grass flats with sand holes, near creek mouths and don’t overlook any culverts with running water.
This guide prefers to fish live bait as much as possible when available in August. Throw a cast net or catch a few pig fish or lady fish for bait, always grab a few dozen shrimp on the way out at your local bait store. Suspended live bait under a popping cork and just above the grass is sure to get hit. Now get out there get your line tight. Remember take a trash bag with you. Save our waters for future generations. Tight lines, Capt. Joe.
