The Good and Bad of August Fishing
Fishing as many years as I have, August has always been the worst month for the fish to bite. The heat and humidity get so intense that the sweat is pouring off you as if you were standing under a spring shower. However, I decided to make the best out of the worst.
The bad comes with extreme heat and slow or no bites. The opposite side of bad comes with less traffic on the water, which gives you more room to work the mangroves and bridges. Here are some ideas on how to make August fishable. Start early and quit early, or try fishing at night under the bridges.
Look for snook at first light around mangrove cuts with moderate moving water and oyster beds. Artificial baits work great in the early morning light and just before nightfall. Use live bait before 11a.m. and cut bait as the day progresses. Snook, especially the large ones, prefer fresh cut threadfin on the bottom. Their favorite feeding time is at night using live shrimp free lined under the docks that have lights on them. Artificials work fine and Fishbites 3.5” Fight’n Shrimp in TKO color worked slowly around the lights can spell doom not only to snook, but also to trout.
Redfish schools will work the potholes, cuts and oyster bars in the early morning and slowly move into deeper water as the sun rises and water temperature increases. One of my favorites is using a small split shot 1/0 circle hook with cut threadfin around docks or any place where there is structure. I chum by throwing small cut pieces of threadfin around the area I intend to fish. The scent attracts these bottom feeders—it’s just a matter of time before the bite is on.
Bridges are an angler’s best friend in August. The best times for bridge fishing are an hour before the change of tide. Bridges keep you out of the scorching sun, in the shade and dry when the afternoon rain appears. Too many anglers overlook fishing bridges and lose out on some good catches. You can expect to catch black drum, redfish, trout, cobia, pompano and sheepshead. With August fishing you need to be prepared for just about anything. I take rods to handle whatever situation may arrive. For example, I use medium and heavy spinning outfits and 3/0 or 4/0 conventional combos for the big black drum. I also take along a variety of bait that includes live shrimp, sardines, fiddler crabs and artificial baits. It may seem that this amount of bait is overkill, but I would rather have bait left over than come up short and miss out on a good catch.
August is another good time for crabbing (blue crab) in the flats at night–the best being from dusk to midnight (a great time for the whole family). All you need is a couple of lanterns, crab nets and some large galvanized tubs. As you work the grass flats, the crabs are found sitting in the grass, making them an easy catch.
The best areas for crabbing are the flats around the 4th street bridge end of the Howard Franklin bridge, the causeway flats (Courtney Campbell) and Fort Desoto flats.
Here is a secret on catching bait in August. Be on the flats at daybreak and start chumming early. Most guides use Purina Tropical Fish Food which is available in most bait and tackle stores in 5-pound bags or, if you fish a lot, in 50-pound bags at most feed stores. Here is the real secret. Add five drops of Anise oil to the chum. It makes a big difference on attracting the bait fish when water temperatures are high.
Some starter tips for the average angler:
· Start early with artificial baits, if you plan on getting off the water by 10 a.m.
· Some of my favorites are Fishbites Fight Club Saltwater 3” Brawler in Knockout color, 3” Dirty Boxer in Lights Out color and my old standby 3.5” Fight’n Shrimp.
· Catching your own bait is another secret. Most guides use a 10-foot ¼ inch bait net. My choice is the Humpback Flats nets. Most nets average 1.6 pounds of lead per foot about, 16-pounds dry–the flats net is only 1-pound per foot, which makes it a lot easier to throw and saves your back.
Capt. Sergio Atanes is host of Florida West Coast Fishing Report on Facebook and YouTube every Monday night 7-8 p.m. live. He is also host to Aventuras De Pesca USA on national TV and Radio Show. Emil: atanes@msn.com Phone: 813-973-7132 reelfishing.com
