IT’S HOT!…Both the temperature and the fishing!
August can be brutal on the water so to mitigate your time in the elements, I suggest you drink lots of water…I cannot overstate the need to hydrate. Water is the best but other thirst quenchers like Gatorade are also important when you are sweating your life away. Remember that with every pint of those products you should drink two pints of water. Sunblock is a must and there are many products to choose from, just remember to reapply often. Clothing for fisherman and boaters has come a long way. New polyester blends protect from sun exposure, wick sweat from the skin and look nice too. Cover up when necessary and take a break from time to time. I know when the bite is happening it can be hard to stop, but exertion contributes to heat exhaustion which can lead to a very serious heat stroke. You don’t want to be lying on the deck like a dead mackerel.
Speaking of mackerel, the Spanish mackerel are on the bite and there are some large ones to be caught. Trolling with spoons or jigs is a great way to cover a lot of area. It also gives you some time to get air moving through the boat so the crew can cool down. When moving from waypoint to waypoint, throw out a couple of lines and troll slowly. You never know what may bite and it’s a fun way to fish. If you are fishing from the beach, try casting a light spoon or jig out beyond the first sand bar. Spanish love to roam up and down the edge foraging schools bait fish. There are other fish doing the same thing so don’t be surprised if you catch something else to put in the cooler.
Red snapper season has been wild, although somewhat short. Still, there are some other snapper to target. Lane snapper can be fished all year, as well as mangrove (grey snapper) and don’t forget the vermillion snapper; small but very tasty. The cobia bite has been slow however, some nice catches are being reported. Give a live pinfish a shot over an OAR reef or wreck and see who’s home. Key West grunts are, as usual, the main stay for times when the season closures restrict the take of some fish. The gag grouper fishery in federal waters continues to be great with a lot of undersize fish mixed in. This shows that the future of grouper fishing in our area may remain strong.
Good luck and be safe out there.
CAPT. CHESTER REESE
Natural World Charters
(850) 228-9060
www.naturalworldcharters.com