by Capt. Joel Brandenburg
The standard weather forecast in August is light winds and chop and sunny or partly cloudy in the morning. Wind and chop picking up in the afternoon with 50% chance of thunderstorms. We are a tropical region in the peak of hurricane and thunderstorm season. The weather can turn a charter fishing captain into a hero or a zero quickly. With today’s radar technology, you can avoid storms more easily. You can also hang in a fishing spot longer. When storms approach in the summertime, some important changes impact the fishing. One thing that happens is the temperature changes. When the temperature drops the bite normally turns on, start chumming, put your sandwiches away and cast that bait. When storms role in and the sky turns from sunny to overcast look to anchor in ambush spots. Fish will venture out of previously shady locations and feed out on the flats, oyster bars and river mouths.
When the wind shifts reposition your vessel to get the wind at your back for a longer cast so as not to spook the gamefish. Once the storms turn the sky overcast you can work your live bait or artificial bait more aggressively. Because the temperature drops and the gamefish come out in the open to feed they will be more willing to chase and much less lethargic than they were when it was sunny. A heavy down pour will also cool down the water temperature quickly. I like to fish out in wide open spaces when it raining. I also like to cast to banks and mangrove edges were crabs, bugs, and other food chain species can be washed into the water from the rain were gamefish are on standby to ambush. Snook, redfish, trout, flounder, tarpon, mackerel, kingfish all seem to feed more aggressively with an approaching storm. I will hang in there and fish in a storm or an approaching storm, but the first sign of lightning and I’m out of there. Many times in August my family and I will spend a few weeks in the keys lobster diving and spear fishing. When your underwater watching nature and the sky gets dark and the wind starts howling you can see crustaceans and fish come alive, they exit their holes and come out to feed. Use the storms to your advantage this August.
For a charter with Captain Joel Brandenburg visit www.anabananafishing.com or call 813-267-4401 or visit him at Hooks at Little Harbor Resort.