[dropcap]W[/dropcap]here has the summer gone? Another month has flown by and here we are looking at what August will bring. Even though we have had lots of rain and wind, the bite remained very good in July and I am sure that we will find more red drum on the flats with flounder mixed in, Croakers and pigfish are going on the chew and ladyfish are found in the lights at night.
For red drum, topwater will work all day if you look in water depth of about two feet. Gold spoons and paddle or thump tail grubs rigged on a worm hook retrieved at a steady pace will surely get you strikes. When I’m using live bait, I prefer popping corks drifted over the oyster rocks and grass flats. This will also get you flounder almost every trip. When using slip rigs, use the smallest weight you can get away with. I like using 1/4- to 3/4-ounce weights.
Here lately, I have been finding some nice speckled trout eating mullet on the grass flats. Also, be sure to fish for them under and around the bridges. I think live shrimp is the best bait for them. Also in the early morning, fish the middle of the bays with topwaters. For croakers and pigfish, bait is king, but there are many baits that will work well. A simple two-hook bottom rig with a 1/0 hook is fine. Again, use the lightest weight you can get away with. Shrimp, my favorite squid, and Fishbites are great. Look for fish around the end of oyster bars and channel mouths with a shell bottom. Deep holes will also hold them.
Ladyfish are one of the most fun-to-catch inshore fish I know to chase after. They make great runs, jump and fight ‘till they give out. Ladyfish have very large eyes and can see very well, so stealth is key. Topwater is for me the most fun way to chase after them and I prefer the clear Zara Spook. Another great bait is a clear DOA shrimp or grub. For bait, live shrimp is king, with no weight and a very small #8 or #10 treble hook. During the day, you will sometimes find them feeding on glass minnows. If you do, a 19MR MirrOlure is a good bet for getting them to bite. Try a Sliver Luminescence Clear color or a Sliver Luminescence black back. Most of the time, they will work.
As always, be safe on the water and watch out for the other guys as they will not be watching out for you.