Tarpon will be passing the coast and stopping at the inlets along the way, moving in each day to feed and hang out. Croakers, mullets and spots are great choices for baits. A good stiff rod loaded with 40-pound line and some 80-pound fluorocarbon leader will do the job for you. I like a good 8/0 circle hook…just remember not to set the hook and to point the rod to the tarpon when it jumps.
Sails will push to the beach and at times can be found near the sea buoys of the inlets. The same rod you use for the tarpon will work here, but troll with “split bill” and skipping ballyhoo is my choice here. I like 6/0 or 7/0 thin wire circles or 7/0 Mustad keel weighted hooks for them. When using circles, use a light drag and point the rod at the fish and slowly lift the rod for the best hook set.
On the inside, I feel like a broken record here. Drum will be on the flats and docks. Flounder will be eating porgies and finger mullet. On the rising tide, they will move to the marsh edges, and on the falling tide, look for then at the creek mouths as they will wait for the bait to fall out.Speckled trout are still hitting on topwater baits. I find them over shell bottoms with current and bait, the same places where I find flounder and red drum.
Red drum will start their hot summer pattern where you will find them in the shallows in the morning and they will look for some deeper, cooler water mid-day. Popping corks with live bait are the easiest way to catch them, but they will still hit a topwater or a gold spoon any time of the day, especially effective if you are looking to cover water quickly.
Croakers and pigfish abound now and make for great kids’ trips. I like a very light rod, split shot and a gold hook with a small piece of cut squid for bait. For me, low tide, the last couple hours of the fall and the first couple of hours of the rise are the best. I target oyster rocks with narrow channels. Find a dock with an oyster rock and a deep channel and you should find black drum in the mix. A catch of 100+ fish in a half day will keep your kids busy and will provide you and them with a ton of fun and some good table fare.
As always, stay safe out there and watch for the other guys, as more than likely, they are not looking out for you.