August is always a hot month to fish. Get out early and be back in around 1 p.m. to avoid those afternoon thunderstorms. Make sure you bring plenty of water and sports drinks to stay hydrated and don’t forget to use your sunscreen. The dolphin bite is still strong so take along some ballyhoo and trolling feathers and make sure you have a pitch rod ready for the schoolie dolphin with cut squid or pilchard for bait. You might have to use a run and gun technique to find the dolphin. Look for floating debris, current rips and temperature changes. When you come across the floating debris, make sure you have a pitch rod ready to toss a live shrimp or D.O.A. Shrimp to any tripletail that might be swimming around. There has been an excellent cobia bite going on in 50 to 60 feet of water. I’ve been fishing the club barge area east of the 10A buoy and have been having really good success. Drag a block of chum behind your boat (the cobia will swim right up your chum slick) and you can sight cast to these tasty cobia. I’ve had good success using one ounce red tail hawk jigs as well as live pilchards or greenies. If you get cutt-offs from from using live bait, then tie on a kingfish wire rig, because kingfish are in the same area too.
Remember: The season for spiny lobster opens on August 8, so if you’re out fishing and and you see a dive flag, you must give the dive boat a 300 foot clearance.
Stay safe and enjoy the water!