By: Capt. Dave Stephens
July is a month that many different things should be going on. Sometimes Mother Nature can dictate those things, and let’s talk about them. This is the time of the year we start seeing large tarpon that have left the pass to move up into the harbor. The deeper holes are the best areas to start looking for them and getting an early start while there is still a calm wind can help. If the ladyfish are feeding on glass minnows this will also attract feeding tarpon, therefore, look for bird activity. For the anglers that don’t want the fight of a large tarpon, the juvi’s can be fun to catch and are usually found on the flats and also outside the bars on local flats. The early morning bite is normally better before the boat traffic picks up. Snook are moving into their post spawn pattern, but will still be found in the normal areas, like bars that are holding mullet, and mangrove shorelines that have good tidal flow. Look for snook also moving into creeks and in the back country, mullet is also important for locating fish in these areas. Summertime red fish can also be very good. It seems to me the wetter summers seem to be better for reds this time of year. Look for mangrove shorelines with good over hanging mangroves, they seem to like the shade on hot summer days. The mangrove snapper bite will be very good in places with deep cover. Deep potholes on the flats will also hold good numbers of fish. If these guys seem a little spooky you might want to drop your hook and leader size down. Also remember fellow anglers this time of year thunderstorms can develop very fast this time of year, therefore, it is important to keep an eye on the sky!
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