By: Eric Henson
Well, it is officially one of the hottest months out of the year down here in Southwest Florida! We’re also having our longest days of the year this month, so does that equal more fishing? Technically yes, however with the heat, you should concentrate your efforts fishing during the cooler times of the day. But just like us, fish still have to eat! With that being said, whether you plan your trips in the early morning, late afternoon or even at night, you should still have great success.
I’m personally not sold on the saying, “the early bird catches the worm”, in regard to fishing except when it comes to these hotter months. In general, I like to concentrate on the tide first and then the time but in the hotter months, time really comes into play. During the hotter time of day fish will become more sluggish which kind of boosts your chances in the coolest part of the day. Both of the golden hours (the hour of light left or before dark) for am and pm are hands down some of my favorite times to target fish. It’s almost like the magical hour!
But if you really want to beat the heat, you can always fish at night! Fishing at night can be extremely productive even on some of the darkest nights. The only drawback is that things can get a little tricky fishing in the dark so be careful and definitely invest in a good headlamp. Or, if you like sight fishing you can always hit dock lights. I don’t do it very often anymore because it is almost like shooting fish in a barrel! Generally, you will catch a couple off of a light, they shut down, and you just move to the next light.
Fishing in the low light times of the day is a lot fun but is also a little bit sketchy, being that kayaks are so low to the water it makes them very hard to see at these times. Just be sure to have lots of reflective wear, flags, and good lighting and you will be okay. Also, the buddy system is a great idea because you have two heads on a swivel to keep you both safe! Well, everyone take care, be safe, and tight lines!!