Summer time in central Florida is ripe with kayak angling opportunities. Early mornings are still calm and the air is heavy with humidity. Blazing hot midday sun will super heat the mainland and afternoon seabreazes feed daily thunderstorms as they March from west to east. The midday water temperature in the lagoon will skyrocket to almost unbearable highs broken only by the cooling afternoon showers. Many fishermen will forgo shallow flats fishing and search for other angling opportunities at these times. I don’t personally leave the flats in the summer and nor do the Seatrout and redfish; however I like them alter my fishing patterns. Baits like mullet, pinfish, and mud minnows load the flats and are growing daily. Most all flats are covered in bait and will have a fish or two, but the most productive flats have shade, deep water, or a combination of both close by. As the sun climbs and the water temperatures start to soar both redfish and Seatrout will seek slightly more accommodating areas. Docks are a great source of high sun heat breaking shade, as is shorelines with healthy mangrove overhangs.
The reds, trout, and snook (because that’s where they already live) will hang in the shade! Add a touch of wind-blown current in the mix and you have the fishy equivalent of our laying in a hammock under a tree with that hint of breeze that’s so welcome on a hot summer day. I doubt most people could be persuaded from this perfect afternoon heat beater for any reason and the same goes for our finned adversaries. However if tempted with a light snack or cold beverage of choice delivered to your hideaway; well that’s just the bonus your day was waiting for! The same goes for our gamefish hiding from the suns relentless onslaught. take the time to “skip” cast far under these snag filled sanctuaries with smaller lures like the Slayer Inc. SSB or paddle tails like the SST typically in pearl white or glow and always rigged weed less/snag less. One of my longtime favorite baits for this duty is the DOA glow shrimp! I toss the original hook provided to the side and plant a 3/0 circle hook square in the nose. Much like hooking a live shrimp, but you don’t need to worry about killing a plastic shrimp. By utilizing this different hook setup and leaving the original “belly” weight provided your shrimp will still act very natural yet give you many more casts without tearing the hook free. The “skip” cast can be achieved by simply shooting a sidearm cast parallel to the water line; thus treating that DOA in the same manner as a stone or shell that you skip across the water. With practice you will be able to shot your lure far under the cover and in the precise spot you want. Be ready to get on the fish when a strike is detected. They already have the upper hand in what is sure to be a battle.
Areas that lack an abundance of overhead structure but have deeper the 3 feet of water will also hold many fish. These reds and trout will feed heavy in the morning and slide off to the deeper water as the sun climbs high. Probe these edges and deep grassy areas with a light jig head pinned to a Slayer SST paddle tail. The steady afternoon thunderstorms will have area ditches and impoundments flowing. Both juvenile snook and tarpon will get in on the moving buffet and readily eat small topwater and hard subsurface lures in white color patterns. those venturing to the beaches for some near shore kayak action would be wise to keep up to date on the “upwelling” Labrador current that sends icy cold water slamming into the shore. This can stop fishing in these areas dead; however warm areas will house large bait schools and the predators that fallow them. Enjoy our summer fishery for the opportunities it possesses and take a child out to soak up the fun.
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