Oxygen Levels Drop in August Heat
BY CAPT. RACHEL CATO
The water temperature will continue to rise this month and moving water will be the key to catching any species. Oxygen level of the water will decrease as the temperature increases so watch your bait closely, if an area gets too hot all the bait in your well will begin to die. So, look for signs of life: moving water, bait on the surface, mullet jumping, & light breeze. If you are sitting in an area and it feels quiet then you need to move.
I will often run to a near shore reef when the tide is slow in the morning then as the wind picks up I come inshore. On these hot days of summer, I absolutely fish according to the wind and tide, and will keep moving until I find both.
Skyway will hold bigger bait while the flats will still hold small bait, I like to have both sizes. Snapper will eat the little bait while snook, trout, and reds will eat the bigger bait. So be prepared to have the 1/4 in mesh for flats and a heavy 3/8 in mesh for deeper water.
Spotted sea trout feed heavily on the moving tide mixed in is bluefish, mangrove snapper, and mackerel. Redfish don’t mind the heat and will follow the food onto the flats, while moving with the tide. Schools of fish will move through an area for a period of time and then disappear. I’ll find the same school of reds consistently day after day then poof they’re gone. Keep in mind, I do not have a tower on my boat so I’m not site fishing specific schools of fish, I’m fishing a location during a tide where I know fish will move in and out of. I start fishing areas where I’ve caught redfish in the past, this doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll catch him there again. So, move around, work areas for appeared of time watching, and listening for mullet or fish eating chummed baits.
Captain Rachel Cato h s been a fishing guide out of Palmetto since 2005. She is on the pro staff with Evinrude through Gulf Coast Marine in Port Charlotte and specializes in catching many spec i e s year-round with live bait for up to 6 anglers. To book your next fishing adventure call (941) 524-9664, go to captainrachel.com, or find her on Facebook at CaptainRachelCharters