BACKCOUNTRY / BAY / INSHORE:
Now that most of the crowds are gone and the boat traffic has subsided, it’s time to get out and enjoy some fishing without so much pressure on the fish. This has been a great summer for big trout! The trick is getting after them when that bite window is open. When it’s hot like this, the bite only lasts about 45 minutes and it’s over. Check the tides to see when it is high and falling and be there ready to go when it goes down. It’s hard to beat live bait, but when the bite is on, they will readily hit top-water lures, suspending lures and soft plastics. If the tide movement is early in the morning or late in the afternoon after it has cooled off, don’t miss it. Target them around docks and other shallow structure on and near the grass. Redfish will be hanging in most of the same areas and will eat the same lures. The only difference might be that if you are targeting the redfish around docks, you made need to work your bait closer to the bottom. When rigging baitfish on your hook, remember, most bait fish will swim down if you hook them in the lip and will stay near the surface if they are tail hooked. The really big bull reds are still being caught under the big bridges and in the pass. Small blue crabs work best, but when they start feeding they will hit just about anything. Sheepshead and mangrove snapper are holding near the structures in the bay and are being caught with live shrimp on a lightweight bottom rig. Flounder are being found in their usual spots on sandy ledges, pot holes, and shallow structures. On the beach, tarpon are still cruising and will feed on live baitfish, crabs, soft plastics (white has been working well), and flies. Trolling down the beach and around the buoys is producing some decent king mackerel as well.
OFFSHORE: Red snapper season wrapped up last month and that signals the opening of amberjack and triggerfish season…if FWC opens a triggerfish season. Both are plentiful on the wrecks and structures offshore. Standard bottom rigs will do fine. If you can find live cigar minnows they will do great, but live pinfish will do well too. If live bait isn’t an option, the old standard of frozen cigar minnows will put fish in the boat. Don’t forget that gag grouper is still open and are biting well, as are red grouper, scamp, and mangrove snapper. Don’t neglect the weed mats offshore if you come across one. Have a couple of light weight rigs set up for mahi and tripletail because they will be holding to the sargassum.
CAPT. DARYL SHUMATE
Liquid Native Charters
850-624-6968
Liquidnativecharters.com