August is a fantastic month to fish Sebastian to Melbourne. The bait pods are on the beach and the mullet run should start mid-end of August and bring tarpon, sharks and a number of other species up in the surf all along the space coast beaches and should fire up the trout, reds and snook inshore and in the creeks.
The big reds and snook will be eating well in Sebastian Inlet during the day and night. Best baits are live pinfish, pigfish, mullet and croakers rigged on a 50lb leader and a VMC circle hook on a knocker rig. Anglers can drift the inlet as well as anchor up on the tip of the north and south jettys during the outgoing tide. Anglers from the jetty can get in on the action day or night. Live bait is the preference during the day but at night Rapala XRap 14 or bucktail jigs will work well.
The flats from Sebastian through Grant should have mullet and other baits schooled on the flats with the grass that is growing throughout the region. Early morning topwater should provide you plenty of action. I prefer the Rapala X-Rap Pop, Skitterwalk or the TA Crossover Popper fished slowly through the bait pods and along the mangrove shorelines that the mullet are running along. As the sun comes up, I like to fish the potholes for big trout with the Mirrolure Lil Jon or a DOA shrimp. Schoolie trout, jacks and ladyfish are on the drop-offs near the edge of the flats. Go with the XRap Pop early and switch to your favorite scented bait as the sun rises. Anglers that are willing to either leave the boat at home or get out of the boat and wade will have a lot of success.
As the weather stays extremely hot through August, inshore fishermen should get out on the water early in the morning or late in the evening for more success. The bite will pick up in the evenings as the sun sets but you will have a much shorter window than in the morning.
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