St. Augustine – August Fishing Report
The bite has been great all summer long, and this month is no different. Get ready to hook into redfish, trout, and flounder inshore, as well as tarpon, kings, sharks and more along the beaches. How do you beat the summertime heat when on the water? Well– get out at first light, or wait for the last few hours of daylight, right around dusk. Those are typically the best times to catch the fish feeding this time of year. Just like I’ve said the last couple of months, it’s the summer pattern, and top-water “walk the dog” style plugs as well as “chuggers” will make for some exciting catches, especially during those lower light conditions.
One very important ingredient for catching fish this time of year is to look for the bait. Whether it’s finger mullet, shrimp, or pogies, if you find the bait, you’ll find the fish. The bait can be easily located by looking for nervous water (small disruptions on the surface, similar to a very small boat wake). You can be sure that redfish, trout, and flounder will be hanging around the schools of bait looking for an easy meal. Don’t overlook the banks along the ICW on the lower tide stages this month. A lot of the baitfish will come out of the creeks and hang along those ICW banks, especially the ones that have oysters scattered on them. Again, the bigger fish will be in close pursuit.
If you’re fishing inshore during the higher tide stages, try a popping cork. Popping corks are a Summer go-to for my clients and me, as the noise from the cork can persuade even the pickiest of fish to bite. The “pop” that the cork creates, allows fish to find them in the murky summer water and make for some really exciting hookups. You can use a live mud minnow or shrimp under the cork, or a scented soft plastic or cut piece of bait. The combo of the pop from the cork, and the scent from the bait will definitely get some looks.
Last month we got off to a great start with our tarpon season, with many fish coming from behind the shrimp boats (and their by-catch slick) along the beach. Also look for the silver kings to be feeding early in the morning on the bait pods just off the beach, if the pogies ever to decide to show up in good numbers. Free-line a pogy around the bait pods, and hold on. If the tarpon don’t want to play, do some trolling along the beach for some line-screaming kingfish action (there will be plenty of them out there). There will also be plenty of smaller tarpon inshore in the canals and deeper creeks and flats. A back-hooked free-lined finger mullet, a free- lined select shrimp, or medium sized pogy, will all make for a great tarpon snack.
Capt. Tommy Derringer
904-377-3734
www.InshoreAdventures.net