[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he summer sun will once again usher in another great month for local, offshore fishing, as light winds and calm seas will typify the offshore playing field for Treasure Coast anglers this August. Anglers must continue to start their summer time fishing days early, as afternoon thunderstorms and squall lines will carry with them the potential for dangerous conditions that include lightning, heavy rain, and high velocity winds that can threaten small and large vessels, alike. This type of typical summertime weather necessitates that captains and anglers pay close attention to morning weather forecasts and then continue to monitor local radar and listen for weather alerts on their VHF radio, not to mention keeping a wary “Eye to the Sky” during the course of one’s fishing trip.
Some of the highlighted fishing strategies for August, will be drift fishing on Stuart’s legendary “Eight Mile Reef”. Drift fishing will allow anglers to simultaneously cover the complete water column with baits, both by bottom fishing and by deploying a surface spread of flat lines as one’s boat free drifts along this naturally occurring reef line. Eight Mile Reef basically runs north to south (along the Martin County shores) in depths from 110 feet to 170 feet, with the bulk of the reef structure lying in 130 to 145 feet.
Many species of grouper and snapper will inhabit this territory, and on the average, tend to be of a larger size than found in shallower depths. Gag grouper and vermilion snapper will be prime examples of this and will also be prime targets of select bottom baits offered by local anglers. Sailfish, mahi, and king mackerel will be lured to the live or dead baits presented in the surface spread in this reef zone. These fish are all attracted to the structure and the resulting ecosystem Eight Mile Reef provides.
