By Brent Bensmiller:
August is here and man is it hot! It seems like this year has been warmer than most, but luckily the bite has remained consistent. I’ve hit the sand a lot in recent weeks, during the evening in search of sharks, tarpon, and snook. We have been slaying the tarpon and have caught some nice sized linesiders here and there. Most of the sharks caught have been over 6ft with the occasional monsters well over that mark. Cut ladyfish, mackerel, or catfish weighted down on the bottom, are a perfect offering for these game fish. If I’m not on the sand you better believe I’ll be out there in the yak hunting these fish! Nothing beats going for a tarpon sleigh ride or even hitting the mangroves for snook and reds.
Snook are stacked up in the passes and under the docks this time of year. Tie up your kayak to the docks or anchor up nearby and free-line a live pilchard on a medium heavy rod with 40# leader and hold on tight! Throwing a white bucktail jig will get the job done too if you don’t have time to net bait. These fish will take you around the dock pilings, so keep the rod low and put the tip in the water if you have to, while working them out of the structure. Snook are ambush predators that use cover for predation and are generally more active in low light conditions and at night. They are sight feeders with great vision, so you will need to work your lure properly to entice a strike. If you want to get on a hot bite, I would definitely recommend going at night, but sunrise and sunset will still produce. Make sure to have all the appropriate lighting on your kayak so you can be seen by boaters, as well as your headlamp for handling the fish. When you land a snook remember to lip them like a bass with one hand and hold them under their belly with your other hand to help support the fish. Lift them out of the water for a quick picture and send them on their way. When you are reviving them, keep your thumb in their mouth and they will latch on until they are ready to go. Handle these fish with care and you can catch these thumb suckers for years to come.
Tight lines!