 August will continue with very warm waters and temperatures with both pushing the 90 degree mark. A couple of positive signs are evident. Rain showers will bring down the water temperature a little bit and there are millions of small bait fish (sardines or white bait) everywhere in Clearwater Harbor and Dunedin’s St Joseph Sound.
What’s Hot; all inshore fish will be feeding on the herds of small fry baits that seem to be on every flat, along channel edges and under all the bridges. I call this size bait, "next month's bait". Just a little too small to use now, 1 1/2 to 2 inches, but in four weeks, they will be the perfect size, 3 to 4 inches.
Snook will start moving off the beaches to inhabit the mangrove shore lines, barrier islands and the inshore bay waters. There will be some fish on the beaches, so don’t pass them up completely.
Later in the month, redfish will start to push and gang up on the flats next to the mangrove shore lines. Use the top of the incoming tide and get up on those flats. Search along the shallows right next to the mangroves. I will be throwing a Catch 22 in mullet color and a Chug Bug early in the morning. Look for very active waters such as, lots of mullet schools and bait fish in the area.
Trout have been on almost every grass flat throughout the bay waters. Pick a flat that has good moving water, either the incoming or outgoing tide, it doesn’t seem to matter and most likely you will get hooked up.
My clients have caught some of the biggest mackerel in the bay that I have ever seen. Some of these fish are pushing 34 inches and close to 10 lbs. The schools of bait fish in the bays should keep this action alive.
It may be a little warm at times in August, but catching the tide just right and finding your honey hole full of fish is so cool.
Capt. Gary Burch
|
Print Page
HOME
