Reel Anglers Fishing Club
The tough still go fishing!
August is one of the hottest months of the year. It will be normal to find water temperatures ninety degrees or higher! This can be stressful to many species of fish. The warm water holds much less oxygen than water at 70 or even 80 degrees.
To make matters worse there will no doubt be a lot of algae from the bottom to the top of the water column. If there are areas of floating mat algae, please stay away. These mats are often decaying which in the worst-case scenario releases sulfur dioxide a toxic gas. You are especially vulnerable if you are in a kayak or other low to the water boat.
Good current flow and nearby deeper water will be important to most of our gamefish. During August shade is your friend! The most reliable shade will be under the mangroves. Green mangroves will certainly provide more shade than those still damaged by the hurricanes. These shady spots are a haven for both snook and redfish. From my experience the seatrout will be holding on the deep weed edges or in areas with good current and structure.
Cooler mornings with little wind still present a great opportunity for catching fish on top water lures. As the sun rises and fish seek refuge from the heat, I believe that live or cut bait will out fish artificials.
Contrary to what some believe, properly prepared frozen baits can work great. Even high-quality grocery store shrimp will catch lots of fish.
When fishing, I often save a couple of ladyfish for freezing. I put my cut ladyfish in a plastic bag with some salt and baking powder. When thawed, it looks fresh and catches fish. You can do this with any left-over bait including fish or shrimp.
DO NOT use just tap water! The result will be soft, mushy, hard to keep on the hook bait. Many of us, me included, are stuck in the habit of fishing the same areas that have proved successful at other times of the year.
As I mentioned above, moving water and good oxygen levels are very important in August. Two of the best areas that combine these elements are the passes and the beaches. Many snook have migrated to the beaches to spawn. You don’t need a boat to catch these fish.
Especially at night and early mornings they are often in the first drop off within a few feet of the shoreline.
There is also pompano, whiting, seatrout and the occasional redfish withing casting distance of the beach. If you are a boater, get as close as you can to the beach and cast toward the beach or horizontal to the beach. Fishing the passes for me are a bit tricky. I like the incoming tide because it brings in fresh, clean, well oxygenated water. I like the outgoing tide because if flushes crabs and bait fish out to the gulf. Often trolling spoons or crankbaits in the current rips can result in Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish or large Jack Crevelle.
If you really want to catch fish this time of the year hire a guide! They are on the water almost daily. They are in tune with the daily fish movements and where the best fish are holding. This is off peak for most guides. If there is a guide you have wanted to try, now is the time to book them.
If you are looking to learn from local anglers, please visit the Reel Anglers Fishing Club. We meet the second Wednesday of the month at 6 PM on the lower level of the Cape Coral Power Squadron building.
For the best parking please use the back entrance. I look forward to welcoming you to the club.
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Dan Carney
President
Reel Anglers Fishing Club
www.reelanglersfishingclub.com
