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Quite a few options this month for local fishermen

5 min read

What options are there for fishermen in the month of August? Quite a few, although you may have to brave hot, flat, calm days or dodge thunderstorms. With the calm seas that are common this month, it opens the door for good offshore opportunities and fishing should improve a little inshore as summer winds down.

There are good reports of snapper fishing that should continue offshore. Boats are reporting good numbers of yellowtails coming from depths averaging from 90 to 110 feet. Mangrove snapper are also in good supply offshore. They can be found anywhere from right off the beaches out to the same areas as the yellowtail. Generally, the farther out or deeper you go, the bigger the mangs are, however, there will be plenty of nice fish caught in the shallower water over the month.

Red grouper can be found over hard coral or swiss cheese bottom in depths averaging 50 to 80 feet. They will also be caught in shallower water but the majority are generally below the legal size limit. Gag grouper are also a possibility from nearshore ledges beginning at about 30 feet with chances of larger fish improving the deeper you go. If you want to get your butt whipped, there are plenty of big goliath grouper that are up to the task. Many anglers find it is hard to drop a big bait over a reef or structure intended for a tasty gag without a big goliath inhaling the bait. Some of these guys easily go over 400 pounds. Most of the time it’s a short battle before you get spanked but if you somehow manage to bring the big fish to the surface, remember they are a protected species and it is illegal to remove them from the water.

King mackerel are still being caught with regularity offshore, not in big schools but some larger fish are hanging around offshore structure. Spanish mackerel are also likely to appear about anywhere.

Inshore the big story this month should be redfish. Up to this point, anglers have been mostly disappointed with the numbers of reds caught this summer. That could change anytime as large schools of fish generally move inshore before the fall run. I have heard a couple reports of nonstop redfish action for an hour or better with upper or over-slot fish over the past week along the coast, so hopefully they will arrive early. The tailing activity has also picked up recently during the evening low tides.

Mangrove snapper will continue to be about anywhere inshore. Oyster bars, deep mangrove shorelines and docks or pilings with good water movement should be holding plenty of fat mangs for a tasty fish fry. Drifting the passes is another good way to put a bunch of snapper in the cooler.

Until the water begins to cool, look for the bigger sea trout to come from areas closer to the cooler gulf waters. Most of the reports with trout running in good numbers over the 15-inch minimum are coming from the western side of the intracoastal channel in the sound. Look for them to continue feeding around bait clouds over the deeper grass flats in these areas.

There is always a good chance to hook a tarpon this month. No, the schools aren’t as huge or plentiful as a month or so ago and the crowd is definitely smaller, but if you put in some time there are plenty around. Fish continue to hang around Boca Grande and the other passes and you are likely to hook into one about anywhere you fish around the sound or harbor. It’s also a good time to go after dark and fish around the bridges and channels. There are also lots of small tarpon from just a few pounds up to 40 or 50 pounds that might show up in canals, creeks or areas where fresh water meets the estuaries.

It’s one more month to go before snook season reopens. The majority of the larger fish will continue to come from areas in and around the gulf passes. As the month winds down so should the snooks summer spawn and they will gradually make their way back across the sound and into Matlacha Pass and other areas. When they were in their pre-spawn mode they were feeding heavily on large, fast, oily baits like pilchards and herrings. Now that they have wrapped up their annual ritual they are once again lazy and often won’t chase these baits in the warm water. Slower live bait like a pinfish or pigfish or even a fresh ladyfish steak on bottom often is the bait of choice for the bigger snook for the next month or so.

I almost forgot, there are still plenty of sharks around. Look for black tips, bonnetheads and lemons closer to the passes and bull sharks in the warmer waters of Matlacha Pass, Charlotte Harbor and the eastern side of the sound. And there are always plenty of sharks of all sizes offshore.

August is not our best month of fishing but one good thing about Southwest Florida is there is no bad month. There are plenty of opportunities out there for the taking. School will be upon us really soon, so let’s get the kids on the water before they go back to work.

If you have a fishing story or photo that you would like to share or for charter information, contact us at (239) 283-7960 or visit us at www.fishpineisland.com. Have a safe week and good fishin’.