SEMPER FI
Speck-Tackler Guide Service | Fishing Reports
| Dog Days of Summer |
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| Written by Administrator |
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Dog days of Summer
Well since my last fishing report, things have changed. The super fishing we experienced in June and early July has changed to struggling for half limits in late July and August. The fishing usually slows this time of year, but this year it has really slowed. I’ve been fishing this Summer pattern for many years so I think I know a little about what’s normal and what’s not normal. What we’re experiencing now is not the normal August bite. I have a theory on what’s happened. When we had the two storms in the Gulf in July, we had 5 ft. high tides for about two weeks. When the water returned to normal, a lot of bait and fish had been pulled out with the receding tides. The Jetty’s and the Beachfront are full of fish. I believe a lot of these fish came from our Bay. You can bet that if the bait moves, the fish are going to move with it. I may be full of bull, but based on many years of fishing, I think we lost a lot of Trout when we lost the storm driven tides.
I don’t mean to sound like it’s useless to go fishing. It’s definitely not. I’m catching fish. I’m just having to work harder to catch them. There are a lot of nice size Gulftrout in the Bay, and they are really eating the live croakers. There’s always a lot of Gafftop, and don’t be turned off by these “snot sharks”. They put up a better fight than the trout, and when it comes to tablefare, they’re right up there with the better eating fish in our Bay. Add 15-20 Gulftrout and gaffers to 15-20 Specks, and you’ve got a good mixed box of fish.
I’m still using the “live croakers” and will continue to do so through probably September, although I may go to the soft plastic artificials a little earlier this year. The reason I say that is because I can cover so much more water with the plastics than I can with the croakers. Beginning in September especially, I will work the wells in Trinity Bay, and the reefs in East Bay with the artificials. I will also key on “slicks”. The trout will start feeding up for the Fall as the shrimp start their Fall migration. Birds will start working with the first cool fronts in September. I usually don’t fool with “birds” till October into November. The September “bird fish” are usually undersize fish and pretty much a waste of time.
I still believe the Fall fishing will be good. There are more Redfish in the Bays than I’ve ever seen. The Reds will be schooling along with the Trout and competing for the pods of shrimp that are migrating out of the Bays.
I hope my next report will be better than this one. Once again I say that fishing is not bad, it’s just slower than normal. This can all change over night. If you’re having some slow days, stay after it. Fall is just around the corner.
Hope to see you on the water, BUT NOT TOO CLOSE.
Capt. Bob
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