Florida Flats fishing in August

Report Date: August 1, 2003

When you think of August your mind can conjer up an assortment of summer fishing opportunities. From stalking big tarpon or tailing redfish on the flats, snorkeling for scallops, grouper digging offshore, to bream fishing on a small farm pond. Even throwing a popping bug next to cypress stumps and willow trees in search of redbellies and big copperhead bream or Bass. No matter what type fishing you have a hankering for in August, it is likely to be hot.

A good solution to this dilemma is early morning and late evening fishing and for those brave souls, even night fishing.

One of my favorite methods is watching the sun come up over the flats, tossing a topwater plug and watch a big ol? gator trout or red slam it and sending a spray of droplets turned golden by the early morning sun. A scene repeated again and again on an early morning section of flats or oyster bars in our neck of the woods. From daybreak to about 10 o?clock is prime time for early morning fishing, while a couple of hours or so before sunset is good for late evening.


I?m reminded of a story my 88 year old dad tells, while fishing out of Suwanee with his best friend Hubert Alligood on a hot, calm August day. They both were hot as firecrackers, sweltering in the midday sun fishing next to some oyster bars for reds. Dad turned to Hubert and asked,? Does that ol? outboard still run?? Hubert replied, ?Yep, I think so.? ?Well crank it up and let ?er fly!? ?Where we going?? asked Hubert. ?Don?t know and don?t care. Just want to cool off some.? Said Dad.

Best Bets: Redfish is a summertime sure thing. We look for schooling reds along rocky shoreline, oyster bars, grass shorelines and even in open water hard bottom areas. Gold or silver spoons work well as well as soft plastics and jigs., working the incoming and falling tides. When we hit a good school, we stop and switch to live bait like pinfish or cutbait like mullet or ladyfish. Usually we can catch our limit before the school spooks.

On recent trips, we have had no problem landing big reds to 12 pounds and many are above the slot limit of 27 inches. You hook onto one of these ?bulldog of the flats? with light tackle or fly rod and you are in for a battle. Definitely one of my favorite fish to catch on the flats.

Tarpon will remain throughout our area for the summer, however, the recent rains have hindered the clarity of the water and spotting them isn?t easy. We look for rolling fish around mouths of rivers, inside rivers, and in the bays. One method some of the old timers use is to fish a mullet head on the bottom in areas where tarpon are present. A large pinfish or finger mullet under a balloon will work well too.

Grouper getters will have to dodge the afternoon storms, tropical storms and possible hurricanes this month to get out to 40 -60 feet to catch their limit. However, on a good day, it can be well worth it. We catch ?em in 8-10 feet usually within 10 miles of shore.

Trout have moved back and forth between deeper water. We have been using jigs tipped with shrimp or synthetic Fish Bytes and fish them slow. Also, soft plastics like Salt Water Assassins 4in. or 6in. Sea Shad, and DOA shrimp work well. With the floating grass this time of year, anything with a treble hook is useless. So we adapt to the conditions.

Be sure you take plenty of water, sunscreen, a straw hat and watch out for those afternoon thunderboomers. And remember, if it get too hot?.Crank up the ol engine and let ?er fly!!

Until next time?.

Captain Ed Lewis

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