Capt. Rick Davidson (grassflats2@yahoo.com), Editor
August Fishing Report
Our biggest challenge this month has been rain, but fortunately it's been intermittent and not associated with any hurricanes, so it was possible to get out most every day if you were patient. Scallop season has been continuing with lots of the tasty bivalves still available. The hot spots continue to be to the north, from off of Rock Point to the Bird Rack in depths from 3 to 8 feet. While not quite as widespread as earlier in the summer when they were in shallower water, the scallop meats are much larger. Just keep moving if you haven't found scallops within a few minutes. Offshore, our captains have had some excellent trips for gag and red grouper, kingfish, cobia and Florida snapper. Inshore, the redfishing has gradually improved and there are now some very large fish in shallow water schools, both north and south of the river. Areas around Sink Creek and Cow Creek to the south and Bayview, an area just north of Rock Point, have been productive. Smoak Allen took his friends Sarah Conoly and John Sinisterra on a trip that provided some excellent red and trout action, as shown in these pictures. My friend John Monahan also scored some oversized redfish on a regular basis, fishing 'shiner tails' (fresh pinfish filets) under corks north of the river.
Fishing Forecast for September
Still a few days of scalloping left (until September 10 th ), so hurry down to the Sea Hag. Remember that many of our guides will split trips and do a scallop trip for a half-day, then a fishing trip for the other half. And even though it won't affect September, the most exciting happening this past month was the likely re-opening of the red snapper season. Specifically, the Gulf Council agreed to reopen the recreational red snapper season beginning at 12:01 a.m. October 1, 2010, to be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday only, through 12:01 p.m. November 22, allowing for an additional 24 fishing days. The measure will be reviewed and, if approved, implemented by NOAA Fisheries. All of our offshore guides love snapper fishing, so make your reservations early so you won't miss out on this opportunity. The offshore bite will continue to be excellent this coming month. The migrating baitfish pods will continue to head north, with kingfish, Spanish mackerel, and assorted jacks, ladyfish, and cobia trailing behind. You can count on live bait fished on the bottom as being most productive, but squid and other frozen baits will work as well. As water temps cool later in the month, try trolling with lipped diving plugs like the Stretch series, along with the bottom fishing that is usually most productive in the high water temps of mid-summer. While trolling plugs, you can run a weighted spoon in the prop wash for the occasional kingfish strike. Inshore, near the end of last month the redfishing improved dramatically, with a large number of overslot fish being taken. That pattern will continue. While there are certainly great fishing for solitary redfish, it's worthwhile to spend some time in very shallow water, looking for schooling redfish. They will tail in low water, if you have the boat that can get to them. They can be taken on live or dead shrimp, cut bait, topwater or crankbait plugs, or gold spoons when you find them. Try and be very stealthy; in shallow water, redfish will take off if they sense your presence. If you do hook a fish, try and get it in quickly, for two reasons. First, it will be less likely to scare off the remainder of the school, and second, in warmer water, redfish will exhaust themselves and may die if not resuscitated at the time of release. Trout have continued to avoid the shallow flats, in part due to water temps and in part due to the scalloping hordes, but have been taken in 4 to 10 feet of water fishing Gulp-tipped jigs on the bottom in grassy areas. A lot of Spanish mackerel have been taken in shallow water as they follow schools of whitebait, so be prepared to lose a few baits. When targeting them, find schools of whitebait around some of the nearshore bars, or set up a chumline in those same areas. Just make sure you have foot of wire leader above your jig, shrimp or spoon. As always, you can get everything you need in terms of tackle, bait, and boating supplies from the Ship's Store. A great selection of terminal tackle, live and dead bait, chum, rods and reels, and all the plugs and jigs you will need are available. Just ask what's working, and you'll be put on the right tackle by the Sea Hag experts.
Now a few reports from our excellent guides:
Capt. Steve Rassel http://www.lastcastrass.com
Thanks for making this August the best on record for scalloping and fishing. Nice limits of both, and you can still scallop until September 10. The trout have been biting good, some days shallow and some days deep. There has been a great run of sand trout also. Red fish are still in the shallows and a lot of the fish are over slot.
Capt. Tommy Thompson
(352) 284-1763
www.flanaturecoast.com/capttommy
If you're interested in a 'catch-and-release hunting for big fish' trip, please give me a call or check out my Web site, www.flanaturecoast.com/capttommy And if you're interested in some more in-depth information about fishing Florida's Big Bend, take a look at my weekly Fishing4Cast on the Florida Sportsman Magazine Web site at http://www.floridasportsman.com/4cast/bb, the Florida Sportsman Big Bend Action Spotter column in each month's issue. July, and scallop season, is right around the corner. I don't do 'scallop trips' but there's some great half-day opportunities if we leave the Sea Hag at dawn and fish until the scallopers wake up and the craziness begins.
My award-winning fishing guidebook, The Saltwater Angler's Guide To Florida's Big Bend and Emerald Coast, might be a help to you if you spend lots of time at Steinhatchee (or anywhere from Chassahowitzka to Pensacola). It's got LOTS of secrets, tips and tricks, so don't forget to pick up a copy at the Sea Hag Ship's Store the next time you're at the marina. You can learn more about the book at www.saltwateranglersguide.com
Also, my book, The Inshore Advantage, Aerial Photos of the Shallow Waters near Steinhatchee, Florida is again available ONLY at the Sea Hag's Ships' Store. Although pricey ($75), the hardbound book with its 26 high-resolution color photos, taken at very low tide will give you a decided advantage in that you'll get a close-up look at the details of the shoreline from Pepperfish Keys to Sponge Point. The photos are also overlaid with GPS numbers and place names to help you better understand the shoreline. Also included are two articles, Steinhatchee Inshore Waters and Navigating Steinhatchee's Rocky Shoreline.
Captain Brian Smith, www.bigbendcharters.com (877) 852-FISH
Consistent morning and afternoon thunderstorms have limited fishing, both inshore and off. But, when the weather permits, the fishing has been on the hook. A hint: it takes time to catch live bait, but it is time well spent. Fishing outside of seventy foot, the red grouper action has been hot. Admittedly, most of the fish are just short of legal but in 'short order' a limit of quality red grouper can be met. Often, an ordinary spot will turn out to be a fast paced limit-ender with some keeper fish needing to be let go after realizing what just happened. The heat of summer isn't the best time for gag grouper, so don't expect many; instead be happy with whatever you get. A few locations are still holding large amberjack. Live bait is the ticket to ride the reef-donkey. Amberjack fishing is like hot sauce; a little bit is fine but too much and you'll be hurting the next day. Amongst the AJ's, there are mangrove snapper (5lb+). You might trick some 'mangos' by scaling down the hook and bait size. A surprise cobia isn't that surprising while you punish yourself with amberjacks. If the trip has to be quick due to weather or whatever, jumbo Florida snapper are swarming the hard bottom areas in forty feet. Florida snapper are 'fast food' at its finest. While offshore, take a moment to drive-thru and take home.
Captain Steve Hart, www.legallimitscharters.com (352) 498-0299
THERE IS NO OIL AT STEINHATCHEE OR ANYWHERE ALONG FLORIDA'S BIG BEND. WE EXPECT OUR WATERS TO STAY CLEAN AND CLEAR. OUR SHALLOW CONTINENTAL SHELF WILL LIKELY PROTECT US FROM ANY ADVERSE EFFECTS OF THE OIL.
