Doc on August Fishing

By August, the better part of the summer will have been spent. Granted, it has hardly seemed like summer with the unusually heavy rains and relatively poor fishing conditions that generally characterize month. Still, there are plenty of good fishing days in store for coastal anglers in the coming weeks; and there will be many chances to make up for potential fishing days that were spent watching the rains fall.

The usual sultry August heat does not provide for the best mid-day fishing conditions; and fishermen will have to look to the early, pre-dawn hours or after dusk for the best action. Fishing under the lights is a tactic that I successfully employ in the fall, but there are a number of coast anglers who enjoy great success fishing at night for front beach trout during the mid-summer as well. I too will try my luck with a Countdown Rapala under the casino lights this month, and we'll see how it goes.

Focusing on days when the high tide reaches its peak from about 6:00 to 8:00 A.M. and fishing an hour or so before sunrise is one proven way to hook up with big trout this month. On calm mornings, solitary big trout will cruise the shoreline right off the beach in search for easy pickings. As the sun begins to come up, these fish will gradually begin to move farther and farther into deeper waters where they oftentimes will hole up until the next tidal cycle. Schools of smaller and less educated trout will roam the flats even after sunrise where they will succumb to a live shrimp fished under a popping cork or a well-worked shallow-running or topwater bait. 52-M Mirrolures continue to be productive with trout this time of the year, and topwater Mirrolures and Norm Baits are also a good alternative whenever the fish are inclined to rise to a floater.

When the trout are unavailable, many veteran front beach anglers will rig up for catching flounder instead. Live shrimp fished right on the bottom are a sure bet for hooking up with one of these flatfish; but soft plastic jigs, like the Mann's Stingray Grub, will also take account for plenty of these fish. One of the best natural flounder baits I know is a strip of sea robin belly. Fished either by itself or used to sweeten a jig, this bait is almost irresistible to a flounder.

For the nearshore fisherman with big fish on his mind, the month of August will continue to provide excellent opportunities for hooking up with big, BIG jack crevalle. Already, vast schools of these bruising gamesters are making regular visits to the front beaches and churning the water to a froth with their antics. When in a feeding frenzy, a jack can be enticed to strike almost any type of fast-moving bait. The key here is to fish the offering fast otherwise the speedy jack will have an opportunity to closely investigate your bait and likely reject it. Mr. Champs, Kastmasters, Sidewinders and Johnson Sprite spoons are a good choice for catching jacks and other migratory pelagic species. With Spanish mackerel, bluefish and other toothsome types, you will want to attach the spoon to at least a six-inch black Steelon leader.

Barrier island fishing can be excellent this month too, particularly in and around the barrier island passes. Here, you never know just what might take a fancy to your bait. Sharks, bluefish, mackerel, cobia, ladyfish, gafftopsail catfish, pompano, jack crevalle, bonito, Southern kingfish, and, of course, the ever favorite red drum and spotted seatrout are all real possibilities when fishing the barriers. Use your boat to get there or do as I often do; and take one of the Pan Isles Excursion vessels operating out of Gulfport and Biloxi for a day of wadefishing fishing fun. If you've gotten there in your boat, you have the added bonus of being able to fish the Ship Channel buoys and markers for cobia and tripletail both on the way out and on your return to port. The exciteable lemonfish can be enticed by almost any type of artificial, but feathery jigs and noisy floaters are a cut above the rest. Of course, nothing beats a live pinfish or sea catfish for whetting the appetites of a hungry lemonfish; and catching a mess of these for bait can pay off handsomely for anyone with the patience to do so beforehand.

There you have it. Fish very early or very late inshore; and in the middle of the day stick to fishing the barrier islands, nearby Louisiana marshes or offshore. That's the ticket to August fishing success...