Biting right now — August

Cold fronts push water temps down and trout stack up thick in the deeper grass flats and canals. Reds are still moving well on the flats and pompano and black drum crowd the passes and bars. Snook shut down hard in this cold, so we leave them alone and focus where the bite is.

Water is still cool but starting to trend up, and trout, pompano, and black drum keep the rods bending all month. Redfish push into potholes and along mangrove edges on the warmer afternoon tides. Snook are waking up slightly but still slow, and tarpon have not shown yet.

Warming water flips the switch across the board. Redfish, trout, pompano, and black drum are all firing, snook come back on the mangroves and docks, and jacks start busting bait in the open water. First tarpon of the year show up on the flats, though the bite is still just getting started.

Redfish are schooled up on the grass flats and back bay shorelines and this is the best month to find them. Snook are staging around the passes and mangrove points as water warms, and the first push of tarpon starts showing on the flats and along the beaches. Pompano are still around the bars for those who want variety on the same trip.

This is the month we build the season around. Snook are stacked on the beaches and passes, tarpon show up in real numbers rolling on the flats, and jacks are running hard through the bait schools. Redfish stay solid on the flats and trout are still cooperating, so we have plenty to fall back on if the migratory fish get moody.

Tarpon and snook are still at their peak and jacks keep tearing up the surface, so the tackle stays busy even as the heat sets in. Trout slow down hard in the warm water and pompano have moved off the harbor for the summer, so we do not chase them this month. Early starts matter now, we want to be on the fish before the sun gets high and the water gets too warm to fish well.

Hot water pushes snook up into the mangrove shade and they hit hard all month. Tarpon roll the passes and outside beaches early and late in the day, and jack crevalle will flat out wear your arms out on the flats and around the bridges. Redfish and trout are sluggish in this heat, so we lean on the other bites and fish the shade lines and moving water.

Snook and jack crevalle stay locked in all month, working the mangrove edges and current lines through the worst of the summer heat. Tarpon are still around and still eating, just not quite the frenzy of July. Redfish and trout stay slow in the heat, so most days we fish early mornings and target the snook and jacks hard.

Water starts to ease off the summer highs and the whole harbor wakes up. Redfish and trout come back onto the flats, snook stay solid around the points and passes, and jack crevalle keep crashing bait all month long. This is one of our favorite stretches to run a full day and hit several different bites in one trip.

Water is still warm and redfish are stacked on the flats and around the mangrove shorelines, tailing on the higher tides. Snook are still around the points and creek mouths before the fall cool down pushes them deeper. Jacks are running the edges of the bars and will eat almost anything we throw at them.

Cooling water moves trout onto the grass flats in numbers and redfish stay just as strong as October, often mixed in the same water. Pompano start showing up along the sandy troughs and passes, and black drum are working the deeper holes near structure. Snook fishing drops off hard this month, so we shift most of our time to reds and trout.

This is a strong winter month for trout, black drum, and pompano, all holding tight to deeper grass, holes, and passes as the water cools further. Redfish are still good on warm days and low light but slow down some with cold fronts. Snook fishing is essentially done for the month, and we do not target them.