Off shore still plenty of Grouper &Florida Snapper waiting to be caught. Doesn’t really seem to matter which compass heading you take out of Steinhatchee just head in a westerly direction until you reach about 60 to 75 feet of water start looking for any kind of hard bottom or structure. Live pin-fi sh or cut bait works well you will know in just a few minutes if you anchor in the right spot or not. Don’t waste a lot of time in  one spot if your not getting a bite sometimes all you have to do is move a few hundred  feet and things will change dramatically. There is a catch to this though, lots of pesky sharks out there 3 to 4 footers that like to wrap up all your lines into one big twisted mess. I have never gone thru so much tackle before we had to move several time off of  a hot bite just because of the sharks. Th ere are a lot of just barely short Grouper but by the end of the day you can still put together a nice cooler full of keepers.  “Catch Ya Later” be safe.      

“USCG Master Capt. Mike Grothe  “Steinhatchee Fishing Adventures” 

1-352-356-7009 

mikegrothe@bellsouth.net    

We stopped over a very large pod of spade fish, hundreds of them just below the surface. I’ve seen smaller pods of spadefish over wrecks before but not over grass beds – weird. The sharks are everywhere as well. Every year I usually see the same Tiger Shark on Dog Island Reef but this year I can’t keep up with all of them! I’ve got a bad feeling that everything is on the move trying to outrun the nightmare that is on its way. June 10th, I followed diving birds on the clam bar – the bluefish, ladyfish and Spanish Macks were crush’n the glass minnows as well as our Popa Dog plug from MirrOLure.

We had a blast until about 11:30 but for some reason I could not find the trout so I decided to head over to Dog Island Reef where we always limit out this time of year. When I rounded the corner of Alligator Point I was in 20-knot winds and to my dismay I COULD SMELL THE OIL! I started to tear up thinking about what was to come. I’ve been in denial since the whole thing started. I kept thinking it’s not real – If I don’t think about it, it will go away. REALITY hit me HARD. One good think thought, the boys have more boom stretched across the area than I thought possible. I’m hoping it helps protect our fragile ecosystems. Until Next Month  

Patty Davis

Young’s Communications

Barefoot Charters

Big rock pile trout caught on a Gulp Jerk Bait,

Hey, August is here. There is no oil. There is heat. There are fish. There are no scallops, at least today. But there are FISH. Fish everywhere. Well maybe not everywhere, but almost everywhere. Let me see if I can narrow it down for you. Where are the trout? Well, everywhere, but to increase your chances of catching a bunch, I would start outside the refuge stake line. It is hot, and most trout, at least slot size trout seem to like hanging around that 8 to 20 foot range. Yes, 20 feet. Trout will hang out around shallow reefs, usually just outside, and can be caught on live and cut bait. If not targeting one of the public reefs, St Marks Reef, drift fish outside the stake line.

Most of the bottom outside the stake line is spotty, a mix of sand, grass, and rocks. Fish with jigs and gulp combo, or sink a pinfish. Both will work just remember a skiing pinfish is less attractive. If drifting to fast, slow the boat or sink your pinfish on a 1/4-ounce jig head. Hook your pinfish through the lower jaws and out the top. He can be cast this way, for a while anyway. Also, remember if you catch one, mark your spot. You could of just passed over a few rocks that could hold more fish. What about redfish? Well, with all of the rain, redfish are still hanging close to shore. Water temperatures are lower than normal, at least today. A good place to start is the rock piles east of the lighthouse, and the oyster bars west of Shell point. Start early. Throw top water. I throw Mirrolure top dogs and Zarra Spooks.

Color matters less than presentation. If there not killing it, than stop by the shop, 721 Port Leon Dr, St Marks, and we can visit the casting pond. We are still catching cobia, as cobia will hang around all summer. All of the public reefs inside the 35-foot depth are potential hot spots. Sink pinfish with tight drags. Hang out awhile, after marking the reef. It might take some time for them to find your bait, but when they do, put the wood to them. They will cut you off. If you are chasing tarpon, they are starting to show in all the normal spots. I cannot give you all the normal spot locations, as I would take a beating by the tarpon fanatics. But I will say, Appalachia bay has had a few stragglers, but nothing to speak of. West of the lighthouse and the mouth of Ochlocknee bay would be great places to start. Go early, or late and look for rollers.

Live bait works, but so does artificial. Try the match the hatch scenario, and if the tarpon are a no show, go wrestle a huge black drum from under the Ochlocknee Bay Bridge. Bring your heavy tackle. The last note for the month is, there a ton of Spanish mackerel and small kingfish between the St. Mark’s bell bouy and marker 24. Troll anything, with light drags, and keep the grass off your baits and you should catch fish. Hey, did I mention there is a new tackle shop in St Marks. Fully stocked with anything you might need for the day. Ice, frozen bait, drinks, snacks, and stuff. We are open Friday through Monday, 5:30 am till 4:30 pm. Stop by, talk and gather some more intel, and register for our summer BIG FISH tournament. Be Safe, Relax, Catch Fish.

Contact Captain

Mike McNamara at

stmarksutfitters.com

850-510-7919;

or redfish@stmarksoutfitters.com .

Summer time is a great time to fish docks!

Can October get here soon enough? The Coosa River is ready to for you to drop your eggs in and have them hard-boiled! Water temperatures are getting very near the 90-degree mark on the main channel with back water well over 90 degrees. I don’t have to tell you that this makes fishing incredibly difficult. However if you are an early bird you can still get the worm. Early morning top water fish can be caught around the shoreline grass with buzz baits and the Strike King Rage Toad. As the sun begins to climb over the trees and the heat almost becomes unbearable the fishing becomes almost nonexistent. If you decide to continue trying to beat the heat then your best bet will be flipping docks with Strike King Finesse jigs or skipping shaky head worms under the docks. The key here is that the docks need to have deeper water close.     

One other option an angler may have during the heat of the day is off shore structure. The Coosa has plenty of ledge fishing available. Get out off the bank and drag a Carolina Rig or throw a shaky head in deeper water. Look for brush piles on the ledges or any major contour difference and you could get wealthy with the spotted bass. The key here is that the bite only gets better with current. In order to check the current generation schedules you can call 1-800-Lakes-11 and follow the prompts to hear the schedule for the day. I wish you the best of luck and hope you have great success on your next visit to the Coosa River. If you would like to take a guided trip please feel free to contact me for rates and availability. God Bless and tight lines!

Heath Smith

Smith’s Guide Service

256-312-6800

Ty and Alex Morrow caught Mangrove Snappers with Capt. David Cunningham in mid-July

With August temperatures soaring into the high 90’s and the heat index well into the 100’s my coastal fishing trips have been confined to the cooler mornings and evenings. This month we will run trips starting late in the afternoon that will last into the night. Avoiding the relentless heat and fishing in the comfort of darkness has produced some great stringers this month. We are targeting points and other structures that are situated adjacent to cooler deep waters. Nervous schools of finger mullet have been our main focus and when we find them the trout bite has been great.

Fishing the back water lakes has been offering some great sight casting opportunities for redfish. Some of the fish we have taken in these areas have been in less than 8″ of water. The Zara Spook Jr’s have been the ticket for these shallow water reds. Most of the live bait fishing we are doing this month will be with finger mullet. We are rigging these baitfish below The Midcoast “Outcast” popping corks on an 18-24″ leader, one split shot and a #8 treble hook. This combo has produced the majority of our trout this month with redfish and mangrove snappers mixed in. Remember that as the water temperatures reach higher digits, most of the fish that we are targeting will seek out cooler water as the midday heat sets in. This means it is time to start fishing deeper holes as the sun climbs higher and target your shallow spots early and late.

Use the tides to your advantage, when you have an optimal tide early in the morning or late in the evening find an area that is holding bait and you should find some action . If you choose to beat the heat and fish at night stay alert and vigilant while on the water. Remember that extra safety gear may be required on your vessel for night time outings so be sure to check your regulations. Fishing our bays and waterways at night can yield some excellent fishing it can also make navigating a challenge. Use good judgement, know the area you are fishing and take your time while navigating in the darkness. August should present some great opportunities for fishing here on the upper Texas coast, We wish you all the best of luck this month!

Texas Coastal Water Outfitters Capt. David Cunningham (979)-202-2784

Liberty Forge group from Houston, TX caught these red snapper in the gulf out of Freeport

What a great fishing season thus far. We have had a lot of fun these past few weeks catching some really nice fish and weather. The seas have certainly cooperated as well as the sunny weather.  On the week of July 12th-17th we were down in Port O’Connor attending the fishing tournament. There were 96 boats competing for the one million three hundred thousand dollar pot.  Unfortunately I was not the big prize winner. Maybe next year will be my year.  However the weather was wonderful and the people were great. We have been fishing this tournament for 38 years.  During our time there we did catch some nice fish.

One of our anglers caught a wahoo and a white marlin. The weekend prior to going to Port O’Connor we did some fishing in the gulf waters off of Freeport. There we caught red snapper and dorado. Nothing makes a captain feel better than to watch his customers and friends land some nice fish. Makes  the customers happy too!! Hope the remainder of the fishing season is as good as the start has been. We certainly haven’t been affected by the oil spill so don’t hesitate to book your trips now and enjoy some good ol’ gulf coast fishing.

Johnston’s Sportfishing  Freeport, Texas  979-233-8513  800-460-1312

Capt. Ann Johnston  Capt. Doug Johnston

Live shrimp, Bass Assassins and topwaters have taken speckled trout to 28 inches. For waders, the grass beds in West Bay are always fun and normally yield limits to near-limits of trout. Working topwaters as the sun creeps over your shoulder is a classic coastal scene. As the day grows older, Bass Assassins worked on the ledge pay off. Redfish action is best in the sloughs and back bayous. However, when the tide drops, the reds concentrate in the middle of the bay. It has been a good summer in Matagorda. Lots of fish have been caught and lots more are waiting to be caught.

Capt. Mark Talasek 979-479-1397

marktalasek@sbcglobal.net or www.talasekguideservice.com

The other fish of interest for August are trout, Spanish mackerel, mangrove snapper, and shark. The most consistent of these is the Mackerel. Mackerel in my opinion is the most underrated fish we have in the Bay. Normally this time of year we would be targeting snook, but with the harsh weather we had in January, most anglers have not put them in the bulls eye while spending a day on the water. If catching a snook is what you are intent on, they are here just not to the standard that we normally see this time of year. Hopefully Mother Nature will do as it usually does during these situations and recover the snook fishery in a timely manner.

Remember: don’t let your kid be the one that got away, take them fishing. For charter information you can call (813)601-2900 or visit ReelSimpleFishing.com.

By Captain Ric Liles

On the St Johns River and connecting lakes, water levels are unusually higher in August due to the increased heavy rainfall.  Therefore, focus on areas of moving water along creeks, ditches and canals where oxygen levels are higher and baitfish are concentrated.  Also, heavy afternoon rains can create run offs and moving water which can be productive areas with fish feeding in the outflow.

Early morning shiner fishing will be productive on grassy points and deep river banks. Artificial baits that work well in these early morning hours are June bug color plastics like the Gambler 10-inch Ribbon Tail.  Also try plastic toads fished quickly across the top of thick shallow grass and lily pad areas using green and pumpkin seed colors.  Late morning as the sun gets higher, try fishing open water in shell bed areas with Carolina rigged plastics worm or lipless crank bait.  Also, slow trolling live shiners can be a productive way to locate bass along the edges of the grass.

By Captain Tom Van Horn

The dolphin bite has been ok throughout July and should continue to be steady this August as the summer wears on. We have seen fish as close in as the cans this year so everyone should be able to get to some of them. There have been a lot of 15 pound fish, but mixed in are some respectable size bulls.

The grouper bite should still be ok with some of the fish moving back to the 27F areas. You may have to go a little deeper to get to them but they will be there. Live pin fish will work very well for them this time of year.

The wahoo this year have been on the small size and we hope to see some bigger fish towards the end of the season. Work your baits down deep and in August try slowing down just a bit to 10 knots and see if that helps.

Yellow fin tuna have been slow but black fins are everywhere.

Capt. Jeff Brown