David Woods is a fishing guide with over 20 years of experience. He is the author of three books offering expert fishing advice.
I got in from fishing late and stayed up cleaning fish, with my gear still needing a breakdown and a freshwater rinse this morning. I have been fishing the sunset bite lately which has been consistent, even if sometimes short-lived. Most fish have a feeding response to changing light conditions, so daybreak and sunset are obvious times for anglers to target a trophy catch. If there is plenty of bait for the fish to take advantage of in the location you are fishing, a bite should ensue. Fish get hungry and must eat, even when the water is out of their preferred temperature range. Surface waters have been warm, so sunrise, sunset and night have been the most productive times to fish.
In the bay, during the heat of the day, trout and redfish retreat to cooler waters and conserve energy near the bottom for long periods. You’ll find these fish in bends in the Intracoastal in deep holes near feeding flats. Target them by anchoring on the up-current half of the washout hole and in slightly deeper water. Cast free-lined and Carolina-rigged live shrimp and finger mullet to the edge of the channel and wait for the tap or thump to be radiated up the line to signal the fight is on. Black drum and sheepshead can be caught similarly using only crustacean baits, shrimp and crab, instead of mullet. The shellfish diet of the drum and sheepshead imparts a sweet and complex flavor to their meat. I prefer sheepshead and drum over redfish or trout as table fare for most dishes.
Lower winds let the bay water clear up, allowing it to hold more oxygen. Even though it has been hot and humid, the fishing has been great. Looking at the forecast, I suspect it might hold out for a time, but some days the redfish will behave oddly, gathering up for their move into offshore waters. They don’t feed when they do that. They gather in a loose herd like carp. You might find a bunch of fish on the east flats and if you get refused by a half dozen of them, move on with your day.
Offshore fishing is on fire. It’s time to fish nearshore waters too. Bait migrations are beginning and great fishing follows the bait. Finger and horse mullet free-lined and fished on the bottom near the jetties will target tarpon, bull reds and black-tip sharks. Again, try the sunset bite for the best results.
All the mullet, shad, anchovies and pilchards growing all year are moving into the cooler, more oxygenated, in-shore waters. Watch for birds and surface activity to target mackerel, skipjack and tarpon. Use metal jigs, fly gear or topwater baits for explosive sportfishing action. Tight lines, fisherpeople!