Considering we’re right smack dab in the middle of some of the hottest weather our area has experienced this season, the fishing has been surprisingly phenomenal. With waters temperatures reading in the mid 80s, one would think the fishing would have pretty much shut down, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. A freak cold front, accompanied by some cooler temperatures and northeast winds, came through during the second week of August and it was just what the fish needed to rebound in quick fashion. However, this will be short lived and by the time you read this article the fishing and catching may very well be over, but if not, you’ll be sure to experience some fantastic late-summer fishing.
Offshore, the Gulf Stream fishing was once again pretty good with reports of wahoo and dolphin being landed. Most fish actually came from just inshore of the stream from those who fished temperature breaks that were found either by satellite or by just running over them and stopping to fish. This time of year it doesn’t take a rapid difference in temperature to hold some fish.
Just inshore, the fishing was also good, with reports of king mackerel and some African pompano. Assorted bottom fish such as grouper, snapper, triggerfish and black sea bass were all found between 100 and 130 feet of water.
Even closer to the beach, a few dolphin and plenty of king mackerel were being caught in areas around 10 miles. For those looking for the inshore dolphin, those days are dwindling, so with the current forecasts looking good through the weekend, this may very well be the last hurrah.
Along the beaches, the Spanish mackerel have shown up again and in good numbers. Trolling Clark Spoons in 30 feet of water is a good location to start. Adjusting inshore or offshore should result in finding fish. Those trolling live or dead baits have also found a good bite from king mackerel in the 10-20 pound range, especially around the artificial reefs.
Pier anglers who are live baiting for the larger species have also had some success from king mackerel but not without some conflict, namely with those fishing from boats. Unfortunately, when hooking a king mackerel or other species that runs a lot of line off, the anglers fishing from a pier are limited to where they can move, whereas a boat can maneuver around. When a boat is too close to a pier, it can cause havoc and unfortunately this has occurred more than once this week. A few anglers who managed to hook a king from the pier were cut off by boats that decided to come too close. Fish in general, namely king mackerel, tarpon and cobia, to name a few, can run several hundreds of line off during their initial run and any boat fishing within that distance will unfortunately get tangled in the angler’s line and more than likely cause the angler to lose the fish. Fishing etiquette would dictate that boats keep their distance from piers and surf to allow those that fish these areas an equal chance to hook and land their catch.
Anglers fishing the area piers have managed to land several fish in the 30-pound range during the past week. There’s also another controversy brewing with a king mackerel that was caught off of Johnnie Mercer’s Pier recently — but I’m going to let this one fizzle out before commenting.
