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Capt. Rick Grassett’s Fishing Forecast for August 2010

The early bird gets the worm in August! With afternoon heat and thunderstorms being potential problems, the best fishing should be early in the day. Tarpon will still be an option and snook will still be found in the surf and around docks and bridges close to passes. Reds should be forming large schools and deep grass flats should have plenty of action with trout, blues, pompano and more.

Tarpon will move from the beaches to inside waters. There should still be a few in the coastal gulf early in the month, but later in the month you should find them around bridges, on deep grass flats or deeper areas of upper Charlotte Harbor and Tampa Bay. I like to target them before dawn or at first light in the morning around bridges. On deep grass flats or deeper areas of estuaries, I like calm conditions when fish are more likely to show on the surface. Look for fish rolling on deep grass flats or cruising shadow lines of bridges. The same fly patterns and DOA plastic baits that we use on the beach will also work around bridges and on deep grass flats.

Juvenile tarpon from 10 to 30-pounds will be found in canals, creeks and turning basins. They prefer deep water, usually 10’ deep or more, which is often in residential canals. I particularly like the Port Charlotte/Punta Gorda area which has miles of canals to fish. Look for fish rolling on the surface but focus on fishing near the bottom. I’ve found that they usually roll sharply, quickly diving back to the bottom. A quick, accurate cast that gets down fast will often score. DOA TerrorEyz and Baitbusters are two of my favorite baits for fishing juvenile tarpon. I’ve done best when fly fishing with a fast sinking fly line (300 or 350-grain Depth Charge) and a scaled down tarpon fly, usually on a 1/0 or 2/0 hook. These smaller tarpon have everything to offer that big fish do and more. They jump higher, more often and are usually caught in a few minutes.

Snook season remains closed during August, although catch and release fishing can be very good. You’ll find snook in the surf where you can walk the beach and sight fish them in the trough only a few feet from the sand. CAL jigs with a variety of plastic tails or DOA shrimp are excellent baits for snook in the surf. Fly anglers should score with intermediate sink tip fly lines and small white flies like we use at night.

You’ll also find snook around docks and bridges close to passes. Fish shadow lines where dark meets light when fishing in the dark. Fly anglers can make delicate presentations with small flies, which can be very effective. When using larger plastic baits, avoid hitting the fish on the head. Cast beyond lighted areas and work your lures across shadow lines or swing your lures into the strike zone by casting uptide and letting the tide carry them as you slowly work lures across the current. Snook have had a tough time this year with the severe freeze back in January. Handle them gently and use tackle heavy enough to land them quickly. I don’t recommend targeting snook in passes on the full or new moon phases which is when they gather there to spawn.

Reds should begin forming large schools this month. Look for a “push” of water that may look like a boat wake coming at you or nervous or slick patches of water, which may indicate fish below the surface. I like to be as quiet as possible in shallow water. If the school is moving away from you, you’ll probably have to drop off of them, go around and get way ahead of them, much like you would fish a school of tarpon on the beach. Although using your outboard to make them “show” may work, in the long run it will only make them more spooky and harder to catch. I like to throw top water plugs and fly poppers to schooling reds. It is also a way to make them show themselves if they aren’t up on the surface. Work around the edges of the school to avoid spooking all of them. Some of my favorite areas for reds in August are in north Sarasota Bay and lower Tampa Bay.

Trout fishing can also be very good during August. You’ll find the biggest fish in shallow water at first light in the morning. One of the largest trout I ever saw caught on a fly, about 7 ½-pounds, was caught with a Gurgler with barely enough light to see. Focus on baitfish activity, especially mullet, and work those areas with top water plugs or fly poppers. Trout will drop into deeper water later in the day. Drift deep grass flats and cast ahead of the drift with DOA Deadly Combos, CAL jigs or flies on sinking fly lines to locate fish. Adding sound to your lure increases its effectiveness dramatically. Once you’ve located them, you can shorten your drift to be more productive. Some of my favorite trout flats are in Sarasota Bay; Middleground, Radio Tower, Stephens Point and Bishops Point.

You might also find bluefish, pompano, jacks and ladyfish on deep grass flats. They will be mixed with trout, so the technique to locate them will be the same. Casting top water plugs or DOA Deadly Combos is a good technique for locating blues and jacks. I like to use 60-pound fluorocarbon when blues are around. Most fish won’t be able to bite through it and it won’t deter trout, pompano or other species that might be leader shy.

Tripletail and little tunny may be found in the coastal gulf this month. Look for diving terns or breaking fish to locate little tunny. Once you’ve located them you can cast CAL jigs, top water plugs or flies to them. I like to use Ultra Hair Clousers when fishing below the surface with an intermediate fly line or Crease flies and poppers on a floating fly line on the surface. You might find tripletail around crab trap floats, buoys and channel markers, including those in the bay. Cast DOA baits, live shrimp or a variety of fly patterns to them.

There are lots of options during August, but heat will be an issue. Start and finish early for the best action with the exception of tarpon, which may be active in the heat of the day. I usually start my trips before dawn and I’m off the water by the time heat becomes an issue. Whatever you choose to do, remember to always limit your kill, don’t kill your limit!

Tight Lines,

Capt. Rick Grassett

Snook Fin-Addict Guide Service, Inc.

FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor

(941) 923-7799

E-mail snookfin@aol.com