If you are looking to check two of the most sought after saltwater species off of your bucket list, August just may be one of the best times of year to do so.
For starters, those big snook that have been hanging on the near shore wrecks and reefs are beginning to make their way back into the shallows in and around our local area passes. Recently, I have been finding them laid up under both mangroves and docks during the second half of the incoming as well as the first half of the outgoing tides. I won’t bore everyone with the specifics as to why they are doing so (I’ll save that for my clients), but will say that this has made for some excellent opportunities to sight cast to some very large fish ranging in size from 28 to 40 inches!
The second (and probably more dreamt about species) that should start showing back up in greater numbers is the Tarpon… late July and early August is the time of year when big schools of glass minnows and micro pilchards start showing up; and these baits just happen to be some of the Tarpon’s favorite forage.
If you decide to seek out these silver devils, what you should find is mostly medium sized fish hanging off of the beaches; lying in wait for those big schools of glass minnows to push on through with the incoming tides; and I must say, these fish can put on quite a display as they blast up through those schools, mouth agape… drawing hundreds of tiny translucent little baits into their bucket like maw… truly an awe inspiring display!
For those that are less inclined to tackle a larger silver king, there are the little juveniles, which have been abundant in some of the back bays recently. With their equally entertaining acrobatic displays; these little guys, in the 2 – 4 lb. range, can be just as much fun as the much larger parentals.
