For those who work outside, there are days in July when each breath seems to hold less air than the last, your eyes are blinded by sweat, and your body won’t keep the water you drink any longer than if you just poured it over your head.
But as the legendary angler Barry Brechtel would say, “Here’s the good news”.
There is a golden moment most July days, when those who love to fish can get on the water and catch a box of fish along with a phenomenal sunrise, without breaking a sweat.
This time of year, speckled trout and redfish are probably more cooperative than any other. Coastal fishing is accessible for just about everyone. From the bank, a small boat or the latest and greatest in Bay Boat technology.
The sun comes up early in July, with the real heat setting in just before noon. An angler leaving the dock at the break of dawn can get five or six hours of fishing done before the afternoon stifling, “is something burning”, take your breath away heat, sets in.
Getting back to the dock with a catch of fish and in time for lunch is easy on the body and not bad for the ego, but it does take a little preparation. To give yourself the best chance of a productive trip, you should consider the following: a little knowledge of the area you plan to fish is essential, an awareness of the conditions you will face is a big benefit, and some insight into what the fish you seek are doing is extremely helpful.
AREA
Regardless of how well you know your fishing grounds, time spent with several different maps can reveal a wealth of likely hot spots. Satellite maps, maps found on the Internet and Google Earth are full of locations you have likely zipped by and never considered.
Maps can also give you a clue to structure. Shell reefs, grass beds, deep drop offs near shallow flats, and even man made objects like pilings, sunken boats and barges and platforms are huge benefits. Many satellite maps have boats in their photos; fishing these locations, don’t ignore these clues.
The natural question is what am I looking for? The answer is in moving water.
Anywhere water is moving and disturbed, there are likely to be fish looking for a disoriented meal. Water moving through rocks, water coming over a point, water funneled from a bay into a channel, or water pushing into an island shoreline, anywhere there is a disturbance in the natural flow of moving water, there is likely to be a fish looking for a bite to eat.
CONDITIONS
With a little pre-launch scouting done, it is time to hit the water. You should have a few spots in mind from your homework. Those locations now have to work in harmony with the conditions. Tidal movement is essential. No tide means no turbulence and no reason for fish to school up. Too much tide may sweep the bait and the fish away. Find areas where the flow is moving at a moderate pace. Now start considering water clarity. Check to see how far down you can see by using a rod with a cork on it or something similar. The clearer the water, the farther the fish can see. Dirty water means you have to hit them on the head to get a bite, clean water leaves them a little predatorial pouncing room.
Finally, add visible bait on the surface of the moving water and your odds increase significantly. Glass minnows shimmering, shrimp jumping, mullet schooling, anything a speckled trout or big red might find tasty means the buffet is likely open.
The FISH
For Speckled Trout, spawning is in full swing, but slowing down a bit. Food sources like shrimp, menhaden (shiners), croakers and mullet are plentiful. Speckled trout are schooling up to breed and feed and all you have to do is be at the breakfast bar in the morning.
Redfish are likely to be fattening up for their upcoming spawning season. These marsh tigers will look for feeding opportunities similar to the trout but they also will patrol marsh shorelines looking for extras like crabs, minnows, and other delicacies. Live bait is a good bet, but hard to keep alive this time of year. Keeping a few artificial baits like the Berkley Gulp is a safe bet.
If conditions and locations aren’t working, keep an eye out for seagulls diving. In shallow bays, 10 feet or less, they are likely working over trout. In deeper water there is a 50/50 chance that Ladyfish and Gaff Top are under the feeding flock. Perhaps worth a cast or two, but don’t stubbornly work a flock hoping the trout will turn on.
Making the Most of the Long Hot Summer
As the sun rises and the heat begins to set in, know you won’t be alone in feeling the temperatures soar. The fish are extremely sensitive to temperature changes and will often move to deeper waters to wait for a cooling trend and an evening snack. Redfish and Drum may be a little more resilient than trout. If the late morning box still has more ice than fish slime, the strategy may be to focus on those points and pockets along the shore. Not always, but most of the time the morning bite comes to a synchronous halt with the blazing sun.
From now until September, the heat’s intensity on the water increases. Afternoon squalls become predictable, water spouts more common, and of course we’ll see more tropical systems develop. Fishing the early hours of late summer offer huge advantages. There is no better way to start the day, the short trips often leave extra time in the middle of the day, and you will sleep like a baby at the end of the day.
Get Out, Get On’em and Good Luck