August 1 Report


August 2nd, 2016

Here we are in August already and time seems to be flying by! I just looked back at my 2015 August report and there are many similarities and a few differences. August is always one of the hottest months for us and that means we have to adjust a little to make anything we do easier.
I do understand that every customer wants the biggest/best/most of everything in a miracle-like fantasy for the least amount of time you can book. I would want that for myself too. Unfortunately I am working in reality and the success of every trip is determined by conditions and customer abilities and preparation. This is me, as a human, asking you to either book enough time to do all you want to do or tone down your unrealistic requests into what can be seen from my trips that I post daily on my Facebook page. That’s where you can see examples of what to expect if it all goes according to plan, end of story. That is the nicest way I can say that.
Moving on, the heat……To offset the heat and capitalize on the early bite, I have been starting all of my fishing trips at 7am. This gives an extra hour of comfort and an extra hour of a good bite.

do you want to learn about heat?  Pray there is a breeze!

do you want to learn about heat? Pray there is a breeze!

I have also been limiting my trips to 1 booking a day and still have no faith in an afternoon bite due to the heat. Yes, that can change and it is prone to conditions for that day, but to be safe, let’s not book any afternoon trips until further notice. You can book it, I will take you fishing, we will catch fish. Just not going to be the same as a morning trip. It is hot and the fish are pretty hot too when that sun is cranking down like a laser beam. Briefly, the mangrove snapper on the reef, offshore trolling/jigging for tuna and shallow water shark fishing have all been pretty good trips with lots of action. The wrecks have been pretty good too when we have the right conditions. Heard that already, right? Conditions.
An exceptional reef catch for the boys trip

An exceptional reef catch for the boys trip


as many mangroves as we could catch

as many mangroves as we could catch


In the water activities are going into high gear this month and it is hard to say where we stand on spearing, snorkeling and lobstering. Since lobstering will be back on the agenda again, we start there. We had ok conditions for the opening of lobster mini season, but it was under performing for most people seeking their limits of lobster.
13 lobster on a 4 hour trip

13 lobster on a 4 hour trip

August 6th lobster season is open again and I expect it to continue to be slower that average until we see a weather event or 2 to stir things up and get them moving. Some rain this week may change that and a dark moon now will help them move; the full moon on the 18th will keep them in place for a few days. As it ALWAYS, ALWAYS ALWAYS does, customer preparation, understanding, customer performance and a little luck always dictates what we bring back to the dock. What you can’t do is fool the ocean when you absolutely stink at what needs to be done to catch a lobster. I saw lot’s of fooling on my trips last year, this year the trend continues.
Spearing and snorkeling on the reef has had so much to do with the tide and where the dirty water/where the clean water is. Water quality issues have affected all of South Florida to different degrees and there is no predictability to what is where. I always want the best for my customers and I know what it should be. On average we have seen 20ft of visibility with green water on the reef and that is alright for many. I like to have 30 feet of blue for you!! August is also when we start to see the Moon Jellyfish bloom. Moon jellies are purple frisbee-like creatures the drift along the upper water column and can cause a moderate sting when you hit them at the wrong angle. You can swim around them most of the time. A casual bump on the dome is harmless, but a panicked swimmer (you all panick) that karate chops at it will learn a memorable lesson. A long sleeve rash guard is a great defense to this situation. It usually is not a big deal and is just part of the environment this time of year.
Spearfishing is ok and is day to day. Mangrove snapper, hogfish, yellowjacks and mackerel have been on the list with a few grouper and other species still around.
sideways per format, but this is a 34lb kingfish speared in late July from the reef

sideways per format, but this is a 34lb kingfish speared in late July from the reef

Most everything is moving, so it is different every day every tide. You just have to make the most of what is given to us and make the shots count. I generally don’t have too much trouble getting you on fish. It is all about hunting your fish properly, making a good shot and getting your hands on the fish immediately. There are so many variables and getting every element in your favor is needed to be consistent and not just lucky.
Thanks to all of my customers for some great trips in July. I’m looking forward to slowing down a little bit here in August and welcome in some cooler weather that will be here later than sooner. Until then, please prepare properly for your selected trip and we will have a great day on the water.

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