Venice Inlet and the Gulf of Mexico
Capt. Dave Pinkham
August 7, 2007
Venice - Saltwater Fishing Report
August is a Great Time for Fishing out on the Gulf
So far this summer the Gulf has been beautiful, with clear waters, no red tides, and lots of good fishing action. Generally this time of the year the longer trips produce the most and biggest fish, but we're still catching lots of fish on all the trips.
Following a short synopsis of what fish you can expect to catch over the next 2 months
Spanish Mackerel - are plentiful right now offshore. Try netting up some live shiners along the beach or ICW and heading out on the Gulf for some action. Anchoring the boat and free-lining the live bait on the surface works best. If action is slow or non-existent, try chumming with some of the live shiners. If still no mackerel, try moving to another area. Just a short move can sometimes make all the difference in the world. Keep an eye peeled for mackerel feeding on small baitfish at the surface. We are also catching some big kings on the deeper trips.
Little Tunny - offer great action. They will often show up just about anywhere when you are using live baits. Although they offer poor eating quality, you should appreciate the battle when you get one on the end of your line.
Dolphin – this fish also known as Mahi move up the West Coast within our reach this time of year. Best bet will to start looking for them no closer than 20 miles offshore. Be on the lookout for large bunches of Sargasso grass or any other flotsam. One way I fish for them is to pull up along side the grass and sight cast to fish as they swim just below the surface. I prefer live free-lined bait when fishing this way. You can also troll along the weed lines. This will often produce the big fish.
Snapper – Mangrove, Lane, Yellow Tail, Mutton, and American Red – best fishing holes will be hard bottom, ledges, springs, and wrecks. Snapper can be somewhat finicky at times so it can be wise to use as light as gear as possible. For leaders consider using fluorocarbon monofilament as it is less visible to the fish. Night fishing over wrecks in the periods around the full moon when conditions are right can be very productive. I prefer natural baits such as crabs, shrimp, live shiners, and squid.
Gag Grouper – Can be more difficult to locate this time of year then their cousin the red grouper. Gags will tend to hang closer to structure such as wrecks, and ledges. I like to anchor just up current or directly over where I think the fish are. Live baits will often entice gags to turn on especially in the heat of the day. Good stiff stand up tackle works best here.
Red Grouper – These fat bottom dwellers can be the best way to put meat on the table in the hot months. Look for the larger reds out past 70’ deep. Try drift fishing over hard bottom. When you locate a bite of fish, throw your marker jug. Now, you can re-drift the same area, or anchor down. Reds are known to eat just about any kind of bait. A good method I’ve found to use when drift fishing is to tip a 4oz jig with squid.
Cobia – When sight fishing the weed lines there is also the possibility of snagging a cobia. Known for their fighting ability as well as good eating quality, this would be a great way to start your day.
Shark - The next four months is the peak time of the year for catching sharks. Generally they will just show up sniffing around the boat when your anchored down fishing with cut baits.
Sail Fish – this is probably the best time of year on the West Coast to look for sails. To locate them with any consistency you will need to start at least 40 miles out. As when fishing for dolphin look for weed lines and surface activity.
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