 |
Venice Inlet and the Gulf of Mexico
Capt. Dave Pinkham
August 11, 2005
Venice - Saltwater Fishing Report
Plenty of Offshore Fishing Choices in August/September
People are always asking me which are the best months for fishing out on the gulf. This is a tough question to answer as there can be lots of variables with a wide variety of fish to catch with each different season. My answer would have to be that August and September are as good a bet as any. There are plenty of options such as bottom fishing for groupers, or fishing live baits at the surface for mahi or sailfish
Spanish mackerel and little tunny are plentiful right now offshore. Both of these species have been actively feeding on schools of tiny baits pushed up to the surface. Small silver jigs cast toward feeding fish is the quickest way to get hooked up.
Mahi or dolphin usually migrate up into the gulf this time of year. Best bet will to start looking for them at least 20 miles offshore. Mahi will often will hang around large bunches of sargassum grass so keep your eyes peeled. One way to fish for them is to pull up along side the grass and sight cast to fish as they swim just below the surface.
Blackfin tuna, wahoo, and sailfish should all be making some sort of showing inside the 50-mile line. For anglers that consistently use good trolling techniques, luck should be in their favor as this is a great time of the year to catch the “bluewater” species. Obvious areas to troll will be alongside floating weedlines and in areas where bait schools are showing at the surface of the water.
Snapper fishing is a great way to put dinner on the table and this is the time to do it. Some of the best fishing holes will be hard bottom, ledges, springs, and wrecks. Snappers such as mangroves and yellow tail can be somewhat finicky at times so use as light as gear as possible. For leader materials consider using fluorocarbon as it is less visible to the fish. When conditions are right, night fishing over wrecks in the periods around the full moon can be very productive. Natural baits such as crabs, shrimp, shiners, and squid are hard to beat.
Red Grouper fishing usually peaks around mid-summer. Drift fishing over hard bottom is a great way to locate these bruisers. Once located you can re-drift the same area or anchor down. Red grouper are known to eat just about any kind of natural bait. A good fishing method I’ve found to use when drift fishing is to tip a weighted jig with squid or a strip of little tunny.
Remember to keep an eye out for changing weather conditions. When you see the skies starting to fill up with darkening clouds, it may be time to head for the hill.
More Fishing Reports:
|
|
|
|
