AS SEEN IN THE July/August 2008 ISSUE

July/August Upper Keys Fishing Forecast:

Captain George Clark, Jr. - Rodeo Charters

I can vividly recall childhood summers in the Keys, with the excitement of getting out of school for a few months and experiencing some super-exciting fishing. Boy was it great! Every July we were dialed into the dolphin with early mornings finding us cruising offshore in search of tasty fillets. It wouldn’t take long for a rigger clip to pop or a flat line to start screaming as off in the distance we would see a colorful ‘phin dancing on the surface. Talk about fun! 

That’s how it was back then and to be honest, things haven’t changed very much. While we may be much older, this time of the year we still look forward to getting offshore and locating well-formed weedlines surrounded by squawking tuna chicks and surface-busting game fish. Weekends are sure to be busy, but if you have the opportunity to get out during the middle of the week, you will have plenty of open-water all to yourself. Late summer also provides anglers with bigger and beefier schools of dolphin, as the peanuts you released back in the early spring are now five to ten-pounds heavier! Amazingly enough, dolphin grow an astounding two-inches per week and can reach 20 to 30-pounds by 12-months of age! Don’t forget that wicked-wahoo are often found underneath dolphin schools and a vertical jig or live bait sent into the depths with a trace of wire or cable leader may result in a solid hookup with a striped-speedster.  

July and August are smack-dab in the middle of the summer doldrums and the calm sea conditions generally offer a better chance to spot surface activity. Don’t be surprised to see billfish cruising the surface and maybe even free-jumping near tight concentrations of schoolie dolphin or bonito. We also see quite a few swordfish basking in the sun and if you can sneak up on one close enough, you may even get the chance of a lifetime to feed a live bait to one!

Fair sea conditions are also pleasurable for reef fishing. Massive schools of yellowtail snapper ball up on the near-shore reefs during July and August, with tasty summer ‘tails reaching four-pounds! You can also look for some large grouper and mutton snapper activity on the deeper-side of our reefs from 120 to 150-feet. Frisky live baits are a sure fire way to get their attention with big baits equaling big fish! 

If you enjoy reef fishing but hate being stuck out in the mid-day sun, try fishing after dark. Swarming mangrove snapper come to life after dusk with rocky structures in 60 to 70-feet of water typically where these aggressive feeders will be found. Knocker rigs and jigs tipped with a variety of tasty morsels will get the job done.

For anglers interested in targeting powerful fish in skinny-water, we have been seeing quality numbers of nimble tarpon cruising ocean-side flats and channels. Bonefish are also solid targets during July and August and if you’re fortunate enough, you may even cross paths with a pack of prowling permit. Of course, redfish and snook should continue to pour onto Everglades grass-banks during tidal changes, and when they are out in the open they can be super fun on ultra-light tackle. If you enjoy throwing lures then you will be right at home as jerkbaits, jigs and spoons all work great for this endeavor. I suggest you keep a sharp lookout for fish pushing wakes in the early mornings, and move to deeper potholes and depressions during the blistering heat of the day. Surface plugs are also fantastic offerings to work when the fish are foraging in the shallows.

Seatrout are another reliable target we tend to rely on this time of year, and when the mullet are working grass covered bottom, large trout will be nearby feeding on the smaller finger mullet and crustaceans being stirred out of the bottom. Soft-plastics work well, but a small pinfish rigged under a popping cork will be the most productive offering for the largest trout. Swimming side by side with the trout we tend to see plenty of ladyfish and even a few large jack crevalle. Although not as prestigious as bonefish or permit, if you downsize your tackle you can have loads of fun targeting these small but worthy adversaries.

No matter where you concentrate your angling efforts one thing is guaranteed – the action in the Upper Keys during the summer will be red-hot!

---

Save and Share this Article: