AS SEEN IN THE JULY/AUGUST 2008 ISSUE 

July/August Southwest Fishing Forecast:

By: Captain John Stark - Fly Fishing The Everglades

The months of July and August offer Southwest Florida anglers some of the best opportunities of the entire year. The key to catching fish during these months is to get out on the water early in the morning while it is still tolerable, as rising air and water temperatures will send the game fish we seek on the move to deeper, cooler locales. Anglers can expect quality top-water action first thing in the morning, followed by severe thunderstorms in the early afternoon, and then more superb action just before dusk.   

Pine Island Sound will be one of the best areas to fish in the summer, with plenty of redfish and trout eager to tug on a line. During the months of May and June, this estuarine habitat had gin-clear water which made the fish extremely spooky. The summer months should bring some much needed rain, dirtying the water a bit and making inshore game fish much easier to approach. The action along Boca Grande Pass and nearby Sanibel beaches should be very productive for tarpon and snook. Lures like the Zara Spook, XPS floating-plugs and Yo-Zuri top-waters will work well in the early morning hours. Once the day progresses, don’t hesitate to throw various subsurface lures as they can also entice aggressive strikes.

Anglers who target the ultra-productive waters of Matlacha may cross paths with migratory cobia and monster black drum as they pass under the Matlacha Bridge. Fishing under the cover of darkness will offer anglers plenty of shots at large tarpon and snook. Subsurface lures worked along the shadow line should do the trick during your nighttime endeavors.

From the Ten Thousand Islands and Everglades National Park south to Cape Sable, most of the fish will be found around the outside spoil islands except for a few prime backcountry haunts where the snook grow big and hang around all year. These are among the most difficult waters to master and it’s no surprise that many of past and present Redfish Tour Champions guide in the Everglades. It is the ever changing environment that gives these anglers their edge outside of Florida. In these areas the bait will most likely be found around the outside islands because of the rain and salt wedge. Live bait cannot tolerate low salinity levels, and I have heard they will die if netted on the outside and brought into the backcountry.

When trolling or poling your favorite shoreline during the mid-day heat, toss an Exude RT or Bass Assasin with a 4/0 wide gap hook. These offerings are most effective when skipped under the mangrove edges and brought back with a slow retrieve. The longer you can keep your offering in the shadow of the mangroves, the better your chances of hooking up. 

The other alternative is to fly-fish, and this is my absolute favorite way to target highly-prized shallow-water game fish. Big bulky flies are your best bet during the summer months and when the tide becomes too high to fish the shoreline with a floating line, find some rocky points or grass flats and use a sinking or intermediate fly-line to drift a brown or chartreuse Clouser. With this tactic, the results can be staggering with quality catches of goliath groper, trout, snapper, snook, and ladyfish. The best part about this type of fly-fishing is the relaxing aspect of it. Two anglers can effectively fly-fish during the warmer hours of the afternoon. I suggest you throw flies in a variety of colors and sizes to find the perfect match. On a typical day, I go through many different patterns in my quest to match the hatch; however, I have had the best success presenting large, white flies with lots of flash.

This summer, stay covered up with a quality fishing hat, sunglasses, long-sleeve shirt and fishing pants to protect your body from the sun’s harmful rays. Also, be sure to drink plenty of water and be aware of the dangerous afternoon thunderstorms that routinely pop up.

Good luck and see you on the water!

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