Fishing Report JULY 2018
Capt. Rick Davidson, Editor (grassflats2@yahoo.com)
Sea Hag JULY Report
Scallop season is still going very well. While it requires a slightly longer run away from the river, there is still clear water south of the Tater Island/Sink Creek area and north of the Bird Rack, and some areas even closer. The scallops are also more localized than spread out, so keep moving if you haven’t found a productive area. Limits are still coming in every day. Check with the marina to get hints on where the boats are going. Offshore fishing has been very strong, with great catches of red snapper, grouper and kingfish. Inshore fishing has been a little tougher with high temperatures and increased boat traffic, but there are areas that have clear water, baitfish and redfish and trout are being caught. It’s actually easy to find smaller trout, but the keepers and larger have been a challenge. This was also a month of unusual catches and observations, including snook, sailfish and whale sharks. Here are some pictures from this past month.
August Fishing Forecast
In spite of some heavy storms, it’s dried up a bit in the past week. If we can avoid a lot more rain, the scallop season will continue to be a great success; anywhere with clear water, mixed sand and seagrass bottom, and 3-4 feet of water is worth exploring. And of course….look for the large collections of boats. Inshore, no real changes. As always this time of year, the best redfish and trout fishing will be either early morning around sunrise or at dusk when the temps are lower. Fishing topwaters can be successful this time of year, but floating grass makes that impossible. Some options when fishing in heavy grass are gold spoons, Texas-rigged jerk baits, and fresh-water baits, including plastic frogs, which usually are designed to be weedless. Any of these bait, plus jigs, can be fished in grass. Redfish will begin the fall schooling in the next few months, so look for schools while you’re running in 3-4 foot depths.
Gag and red grouper remain in season, and amberjack season begins August 1. Offshore fishing should be excellent this month (and you might even catch a sailfish).
Remember that the Sea Hag Marina has a great fleet of immaculate rental boats, snorkeling gear, a full selection of lures and frozen bait, and live shrimp. While our accommodations can be heavily booked this time of year, it’s always worth a call to check; you can stay right across the street from the best marina on the Big Bend. Make reservations as early as you possibly can because vacancies don’t last long. Tight lines!
