Capt, Rick Davidson, Editor (greasflats2@yahoo.com
Fishing Report for July 2024
July was a fantastic month for scallops and fishing at the Sea Hag. The offshore bite was amazing, scallop limits were easy to find, and the redfish bite remained solid.
Here are some pictures from this month.
Picture of the month: Capt. Chase Norwood and the Harris crew caught a giant (and rare) gulf wahoo
Fishing Forecast for August 2024
We’re hoping for continued decent weather in terms of scalloping. There have been recent rains that have darkened the water a bit with tannin coming out of the creeks; this moves the scallops out to slightly deeper water, but as long as we avoid a major tropical system we should be fine, so don’t miss out on this season. In general, the scalloping has been better to the north than to the south of the river. Inshore fishing is always a little slow this time of year, with high water temps, floating grass and lots of boat traffic. Trout have been challenging but for smaller keeper trout, they’re out in deeper 5-10 feet of water over mixed sand and grass bottoms. Some guides have been fishing around both Little Bank and 9 Mile Bank with jigs tipped with live shrimp or Gulp baits. The redfish bite is better, but with the water temps, they aren’t that interested in chasing lures; the best catches have been on cut bait or live shrimp fished around creek mouths on an outgoing tide. Offshore, this has been one of the best red snapper seasons in recent memory, and although it ends on August 1st, it will re-open on weekends through the fall beginning September 1st. This is the longest recreational red snapper season we’ve had in many years. Also happening: red grouper season is now closed until the end of the year, but gag grouper season is open from September 1-15, and amberjack season will also open on Sept. 1st.
Steinhatchee is a magical place during scallop season, with so many families enjoying the Big Bend. The marina has a newly expanded store, a giant Tiki bar, a great food truck, and lots of tackle and bait, along with everything you need to go scalloping. Whether you use one of our wonderful guides or rent one of our boats, make sure you pay us a visit this month.
