Don’t Let August’s Heat Get You Down!

Our sympathies go out to all who suffered the wrath of Hurricane Beryl. We thought we were in the crosshairs here between Seadrift and Port O’Connor, but that last minute jog took the worst of Beryl’s fury to our friends over at Sargent and Matagorda, and then toward Houston, with widespread flooding and power outages. The storm was very reminiscent of Claudette back in 2003, not only that it came in July, but also that it strengthened right before landfall. They’re still calling it a Category 1 storm, but you wouldn’t know it based on the aftermath. We love our coast, I guess the storms are just part of the price we must pay in order to live here. May God bless all who suffered.

August is an interesting if not somewhat challenging month for inshore fishing. Searing heat and little to no wind are the source of most all that’s good, and bad, this month. The good is that fish tend to be more concentrated in deeper bay waters. The bad is roasting in the boat while trying to take advantage. Personally, I much prefer to be in the water with the fish, even if I have to wade up to my armpits. One of August’s greatest offerings is the mostly calm winds, which will hopefully provide lots of days when we can fish the gulf surf. There’s really nothing quite like it if you’re lucky to catch a flat day with favorable tides and solunar periods. Trolling for kingfish within sight of the beach can be a hoot, as is jigging for bull redfish at the jetties. Whichever program suits your fancy, get the family involved, be safe, and have fun.

We have a piece this month from our friends down at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute that I hope our readers will find interesting and informative. By now I’m sure everyone is aware of TPWD’s Stock Enhancement Programs; raising trout, redfish, and southern flounder in hatcheries for stocking in Texas bays. Well, the hatchery teams have had the trout and redfish figured out for several decades now, but the flounder present a unique set of challenges. One of these has been producing fingerlings with the greatest chance of surviving in the wild. The problem is called mal-pigmentation; a disappointing percentage end up with white spots on their dark sides instead of their full natural camouflage, which makes them vulnerable to predation. I will let you learn the rest of the story by reading it.

Yes, August can be a scorcher, but we have some excellent fishing opportunity this month. Get the family involved and get out there!