Mansfield Report: August 2023

Greetings from Port Mansfield! Boy, what a difference a month can make. The last time I sat down to write this report the fishing was absolutely on fire and the wind and daily high temperatures were both very pleasant. Since then the temperatures have just skyrocketed with wind consistently strong out of the south/southwest, which drives the heat up even more. We are also having to deal with that annoying floating grass that can frustrate even the best of anglers. With all that said remember this: When life gives you a bag of lemons, make lemonade.

I’ll admit we’ve had some slow days recently, which can really take a toll on a guide, especially if slow days become the norm over a period of a week or so. Having said that, just when you think the next day will be like the previous one, you end up hitting a home run. When this happens I immediately note what has changed – wind velocity, wind direction, temperatures, barometric pressure, lunar phase, fishing pressure and whether I’m in an area I’ve fished recently or exploring somewhere new – which is often based on a string of continuously slow days. It is at this point though, when anglers can learn some of the most valuable lessons.

Out of all that I’ve learned, I can say the most consistent play for fishing in extreme heat is to get out early, maybe even fishing at night. For the record, our early morning water temperatures have been steady at 85° and then tapping out around 90° in the afternoons.

The only fish in our area that seems unaffected by heat is snook. They like it, and I’ve been probing a few areas when the opportunity allows for it. I’ve found a few cruising the shallows, and on a recent trip Marie (see photo) was able to talk one into inhaling her KWigglers Wig-A-Lo. She was excited, as was her boyfriend, who had been hoping she would catch one. Mission accomplished!

Perhaps the most consistent action for trout lately has been for anglers drifting deeper water. This makes sense because the flats are first to heat up, and if you don’t get them early they quickly move deeper. We are getting a few stragglers in the skinny but most of the “smart” fish are moving out deeper pretty early and holding there until the flats cool down during the night. On rare occasions when the wind has calmed, we are catching good fish along humps near deep water with some trout in the 25–28-inch range. We are using 1/4oz jigheads with soft plastics, throwing deep and letting the lure fall toward bottom. Short twitches working the bait up the hump does the trick.

I believe fishing will improve if we can get more of an east-southeast flow in our wind pattern. I recently went out through the jetties to the gulf beach and noticed a steady decline in water temperature as we cruised the East Cut. I recorded 78° at the mouth of the jetties – 12° cooler than the flats just off East Cut. I’m betting a shift in wind direction would push some of that cooler water into the bay.

Moving forward. I’ll continue to get out early and target areas that have proven productive, especially smaller flats near drop-offs to the ICW. I will likely not be working larger flats that have a gradual decline to deeper water until we see a significant change in the weather.

Another tidbit worth noting is that I’ve been downsizing my baits and tossing the Ball Tail Shad Junior much of the time. I can say this bait has been consistently earning more strikes than say a full-size Wig-A-Lo. I’ve also been comparing this bait to some Wig-A-Lo Junior prototypes and have been pleasantly pleased with its performance. Both baits are right at 4-inches but have completely different profiles. It’s been fun and educational for me to be able to catch fish on those smaller baits. You can still catch them on topwaters, but mostly only in very early morning. If you find yourself throwing them later in the day you’ll notice more of a quick slap-strike rather than the fish devouring the bait.

Finally, for all you Fishing Tackle Unlimited Green Rod lovers, you must check out the accompanying QR code. We’ve just launched the G2 spinner in the Classic blank and you are going to love it.