South Padre: August 2024

In mid-June we experienced a taste of what August may bring to the Lower Laguna Madre in the form of tropical weather events. Tropical Storm Alberto gave us a three-foot tidal surge that I expected would scatter our fish, but surprisingly, fishing actually got better. The cloud cover and cooler air temperatures produced a considerable drop in water temperatures. Thus, the fish became more active, and they ate well. This event occurred during the two-tide days of the full moon phase, and another thing I noticed was that on outgoing tides, drains and deeper guts functioned as fish highways as they took advantage of bait being flushed out.

 Some of the gamefish were predictable as to where they could be found along the mouths of these drains. What surprised me the most was that the fish didn't relocate very far. The gamefish were where hordes of mullet were found. The water we waded before the arrival of the storm was thigh-deep, but the exact areas afterward were almost chest-deep. And as I mentioned, to my surprise, the fish remained there.

Understanding and identifying fish highways during strong tide movements is crucial to fishing success. Every area within a body of water has tidal movement, but particular spots will have greater current strength, and these are what I call fish highways. Believe me when I say catching can be superb under these conditions.

I will point out that August has historically been a tough month for me to target redfish successfully because of traditionally higher-than-normal tides. However, if August's high waters cause the fish to react like they did in June's high tides, our fishing will be good and the redfish will be easy to locate. If not, look for redfish to be located way east on sand bottoms with plentiful grass, against spoil banks along the ICW, or way west in the back bays. Gold spoons are a perfect lure to attract redfish from afar with their wobbling vibration this time of the year. As always, ZMan's PaddlerZ in Sexy Penny has also been a top-producing bait for us.

I'm excited about Z Man's new bait that was unveiled in mid-July at ICAST. It’s called the Big Ballerz for its ball tail shape and comes in four and five-inch sizes. The segmented body gives it life-like action and you can add up to two rattles to the five-inch body for extra attraction. Unlike a paddle tail, the ball tail shape provides the bait with a more subtle action for a slight vibration and an up-and-down motion. I have been field-testing the Big Ballerz for the past five months with great success. I am convinced this bait will be a game-changer and I can't wait for anglers to try it.

I would have to say that the latest trout regulations appear to have provided a significant boost to the fishery, which we hope will help return it to its former glory. The undersized trout population is currently very healthy, as indicated by the number of catches on every trip. The bigger trout this time of the year will continue to seek deeper water, especially along the ICW. Heavier jigheads on the drop-off of that channel has been yielding plenty of action. Slicks this time of the year are common and a sign that fish are actively feeding.

Mullet and pinfish are their primary forage during summer, which means that anglers should target trout in areas where these baitfish are most abundant and active. Spoil banks with sand pockets and sandy potholes on deeper, grassy flats will continue to be excellent areas to target bigger trout. This time of the year, we do very well on low tides during evening hours, provided that the tides are not excessively high. We also target trout in areas with sand and shell bottoms. Finding hard sand bars and casting to nearby deeper water can often yield some nice trout this time of the year.

Other August highlights include targeting the tarpon migration along the gulf beaches, and snook fishing will be at its best during the full and new moon periods in back bays. Flounder can be targeted successfully in larger drains.

Feeling the bite, even when very light, is always one of the primary keys to fishing success. A lightweight rod you can cast all day without fatigue, yet with enough backbone to muscle strong fish is a definite bonus. My favorite is the Fishing Tackle Unlimited G2 Finesse Green Rod. Put one in your hands and fish it all day; I’m certain you will be satisfied with its quality and sensitivity. Best fishing!