August Report
OFFSHORE: Capt. Michael Mulholland of SeaSpiritFishing.com said “amberjack have been very big. We’ve been limiting out on them.” Blake Kenton of New Smyrna Marina’s The Fishing Store confirmed amberjacks being the hot catch. “They are crazy right now.” Kenton also reported “some nice cobia,” red snapper and barracuda. Inshore are red drum, flounder and trout. Jeff Burkhead of New Smyrna Beach’s Fishin’ Cove Bait & Tackle said, “Offshore boats have been doing really well. Lots of mangrove snappers and cobia. Trolling a little bit further some wahoos and sailfish, and occasional dolphin.” He also sighted “amberjacks off the bottom.”
MOSQ. LAGOON, INDIAN RIVER: Capt. Billy Pettigrew of redfishtails.com said the trout bite has been really good. Greg Noel of Lagoon Bait & Tackle in Edgewater reported flounder by the inlet. He said, “Trout are plentiful and they’re big. The reds are still here. The water is getting murky. Black drum and trout are on Haulover Canal. One guy brought in 17. They’re catching them with clams. Mangrove snappers are spotty. They’re moving more than they usually do.” Capt. Drew Cavanaugh said, “It’s pretty much all redfish and some trout, with artificial and live bait.”
PONCE INLET, HALIFAX RIVER: Burkhead said it’s been really good on redfish and black drum, with lots of mangos in the river. “The bridges in NSB have been pretty good on snook,” he said. “The surf whiting bite has been doing a lot better as the temperature has cooled down some. And they’re still catching white shrimp in Daytona.” Capt. Kyle Busby offered that, “The shrimp run has slowed down almost completely. They’ve been real small. The snook action is really good. Most are over-slot fish.” Busby also summarized his half day Saturday with Capt. Tony Miller of Horseshoe Beach: “Snook, redfish, black drum, flounder, sheepshead, mangrove snapper, gag grouper, jacks, and several other ‘trash” fish.’ All on free-lined live shrimp. They were really good-size fish. The shrimp run was a little slow over the weekend.” Tommy Atkinson of Granada Pier Bait & Tackle said, “There are good mangrove snappers. People are getting their limits. There’s been a bunch of tarpon. And some black drum here and there.” Port Orange’s Don Bait & Tackle reported quite a few mangrove snappers, whiting, a few black drum and some redfish. Pettigrew reported snook, snapper and redfish, mostly on finger mullet.
SURF, PIERS: Leslie Moore of Sunglow Pier reported whiting, reds, quite a bit of shark, mangrove snapper and ladyfish. The Flagler Beach Pier catch board read black drum, pompano and flounder.
TOMOKA BASIN, RIVER: Capt. Barry Englehardt reported catches of keeper redfish up the Tomoka River. He said they picked up some flounder and some snook on the small size, and plenty of snapper. Capt. Kent Gibbens said the best fishing has been in the evening. Gibbens said, “We’re on this full moon. Fishing the docks at night have been the place to be. There’s always trout around the docks. Back in the marsh north or south of High Bridge, there’s redfish.” Pettigrew said fishing has been hit and miss. He reported shrimp in the basin and creek. There’s been some big reds in the jettys on the rock side, 30-to-40 inches. The flounder bite has been really good all over the river.”
MATANZAS INLET, RIVER: Capt. Chris Herrera said, “We’ve been doing some reds on the low incoming tides, on the oyster bottom. The flounder bite has tapered off. We’re still catching a few in the creeks. The best bite has been trout at night — anywhere where there’s current and a good dock light, and smashing snook and mullet. Karen Miles of Devil’s Elbow Fish Camp said, “There’s been quite a bit of mangrove snapper, a few pompano in the surf and schools of mullet down the beach. There’s plenty of tarpon rolling around at Matanzas. And some decent flounder catches — that’s been better than years past.”
ST. JOHNS RIVER: Capt. Bryn Rawlins of DeLand’s Highland Park Fish Camp said, “We’re catching specks in Lake Woodruff, and it’s getting stronger. We’re drifting and trolling with minnows. There’s bluegill and panfish on crickets, and the bass bite has been steady.” Scott McGhee of Samsula’s Georgia Boys Fish Camp reported catches of bass on live shrimp.
Credit of the Daytona Beach News Journal