BigBendFishing.Net

My Wife, Son and I fished St Marks 7/25 and 7/26 and it was brutal. Fished both days in water from 3 to 8 foot and threw everything at them but the kitchen sink and dynamite. We only managed 6 speckled trout, 3 sand trout and a spanish. I forgot to mention the catfish, ladyfish and jacks. Got caught in a quick downpour on Saturday about midday. My son thought that was a lot of fun but my wife didn't seem to enjoy it as much. The time with the family was fun.

Question for all the more experienced flats fisherman here. Are we pretty much done for the year on the flats or will they show back up when the weather begins to cool prior to moving into the rivers and creeks?

Any input is appreciated.

I went Saturday too. All I could manage a Bluefish and a Trout. Slow day. It seems to be better some days then other. When it starts to cool off it is on!

guthooked wrote:My Wife, Son and I fished St Marks 7/25 and 7/26 and it was brutal. Fished both days in water from 3 to 8 foot and threw everything at them but the kitchen sink and dynamite. We only managed 6 speckled trout, 3 sand trout and a spanish. I forgot to mention the catfish, ladyfish and jacks. Got caught in a quick downpour on Saturday about midday. My son thought that was a lot of fun but my wife didn't seem to enjoy it as much. The time with the family was fun.

Question for all the more experienced flats fisherman here. Are we pretty much done for the year on the flats or will they show back up when the weather begins to cool prior to moving into the rivers and creeks?

Any input is appreciated.

If you are not able to get out early and late, it'll be tougher although not impossible through August at least. Once the water and temperatures start cooling down, however, it's back on big time. From mid-September through Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times to fish. The bite is great, the scallop crowds are gone and many are focused on back-to-school and college football. Often you'll have the flats nearly all to yourself and more than cooperative trout and reds.

In the meantime, if you still want to go there are some good alternatives like chasing Spanish mackerel in nearshore waters, tussling with tarpon or sharks using live bait or playing tug of war with big black drum.

This time of year, I fish daylight to around 9 or 10 and around 7 till dark If I don't like the tides and want to catch, not just fish, I don't go

I've been doing well early.

Midday is brutal.

I'd bet on late but haven't tried yet. Doesn't help that its hard to get live shrimp right now but gulp under a popping cork has been go to for me lately.

Yeah, brutal is the word for it. I fished a pier in Panacea Friday and almost burned up. The only things biting were a few sharks and stingrays. No whiting or trout. I guess it's too hot for them. Did get a nice blue before being ran out by a huge thunderstorm. Anyway, was good to be out. Beat werk'in!

You can still catch fish, but it is harder. You did better than I did Saturday with only one trout and spanish in the box. We chased pods of bait and had fun throwing a subsurface bait with some great blowups that were mostly jacks and ladyfish. We outran the storm to the ramp and called it a day before noon.

A bunch of us are going to Hickory Mounds on Saturday morning at day light. I hope the fish wake up hungry.