Fishing

The beginning of August is usually a time for local anglers to look toward the cooler weather of fall, which will bring a sharp increase in the number of fish and their readiness to strike a baited hook. One fish, however, that is already very active is the pompano.

Pompano are a warm-water fish that strike throughout the summer and provide a tasty catch for fishermen when other fish either aren’t present or aren’t feeding.

Although the hot weather has been occasionally broken up by a thunderstorm or two, we are definitely locked into a consistent summer pattern when it comes to fishing.

Fish continue to be caught, including some nice-sized trophies, but I’d be lying if I told you this was the easiest time of the year for the sport. Still, if you avoid the hottest part of the day and go after them with live bait, you can probably find enough action to get you through until fall.

The offshore fishing this summer has been nothing short of phenomenal. The weather has been cooperative and the kings, Mahi-mahi and cobia have been available for anglers live-bait fishing from 5-20 miles offshore.

As I said last week, I think a key ingredient to the exceptional fishing this summer has been the abundance of menhaden along Brunswick County beaches. If the food is present, the fish will not be far.

The hottest action for inshore anglers continues to be on speckled trout and flounder. Specks are pretty much a morning catch. They are staging runs after sunrise on the piers, in the surf and around the creeks. You won’t stay on them for very long, however, as they will turn off once the sun gets high in the sky.