Beat the Heat
Fishing in the Florida Doldrums
- July 21, 2009
- 0 Comments
- By Story/Photos By Matt Badolato
Dayum! It’s hot as Hell’s kitchen outside but hey, so is the fishing! It can be miserable sitting in a boat in the sun all day, but here’s a few ways to beat the summer heat and put a bend in your rod:
The easiest way is to just fish while it’s cool outside. Fish, like us, get lazy during the fungus-fermenting dog days and sometimes they just won’t bite in the middle of the day. So here’s what to do. Skip the bar crawl for one night, go to bed early and wake up around 5:30am. You want to be at your fishing spot before the sun even comes up—whether it’s on the flats, on the reef or out trolling the bluewater. The best bite is going to be right as the sun is coming up.
Some fish, like trout and snook, have very sensitive eyes and prefer to feed in low-light conditions. That’s why most of the Sebastian snook fishing goes off at night. The biggest dolphin and wahoo are caught in the early morning, between 6:30 and 8:00am. Once the sun heats up that water column they slowly sink down into the depths to cool off. So remember, early to bed, early to rise, gives a man good health and fish on his lines.
If you’re really not a morning person, the evening time is just as good. From 7pm-9pm it begins cooling off for us here in central Florida and the fish start feeding again. It’s easier for them to ambush prey because they are less visible in the low light. Most baitfish and other prey have poor low-light eyesight, so they are even more vulnerable to predation and the predators know it. Be the prey.
If you are a real Floridian, you like the sun but not really all that much. It’s like your annoying friend who is always hanging around. During these UV 10+++ days, my schedule is backwards—sleep all day, fish all night. (Unless there’s waves then it’s back to normal) Night fishing is simply awesome. Pretty much any fish you can catch during the day you can catch at night. Snook fishing on the open flats or in the inlet, reef fishing offshore for mangrove snapper, shark fishing off the beach or even nighttime wading are productive options. Ever try fishing topwater for trout under a full moon? Hehehe…Until you have, boy you ain’t seen nothin’.
My personal favorite way to beat the heat is to just go diving! No, not swan diving from the high board, I mean SCUBA diving. The water offshore Sebastian has been beautifully clear lately, with visibility to thirty feet in the 60-100 foot range. It’s a great time to explore new reefs, take someone out who’s never been diving here, or find some new lobster holes for the upcoming mini season! (Last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July) We’ve been finding some good holes chock full ‘o big bugs, and even happened upon some nice slipper lobster (aka shovelnose) on some recent deep dives. Those, unlike the spineys, you can catch and keep year-round as long as you don’t take the big mommas with eggs.
The summer thermocline has been moving in offshore, so make sure you wear the warmest wetsuit you’ve got. The temperature on the bottom yesterday, July 21st, was 64 degrees. Talk about shrinkage! If this cold water keeps up, keep an eye open for those reef-dwelling cobia on the surface as they come to the top to warm up.
Well, thanks for reading. I know just writing this I could go for a snow-cone and a dip in the pool. Don’t forget you sunscreen! Tight lines, tasty waves, clear water and good vibes my fellow people of the sea!
Matt B