With continued overcast days and periods of rain the inshore bite for trout and redfish has been good. This has kept the waters slightly cooler then your normal hot, dog days of August so the trout are especially happy. Areas of thick rock grass that are near outside points or deep bays are most productive. Incoming tide is good but for the best trout action use a popping cork with a dark colored jig on the high outgoing tide.

 Redfishing will continue to get better as we approach the full moon. This month is the time when the Nature Coast will experience our first waves of schooling redfish. Live shrimp or live pinfish make the best bait but if there is not allot of floating grass a gold spoon work’s very well. I had a redfish bite this past week where the redfish would kill the live pinfish and let it go. They would not eat them. I watched from my poling platform as the redfish would swim off from the fresh crushed pinfish. My anglers and I would put on a fresh pinfish and the redfish would rush up to crush it but this time we set the hook as we watch the bait enter the reds mouth. The heavy fast moving tides made it hard to ” feel ” the bite so the sight cast method worked best.
 Offshore the grouper has been good in the 40 foot range. Live pinfish or sardines are the best bait. Scalloping continues to good just south and west of the Bird Rack. Low tide the depth is around 5 feet. Incoming high tide will be in the morning this weekend with a high out going midday.
William Toney
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