Summer Break In The Fishing Action

After running as hard as as possible for three months, the phone has quieted down and my reservation book has lots of empty spots.Today is the first pretty day I can remember where I don't have a charter. A little break in the action is a good thing even for a hardcore like me.

  
The weather has been iffy at best the last several days causing me to cancel most of my trips. A little different from normal, it has gone from flat calm to bad rough to back to calm in a 24-hour period several times. The fish don't seem to care and bite just as well no matter what is happening on the surface. Like I tell folks when we cancel do to weather though, "it's supposed to be fun". No point in going just to get beat up!
There are still some Kings around although not in the great numbers of a couple weeks ago. They move (quickly) all over the gulf and are apt to be thick again today. There has been plenty of bait (herring and cigar minnows) up on the bar in the early morning so the predators will be finding 'em soon enough.
The "rerun" of cobia seems to have moved on but from talking to folks further down south we may have one or two more waves of 'em come through. Still a good many around but they all seem to be smaller ones. Lots of Vermilion Snappers out in 100 feet of water and some nice groupers all the way up to the beach right now. The Feds (finally) re-opened Federal waters off our area this past week but I have not had the weather (or the need) to run out that far. There should be some spots just covered up with fish after having been off limits for so long.

 

Amberines tug harder than anything that size
The beaches are back to being almost empty again, even all the BP folks left finally! Take the time to get out and go fishin' and enjoy the best part of summer. I plan on going scallopin' and doing some fishing myself (by myself !) this week.