Deep summer in New England. Hydrangeas are popping, beach and lake shores are packed with locals and vacationers alike. Lobster rolls and ice cream cones are acceptable at any meal. We look around at all of the green and find it hard to imagine that those trees were ever barren back in February. There’s always such a fun vibe at the tackle shop in the summer months. Vacationers are looking to make memories, while locals are looking to capitalize on the last few months of boating weather before fall inevitably begins to show its hand in September. Everyone seems to have plenty on their social calendars. It’s a great time of year.
In the fishing world, August can be one of the trickiest months to crack in terms of a consistent bite for certain species. Striped bass and their freshwater cousins, the largemouth and smallmouth bass, are going to be adjusting their patterns to the hot weather, spending less time in shallow, warm water than at any other point during the year. Weather, tide, and cloud cover will alter the bite daily, and anglers need to adjust as well
On the other hand, ground fishing for seabass, fluke, and porgy can be at its best in the hotter months, and there’s nothing quite like finding a nice, productive drift and bouncing some bucktails or bait rigs to try and entice some dinner fish. By the end of August, the Cape and Islands are likely going to be talking about false albacore, an electric hardtail that should be on every angler’s bucket list simply for the sheer fun of the run and gun style of fishing for them. August is the very beginning of the transitional period into cooler weather, but in general, I think of it as a deep summer month, which should be approached as such.
Freshwater
Freshwater fishing can take some work during August. It is excellent in that the bass have tons of forage which is cruising around to chase and that there is a ton of oxygenating vegetation around, but it is tough because of the heat. Your best bet for a good largemouth bite in summer is to do one of three things: fish heavy cover like lily pads, fish deep water humps with slow-moving baits, or fish at night.
Fishing heavy lily pads is and always will be one of my favorite bass fishing tactics. You’ll need heavy line (usually 50-65lb), a stout rod which is usually pretty long (7ft plus), and a good hollow-body frog that you trust. Keeping your rod tip high, you’ll want to work the frog along the lilies at a slow pace, with pauses built in, especially near gaps in the pads.
Fishing deep-water humps can be done a variety of ways. Usually, deep-diving crankbaits, jigs, and large soft plastic worms rigged Carolina style are a good way to approach them. Slowly dragging the jig or worm along the bottom can usually entice bites if the fish are present, and choosing a crankbait that will dive deep enough into the strike zone is key.
The nighttime largemouth fishing crew is growing by the year, and most are throwing large glide baits of some kind to entice big bass. You may only get a few bites, but they’re usually worth it.
Saltwater
Striped bass in August are going to have many options for baitfish to feed on. Larger bunker are likely still kicking around, but so are smaller bay anchovies and silversides, which become more prevalent as August pushes on. Those baitfish spent their summer growing in creeks and shallow waters, but began to push out into the sound, offering the fuel for the impending fall run.
My striped bass fishing in August is best in one of a couple of scenarios. The first is at night, when bigger striped bass come shallow and are willing to hit live eels, big soft plastics, or tubes. The key for me is a big, easy meal. It’s summer and those big bass are trying to maintain a balance between the energy they expend and the food they eat. When the bite is on, often tide-dependent, nighttime striped bass fishing can be fantastic and a lot of fun.
The second August scenario, which I look forward to, is a cloudy and rainy day. The hot sun staying away and cooling rains usually fire up the stripers and keep them active in shallower water for longer. Topwaters, glide baits, and big soft plastics are options in these scenarios. I’m also looking for current to organize the fish and offer a target to cast at.
Fluke, porgy, and seabass in August are a ton of fun and a great way to spend a family boat day. Grab some squid, some hi-low rigs, and some sinkers, and you are ready. Of course, there are other options, but for a family fun day, that trifecta is simple, cheap, and produces. Use your charts to find a place to drift that has some smaller bottom features that won’t snag as much. If you’re a seasoned bottom fisherman, the snaggy bottom is what you’re probably trying to get close to, as it provides many hiding spots for bait and predators. But, for a family trip, the more subtle bottom should still produce enough action to make it worth the time. Drop to bottom, turn your reel two cranks up, and drift, adjusting to heavier sinkers if needed.
When I fluke fish, I like to begin with a long drift, which hopefully covers multiple depths. From there, I’ll adjust to focus on the general depth that produced the most bites. Often, fluke congregate in certain areas, so focusing your drift on product bite spots will help dial things in. At the shop, we often get asked about which color bucktail or Gulp to use. I usually start with a common color like pink, white, or chartreuse. From there, I’ll change things up if I feel like I’m in a good area but not producing well. If there are multiple people out with you on the boat, try having everyone use a different color bucktail to start, and then see who’s getting the most attention and adjust from there.
For summer seabass, there’s no better tactic in my opinion than using metal jigs to target deep water humps. My preferred option is the Daiwa SK Jig, which gets down quickly but also has a nice fluttering action that seabass (and giant porgy) seem to love. Begin your drift above some structure and drop to the bottom. As soon as your jig hits bottom, snap your rod tip upwards and then let the jig fall on a controlled slack line. Controlled slack means that you don’t want to lower it down on a straight line (which will kill its action), but you also don’t want to just drop your rod tip down either. That hurts you in two ways – you won’t feel the bite, which almost always comes on the fall, and you won’t feel the bottom. If you’re moving over structure, you’ll need to be hyper aware of when you’re going over bottom features and be prepared to take in some line to prevent your jig from dragging. There’s a learning curve to this style of fishing, but it’s so much fun it’s worth taking the time to dial it in.
Closing
I love August. There’s an embarrassment of riches in terms of species to target, the weather is glorious, and it’s very hard to be out on the water in 80-degree weather and have a bad time. Try new locations, try new tactics, try new lures, whatever you want, it’s all in play in August.