Kid Rock suggested naming a boat “Chillin the Most” and taking it up and down the coast. I’m not sure he had fishing in mind, but he had the right idea.
Beat the heat
The month of August has a “hot” reputation — hot weather and hot fishing!
It’s cooler on the water. There seems to always be enough breeze on the bay and rivers to keep temperatures more comfortable than on land. Shade certainly helps too.
During August, the hottest month of the year, most fish seem to feed heavier during the morning and evening hours. They find their way into shallow waters at night to feed, especially during the high tides.
However, there’s nothing better than catching fish at sunrise. Early morning offers good fishing and cooler temperatures. Of course, nocturnal anglers find that sunset offers many of the same benefits.
Water temperatures have risen into the low 80s and may bump into the upper 80s by month’s end. The high water temperature creates lower oxygen levels and causes fish to stay in greater depths during the daytime hours and feed in the shallow water at night when it is cooler. Even mackerel and bluefish tend to be affected by the hot surface temperatures. During the month, you will find schools at depths of 10-15 feet below the surface.
We have a wide variety of species available this month in the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula — Spanish mackerel, bluefish, cobia, spadefish, whiting, speckled trout, drum, spot, croaker and more.
For the small boat owner, the rivers and creeks offer ideal locations to find bottom feeders as well as trout and the smaller puppy drum (redfish). Simply fishing with a two-hook bottom rig using squid strips, shrimp or bloodworms works well for spot, croaker and whiting over oyster beds, but lures are the best option for specks and redfish in the skinny water of less than six feet.
For those anglers preferring to jig and cast lures, the Berkley Gulp baits are producing results on a variety of species. The swimming mullets and the jerk baits are most popular.
Mirrolures and other similar hard presentations are working as well. Grass beds in skinny water are the home for speckled trout, puppy drum and a few striped bass (season is closed until Oct. 4). Locations holding the best populations are Mobjack Bay, both the North and East river, the Piankatank River, Dividing Creek and Ingram Bay. Feeder creeks on the Virginia side of the Potomac River are holding good numbers of these fish as well.
Trolling action will land mackerel and blues this month. There have already been several mackerel in our catches since mid-July with some exceeding four pounds. The blues and mackerel are often found schooling together in close proximity. This offers an opportunity for small boat anglers to get into the action. Windmill Point, outside of Ingram Bay, Smith Point and Coles Point are all locations that hold these fish. They are also found along the shipping channel as they travel up the bay.
Just outside of Ingram Bay Marina, folks are catching both mackerel and blues trolling at the mouth of the Great Wicomico River.
For best results, I recommend using a small #0 Drone or Clark spoon either in chrome, gold or a variety of colors including hot pink and chartreuse. Use a 15-foot long 20# leader with a good quality snap swivel behind a #1 planer or light in-line sinkers to keep the baits down below the surface 12-15 feet. For a deeper presentation, I use #2 planers which will place your spoons at depths of 15-20 feet.
Large red drum can be found lingering along the shipping channel edges often feeding on the same silversides and shiners that the mackerel and blues feed on. When found, loosen your drags on your reels and enjoy the fun fight. Any drum more than 26 inches in length must be released.
Chumming is popular for gathering catches of bluefish, cobia and spadefish. For blues and cobia, the standard grind of menhaden chum will suffice, yet the spadefish prefer a clam chum. Blues can be found on any of the numerous artificial reefs including Windmill Point, Asphalt Pile and Northern Neck reef. The S.W. Middle Grounds off Smith Island holds good numbers as well. Spadefish are sparsely located this far up the bay, but frequent structure such as lighthouses, wrecks and reefs. Cobia are more free swimming and can be drawn to the boat with chum and take live offerings such as spot and eels. The strong run of cobia has already hit our region, yet there are still more opportunities to catch a few.
August is a great month for fishing. Don’t let the heat get you down. Temperatures on the water are always cooler than on land. Our gentle, refreshing Northern Neck-Middle Peninsula breezes should be patented. During August the stinging nettles die off and many anglers split their time with other activities such as swimming, water skiing and just plain cruising. No matter what activity you prefer, it’s great to be on the water.
Catch ‘em
With a variety of options available this month, don’t be discouraged if your target species doesn’t show up to your party. Just dig into your box and pull out a different bait or lure and target another type of fish. Nobody should return to the dock empty handed this month. If the problem persists, you can always book a fishing charter with me or one of my fellow captains.
The Bay Bash Fishing Tournament is set for Saturday, Aug. 13. This is a 10-species tournament that provides fun for the entire family. Go to BayBash.com for information. Help support kids with disabilities while having fun catching fish.
Until next time, fair winds.
Capt. Billy Pipkin, a saltwater fishing columnist, owns and operates Capt. Billy’s Charters and Ingram Bay Marina in Wicomico Church. Visit his website at www.captbillyscharters.com. His phone number is 580-7292.
Fish Cakes
- Two pounds of steamed boneless fish fillets (croaker, whiting and perch. Even tiny bluefish).
- One cup of celery finely chopped
- One cup of sweet onion chopped (optional – Include some green onion for flavor and color.)
- Two or three eggs
- One-two tablespoons of yellow mustard (not dry mustard)
- One tablespoon of lemon juice
- Four tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce.
- Two tablespoons of fresh parsley chopped (more or less to taste)
- One small can of Rotel with liquid drained. Can use regular or hot depending on taste. Seems to be a major contributor of taste for this recipe.
- Two bags of instant herb potatoes (will not add water for this recipe)
- One to one-and-a-half cups of mayonnaise
- Old Bay seasoning
- Pepper, three-five teaspoons depending on taste
- Salt to taste (when served)
Steam (do not boil) fish. Season fish with Old Bay seasoning before steaming. When done the fish should be chilled. Can be cooked the day before or earlier the same day. Make sure the fish is chilled.
Mix all ingredients well, except the fish, in a bowl. Add the fish and mix again. Using your hands, form cakes. Place the formed cakes in the refrigerator so they can set, roughly 30 minutes.
Can be fried as is or they can be “breaded” (with or without dipping in egg) with bread crumbs, cracker crumbs or House Autry Seafood breader mix. Fry in small amount of olive oil for about five minutes per side. Makes about 10 large cakes or 20 small cakes.
Feel free to experiment. Add or subtract to fit your tastes. Adding a half pound of chopped shrimp adds texture and flavor.
