Pier & Shore Fishing Outlook 8/21/24

Pier & Shore Fishing Outlook 8/21/24
By David “The Pierpounder” Thornton

This fortnight begins and ends with NEAP tide periods centered around August 22nd and September 4th. That means there will be very little difference in the water level during that time unless we have some change in the current forecast of light winds and seas. The historical trend for late August calls for a slight change in the weather pattern to a more synoptic wind flow pattern from the southeast as the Bermuda high pressure system re-exerts itself over our area. This pattern often produces good fishing as September begins, but it can also usher in a tropical system across the Florida peninsula. We have been quite fortunate so far this tropical season, and prayer for continued protection may well help.
The mostly calm conditions of late have been interrupted by occasional bouts with thundershowers, but that hasn’t been enough to stir the bottom for long. The water has been quite clear at times lending to several phenomena, like scores of female blue crabs gathering in the surfzone to spawn. These mature blue crabs mate only once in their lifetime and then spend the rest of their life in the Gulf. They enter the surf zone each summer as gravid or egg-bearing. Then after spawning they tend to stay there feeding on abundant plant matter along with dead or dying fish before returning to the deeper Gulf waters, often during a stormy period. The so-called sponge crabs are protected from harvest, but once they have laid their eggs they are legal to keep. Problem is many of them are emaciated from egg production, and need time for their muscles to fill back out.
Another product of calm clear Gulf waters is the early morning cycle of ladyfish, bluefish, and small jacks pursuing tiny 3 inch baitfish to the beach where some of the baitfish become stranded by waves.
The surviving baitfish often remain shoaled near the beach even after the initial blitz of predators has moved out to relatively deeper waters after the sun comes up. Some say it’s because they are full, but these fish always seem hungry whenever their vulnerable food source is nearby. More likely they head to deeper water to keep from being blinded by the brightening glare of the rising sun.
Plus sharks are usually attracted to prolonged feeding activity even near shore. This gives a lot of misinformed people the idea that baitfish or people fishing near them attracts the sharks. When the truth is the sharks will be there anyway checking out the smell or sound of other fish feeding.
Sharks have been in the news and on local social media a lot this summer, and it seems every year there are more coastal sharks than ever. This due in large part to overly protective regulations preventing much shark fishing and harvest.
Pompano are a fish species always attractive to surf fishers, even in mid summer. Another phenomenon is the huge number of juvenile pompano right along the edge of the swash zone. They grow very quickly in the warm Gulf water (upper 80s to near 90) because their food source is so abundant. Tiny sandfleas, coquina, blue crab, and other invertebrates provide nourishment for the hungry hordes of pompano which grow about an inch per month during their first year of life. Whiting (or Gulf kingfish) are another species that share this rich habitat at the foot of the swash zone, the region where waves wash up on the shore then recede.
As waves wash back down the sandy incline, some of these tiny invertebrates are uncovered and end up at the base of the slope where schools of these small fish eagerly await to eat them up.
Larger versions of whiting and pompano may occasionally feed in this shallow water too, but they are extremely skittish when doing so. Much more likely they will be found along the dropoff edges of sandbars or scattered around the beach points in 3 to 6 feet deep water where rolling waves might uncover food items for them in much the same manner. Most of these fish, over 12 inches long are about a year old and are mature. In calm, clear water they are best targeted with a 7 to 10 foot light or medium light action rod, and a small reel up to 4000 size with light line (4 to 15 pound) using a Carolina rig with a 10 pound test leader and a # 4 kahle hook.
Bait can be a be a piece of fresh shrimp, live shrimp or ghost shrimp. Just be prepared to cull through lots of bycatch this time of year. One way to cut down on natural bait bycatch or loosing your bait is to switch to a synthetic bait strip like Fishbites or Fish Gum, or use pompano jigs, or even a so-called Goofy jig setup. Durable artificial lures are a great way to target specific fish sizes and species. Spoons and small plugs, as well as jigs for bottom hugging species can help you end up with more keeper fish.
This is also the best time of year to target hard pulling juvenile jack crevalle, also called yellow-tails. They travel in large schools of 50 or more fish and readily strike a variety of live or dead baits and small artificials. They are a LOT of fun on ultralight tackle from shore, wadefishing, or from the pier.
Well, the long wait is finally over for anglers to fish the entire 1540 feet of the Gulf State Park Pier. The pier reopened Monday August 19th at 7am to anglers and sightseers. It will be a while longer before the observation platform will be accessible to the public due to the elevator that serves it must be working to be in compliance with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) regulations.
So the decision was made to do a “soft opening” (unofficial) until the elevator can be made operational. Then an official ribbon cutting type ceremony should take place, hopefully in September. And hope to see you there!
Meanwhile, fishermen can expect to see LOTS of ladyfish, bluefish, and sharks around the pier. And with luck there should be at least some spanish mackerel, spadefish, speckled trout, redfish, and flounder caught too. Maybe even a king mackerel can be landed (intact?). Closer to shore, pompano and whiting are possible catches this time of year, though the bycatch of pinfish, small jacks, and baby jack crevelle can be a terrible worry for anglers.
The Mobile Street access at the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge is still closed while the parking lot is being upgraded and the old boardwalk is being replaced.
Weather delayed the work getting started, plus supply issues have slowed progress, but the parking lot should be open by early September according to a BS-NWR post on their Facebook page. Note that parking on Mobile Street proper is still illegal, though some have been doing that anyway at risk of being fined or towed.