Go Fish: Reel in the Best of August
LIKE A SEAGULL TRYING TO OUTRUN A FALCON, summer has absolutely flown by, and somehow it’s already August. The good news? The fishing hasn’t slowed down one bit. If anything, it’s gotten better. Reports have been pouring in from every corner of Cape May County, and just about every fishery is producing. Whether you’re drifting the back bays, casting from the surf, running offshore, or sneaking away to a quiet freshwater pond, there are plenty of ways to bend a rod this month.
Back-bay flounder fishing continues to be the bread and butter of summer. The season has been remarkably consistent, with healthy numbers of keeper fish coming from channels, sod banks, deeper holes, and current seams throughout the bays.
The best part? They still aren’t terribly picky. Berkley Gulp remains a staple, whether you’re fishing it on a traditional high-low rig or pairing it with a bucktail. Fresh-cut mullet, herring, and live minnows have all been producing as well. Cover water, pay attention to your drift, and don’t be afraid to experiment until you find what they’re keyed in on that day.
If you’re looking to change things up, spend an evening walking the surf around the jetties. Peanut bunker schools are becoming more common by the day, and wherever those baitfish show up, predators usually aren’t far behind. Striped bass, bluefish, and flounder have all been taking advantage of the easy meals around rock piles, outflow pipes, and pier shadow lines. Live peanut bunker are tough to beat if you can catch them, but soft plastics, swimming plugs, and poppers that closely resemble the small baitfish have all been getting the job done.
One fishery that seems to grow in popularity every single year is surf shark fishing. Sandbar sharks and sand tigers continue to make up the bulk of the catches, but blue sharks and threshers are always in the mix. As darkness falls, you’ll find dedicated anglers spread across the beaches, kayaking fresh baits offshore before settling in for a long night under the stars. A fresh bunker head deployed a few hundred yards offshore often is right in the strike zone. If you’re fortunate enough to hook into one of these incredible fish, take your time, fight it responsibly, and remember that proper handling is just as important as the catch itself. These sharks deserve plenty of respect, not only for their incredible strength, but also for the role they play in our local ecosystem.
Jumping back across the island, August is prime time for another local favorite: tog and sheepshead. Bridge pilings, docks, bulkheads, and jetties are loaded with shellfish, making them prime real estate for these hard-fighting fish. Green crabs, Asian crabs, fiddler crabs, and sand fleas are all excellent bait choices. Structure jigs make it easy to make your bait mimic the actions of the crabs in their natural environment. Drop straight down alongside the pilings and let your bait settle naturally among the barnacles. It usually doesn’t take long before you feel that unmistakable tap.
Then there’s the main event. For many local anglers, August belongs to the offshore fleet. Tuna, mahi, and swordfish continue to headline one of the best fisheries on the East Coast. There are few experiences that compare to watching a yellowfin explode on a topwater lure or hearing a reel scream as a trolling rod folds over. Whether your style is trolling, jigging, chunking, or casting, now is one of the best opportunities of the entire year to check a true bucket-list fish off your list. The canyons and offshore lumps continue to produce, and when the weather cooperates, there’s simply no better place to be.
If you don’t have an offshore-capable boat, don’t let that stop you. Ocean City is home to several outstanding charter operations that work tirelessly to put anglers on fish.
If you ever have questions, need a few local tips, or simply want to talk fishing, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram at @floodtidemedia. I’d be happy to help point you toward your next memorable day on the water.
By Brandon Smith