August is the last full month of “SweatFest 2016,” the festival no one likes to celebrate. The hot water and plethora of bait makes for tough conditions, more so for fly anglers.
But there are some exceptions — and what exceptions they are.
The first is Spanish mackerel. They’ll be cruising the beaches and passes. Toss a Clouser or other slim-profile baitfish pattern into a school and strip fast; then hold on for a vicious strike and several leaps.
Another exception is mangrove snapper. Hook one on a 9-weight rod and expect to get hurt. It might require some chumming, but they love large baitfish patterns with heavily weighted eyes.
Then there’s jack crevalle. These brutes will be busting mullet along beaches and in bays — especially in Lake Pontchartrain. They love large baitfish patterns. Hook one out of a kayak and you’d better have your passport ready for Cuba.
Tackle requirements include a 10-weight rod or higher, a disc drag reel holding at least 200 yards of backing and either an intermediate or full sinking fly line. Use a bite tippet of wire, or one chomp and it’s over.
On the lighter side, late summer brings tripletail. These wary denizens hang off crab traps and buoys, and are particularly common in Lake Borgne and Breton Sound. Shrimp patterns like the Cinco Shrimp or Crystal Shrimp are most effective.
Schools of sand (aka white) trout are common this month. Small in size, but strong in fight, a sandie in the 11- to 14-inch range on 6-weight rod is as much fun as the law allows. You only need one fly: a sparsely-dressed, size 2 white Clouser Minnow.
Freshwater-wise, there’s good nighttime activity for hybrid stripers in Lakes St. John and Concordia. Look for activity under dock lights. Cast Deceiver patterns on the edge of the darkness and make long, erratic strips.
