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WRANGLING
THE REEF DONKEY
AFTER DARK OFFSHORE ACTION
LOCAL REPORTS & CATCH PHOTOS
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHELSEA MANN FB: @CHELS.ANA.4321 / IG: @CHELS_CHELS28 VOLUME 31 • ISSUE 377
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AUGUST 2026
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tina Georg e
F
ishing for greater amberjack— By CAM Staff a!ectionately known as “reef donkeys” or “AJs”—is one of saltwater angling’s most grueling and rewarding challenges. These hard-fighting predators are famous for their sheer strength, blistering runs, and ability to test both angler and tackle to the absolute limit. Greater amberjack are structure-oriented predators that primarily inhabit o!shore waters. They congregate around deep wrecks, artificial reefs, oil rigs, and steep rocky ledges. Adult amberjacks can exceed 60 pounds, though common catches range from 20 to 40 pounds. Because they are competitive and aggressive, they often hunt in packs, making them highly receptive to fast-paced fishing tactics. Due to the amberjack’s habit of diving straight into sharp structure when hooked, you cannot use light tackle. Anglers typically rely on heavy-action conventional or spinning gear. Use a heavy 6-foot (or shorter) rod paired with a high-capacity reel. The shorter length gives you better leverage to turn the fish’s head away from the reef. Spool up with a minimum of 50 to 80 lb. braided line, connected to a heavy 80- to 100-lb. monofilament or fluorocarbon leader. Whether you are drifting over the deep wrecks of the Gulf of Mexico or fishing o! the Atlantic coast, the two most e!ective methods are live baiting and vertical jigging. Live bait is often the most productive method for targeting the largest amberjacks. Prized baits include blue runners, hardtails, pinfish
EDIT: Chris
TIPS FOR CATCHING GREATER AMBERJACK
PHOTO CR
Taming Reef Donkeys
and cigar minnows. Rig your bait using a heavy circle hook (7/0 to 10/0 depending on the bait size) and drop it down into the lower third of the water column just above the submerged structure. Pro anglers often clip the tail of a lively baitfish so it doesn’t swim away too quickly, making it an easy target. If you prefer an active fishing style, heavy metal jigs (4 to 10 ounces) are incredibly e!ective. Butterfly jigs and traditional diamond jigs mimic the frantic movement of injured baitfish. Drop the lure to the bottom and rapidly reel it upward using a jerking, pumping motion. Amberjacks react intensely to speed and competition, so a fast, erratic retrieve often triggers a violent reaction strike. Hooking an amberjack is only half the battle; bringing it to the surface is the real test! When hooked, the “reef donkey” will immediately bolt straight down toward the safety of the wreck or reef. If they reach the structure, your line will be sliced on sharp metal or rocks. You must apply heavy drag and use a “lift and reel” technique, steadily pumping the rod and winding quickly to force the fish upward. To protect greater amberjack from overfishing, they are strictly regulated. These rules depend entirely on whether you are fishing o! the Gulf Coast or the Atlantic Coast. The Gulf population is heavily managed due to low stock numbers. For 2026, recreational harvest in the Gulf opens for 43 days, running from September 1 through October 14, 2026. Fish must be a minimum of 34” fork length (measured from the tip of the jaw to the center fork of the tail). Anglers are strictly limited to 1 fish per person, per day. Captain and crew on charter boats have a bag limit of zero. The Atlantic coast o!ers longer open windows but a di!erent sizing scale. Harvest is open most of the year but features a mandatory spawning closure from April 1 through April 30.The minimum size drops to 28” fork length. The limit mirrors the Gulf at 1 fish per person, per day. Before heading out, check your state’s licensing requirements and rules for specific reef-fishing gear to improve fish survival rates after release such as non-stainless steel circle hooks, dehooking device and a rigged, readyto-use venting tool or descending device to safely handle fish experiencing barotrauma.
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
Best Bait on Galveston Bay since 1929 What’s made Eagle Point Fishing Camp unique since 1929 is its location and business model. Because it’s in the center of the Galveston Bay, EPFC allows anglers to conveniently fish a vast stretch of water spanning from Houston to Galveston. Using the same full-service concept as its date of establishment, EPFC has proven for nearly a century that easy access to the water combined with a skilled staff creates the perfect fishing experience. Along with the boat ramp, boat storage, live bait for purchase, tackle shop, and RV park, EPFC has always had a fleet of shrimp boats to supply the bait that so many of their regular customers desire. Their successful commercial shrimping business has been an intricate part of what makes EPFC unique.
www.eaglepointfishingcamp.com 101 1st Street San Leon, TX 77539 281-339-1131
August, Where To Fish? CAPT. DAVID C DILLMAN Fishing out of Eagle Point Marina 409-632-0924 galvestonbaycharterfishing.com
H
ere's a bit of a recap on what's been going on in Galveston Bay, specifically outside of Eagle Point. The winds and rain that plagued the area in June are just a memory. July's weather settled down. The water cleared under the light winds we've experienced. This has allowed the anglers to fish in different areas instead of one or two. Let's talk trout. Deep water structure was producing good numbers of trout. The same deep water was good for black drum, a few sheepsheads, and the occasional red. Did you need to fish this area exclusively? No, the fish were still be caught shallow. Live shrimp under corks worked well for the specs, while the drum in that deep water prefer it on the bottom. In the shallower area, one could catch all the fish with shrimp under a popping cork. Soft plastics in the hands of a seasoned angler accounted for plenty of fish too. Local rainfall didn't hurt the bay. It might have even help cool the water temp. This pattern should hold until there's a significant change to the weather. Will that significant change happen in August? We're heading into primetime for
tropical activity in the gulf. So far, it's been quiet except for Arthur. Let's pray it stays that way. Barring a hurricane or tropical storm, the first two weeks of August will be much like July. Same pattern for the most part. Then, come the middle of the month, 'big net' season for shrimpers will
begin in Texas. This coincides with the movement of white shrimp out of the marshes and into the open bay. This is a change that will also trigger the fish to move. Why, you might be asking? Fish follow their food source, Shrimp being their number one food source. As the shrimp move out of the marshes in the back bay, speckled trout and other species of fish will begin their move to those areas. In other words, the fish will move towards the northern ends of the bay. it will be a gradual movement in the later part of August but worth noting. If you start seeing a gradual decrease in the numbers of fish where you've been, it's a pretty good indication that they've moved. The middle of Trinity bay, the east and west shorelines might be where you want to look. Deep Reef in east Galveston bay is another area. Kemah, Seabrook, and Sylvan Beach can also be good. To close, keep your eyes out for working birds. The bull reds are usually the first to find that migration of shrimp. See y'all on the water.
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AUGUST 2026
HOUSTON 1
HOUSTON | GALVESTON | UPPER COAST
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Miles, Memories & Monster Fish BY CAPT. MICHAEL OKRUHLIK MyCoastOutdoors@yahoo.com www.MyCoastOutdoors.com
M
y son and I tried something new this summer— we took a two-week road trip, fishing our way through Louisiana and both coasts of Florida. We even squeezed in a World Cup game along the way. Louisiana kicked things off with sight-casting redfish and catching trout on deep structure. It was Ethan's firsttime seeing fish before they were caught, and watching him learn the difference between a mullet wake and a cruising redfish was pretty special. From there, we headed to St. Pete, where the scenery and crystal-clear water were a complete change. We fished points and channels around the mangrove islands and, between everyone in the boat, landed a Florida Slam—redfish, trout, flounder, and snook. Ethan's favorite moment wasn't even a fish. A huge nurse shark swam up to inspect the trolling motor while he was fishing from the bow in just a few feet of clear water! Next came three days in the Everglades chasing giant snook. We found them too. Some made it to the boat, plenty didn't, and every hookup was a battle. The real challenge was landing them before the sharks found them. Unfortunately, the sharks won at least three times. One thing that stood out at every stop was that all of our fish were caught on soft-plastic paddle tails. I
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Photo courtesy of Knockin Tail Lures®.
know many Florida anglers prefer live bait, but don't overlook artificials— they'll catch plenty of fish when given the opportunity. Our next stop was the New Smyrna area on Florida's Atlantic Coast. This time, my buddy wanted to fish with live bait. We worked docks, bridges, and jetties for some of the biggest snook and redfish I've ever seen. The fish definitely knew where to hide, and with all that structure, we probably lost as many as we landed. The final stop was kayak fishing, Ethan's first time fishing from his own kayak. When he was younger, we shared a tandem kayak while he learned boat control and how to land fish from a rocking platform. About an hour into the trip, my buddy Will found some trout and waved us over. Ethan stopped short, made a cast off a grassy point, and I heard, "Dad, I have one." As I paddled toward him, I could tell by the splash it was a good fish. Then he yelled, "It's big!" By the time I reached him, he already had it in the net. The trout measured 28¼ inches and weighed 7½ pounds. I couldn't have been prouder, and seeing one of our Knockin Tail Lures in her mouth was the icing on the cake. On this trip, Ethan caught his biggest snook, redfish, and speckled trout. That's a fishing trip we'll never forget. A big thank you to all my friends who helped make this adventure one to remember. Take a kid fishing. I will!
Capt. Michael Okruhlik is the inventor and owner of Knockin Tail Lures®
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
AUGUST 2026
HOUSTON 3
S E D I 2 TAUGUST 026
Lee's
RED BY
SO PON
BAIT&TACKLE BAIT&
port bolivar, TX
Port Bolivar, TX - Aug 2026 High
Date
Eagle Point, Galveston Bay, TX - Aug 2026
Low
AM
ft
PM
ft
AM
ft
PM
ft
Rise
Set
Sat
8:55
1.1
5:12
0.9
12:08
0.0
2:35
0.9
6:39
8:11
2
Sun
8:22
1.1
7:10
0.8
12:34
0.2
2:44
0.6
6:40
8:10
3
Mon
8:11
1.1
9:31
0.8
12:47
0.5
3:10
0.3
6:40
8:09
4
Tue
8:03
1.2
12:14
0.8
3:44
0.0
6:41
8:09
5
Wed
7:38
1.3
4:24
-0.3
6:41
8:08
6
Thu
6:04
1.5
5:10
-0.5
6:42
8:07
7
Fri
6:00
1.6
6:01
-0.7
6:43
8:06
8
Sat
6:38
1.7
6:59
-0.7
6:43
8:05
9
Sun
7:34
1.7
8:00
-0.7
6:44
8:05
10
Mon
8:48
1.7
9:03
-0.7
6:44
8:04
11
Tue
1:27
1.7
10:04
-0.5
6:45
8:03
12
Wed
2:52
1.7
11:01
-0.3
6:45
8:02
13
Thu
4:10
1.5
11:52
-0.1
6:46
8:01
14
Fri
8:17
1.1
5:30
1.4
12:17
1.0
6:47
8:00
15
Sat
7:45
1.1
7:01
1.2
12:36
0.3
1:18
0.7
6:47
7:59
16
Sun
7:35
1.2
8:59
1.1
1:15
0.6
2:09
0.4
6:48
7:58
17
Mon
7:36
1.3
1:45
1.0
2:54
0.2
6:48
7:57
18
Tue
7:36
1.4
3:36
0.0
6:49
7:56
19
Wed
4:00
1.5
4:18
-0.1
6:49
7:55
20
Thu
4:17
1.6
5:02
-0.1
6:50
7:54
21
Fri
4:54
1.7
5:50
-0.1
6:50
7:53
22
Sat
5:37
1.7
6:43
-0.1
6:51
7:52
23
Sun
6:24
1.7
7:38
0.0
6:52
7:51
24
Mon
7:12
1.7
8:32
0.0
6:52
7:50
25
Tue
7:55
1.6
9:21
0.0
6:53
7:49
26
Wed
8:21
1.6
2:05
1.5
11:30
1.5
10:03
0.1
6:53
7:48
27
Thu
8:02
1.5
3:06
1.5
11:30
1.4
10:40
0.2
6:54
7:46
28
Fri
7:03
1.4
4:11
1.4
11:44
1.2
11:12
0.5
6:54
7:45
29
Sat
6:31
1.4
5:23
1.4
12:11
1.0
6:55
7:44
30
Sun
6:22
1.5
6:44
1.3
12:44
0.7
6:55
31
Mon
6:19
1.5
8:23
1.3
1:20
0.4
6:56
1
www.USHarbors.com
www.USHarbors.com
EAGLE POINT • GALVESTON BAY, TX
S
Moon
ft
12:04
0.9
3:19
0.1
PM
ft
Rise
Set
6:39
8:12
11:32
0.7
3:55
0.3
5:38
4:33
0.5
5:58
0.5
6:40
8:11
0.3
6:41
5:16
0.8
8:10
6:29
0.1
6:41
8:09
2
Sun
11:34
0.8
3
Mon
10:54
0.8
4
Tue
3:06
0.8
5
Wed
6:01
1.0
7:09
-0.1
6:42
8:09
6
Thu
6:55
1.2
7:59
-0.2
6:42
8:08
7
Fri
7:56
1.3
8:58
-0.3
6:43
8:07
8
Sat
9:03
1.4
10:03
-0.3
6:43
8:06
9
Sun
10:17
1.4
11:08
-0.4
6:44
8:05
10
Mon
11:41
1.4
6:45
8:04
11
Tue
1:17
1.4
12:11
-0.3
6:45
8:04
12
Wed
2:53
1.2
1:08
-0.3
6:46
8:03
13
Thu
4:35
1.1
1:59
-0.1
6:46
8:02
14
Fri
11:58
0.9
7:02
0.9
2:47
0.1
3:12
0.8
6:47
8:01
15
Sat
10:55
0.8
10:21
0.8
3:31
0.3
4:05
0.6
6:47
8:00
16
Sun
9:58
0.8
4:17
0.6
4:51
0.4
6:48
7:59
5:10
0.8
5:35
0.2
6:49
7:58
9:08 AM
8:23 AM
0.8
18
Tue
4:15
1.1
6:19
0.1
6:49
7:57
19
Wed
5:42
1.2
7:07
0.0
6:50
7:56
20
Thu
6:42
1.3
7:59
0.0
6:50
7:55
21
Fri
7:38
1.3
8:58
0.0
6:51
7:54
22
Sat
8:34
1.4
9:59
0.0
6:51
7:53
23
Sun
9:28
1.4
10:55
0.0
6:52
7:52
24
Mon
10:15
1.4
11:45
0.0
6:52
7:50
25
Tue
10:50
1.3
6:53
7:49
26
Wed
11:08
1.3
12:27
0.1
6:54
7:48
27
Thu
11:06
1.2
1:05
0.1
6:54
7:47
28
Fri
10:33
1.1
5:19
1.0
1:42
0.3
3:08
0.9
6:55
7:46
29
Sat
9:48
1.0
8:56
0.9
2:19
0.4
3:16
0.7
6:55
7:45
7:43
30
Sun
9:13
0.9
11:08
1.0
3:01
0.7
3:39
0.5
6:56
7:44
7:42
31
Mon
7:49
1.0
3:52
0.9
4:10
0.3
6:56
7:43
0.9
Moon
www.USHarbors.com
Clear Lake, Galveston Bay, TX - Aug 2026
Low PM
ft
PM
ft
Rise
Set
Sat
6:46
1.9
5:31
1.3
12:57
1.1
6:39
8:11
2
Sun
7:03
1.8
6:53
1.4
3
Mon
7:17
1.6
8:25
1.5
12:31
0.6
1:19
0.8
6:40
8:10
1:51
0.5
6:40
4
Tue
7:25
1.6
10:10
1.6
1:32
8:09
1.0
2:31
0.2
6:41
8:09
5
Wed
7:23
1.5
11:54
1.9
3:06
1.3
3:20
-0.1
6:42
8:08
6
Thu
4:14
-0.3
6:42
8:07
7
Fri
1:13
2.2
5:11
-0.6
6:43
8:06
8
Sat
2:13
2.4
6:10
-0.7
6:43
8:05
9
Sun
3:04
2.5
7:09
-0.8
6:44
8:04
10
Mon
3:48
2.5
8:06
-0.8
6:44
8:04
4:27
2.5
12:56
1.8
Wed
5:02
Thu
5:31
2.3
2:31
2.2
3:49
14
Fri
5:57
2.0
15
Sat
6:20
16
Sun
17
AM
ft
10:45
1.7
9:01
-0.7
1.8
10:51
1.8
11:15
1.6
9:54
-0.4
6:46
8:02
1.3
10:45
-0.1
6:46
5:04
1.7
11:49
8:01
1.1
11:37
0.3
6:47
8:00
1.8
6:21
1.7
12:29
0.8
6:47
7:59
6:39
1.7
7:45
1.7
12:33
0.7
1:12
0.6
6:48
7:58
Mon
6:53
1.6
9:25
1.8
1:41
1.1
1:58
0.4
6:48
7:57
18
Tue
6:57
1.6
11:23
1.9
3:24
1.4
2:48
0.2
6:49
7:56
19
Wed
3:40
0.1
6:49
7:55
20
Thu
4:34
0.1
6:50
7:54
2.1
6:45
CLEAR LAKE • GALVESTON BAY, TX
GALVESTON PLEASURE PIER, TX
High
12:53
AM
ED BY SOR
ft
13
ft
N SPO
AM
12
Sat
Low PM
0.9
www.USHarbors.com
Tue
ft
1:37
Galveston Pleasure Pier, TX - Aug 2026
11
1
AM
Mon
ED BY SOR
1
High
Date
17
N SPO
Date
D BY
ORE
NS SPO
Moon
8:03
21
Fri
1:51
2.2
5:28
0.0
6:51
7:53
22
Sat
2:34
2.2
6:19
0.0
6:51
7:52
23
Sun
3:10
2.3
7:05
-0.1
6:52
7:51
24
Mon
3:40
2.3
7:47
-0.1
6:52
7:50
25
Tue
4:06
2.3
8:25
0.0
6:53
7:49
26
Wed
4:28
2.2
1:44
1.7
10:52
1.6
9:01
0.1
6:53
7:48
27
Thu
4:47
2.1
2:50
1.7
10:37
1.5
9:37
0.2
6:54
7:46
28
Fri
5:05
2.1
3:53
1.8
10:42
1.3
10:15
0.4
6:54
7:45
29
Sat
5:22
2.0
4:56
1.8
11:00
1.1
10:57
0.7
6:55
7:44
30
Sun
5:36
1.9
6:03
1.9
11:28
0.8
11:45
1.0
6:55
7:43
31
Mon
5:48
1.8
7:16
2.0
12:04
0.5
6:56
7:42
High
Date
AM
ft
Low PM
ft
AM
ft
PM
ft
Rise
Set
1
Sat
2:10
0.8
5:37
-0.1
7:07
0.6
6:40
8:12
2
Sun
2:01
0.7
6:28
0.1
7:36
0.4
6:40
8:12
3
Mon
1:08
0.6
1:13
0.6
7:30
0.3
8:10
0.2
6:41
8:11
4
Tue
3:59
0.7
11:58 AM
0.6
8:48
0.6
8:51
0.0
6:42
8:10
5
Wed
5:58
0.9
9:40
-0.2
6:42
8:09
6
Thu
7:59
1.0
10:38
-0.2
6:43
8:09
7
Fri
9:21
1.1
11:44
-0.3
6:43
8:08
8
Sat
10:34
1.2
6:44
8:07
9
Sun
11:44
1.2
10
Mon
12:47
11
Tue
1:32
12
Wed
13 14
12:53
-0.4
6:45
8:06
1.2
1:57
-0.4
6:45
8:05
1.2
2:53
-0.4
6:46
8:04
1:54
1.1
3:41
-0.4
6:46
8:03
Thu
1:47
1.0
4:25
-0.3
4:48
0.9
6:47
8:02
Fri
1:10
0.8
5:07
-0.1
5:35
0.7
6:47
8:01
15
Sat
12:58
0.7
5:49
0.1
6:19
0.4
6:48
8:00
16
Sun
12:55
0.8
12:15
0.7
6:34
0.4
7:01
0.2
6:49
7:59
17
Mon
2:57
0.8
10:59 AM
0.8
7:25
0.7
7:44
0.0
6:49
7:58
18
Tue
5:50
0.9
8:28
-0.1
6:50
7:57
19
Wed
7:31
1.1
9:18
-0.1
6:50
7:56
20
Thu
8:45
1.1
10:15
0.0
6:51
7:55
21
Fri
9:54
1.1
11:18
0.0
6:51
7:54
22
Sat
11:02
1.1
6:52
7:53
23
Sun
12:02
1.2
12:20
0.0
6:52
7:52
24
Mon
12:37
1.2
1:12
0.0
6:53
7:51
25
Tue
12:57
1.2
1:53
0.0
6:54
7:50
26
Wed
1:11
1.1
2:31
-0.1
6:54
7:49
27
Thu
12:55
1.1
3:09
-0.1
6:55
7:48
28
Fri
12:15
1.0
3:49
0.0
4:42
0.8
6:55
7:47
12:02
0.9
4:34
0.2
5:12
0.6
6:56
7:46
5:26
0.5
5:43
0.4
6:56
7:44
6:28
0.7
6:19
0.2
6:57
7:43
29
Sat
30
Sun
31
Mon
11:15
0.8
12:59
10:24 AM
1.0
0.8
TIDES collected from
Moon
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Jamaica West TX2025 - Aug 2025 Jamaica Beach, Beach, West Bay, TXBay, - Aug Date
High
High
Date AM
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PMft
ftPM
Low
Low AMft
ftAM
PMft
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Rise Moon Set Set
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Fri 9:28
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8:11
Moon
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STAY ON TOP By Britt Stoudenmire
FOR SUMMERTIME
RIVER SMALLIES
T
he late-summer months are an overlooked window to catch big smallmouth bass that have been lazily lying in the middle of the river a!er a long spawning season. The insect hatches and emergences that occur throughout the day including mayflies, damsel flies and my favorite, the cicada, spur feeding frenzies and create an excellent opportunity to throw topwater lures and flies. One of my favorite lures to target topwater smallies during this period
is the Pop-R. I make long casts with a 6-foot to 6-foot, 6-inch G.Loomis medium-action rod with a Shimano Stradic 2500 C4+ reel spooled with 20/6 Power Pro braided line. On entry into the water, I let the bait dead dri! for about five seconds before working it erratically back to the boat. I target current seams, eddies, corner pockets and any type of structure or current break in the middle of fast water. It is important to continue working the bait with the same cadence, even if a fish is crashing behind it. Once you feel the rod load, reel into the fish and swing the rod back. Once hooked up, keep the rod—and fish—down in the water. Many big fish are lost while trying to pull the fish up to get a look at it. Another one of my favorite topwater presentations is the buzzbait. I will target the same areas as above using a slightly stouter medium-heavy setup to drive the hook home. The key to the buzzbait is to get the bait up on the surface as soon as it hits the water. I favor a straight, steady retrieve, reeling just fast enough to keep the bait on the surface. When a fish eats it, allow him to load the rod before setting into him with a hard hook set. I favor longer sha!ed buzzbaits for better hook-ups, as I don’t use trailer hooks because of the damage they can do to smallies. If you have a blow up on your buzzbait and do not touch him with the hook, a quick follow up with a so! plastic will o!en garner an immediate bite from the same fish. If you like to fly fish, summer’s slower, less-busy water o!en presents the perfect scenario to fly fish for big smallmouth. My favorite presentation for smallies on the fly is dead-dri!ing cicada bugs. Big smallies are addicted to these “dog days” dying cicada bugs and the easy meal they present, and we sight cast to these fish that o!en eclipse 20” or more. This technique has produced some of my clients’ and my personal best fly-rod fish. When dead dri!ing cicada bugs aren’t working, several other presentations can produce explosive strikes. Any popper in the size 4 to 6 range can attract smallies. When they strike, remember to strip up the slack line and into them before raising the rod tip hard to drive home the hook. If fish aren’t responding to the popper, another option is a slider-style fly. When stripped, the fly will dive slightly beneath the surface giving a darting and diving action. The Sneaky Pete is a good example, and this type of presentation can be deadly. Britt Stoudenmire owns and operates New River Outdoor Co. who guides on the New River in Southwest Virginia. www.newriveroutdoorco.com.
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n an industry increasingly dominated by high-tech fish finders, forwardfacing sonar, and motorized watercra!, the biggest story of ICAST 2026 came down to a refreshing return to roots. Rather Outdoors and its iconic Zebco brand shocked the fishing world at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., by winning the overall Best of Show award for the newly engineered Rhino 30 6’6’’ 2-piece Medium Spinning Combo. The victory marks a monumental comeback for the legacy Rhino name, a brand built entirely on bulletproof reliability for the everyday angler. “Zebco has been the first chapter in so many people’s fishing stories, and the Rhino relaunch is helping make sure that first experience is one that lasts,” said Chris Littau, Vice President of Zebco, following the historic win. Before capturing the industry’s ultimate prize, the Rhino setup first secured its foothold by winning the competitive Rod & Reel Combo category in the ICAST 2026 New Product Showcase, where industry heavyweights and innovative newcomers competed for 39 different Best of Category awards, selected by credentialed buyers and media who voted during the trade show.
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remember the dog days of August as almost unbearable for myself and clients during the daylight hours. Some days on commercial trips we would put the fan on us and rest during the heat of the day and fish in the late a!ernoon and at night for a number of fish, including snappers and mackerel. The yellowfin and wahoo bite could sometimes be a pleasant surprise while king mackerel fishing under the lights. The first wahoo I ever caught from an anchored up boat was at night. It literally swam right to the boat and I was able to almost hand feed him. That was a game-changing experience for me. This is where I learned how to catch live squid in numbers under the lights with a long-handled dip net and on the Sabiki. Cigar minnows and sardines would gather in huge swarms under the lights and, therefore, it would attract all the predators, not to mention the bite on the bottom and in the mid depth of the water column. The full moon of August is traditionally the best beeliner fishing of the year. A lot of the snappers spawn during the full moon of July and August; the mackerel too. A lot of the snappers and triggers are not on the bottom, but will suspend in the water column, so I would recommend a level wind reel when fishing the water column to locate the depth of the largest snappers. Descend your baits, slowly letting your thumb off the spool to release more line, one rod-length strip at a time. I like to use a double tackle with small pieces of squid and small circle hooks for this style of fishing. When you feel the first bite, click the reel in gear and barely come tight to it...sometimes you’ll have two at a time. This is the perfect time to put a small snapper on the bottom, a snapper Packed out... 2-4 lb. beeliners during large enough to eliminate first half of the night on the full moon. all the trash bites and attract only the largest grouper. The largest gag I ever caught was in August (at night) on a small pink snapper. Gutted it weighed 51 pounds and we estimated that it was probably 54 pounds. August has a lot of opportunities. We just have to change tactics to take advantage of it, and the night shi! is a great way to avoid the searing daytime temperatures and fill the box with organic groceries. This is also a good time to keep at least one person on the Sabiki, catching cigar minnows and sardines for future trips. Considering the cost of a five-pound box of frozen cigars, it makes it worthwhile to jig up 15 or 20 pounds of cigs, sardines, squid and/or tinker macs. Keep them all in the live well until you’re ready to leave in the morning and chill the remainder of the livewell all at one time for the ride home. Fish through the night and during the first couple of hours of daylight on the productive bottom and come home with a box full of fish! This is how to get the most out of an August trip. Load the box with plenty of ice when you get home, go inside, take a good nap and get up in the a!ernoon to clean and freeze the catch. Learn more from Tim Barefoot at barefootcatsandtackle.com and on his YouTube channel: @timbarefoot5698.
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