Biting right now — August

Water is cool but the reefs are loaded, grouper and amberjack are chewing steady out on the structure. Cobia start showing along the beaches and around the markers, and shark fishing is about as good as it gets this time of year. Redfish are holding tight in the flats and inlet, so we split time between the reef and the shallows depending on wind.

Cobia hit their stride this month, we run the beaches and nearshore structure sight fishing for them when the water clears up. Grouper and amberjack stay solid on the reefs and shark action is strong on every trip we run offshore. Redfish keep working the inshore flats, giving us a good backup plan on windy days.

March is the month everything lines up offshore. Grouper, cobia, and amberjack are all peaking on the reefs and wrecks, snapper and golden tilefish turn on in the deeper water, and shark fishing stays at its best. Jack crevalle and redfish are running strong inshore too, so this is one of our busiest and most productive months of the year.

Water is warming fast and the reefs off Sebastian come alive. Grouper and amberjack stack up on structure in good numbers, and jack crevalle chase bait through the inlet all day. We spend most of our time on the reef trip working ledges and wrecks, mixing in snapper and cobia drops along the way.

This is one of the best months on the calendar. Snapper and snook load up thick on the reefs and around the inlet, mahi start showing on the color changes offshore, and tilefish are firing in deep water. We run the deep water trip to hit the tilefish grounds and troll for mahi on the way out, then work back inshore for snook at last light.

June keeps the momentum from May. Snapper and snook are still thick, mahi are running well offshore, and tilefish remain steady in deep water. Cobia have moved off and amberjack and redfish slow down, so we lean hard into the deep water and reef bites where the action is strongest.

Inlet water runs hot and snook stack up around the jetty rocks and mangrove points at first light. Offshore the weed lines hold mahi and the reefs are loaded with snapper, while jack crevalle tear through bait schools most of the day. Grouper and amberjack stay sluggish in this heat, so we do not chase them hard right now.

August keeps the same pattern as July with warmer, calmer mornings. Snook and jack crevalle work the inlet and nearshore structure, mahi still show along the color changes offshore, and the deep drops keep giving up tilefish and snapper. Grouper, amberjack, redfish, and shark are all still slow, and we are not spending time on them yet.

Water starts cooling a touch and the bite spreads back out. Snapper, snook, and jack crevalle stay strong, and grouper, amberjack, redfish, and shark all wake up and turn from slow to good on the reefs and nearshore structure. Mahi and tilefish ease off the peak but are still worth a drop offshore.

The reefs wake up hard this month. Grouper stack on structure and amberjack hold tight to the wrecks, while jacks and sharks tear through bait schools closer to the beach. Inshore, redfish push into the flats on strong tides and give us steady action all day.

Water starts to cool and the bite tightens up on the reefs, with grouper and shark holding strong through the month. Cobia start showing along the color changes and rays, and redfish stay locked in on the flats no matter the wind. This is one of our most reliable months on the water.

Cold fronts start rolling through and slow down the snapper and snook, but redfish only get better as bait pushes into the backcountry. Grouper, amberjack, and cobia still bite well offshore when we can find a clean weather window. We watch the forecast closely and pick our days.