Hot August Action

A ttention all heat seekers. If you’re looking for a nice August getaway where you can catch lots of fish and lose lots of water weight at the same time you don’t have to look any farther than Texas’s northernmost bay system, Sabine Lake.

If you like hot action and hot temperatures, you’ll fit in quite nicely down here. For those who can take the heat, I can’t think of a better place to be than Sabine Lake when the thermometer is pushing triple digits.

There is no shortage of shad in our system in August, and when coupled with the midday slick-offs of late summer the fishing action can be just as hot as the temperature. Fishing in the main lake can be red hot during these slick-offs. Not only hoards of shad, but also shrimp and ladyfish can lead you to giant schools of trout and redfish. These schools are not hard to locate and stay with on the super smooth surface when the already light breeze dies down to virtually nothing.

And it’s not uncommon for these schools to stay up for long periods at a time. We have, on several occasions, stayed with the same school for over an hour. The north end of Sabine Lake between Pleasure Island and Coffee Ground Cove is prime real estate. Look and listen for ladyfish smacking the surface and shrimp skipping for their tasty little lives.

Have your 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 foot medium-light casting or spinning gear ready with 1/8 to 1/4 ounce lead heads and a variety of soft plastic baits and topwaters. Some of our favorites are H & H Sparkle Beetles, Saltwater Assassins, Cocaho Minnows, Skitterwalk and Super Spook Jr. In this particular case, color is usually not an issue, but you still may want to experiment a little to see if the fish like one better than another.

One of the best things about fishing these giant schools is no matter what you’ve got tied on the end of your line, there’s a pretty good chance you’re going to get bit. From dead shad to topwaters, it doesn’t matter; these fish are aggressively feeding and will gladly accept any offering you give them.

If you find yourself fishing one of the several massive schools of shad you’ll encounter, fish the perimeters and go a little deeper for some nice trout and line-stripping reds. Free-lining or fishing live shad under a popping cork will also work well.

The bayous on the eastern bank of the lake should produce some nice flounders as they begin to gear up for the beginning stages of the fall migration. Johnson, Willow and Bridge Bayous should be the best bet for a consistent flounder bite, which is only going to get better over the next few months.

GULP! Swimming Mullet and other curl-tail grubs as well as live mud minnows should keep you in the action. Be prepared to lose some water weight while getting a rod-bending workout when you come see us on Sabine in August.

 

 

 

 

Email Eddie Hernandez at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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