THINK SHADE

from Coastal Angler Magazine | August 2023 | Greater Miami Edition

A Time of Porpoise

by Captains Mike & Tony Tojdowski

Iknow fellow anglers, the sun and Miami heat has been a brutal force to deal with. With that being said, nding shady areas to sh is key this month. I truly believe this will result in more quality bigger sh being landed. Fish, like us, enjoy the sun to some extent but when given a choice o en seek the refuge of a shady spot to spend most of their day. Since shade is limited, the bigger more dominant sh are the ones that get the best spots. I o en nd larger peacock bass and other exotic species under bridges, overhanging trees, and in cooler temperature deeper waters. To locate deeper spots, use your boat’s depth nder or look for evidence of a fallen trees. Some of our biggest sh have come from shing these deeper spots. If shing with live bait, it’s ideal to use a small split shot about 6 inches from your hook. is will result in your bait sinking faster to reach the bigger predators. e bite in August will continue to be solid if you focus your e orts in the early part of the morning or late in the a ernoon when the sun is already past its highest point. 70% of our catch this month will likely be peacock bass and the other 30% will be a mixed bag of tarpon, largemouth bass, snook, jaguars and mayan cichlids.

e rain in August keeps the water levels up allowing anglers to target small ponds and lakes via shore shing, producing nice examples of all these species on the edge of the drop in about 10-15 feet of water. You want to sh a little bit slower with a suspending lure or a weighted so plastic that will drop slowly. e trick is to work the bait for a couple cranks, then pause allowing the sh enough time to either hit it or start trailing your bait. Once you begin to work the bait again towards the shore is most likely when you will get the strike!

Featured Tool: Keeping a pair of long pliers helps save a ton of sh when they swallow the hook/lure too deep. e trick is the clamp onto the middle of the hooks sha and with one swi movement go in and out, if done correctly you will recover your hook and the sh will be saved. is helps reduce stress on the sh and get them back in the water quickly saving countless sh we have landed over the years. If you see the sh took the hook all the way to the belly, than it’s best to just cut the line at the leader close to the shes mouth since trying to recover your hook will most likely kill them, don’t worry about leaving the hook in the throat / belly since they will eventually rust out and sh can still feed with a hook back there believe it or not. Its honestly one of the best tools we won’t leave home without. You can buy a pair of these pliers for only a couple dollars at your local shing tackle supply store or online. Remember we all need to do our part to ensure quality shing in Miami for our future generations to enjoy for years to come.

Captains Mike & Tony Tojdowski

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