After fishing in a tropical storm on Monday I really enjoyed the wind and overcast conditions over the still heat.

On Tuesday at 6:30 a.m. while loading my vessel for the day’s work, I didn’t know whether to gobble like a turkey or put some buck horns on my head and rub a small tree. The morning was a much welcome surprise with the low humidity and brisk ride out to the St. Martins Key’s.

As we anglers and hunters move into August we can expect more hot weather, maybe a storm or two but after 31 days we will be in the first month with “ber” in it. I always look forward to this because there is a transition that takes place with the last bit of summer.

Some say summer last all year long in Florida but I beg to differ, we just take our time like our weather.

In my August prediction look for red fishing to improve on the full and new moon. The new moon should be the better of the two because it will be at the later part of the month and the mullet will be thick around the outside keys, and so will the red fish because they both like the same current and bottom. I can’t say it enough, “find happy mullet and you will catch some red fish – if an angler is patient enough.”

Another good location is the spoil islands west of the power house; it is the only location that I know of that will yield bull red fish in our area.

Trout can be good or bad depending on the conditions. Bad would be calm and hot so it would be better to hit the near shore rocks for mangrove snapper, grunts, flounder and if you are lucky and have a permit.

August is the best month for my clients to catch them and I have to say it is not a guaranteed thing, but has happened. The best trout conditions in August will be early morning or after a heavy rain with wind, for a day or two.

I would like to say that scalloping gets very good this time of year because school is in session (sorry to my daughters) and week day crowds are nonexistent. The scallops are at they’re peak as far as meat goes. Look for incoming tides to be late afternoon this weekend.