Mid-Coast Bays: August 2025

July fishing has been rather slow but steady this year. What I mean is my clients and I have been struggling with getting into or staying put in locations that hold good numbers of quality fish. It seems like we get on a good bite in an area and the wind slowly increases as the sun rises, so much that it will gradually make the conditions so bad that we end up leaving and moving to other areas that may not be holding the quality of fish we desire.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, though. August weather is generally more stable with sunny days and lighter winds…in other words, the dog days. While some might disagree, the heat is not all that bad if you have the outlook that the fish will feed more aggressively in the cooler early morning hours, and then head to the nearest drop-off to take advantage of darker, cooler depths. They’ll still feed, but more selectively than during early morning.

With August’s lighter winds you will likely see the bow of my Shallowsport X3 headed to areas that will have four major characteristics – shallow feeding areas, deep water access nearby, and with good current flow. Last but not least would be an abundant supply of bait fish in the area.

There are actually quite a few areas that offer these four basic attributes. One that comes to mind quickly is mid-bay reefs, such as can be found in West Matagorda, San Antonio, and Mesquite bays. Major reefs are easy to locate as there will typically be waves breaking across them. More to my liking, however, are the many not-so-major reef structures that appear on your GPS screen. Generally speaking these smaller and lesser-known reefs receive less fishing pressure.

Most days, I will start out throwing the 4” Saltwater Assassin Sea Shads rigged on a 1/16-ounce Assassin jighead. My preferred colors are the Purple Chicken and Magic Grass.

Another area that will hold the “fab four qualifications” is the surf along Matagorda Peninsula and Matagorda Island; which is truly my favorite place to fish during late summer. The breeze coming over the gulf always feels cooler out there, and the water is a good deal cooler and more oxygenated than in the bays. As a result the fish always seem friskier and more apt to feed more aggressively. They’ll thump a lure or live bait harder and they’ll fight harder, and you might also encounter a greater variety of species – jackfish, blue fish, tarpon, and Spanish mackerel to name just a few. Though rather rare, we have even land landed ling (cobia) out there.

There are several ways you can fish the surf. Some folks like to anchor their boat or utilize the Spot-Lock feature of the trolling motor while tossing live bait fish into the first or second guts. A method that can be super effective for those who like to remain in the boat.

And, of course, there are a great number of fishermen who like to anchor near the second bar and get out and wade the first and second guts, tossing live bait or artificial lures. Typically, in the surf, I will be using either the 5-inch Saltwater Assassin Saltwater Shad or their 5-inch Artemis Shad. Currents can be strong at times and for that reason I will normally rig these on a 1/4-ounce Bass Assassin jighead.

The surf is not all peaches and cream, though. You have to remain alert to the conditions at all times. Probably the most important safety concern is the breakers on the beach. If you get into the surf and the waves are breaking on the third bar, turn around and go back into the bay. When the waves break on the third bar that means it is too rough to safely fish the beach front, whether you are planning to anchor and wade or anchor and fish from the boat. It’s just not safe.

Even when the gulf is calm you will still need to be cautious about how and where you position and anchor your boat to make sure you do not have a rogue wave crashing water into your boat, meaning that you should never, ever have your boat anchored on top of one of the sand bars. Always position your boat in a gut when anchoring.

August is usually our hottest month so get an early start and stay hydrated. Try to be off the water before it gets too hot.