Rockport Fishing Report – August 22nd

Welcome to your mid/late August fishing report for Rockport, Texas and surrounding waters. Boy have we been slacking lately on the fishing reports. Eek! We must apologize to all for that. Busy busy this time of year. Or maybe this heat is getting to us. Or… ? Either way, we are back at it today and hope to fill everyone in on what we are seeing out on the Texas flats these days.

The dog days of Summer are clearly upon us. It’s hot. Really hot. And has been for far too long. And we are kinda tired of it. But it isn’t all bad. With the heat comes our Summer wind patterns. Of course by wind, we mean very little of it. Most morning have very light winds. Many days, this is program all day. That makes it pretty nice for seeing fish and getting our casts where we want them to be. But it can be a little warm as that sun comes up.

The water is pretty warm of course. Most days you can temp the water and reach 90 or a little better on the flats. Plenty warm. So this means that you need to get out there early to find the most active fish. Most days, we are in our spots as the sun is just coming up. Taking advantage of the coolest portions of your day is the key this time of year. So go early and run for your life when it gets really hot out there.

Tailing fish have typically greeted us first thing in the mornings. There are a few schools here and there, but most are smaller. Also, the schooling fish have been a bit smaller than the singles or pairs we see cruising. As the sun continues to rise, the tailing wains and most of your targets will be cruising fish. With the warm water temps and fairly slick conditions without the wind, the fish can be pretty darn finicky. Even some very well placed casts will only draw a follow and still end in rejection. Don’t take it personally, its just that time of year. These sluggish fish pick and choose their battles. So not all will comply with your efforts.

Fishing closer to the ports, shipping channels and other deep water has provided shots at some larger fish. They seem to be liking the easy exit back to the deeper waters near by. But those larger fish are around in good numbers. Just have to stumble across one.

For fly selection, you can try a few different things. We like throwing crab patterns. The ability to fish them on the bottom and move them very slowly can really help, with those lazy or picky fish. They are bit less aggressive and willing to chase stuff this time of year. So that crab allows you to get it in front of them and move it slowly enough to keep them interested while following or possibly turning off. If and when that doesn’t work for us, going small is not a bad idea as well. Smaller patterns, such as a grass shrimp or something like that isn’t a bad move. Sometimes these smaller offerings appeal to these lazy fish, as they can simply inhale them as they pass by with little energy expended on their part. Just keep in mind that many of the fish are on their own little program when it gets this warm. Not all will eat, no matter what the circumstance may be. Don’t take it personal. Or don’t feel as though you need to constantly change your fly to figure it out. Trust your fly, fish with confidence and the rewards will come your way.

Looks like much more of the same for the coming week(s). Warm temps, plenty of sun and manageable winds. Our advice, go early and plan on quitting by noon. At that point, frozen yogurt at the Pink Octopus and a pool is the program.

Just a reminder for everyone… Fly Fish Rockport is taking our first every corporate retreat starting this week. Or maybe its a vacation? Either way, the entire crew is going to be out of town beginning August 22nd and returning at the end of the month. With all this hot weather, we needed a change in climate, scenery, etc. So the gang will be in the backcountry of Alaska and off the grid until August 30th. So if we don’t immediately return your calls or emails, we are very sorry. But rest assured that we will come back around with you when we get back to civilization on the 30th of August.

We are back running trips starting the 1st of September, with a number of boats out that week. So we will get the report updated again as soon as we can. You can always email any time if you would like any up to the minute Southwest Texas fly fishing or Rockport type news. We continue to post on  Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat. Or perhaps SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel as well. We continually are trying to add more videos and stuff there. We try to keep stuff fresh for those of you that are wishing you were on the flats with us. So be sure to follow us on all our social media stuff. And don’t forget to sign up for our monthly newsletter below.