Outdoors tips for summer fishing

The early morning top water bite is one of my favorite ways to fish for inshore species like speckled trout.

During the summer months, this technique is usually only effective for the first hour or two of the morning. Once the bite slows, its time to switch to shrimp under a popping cork. On my recent trip with Captain Bobby Abruscato, we still found plenty of willing fish later in the day.

The best approach is to make a really long cast. Let the cork sit still for a few seconds, and then slowly work it back to boat. Don’t be afraid to take up the slack, and twitch the rod hard. This is the key to making the cork pop, and calling the fish to the shrimp.

Even later in the morning, you can try deeper structure like rigs and sunken wrecks. As the sun angle gets even higher, I change again to a slip cork rig. These techniques are the key to catching trout in the heat of the summer.