My excuses for not catching jack

Anglers can be very creative when explaining why they did not catch any fish. After getting abused by a large crevalle jack last week, I dedicated this week to getting even. Every moment on the water was spent looking for a school of jacks upon which I could take my revenge.  

 

Sadly, the jacks once again got the better of me. So, here are my excuses for not catching a jack.

 

Excuse number one: Brody (the amazing fish-finding and stock trading dog), opted out on my quest for jack revenge. He muttered something along the lines of, “You put on a fur coat and stand in the blazing sun for hours; see how much fun you have.” 

 

Excuse number two: I put on a fur coat and stood in the blazing sun for hours and passed out from heat stroke. Brody was right. It was not much fun. To make matters worse, I lost two days of fishing while recovering from heat stroke.

 

Excuse number three: Severe dehydration from wearing a fur coat in 92-degree temperatures re-aggravated my back injury. It is impossible to catch a jack when you cannot stand up straight. However, on the bright side, I am a finalist for the lead role in the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

 

Excuse number four: Subconsciously, I do not want to catch a big jack. Thus, I unwittingly sabotage every opportunity to catch one. I use tackle way too light for the job. Hooks that are not strong enough. Oh yeah, and fish in a fur coat. Who does that?

 

Clearly, I am obsessed with targeting jacks. But, apparently not very good at it. So, there will probably be even more creative excuses next week!

 

SC Department of Natural Resources Saltwater Report

 

Inshore: Capt. Rob Bennett and Redfin Charters report bait is easily available in the creeks, but in August it will remain important to fish early – particularly if you want to catch trout. Plenty of redfish will continue to be caught in the creeks, and with rat redfish reaching a catchable size, they will provide plenty of action on finger mullet or shrimp. It continues to be an excellent year for flounder with live mullet. This is also the best time of the year to catch a tarpon around sandbars and inlets as well as deeper in the rivers.

 

Surf and nearshore: Folly Beach Pier reports that in August the best fishing should continue to be early and late, as by the middle of the day the surf just gets too warm for much action. Black drum, whiting, pompano, bluefish and trout should continue to be caught this month, and Spanish mackerel should continue to be caught off the diamond. Hopefully there will be some kings around.