August, a Tough Month

We are in the beginning of what I consider the toughest month of fishing for carp here in RI.  The water is warm, the pests are many and the carp are lethargic. You could make the case that all types of fishing in both saltwater and freshwater are difficult right now, but that still doesn't keep most of us from trying.  Here are a few August tips that just might get you a carp or two on just about any outing.
1.  Fish Low Light Hours-  Best times to fish in August are dusk, after dark, dawn and rainy, lousy days.
2.  Moving Water is Best-  I especially target river waters that move in August.  If you fish the Blackstone River, you want to get into slowly moving deep water.
3.  Experiment with Baits other than Corn-  Sweet corn that is so effective in cooler times of the year is often picked apart by pests such as sun turtles, horned pout and dace.  A better bet would be larger and more durable baits such as chick peas, hard doughballs and boilies.  Not much can be done when snapping turtles are around.
4.  Prebait-  Yes, you have to get them feeding and interested if you expect to catch them and prebaiting is always a key to success.
5.  Expect the Fishing to Improve-  The end of the month will fish far better than the beginning of the month as the nights get longer and cooler and the water cools.  Rainy days at the end of August can really light up the fishing.
So, good luck this month and realize that the fishing will be slower but good fish are still out there waiting to  be caught.