August is here, and what that means

August 24th is the 10th annual Ride the Bull

1. The last full month of SweatFest, the festival no one likes to celebrate. It's fairly common for us to have several days this month with heat index over 110. So stay hydrated and limit your time outdoors if possible. Also be aware that water temperatures are at their highest of the year, and several strains of aquatic bacteria are active. So bring an antibacterial and treat any cuts or wounds immediately.

2. Now through September, the peak of hurricane season. We've already had Barry, and that one was bad enough. Hopefully we've reached our quota for the year.

3. When it comes to fishing, it's a mixed bag. August is the best month for fly fishing pelagic species, many of which come nearshore or invade lower bays. Expect excellent action on bull reds, cobia, jacks, mangrove snapper, king and spanish mackerel. Inside, there are speckled trout but you have to fight off the hordes of ladyfish and sailcats. Freshwater action is usually slow, EXCEPT in areas inundated with river water such as Old River Morganza, Deer Park, Henderson, Larto. As water levels continue to lower, expect excellent catches of bream, bass and crappie.

4. Football season kicks off. Louisiana fly anglers love their football just slightly less than they do their fishing.  So it's not uncommon to see more half-day trips now until the fishing gets really good. Saints camp started this week, and college teams begin practice today. The Saints face the Vikings on the 9th in their first preseason game.  College games begin on the 24th. On the 29th, Tulane takes on Florida International, on the 31st, LSU hosts Georgia Southern, UL-Lafayette travels to Mississippi State, and Louisiana Tech takes on Texas.