And that's putting it mildly when describing Florida's summertime, sweltering weather. Just walk outside anytime after the sun comes up and it feels like someone just threw a hot, wet towel over your head. Not only do anglers have to deal with the extreme heat and humidity but we also contend with fast moving squalls, lightning storms, and the late afternoon shore breezes. All can, and do, put a hamper on your summertime flats fishing. So how do anglers contend with the hand Mother Nature deals us? Two of my philosophies are to "wait fifteen minutes and the weather will change to something else" and "fish when the fish are feeding."

You won't normally find us out on the flats under the midday sun. With air temperatures reaching 95 degrees and the heat index near 105, I would rather split up my full day of fishing between a cool summer morning and a slightly breezy afternoon. Why be out there fishing when the fish aren't biting? Just step out of the boat onto your favorite flat and take a temperature reading when the sun is directly overhead. That 78-degree reading you took at sunrise is now pushing 90-plus and climbing. It only makes sense, if the water feels hot to you, it probably feels the same way to the trout, redfish or snook you're stalking.

Whether it's fishing the flats or their deep drop-offs, the Florida summertime inshore fisherman needs to constantly change his tactics to constantly remain successful. First off, get your butts out of bed and out on the flats while the fish are feeding. It's not uncommon even without a full moon for us to be fishing at three or four in the morning. I'm a firm believer in "bigger lures catch the bigger fish" and in the dark you want something that will make a lot of noise and a lot of splash. At this time of day (or night) our arsenal consists of large popping and rattling lures like the Yo-Zuri® Banana Boat, the Rebel® Pop-R, or the Storm® Thunder Dog topwater series.

Typically, we slow our retrieves way down and completely stop them at times for the feeding fish to locate the lure in the dark. A fast retrieve on a high-speed reel at this time of night will significantly cut the chances down of the cruising fish finding your lure.

Once the sun has broken over the eastern tree line, most anglers find the topwater bite comes to a screeching halt. As the fish begin to move, it's now time to make your move to the edges of the flat and its deep drop-offs. Put the topwater plugs away and change over to a Yo-Zuri® suspending plug or a Riptide® soft plastic jerkbait. Two of my favorite plugs for this time of the morning are their 3D Minnow and Crystal Minnow. Both have great underwater action and make a lot of noise to attract fish. After casting the plugs, give them three or four hard tugs to force the lure deep to where the fish are. Most fish will hit the plug after you stop the retrieve or as it begins its slow rise to the surface.

When it comes to soft plastics, there are several ways to rig them to extend your fishing day well into mid-morning. Since the fish have moved down into the grass or deeper holes, so should your bait. Our favorite rig is a Riptide® Flats Chub or Weedless Shrimp rigged with a split shot sinker attached to the leader. Placement of the sinker is crucial and you must attempt to determine the depth of the grass up from the bottom. What you want is the sinker to drop into the grass with the bait suspending just above the top of the grass. This method keeps the bait out of the grass and visible to the fish in a 360-degree circle. We also like to place a rattle into the soft bait if the size of the bait allows. As with topwater fishing "if you make enough noise, the fish will come."

When hitting the flats in the evening, the fisherman just needs to reverse the order in which he rigs his lures. Go ahead and start out with the soft plastic then make your change up to the topwater plugs as the sun is setting into the western tree line. Because the fish are normally heading back up onto the flats as the water cools, a good suspending or floating lure should also be added to your bag of tricks. The Yo-Zuri 3D Flat Crack or Crystal Minnows are some of my favorite lures for this time of the day/evening. The Flat Crank is a floating lure that when tugged on quickly, will sharply dive to the bottom. As you stop cranking the lure will slowing float back to the surface. It's during this rise that a feeding trout or redfish will normally engulf this lure.

Before concluding, I'd like to take a moment and talk about the environmental factors that the summertime flats fisherman will encounter on those early morning/ late evening outings. Countless articles have been written about the dangers of skin cancer in the Florida sun. I'm often asked by clients why I am wearing a long sleeve shirt, pants and a big floppy hat and not working on my tan. Sometimes I'd like to say, "So my skin doesn't look like yours in twenty years." Bottom line, the money spent on one quality type fishing shirt with an SPF 30 rating will not only extend your fishing time, but it may also extend your life.

Mosquitoes and no-see-ums can also ruin a fishing trip. Look into purchasing a Therma Cell® repellent system and keep it on the boat or in your tackle bag. It normally takes about ten minutes for the device to warm up and begin working. Start it up as you're leaving the dock and once on the flat, place it on the upwind side of the boat. When wading, the optional carrying case has an adjustable strap. I simply place it on the back of my upper right arm where it's out of the way and dry. While the other fishermen in the area are swatting bugs, you will be comfortably landing fish.

Oh, did I forget to mention fishing after those ever-predictable afternoon thunderstorms? I can't tell you how many times I've run out the door with rod and reel in hand in the middle of a downpour just to be at the shore's edge when the water "slicks off." Just standing there and watching the flats come alive with jumping bait and feeding fish is often worth the drive, but then again so is a tight line.

See you on the Boat or in the Blind!