Snook-Nook Fishing Report

 Our late spring Snook fishing has been heating up for anglers in our area! We are beginning to get into the best time of the year for Snook fishing as they prepare for the summer spawn. Not only do we have a chance to catch a good number of fish, this is the time of year where you tend to see a lot of the bigger breeder Snook caught. When you are targeting or catch the breeder fish, please remember to treat them with care when caught as they will be providing us with our future Snook population. Using circle hooks and reducing their time out of the water are helpful to ensure a strong release of the fish. Snook season remains open until June 1st if you are still looking to harvest a slot. A lot of Snook are starting to move around and are starting to stack up around the bridges as they inch their way closer to the inlet. The Jensen Causeway, Stuart Causeway and 10 cent bridge have produced steady action for those Snook fishing. Fishing live Croakers underneath the concrete blocks or along the fenders will give you a good chance at getting bit. We should begin to see better numbers of Snook in and around the inlet in May. There have already been a few fish showing up in that area as Hole in the Wall has been productive as of late. Anglers will find a lot of success live baiting this time of year with either Croakers, Pilchards, Threadfins or Mullet. If you’re looking for live bait, we have had a steady supply of Croakers available at the shop. Bryan and Mike with Stuart Live Bait have also had a steady supply of Pilchards and Threadfins, give them a call or text the day before your trip to reserve your baits, 772-985-0425. There has been some bait scattered throughout the river over the past few weeks if you’re looking to catch your own bait as well. If you are planning on going out for an evening or night trip, the dock lights have been very productive and there have been a few Trout mixed in with the Snook in certain areas. Live Pilchards, live shrimp, small paddle tails or artificial shrimp will be some of your best bait choices if you’re looking to hit the lights. Those fishing by land have found success at the Jensen Causeway, Indian Riverside Park, wading on the east and west side of the river north of the Jensen Causeway also look for the Snook bite to improve at the Ft. Pierce jetty. With the temperatures heating up, if you are planning on fishing in the afternoon or later in the morning on some of our warmer days, try to fish in areas with either deeper water, flowing current or shaded areas as the Snook will head to these areas as the water heats up. If you are looking to fish artificials, mornings, evenings and at night will be your best bet. 

The Pompano fishing at the Jensen Causeway east side relief bridge has been really good throughout the month of April and has once again been the best month of the year for those targeting Pompano inshore. A lot of the Pompano have been caught directly at your feet up to 10ft away from the bridge so be sure to work your jig through that zone. The best action has been on the second half of the incoming tide and throughout the outgoing tide. You’ll definitely want some current flowing as it really slows down during slack tide. The three hottest jigs have been pink with a chartreuse teaser, chartreuse with a pink teaser and chartreuse/pink with a white teaser. 3/8oz and 1/2oz jigs have been the most popular sizes. Some guys have been picking off a few Pompano on the Thumper Shrimp as well. A few fish have been picked off at the Stuart Causeway east side relief bridge as well as off the Sailfish Flats, but the majority of the action has been coming from the Jensen Causeway. Over the past few years April has provided us with the hottest Pompano bite there and that action has carried over into May so we can hope for the same this year. Along with the Pompano, bycatch has consisted of Spanish Mackerel, Croaker, Jacks and lady fish on the Pompano jigs.  

Our Tarpon fishing has been on the slower side so far. We’ve seen a few picked off in some of the deeper channels, there have been some up around the power plant and some in the 30-40lb class around some of the docks in the St. Lucie River. Last year around this time the Tarpon bite was better around the bridges due to crabs flushing through on outgoing tides, but the crabs have been late this year. We’ve heard reports of crabs starting to trickle through the bridges so hopefully the numbers of crabs increase and the Tarpon bite improves.

Those fishing shrimp around structure have been able to stay busy with Triple Tail, Sheepshead, Snappers, Croakers and a variety of other species. 

Surf Fishing Report 

April provided some steady Pompano action off our local beaches. The majority of the action ranged from 60-100yds off the beach and action has been found both in the mornings and in the afternoon. If you are fishing multiple rods, it is always wise to vary your casting distances to see where the fish are feeding that day. Hot baits have been FishBites EZ Flea, Powerlime, Electric Chicken and Flesh/Pink Crab. Anglers have also found success fishing with sand fleas. We are still hearing about schools of fish caught to the south of us which will have to work their way north so we should expect to see a little more Pompano action before the season is over. 

With the Pompano season winding down, we should expect to see the Whiting and Croaker fishing start to improve by the end of the month. It is very important to not overcast when targeting them as most of the time the best action will be found right in the first trough. Pieces of shrimp, shrimp FishBites or bloodworm FishBites are going to be your best bait options for them. Along with the Whiting and Croakers, we should begin seeing some Snook head out to the beach by the end of the month. You will see a lot of anglers will have a spare rod rigged up with a sabiki rig in case any pilchards push through, they will free line the pilchards for the Snook. If you catch a smaller Whiting or Croaker, you can use that for bait as well.

Sebastian Inlet Report with The Snookman

 

Cooler water lingers but pompano, bluefish, jacks possible

Hope everyone had a fantastic week the weather was marvelous! This week is going to start off a bit breezy at the inlet, but only for Monday and Tuesday with NNE winds 15-25 and possible gust to around 30, and settle back down by Wednesday, so it will be a bit of a chore to fish the north side with the wind swell. I'm hoping that the NNE will bring in some cleaner water like it usually does, and start the pompano and Spanish mackerel back up again. We'll see. 

Fishing at the inlet for has remained slow, hit-or-miss, as always, due to water conditions fluctuating between cool and warm, and clean to silty: This keeps the fish in a state of confusion as to what they should be doing. The water temperature is still 74 to 75 degrees but should be 77 degrees by now. But the NNE winds keep the cooler water around. Onto the fishing as I saw it last week and through the weekend. Last week started off with a decent pompano bite on live shrimp and fish bites on Monday and Tuesday, but by Wednesday the water dirtied up and it went away — same for the Spanish mackerel; Monday and Tuesday saw a nice bite on small white jigs and small greenies, but by Wednesday, that too went away. The rest of the week was pretty slow with only some small bluefish and jack crevalle caught on artificial and cut bait at the tip on the outgoing tide. Not much to say about the incoming tide, except for a few snook  hooked on live baits or lost to the groupers, who will eat anything they can catch, especially snook struggling to escape! Over the weekend, I saw quite a few schools of finger mullet all around the north jetty and back inside the inlet. That's a good sign. We need baitfish to attract the predators. Remember, folks, when cast netting baitfish, please only keep what you need, and return the rest to the water unharmed and as quickly as possible! Our resources are NOT forever, plus it is one of the posted jetty fishing rules. Thank you. Here’s a breakdown by area:

 

North jetty: Fishing was slow on Saturday, but some fish were caught. Early morning incoming tide, there were a couple slot snook caught on live baits, mojarras and live shrimp. Also, a couple catch-and-release redfish, inlet side of the jetty. Ocean side of the jetty on Saturday early and throughout the day, anglers caught a few pompano and whiting on fresh cut dead shrimp, not a lot, but enough to keep an angler interested. Bluefish and jack crevalles kept things interesting throughout the day on the outgoing tide at the tip. Silver spoons and live baits were doing the trick for them. The monster blues are gone, but the ones they were catching were pretty nice, in the 15 to 18-inch range. On Sunday, the water clarity improved and so did the bite. Early incoming tide on the inlet side there were several slot sized snook caught, along with again, a couple nice catch and release redfish, all on live baits, shrimp and mojarras. Ocean side throughout the day they caught some really nice pompano, whiting, and I even saw a few nice black drum caught, more towards the tip of the jetty. Live and dead shrimp were the baits of choice. Outgoing tide was all about the blues and jacks on silver spoons, jigs and cut baits. Plenty of action there for those species. At the tip on the outgoing tide, a couple of the guys were catching a few Spanish mackerel and lookdowns on the tiny white jigs. Along the rock shoreline just west of the gate to the jetty, on Sunday I saw a couple fishing in the area, and they caught a couple blues, a few sand perch, one sheepshead about 14 inches long, a black margate AND a couple mangrove snappers about 11 inches! 

South jetty: On this side the, the action was slower, due again to the dirtier water from the roughed-up surf and intercoastal runoff flowing out the inlet on the outgoing tide. At the tip, it's the same cast of characters — black margates, blue runners, catfish, and maybe a pompano or two if some clean water is present. On the surf side of the jetty close to shore in the pocket, I heard of some small flounder still being caught on small live baits and small plastic swim baits. Most are too small to keep, but every once in a while, there’s a keeper. The incoming tide in the late afternoon has produced snook and redfish catches, live baits of shrimp and mojarras are doing the trick on them. Most of the snook have been too small to keep, but some are slots to be kept. Not much else except for the blues and jacks in the channel area on the incoming for those tossing silver spoons and jigs. No mangroves yet on this side. 

T-Dock Area: Still slow here. Blame dirtier water and absence of small baitfish that are usually around to attract any predators. No bait, no fish. The incoming tide, if the water is a bit clean, you just might get lucky and find a snook or two hanging around on live baits, but it has been slow. For those tossing silver spoons of jigs to the channel area, there is always the possibility for a jack or two, and maybe some blues. 

Surf Area, south side: Cloudy water here. Not much except for a lot of catfish, stingrays and bonnet head sharks being caught. If you find clean water, you might find a few whiting and pompano fishing cut shrimp or sand fleas. 

Surf Area, north side: The water has been a lot cleaner than the south, also it is deeper on this side. The pompano bite has been rather good for the last few days with plenty of fish being caught, along with some really nice whiting. Fish the outside trough with sand fleas, fish bites of fresh dead, or small live shrimp. Bluefish and some Spanish mackerel also are possible in the surf for those fishing silver spoons and small jigs and such. Also, with the finger mullet starting to run down the beaches, be on the lookout for possible snook and tarpon action busting up the schools of bait! If seasonal conditions were here — and they are not — there would be  small schools of tarpon roaming the surf along the coast. Just something to keep in mind. 

That's all I have for this week! Not too bad, but not what it should be for April. Soon enough, we’ll see warm, clean water show up and STAY! Have a great week. Grab your gear, lunch, drinks and sunblock, and go fishing!” — Snookman.

From Todd @ Juno Bait Crew-Juno Bea

 INSHORE-  Snook fishing continues to improve as the weather warms up.  When it comes to snook fishing (for the most part) the hotter it gets, the better it is.  Warming temps have the snook's metabolism bumped up, and they are jumping on bigger baits better now.  At night a flair hawk or bigger swimbait will be top lure choices for the snook.  Early morning a noisy topwater (like a Yo-Zuri Hydro Pencil) is  good choice worked along seawalls and around docks; especially in spots with some current on them producing ambush points for the lazy snook.  It's important in any situation to remember snook (and tarpon) are generally very lazy and want to exert as little energy as possible to track down a meal.  In other words use the wind and current to your advantage to easily present baits naturally to a laid up snook.  A little early for the snook to get in the inlets, but they are beginning to head slowly in that direction.  A handful of resident tarpon mixed in with the snook inshore, along with a few jacks as well.  Mangrove snapper action inshore remains fair.  They like the snook, should improve in numbers with warming weather.  Look for the snapper to bite best at night around bridges or boat docks; with the best bite happening on moving water.  Generally speaking the best bite will be on the top of the outgoing tide, but overall moving water is the real key.  

SURF/PIER-  Pompano bite remained pretty good this week; though numbers are beginning to tail off a bit.  Those putting the time in on the beach continue to produce at least a handful of pomps, but limits are becoming a little tougher to come by.  East winds in the forecast this weekend though should help push some of the pompano that maybe moving a little more offshore in closer to the beach.  The usual baits on the beach (Snaffles, clams, FishBites) remain the best choice.  The Juno Beach Pier continues to produce a handful of pomps on the Docs Goofy Jig as well.  Surprisingly enough, still a few late season bluefish around.  The big jacks have thinned out a bit, but still a few schools pushing through.  A GT Ice Cream, diamond jig, or Rapala X-Rap all remain good lure choices.  A few kingfish have showed up at the Pier late in the afternoon.  A Rapala X-Rap or Yo-Zuri Mag Speed is the top lure choice for a shot at a kingfish.  Snook continue to improve in numbers along the beach and at the pier.  A handful of keeper snook have been caught over the past week, with a few comings on live baits and a few on dead sardines.  Sandperch and crackers are biting good in the first trough on small pieces of fresh shrimp.    

 

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Simple Way To Catch Pinfish And Snook (Beach Fishing With KBO K1 Ebike)

From Todd @ Juno Bait Crew-Juno Beach

 INSHORE-  A little quiet inshore this week.  Snook fishing remains fair, and should continue to improve over the next few weeks.  The night snook bite remains fair around the bridges.  A little more bait around (mixture of pilchards and a few mullet) this week helped the bite as well.  Top of the outgoing tide tends to be the best bet for the snook, but don't overlook late incoming if the water is a little dirty.  The Loxahatchee River has been producing some snook during the day.  Boat docks and seawalls with some current flow and proximity to a little deeper water are great starting spots.  Mangrove snapper bite continues to improve around the bridges as well.  It's still early, but more and more little choppers making their way inshore.  Live shrimp and pilchards are the top bait choices for the mangroves.  Sounds like the tarpon bite in Palm Breach Inlet picked up a bit this week.  

SURF/PIER-  Another good week of pompano action along the beach and at the Juno Beach Pier again this week.  For the beach the usual assortment of baits (sand fleas, clams, fresh shrimp, and FishBites) have all been working well on the pompano.  On the Juno Beach Pier the same baits work well; with the jig bite (Doc's Goofy Jigs and jYG Pro Mycro's) also firing off too.  Depending on conditions the pomps will bite throughout the day; but early morning and late afternoon do tend to produce the best results.  Another good push of late season bluefish again this week.  Every time I think the blues are just about gone, a good push of them makes another showing.  GT Ice Creams, diamond jigs, and swimming plugs will all work well on the blues.  Spanish Mackerel action was a bit slower this week, but still a fair number around.  White crappie jigs and smaller size 8 and 10 X-Raps are a good way to go for the Macs.  With all the pomps (and other species as well) finally seeing a few more blacktop sharks along the beach.  A pretty good number of croakers and sand perch around in the first trough this week.  Small pieces of fresh shrimp will be the bait of choice for them.    

Sebastian Inlet Report with The Snookman

 More turbid, chilly water,  but a few blues and Spanish mackerel caught

“Good morning, all you Sebastian Inlet fishing fanatics. Happy ‘Solar Monday’ to you all! Unfortunately, this is going to be another short report, as it was a slow weekend at the fishing hole, largely due to the chilly and sandy/silted water. Temperatures remain at 71 degrees along the east coast from Canaveral to Wabasso, where it should be in the 75-76 degree range for this time of year. There is also an absence of any bait fish.

 Last week began with a good pompano bite on the north side. Monday and Tuesday, anglers were catching quite a few from the north jetty and the beaches just north of the jetty — sand fleas were the bait of choice. On Wednesday, fishing went downhill, with not much being caught on either side. Some bluefish and Spanish mackerel were caught at the jetty tip on silver spoons and small white jigs on the tide changes, but that was pretty much it through the entire weekend. Sunday saw a couple nice snook caught on the early morning incoming tide on live shrimp and mojarras. South side has been a hit-or-miss  due to dirtier water flowing out of the inlet, pushed by NNW-WNW winds. The winds churn the intercoastal waters, send it out of the inlet, then back in on the incoming tide. That scenario makes it tough for the water to clean up enough for the fish to want to bite.

Small bluefish and jack crevalle at the tip on the outgoing, and catfish were all that were being caught. The water over here was too dirty for the pompano. Incoming tide early, and late evening produced a few snook on live baits, but most were under the 28 inch minimum to be harvested. But there were a couple slots caught. The remaining inlet spots were slow, unless you were in a boat drifting the inlet channel catching big jacks and leftover monster bluefish.