Friday, July 29, 2016

From Todd / Eric @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

INSHORE:  Snook fishing has been good this week, with the bridges at night and seawalls in the morning being the key areas to try.  Docklights are also producing good numbers of small fish on moving water.  Mangrove snappers are biting around the bridges at night; with live shrimp and small pilchards being the key baits.  A few jacks cruising seawalls early.  Also been a few tarpon moving around the Loxahatchee early and late.  


SURF/PIER:  Catch and release snook fishing has been really good this week.  Look for the snook to be moving along the beach, and feeding aggressively, early in the morning and late in the afternoon.  Smaller swimming plugs, small jigs, and soft plastic jerk baits have all been good choices for the snook.  The Juno Beach Pier has had good snook fishing, a fair number of croakers, a few tarpon, and a scattering of spanish mackerel around. 
Lots of good action on light tackle and a white crappie jig these days.  Best action will be early and late...it's hot out and the fish know it too!

Sebastian Inlet Report


                                     


07-29-16 FRIDAY: MANGROVE SNAPPER, JACKS, REDS, C/R SNOOK 

Anglers are welcoming a nice breeze at the inlet this morning. Winds are blowing out of the East-Southeast at 14 mph, gusting to 17 and there is a light chop on the water. There are no NOAA advisories this morning and it looks like we have a nice weekend ahead of us for our boaters. There is a slight chance of rain on Saturday and Sunday but seas will be on the calm side. 

We are seeing the water temperature drop significantly due the summer cold-water upwelling. This morning's bottom reading at the inlet is around 77 degrees. We heard from several people who participated in lobster mini-season the past two days who confirmed the chillier conditions. The cooler water is pushing some bigger fish closer to shore, that's the good news!
  We are seeing Mangrove Snapper, Jacks, C/R Snook and oversized Reds come over the rails according to Tommy Turowski at the Sebastian Inlet District. Tommy reports greenies are thick and predators are actively pursuing them. 
  Our photos today are courtesy of Jon Ham of Cocoa. Jon and his 11 year old son Carlos fished the tide pool last Friday and Saturday. Jon reported that C/R Snook were stacked up on both sides of the western rocks, big boys on the channel side and smaller fish on the cove side. Lots of greenies were being chased by schools of Jacks in the tide pool. Jon hooked up with a 35" C/R Snook and a 25" C/R Snook, they jumped into the tide pool and slowly reeled the fish in and revive it before the release. Carlos was taught the importance of conservation and Jon said it was as much fun as fishing. Carlos begged to go back on Saturday morning to see if he could land one too. They arrived early and Carlos caught his own bait, cast, hooked and fought his first Snook by himself with a little coaching from Dad. He landed two Snook that morning, one was 30" and the other was 32" while free-lining pinfish. All fish were gently released. Some great memories were made at the Sebastian Inlet.

Photo one features Jon and Carlos Ham with one of the fish landed on Friday. Carlos sends it off with a little love! Photo two is of Jon and Carlos with another Snook on Friday. The last photo is of one of Carlos' Snook on Saturday. Great memories were made at the Sebastian Inlet. Very nice gentlemen!

5 Best Snook Fishing Lures ft Ben Begovic

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Snapper Patterns

With the ideal water temperature, bait fish presence, structure and current sorted out it time to look at the last few pieces of the puzzle. 
The color and clarity of the water is one of the most important factors to consider in any form of fishing but especially with sight hunters like mangrove snapper. Too murky and the bites will come almost exclusively on cut bait. This is fine but be prepared to use up a lot if bait in a hurry. There is a huge variety of smaller bait stealers that share the same habitat as the snapper and they're more likely to get to your bait first.
If the water is tap water clean and clear, you may find that it's difficult to get any bites at all outside of the low light periods of dusk and dawn. In extremely clear water, chumming with fresh pieces of locally caught bait fish such as pilchards, sardines or herring, can help get these more cautious fish to bite.
Green water with between 2 and 4 feet of visibility will often have the fish feeding on and off throughout the day or night. Under these conditions, the mangrove's are more likely to be actively hunting on the outskirts of the structure rather than tucked up inside of it.
Here you have the final few pieces of the snapper puzzle. Water color/clarity, light levels and the fish's behavior or reactions to specific conditions.
To conclude, regardless of the species your after you need to recognize and adapt to:
1 water temperature
2 forage
3 structure
4 current
5 color and clarity of the water
6 light levels
There are of course other factors at play when patterning fish, but I wouldn't be a very good teacher if I didn't let you find out what they are on you're own 

Sebastian Inlet Report

07-28-16 THURSDAY: MANGROVE SNAPPER, REDS, JACKS AND C/R SNOOK 

It's another gorgeous summer morning at the inlet. Winds are blowing out of the South-Southwest at 2 mph, gusting to 3 and there is a light chop on the water. Winds have been picking up a little in the afternoon, making the heat a little more tolerable on the jetties and beaches. There are no NOAA advisories this morning. 

For those of you participating in lobster mini-season, try to nail a few Lion fish while you're down there, they make a great side dish and today is the last day! Tommy Turowski at the Sebastian Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop didn't hear of many successes on the first day, hopefully that will change today. Tommy reports Reds, Mangrove Snapper, and Jacks pursuing the greenies in the water. Catch and release Snook have been plentiful but they are spawning and must be handled with extreme care. If possible, please use a net to lower the Snook back into the water. If you use a net to pull it up over the rails, use a net to put it back into the water.
   Our angler of the day is Danny Lee of Winter Garden. Danny arrived on the north jetty around 5 pm. It was early into the incoming tide and Mangrove Snapper were hitting aggressively, they were all between 9" - 12". As soon as the sun set, the bite turned off. A few anglers landed Reds near the top of the slot and a C/R Snook around 9:00 p.m. Huge schools of Jacks swam around on the north side. Danny landed the C/R bull Red around 1:30 a.m. using medium live shrimp on a sliding egg sinker set. The Red was released unharmed right after the photo.

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

How to Fly Fish- Beginner Fly Casting

How do I choose a fly rod? (Feat. Tim Rajeff)

Scouting Around Palm Beach /Martin County Area

                                             
INSHORE
     The beach fishing has been very good along the Treasure Coast this week. Whiting and croaker have been biting, especially near Walton’s Rock. There’s also a great snook bite in the trough along the surf’s edge. The best action is, as you’d expect, first thing in the morning and during higher tides.
     The tripletail action is red hot in the Indian River. Not only are there big numbers being caught, but also big fish! It seems that the best fishing is around the channel markers north of the Jensen Causeway.
     Snook are biting anywhere there is bait or structure, and there’s a good tarpon bite early in the morning. You’ll also find huge jacks anywhere there’s bait, and mangrove snapper are chewing near the bridges.
     There are plenty of snook in the surf along Jupiter, and they are also being snagged in the inlet. Bluefish and Spanish mackerel are also being caught along the beaches and in the Jupiter Inlet.
     Those fishing the Intracoastal Waterway in Jupiter are hooking snook, jacks, tarpon and lane snapper. You can target them around bridges, but they are definitely on the move – you can find them just about anywhere as they make their way toward the inlet.
     Snook and jacks are being caught in the surf along Palm Beach and also in the Lake Worth (Palm Beach) Inlet.
     Snook and jacks are also chewing in the Intracoastal in and around Palm Beach, and tarpon can be found early in the morning. Small snapper are holding near bridges, docks and seawalls at night.
     Snook, tarpon, bonefish and croaker are all being reported in the surf along Boynton Beach. The snook action is best early in the morning.
     Fishing in the Boynton Beach Inlet has been great for catching snapper, jacks, tarpon, snook and permit.
     In the Intracoastal, tarpon are rolling in the channel, and sheepshead and sand perch are chewing during the day. At night, snook and tarpon are being hooked around the bridges.

LAKE OKEECHOBEE
     The offshore bass bite is good at Lake Okeechobee right now. The best time to be on the water is first light until 11 a.m.Live shiners and artificial lures are both working well.
    There’s plenty of bait to be found around the offshore islands, and you can bet there are large bass also in the area just waiting to pounce. If you find these bait schools, you most likely also found bass.
report courtesy of Palm Beach Post

Sebastian Inlet Report

07-27-16 WEDNESDAY: SLOW ACTION 

It's another still morning at the inlet. Winds are nonexistent with an occasional "gust" out of the South-Southeast at 1 mph. There is a light chop on the water. We have no NOAA advisories today and it looks like a wonderful day to go boating or surf fishing. Be sure to keep hydrated; take plenty of water, sunscreen and insect repellent if you head to the inlet.

We received an update from Mike Ricciardi of Vero Beach who fished the north jetty for a few hours yesterday, late morning and early afternoon. The bite was very slow on the incoming tide. Mike reported a lot of bait in the water and a large school of Jacks were busting through them, creating some entertainment for the fishermen. The Jacks were in the 5 - 8 lb. range. No Snapper or Spanish Mackerel came over the rails during his time on the jetty although he heard that earlier in the day a few, not many, came over the rails. Anglers free-lining greenies and mojarra were having good luck with C/R Snook. 
 Our photo features Tyler with a beautiful Tarpon he played for about 20 minutes before bringing it over the rails. The Tarpon was quickly photographed and released.

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Snapper patterns

Having identified that mangrove's are a seasonal species that are highly subject to water temperature and seasonal bait fish movements, you can go on to identifying likely habitat. Mangrove snapper are a structure oriented, ambush predator with a preference for high profile, rock or reef type structure. During the heat of summer, these fish stage near areas of high current close to inlets. Jetty's and bridges offer prime snapper grounds. The turbulent water and jagged structure make ambushing prey much easier. Immediately, here you have two more pieces of the puzzle. Heavy structure and current... Even though we've been discussing mangrove snapper, there is an elementary lesson to be learned here. Patterning fish means identifying and putting together pieces of the puzzle. So far so good...
courtesy of "Big Dave's land based lessons. How to get tight!"

From The Crew @ Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

Inshore the trout bite has been good around Midway road to the Power Plant with a few snook and reds mixed in. The channel edges have has some nice snapper around them on the incoming tide live shrimp and white baits have produced well. The snook fishing continues to be good around the jetty and down the beach in the glass minnows find the bait and you will find the fish. 

Sebastian Inlet Report

07-26-16 TUESDAY: MANGROVE SNAPPER, SPANISH MACKEREL, BONITO, C/R SNOOK, REDS, JACKS, LADYFISH AND SHARKS 

It's another still morning at the inlet. Winds are barely moving out of the South-Southeast which means the no see 'ums are making breakfast out of our jetty anglers. Be sure to take insect repellent with you if you head to the inlet today. NOAA is calling for calm seas with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms this morning. It looks like a great day to get out and do some surf fishing.

Mangrove Snapper and Spanish Mackerel remain the most active species at the inlet but summertime is sketchy. The bite is hit or miss from the jetties most days. Boaters always seem to have an advantage this time of year. Catch and release Snook should be handled with extreme care, we need those Snook to get out and make more Snook. Reds are spotty but they are out there. Jacks, Ladyfish and Blue Runners continue to aggravate most anglers, although some people can make them taste great! 

Today's photo is courtesy of Frank Forgione of Vero Beach. Frank landed the beautiful 31" Permit in the photo from the beach on the south side of the inlet over the weekend. Frank was using brined clams and fought the fish for over twenty minutes. He was nearly spooled twice! After a quick photo, Frank released the Permit, his first. 

Monday, July 25, 2016

Looking to get into Kayaking

2016 fleet sale is underway! Head on down to 
South River and pick up a boat.


ICAST FINDS 2016




My Buddy Hai Truong turned me on to Trapper Tackle and had to check them out at ICAST. I hope to be getting some to test out soon , will keep you posted

Juno pier fishing for permit 2016 !!

Sebastian Inlet Report

07-25-16 MONDAY: MANGROVE SNAPPER AND SPANISH MACKEREL 

We have a very still morning at the inlet. A little puff of air will come out of the South-Southeast every now and then but it's a hot, steamy morning on the jetties. No wind = no see 'ums, be sure to take insect repellent with you if you head to the inlet today. 

Tommy Turowski is back part time at the Sebastian Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop and this morning he reports a decent Mangrove Snapper bite. There is still a lot of bait in the water. Over the weekend it was mostly Mangroves and Spanish Mackerel with an occasional Red or C/R Snook. 
  Our photo today features Peter Balsitis with a C/R Snook he landed on the south side using croakers on the incoming tide. The Snook was released unharmed right after the photo. 

From The Crew @ Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart


The snapper fishing on the beach has been good with some nice muttons and mangroves mixed in. Inshore the trout bite has been good at night under the dock light with a few nice snook mixed in. The reds have been up around Harbor branch with a few trout mixed in on soft baits. 

Sunday, July 24, 2016

KULA Coolers

A ICAST find.. because I do "Most" of my fishing on foot -Wading, Surf Piers and Jettys I can see this on my "Want List" . A VERY Strong Bucket Cooler (standing on to fish over those High Bridge railings, comes with a shoulder strap, and a great seat or platform for paddle boarding or yaking ) I see one in my future 

            


Friday, July 22, 2016

Down South

My Buddy Vinny Is Catching Them Up Down South In Broward Area. Moon Fish/Lookdowns and Ocean Perch on the menu

Check him out on FB--- Vincent D Keitt,  Pier-Masters Fishing Classes


Rocky's Juno Pier Report

One of our anglers caught a twenty-five pound permit using a calico crab. As a reminder, permit can only be caught using a hook and line and must be eleven to twenty-two inches in length. Always refer to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for fishing rules and regulations.

From Todd / Eric @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

INSHORE:  Catch and release snook fishing remains the main game in town on the inshore side of things right now.  Fish low light periods and at night for best luck with the snook.  Outgoing tides will tend to produce a little better, but don't rule out the incoming tide.  
Mangrove snapper action has been good inshore, with bridges and deeper boat docks seeming to hold a decent number of snapper right now.  AS the continuing theme goes on...look for the snapper to bite best during low light periods of the day and at night.  Small live pilchards and live shrimp are hard to beat for the mangroves.


SURF/PIER:  Catch and release snook fishing remains the main game in town.  The snook are being caught in good numbers around the inlets, along the beach, and at the Juno Beach Pier in good numbers.  Lure fisherman will do best on the snook early in the morning and late in the afternoon.  Those using live baits will find luck throughout the day, especially on the tides.  Moving waiter is key at the inlet, while high tide gets them closer to to the beach.  The Juno Beach Pier had a nice mixed bag of species this week.  A few spanish mackerel were caught, sand perch and croakers were still in the first trough, a few mangroves were caught, snook action remains good, and a good number of bonita have been pushing through.  Even heard of a few pompano on the beach this week...a little more east wind may turn into a few more pomps this weekend!

Sebastian Inlet Report


                             
07-22-16 FRIDAY: TGIF! 

Winds are blowing out of the North at 5 mph, gusting to 7 and there is a light chop on the water this morning. NOAA is calling for a chance of scattered showers. The weekend forecast looks favorable for our boaters. Always check the boating forecast prior to leaving shore as conditions can change very quickly. 

Yesterday the Mangrove Snapper bite was fair and there are still a lot of menhaden (greenies) in the water according to Sarah at the Sebastian Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop. Lookdowns, Spanish Mackerel and Jacks were hit or miss. Thanks Sarah! Not having any luck from the jetties? Try the beach or fishing from the riverbank. There have been some decent sized Trout landed in the river lately and large Tarpon are rolling in the surf along the beaches. 

Most of you probably saw Bruce Johnson's bonefish we put on the fishing report last week. Bruce has sent in photos of bonefish in the past as well. He usually lands them while fishing for Pompano but reported they are scarce this year and the catfish and ladyfish have been real nuisances. He believes the Bonefish population is increasing in our area and if you can get a lure past the cats and ladies, you stand a good chance to hook up with one of these great fighting fish. 
  Today's photos are courtesy of Bobby Brown of Indialantic. Bobby and his friend Steve Kelley from Maryland make a trip to the inlet several times a year. We featured Steve with some big Reds he landed and released using large shrimp and mullet. They fished two different days and took one night trip, they landed several large Reds each. Both men are strictly catch and release anglers and they have a lot of respect for those big monsters that come into the inlet. They removed five hooks from the head and face of one of the Reds and then sent him on his way a much happier, healthier fish! Photo one features Billy and photo two features Steve. 

From The Crew @ Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart


Snook fishing has been outstanding the past couple of days. Beaches have been the best spot to target them in the daytime using small glass minnow imitations. At night the inlet has been a good spot as you will have shots at many over slot fish and Tarpon. Dock lights have had many slot sized snook and gator trout on them in Ft Pierce and Stuart, again a glass minnow imitation will work the best.

Thursday, July 21, 2016

How to Fish a Spooltek and Flair Hawk Jig! ft. Ben Begovic

Sebile Magic Swimmer with Patrick Sebile | ICAST 2016

Penn Slammer III Reel at ICAST 2016

Penn Slammer III - Winner of the Best Saltwater Reel Category at 2016 I...

Sebastian Inlet Reoirt

                              
07-21-16 THURSDAY: MANGROVE SNAPPER, SPANISH MACKEREL, SHARKS, BONITO, C/R SNOOK AND REDS 

Winds are blowing out of the North at 1 mph this morning, gusting to 3 and there is a light chop on the water. We have clouds and a little rain at the inlet this morning, NOAA is calling for scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms throughout the day. 

The dog days of summer are upon us. Those hot, lazy days not only affect us, they affect the fish too. They get lethargic this time of year. The bite has been slow most days, but there are periods of activity that make a trip to the inlet worthwhile. Fishing in low light periods not only helps keep anglers cooler but the bite tends to pick up as well. We're seeing Mangrove Snapper, Spanish Mackerel and Blue Runners in small numbers from the jetties. An occasional big Red or C/R Snook will be landed and released and it stirs up a little excitement and gives hope to the rest of the jetty anglers. The beaches have been holding Whiting, Croakers, Tarpon and Sharks. 

Our photo today is of the Badolato family. The Badolato boys and their father made a trip out of Sebastian Inlet when they landed the nice Mutton Snapper on a chunk of dead bait. They landed another nice one along with five Mangrove Snapper, lots of Bluefish and Sharks. 

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Full Moon Scouting Around Boynton Beach Jetty

                                     

I had a great night of full moon fishing last night at the Boynton Beach Jetty....1- 12inch lane snapper, caught 13 mangroves kept my 5 limit 13-17inches bait was good up until right before sundown I had a bucket full by then. Bite really turned on when the tide turned going out about 10:30pm next weeks tide should be perfect. The snapper moved around some but I know where they hide. 

Scouting Around - Palm Beach/Martin County Area

INSHORE
     Algae is no longer a problem along the beaches of the Treasure Coast, and the fishing is once again excellent. There’s a great bait run along the beach and there are tons of snook in tow – the jacks and tarpon are not far behind.
     There’s a great snook and tarpon bite at the St. Lucie Inlet during the end of the incoming tide and first of the outgoing tide.
     Fishing around channel markers and other structures in the Indian River has been great for catching tripletail, sheepshead and flounder.
     The beach bite has been good – but inconsistent – along Jupiter this week. There is a lot of bait around, which has attracted big numbers of snook, jacks and ladyfish, as well as the resident whiting and croaker. A few pompano were also caught.
     Snook are thick at the Jupiter Inlet as well, and you can catch them until your arm gets tired of reeling!
     Snook are being caught from the shores of Palm Beach and they are showing up in big numbers at the Lake Worth (Palm Beach Inlet). Tarpon are also around, and they are rolling the beaches. Snapper and the occasional permit are biting, and you can always count on finding good numbers of jacks.
     The Intracoastal action in central Palm Beach County has been fairly quiet this week, but the usual spots – docks, bridges, channel markers – should be productive.
     Anglers fishing in the surf along Boynton Beach are catching snook and jacks. Those working the inlet walls and jetties have reported snook, tarpon, mangrove snapper, jacks and permit.
     Snook are moving throughout the Intracoastal in southern Palm Beach County, so they have been a little easier to find. You can always have success at the bridges and docks at night as well. Snapper and jacks are also in the mix here.

                     
LAKE OKEECHOBEE
     There is great bass action on Lake Okeechobee from first light until about 11 a.m. The offshore bite is bet at this point, and artificial lures and live shiners are both working well.
     There seems to be a lot of bait around the offshore islands, so the action has been good in those spots.
     If you’re looking to throw artificials, Swim Jigs and Gambler Aces have been very effective.
report courtesy of Palm Beach Post

Sebastian Inlet Report

                                               
07-20-16 WEDNESDAY: MANGROVE SNAPPER, SPANISH MACKEREL AND BLUE RUNNERS 

Winds are blowing out of the North-Northeast at 3 mph, gusting to 5 and there is a moderate chop on the water. NOAA is calling for a chance of isolated showers and thunderstorms today, plan accordingly.

We are seeing typical summertime fishing patterns with the bite fair one day then slow the next. Mike Ricciardi and Bob Green, both of Vero Beach hit the north jetty yesterday from noon until 3:30 p.m. and reported slow action on the outgoing tide. A couple of Mackerel were landed on lures and a few undersized Snapper came over the rails but overall the afternoon was slow. They were told the morning hours brought a few Spanish Mackerel and a number of Mangrove Snapper, some were in the slot and some were short and returned. Mike landed and Spanish Mackerel and a Blue Runner so it wasn't a total loss and it was a beautiful day. T
 Our angler of the day is Sam Nguyen of St. Cloud. Sam used a greenie to land the 10.5" Mangrove Snapper from the north jetty. 

From The Crew @ Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

 
Walking the beach has still produced catches of snook and an occasional shot a tarpon in the glass minnows. Get out there early before the suns up and toss Rapala Skitterwalks or a mirrolure she dog around Queens cove and that should produce catches of snook and trout. For the guys using live bait try the docks early the switch to the spoil islands as the sun comes up.

Monday, July 18, 2016

Snapper Time

It's not the most glorious fishing and probably won't win me any awards, but when I'm faced with a stuffy summer day and I'm looking to reliably bend a rod or bring home dinner, mangrove (grey) snapper is often the first fish on my mind. They are relatively easy to find and easy to catch with the right approach and the right set up. They are strong fighters and can be fun to catch on light tackle as well, and don't require anything fancy to bring home a cooler full.

Bait 

When planning a snapper trip, my first thought is, "where can I get shrimp?". In my experience, there is no substitute for live shrimp when targeting inshore mangrove snapper. They will readily take other live baits, or less reliably certain artificials like red and white bucktail jigs, but shrimp is my stand by for this wily fish. While abundant, these fish have a keen sense of smell and sharp vision, and can often be non-committal. Any extra metal, including swivels, snaps, big hooks, and weights can prevent these fish from taking a bite. Mangrove snapper are notorious bait stealers--they tend to nibble away at baits until there is nothing left but a hook. That is why a neat presentation is essential.  

 

Tackle

As tackle goes, my most effective inshore set-up has been a 7'0 medium-light rod paired with a 20 or 30 size reel. I use braided line on all of my rigs, however mono could work just as well as casting distance isn't a huge concern as it is on the flats. Braid allows you to feel each nibble, however, which can be advantageous. I use 10lb test braided line with a 15 or 20lb leader--a little excessive, perhaps, but mangrove snapper are structure fish, and a little extra thickness will provide some needed abrasion resistance. Hook size is incredibly important when fishing for snapper. I prefer small circle hooks (size 4 or smaller). Mangoes are more likely to commit to a bait if they can't see a huge hook sticking out of it, and small hooks with dramatically improve your hook-up ratio.  Timing is everything with mangrove snapper, and when using circle hooks you have to be incredibly patient. It's tempting to try to set the hook after the first bump, but after missing the first 63 times, you'll realize that you need to be patient. 
I use a split shot about a foot up, just heavy enough to get the bait to where the snapper are hiding. More weight gets clamped on if I'm fishing the pass (1/4oz or a bit more depending on the current) and need to get the bait to the bottom. If pitching into mangroves or under docks, I'll free line it or use a small split shot.

Technique

Upon finding a school of snapper (they are almost never solo), you'll know pretty quickly by the tell-tale 'tap tap' you feel on your line. I generally hook the shrimp under the horn, but if I find that a small school of snapper keeps picking the tail off, I'll hook it through the tail or through the body. When using circle hooks, attempting to set the hook after the first 'tap tap' will leave you with a half of a shrimp and no dinner. Once I feel that tap, I remain perfectly still and let the snapper play his games. Sometimes, when he determines that the coast is clear, the snapper will commit and take the bait, hook and all. 
If I can't get the snapper to commit, slow movement can usually entice a finicky fish. I'll first pull the rod tip up slowly to see if the fish will follow, and sometimes that will do the trick. Snapper on. Other times, when that won't work, I lower the rod or even flip open the bail and let out a bit of line into the current, and then game on. If you feel the 'tap tap' stop for 10 seconds, that probably means the snapper got the best of you and took your bait. Time to reel in and go right back at them. 

 Fishing For Them

The best time to fish  is during a slow to moderate outgoing tide. Snapper and a dozen other species will line up with the structure on the bottom and await the flushing of bait out during these tides. 
My preferred method of locating a school is to simply start up at the top and drift your way out of the pass, casting near to the boat and waiting for the bite. Once you catch one, there is almost always more in the same spot. Anchor up ahead of where you got the first bite and cast back down into the current letting your bait drift back to that spot. If you find a good hole, you can pick snapper out of it all day long. 
Snapper can be caught just about anywhere there is structure, although they do tend to move with the tide. Moving around will help you find the fish, and once you do, you can tear through 60 shrimp and other baits pretty quickly. Deep mangrove edges with moving water are a great place to start looking, look for roots and trees sticking out from the rest--that's where the snapper will be waiting to snag a meal. Docks usually hold snapper when the water is moving, rocks just the same.  
One last tip: If you catch one undersized snapper, then another, then another, chances are it's a school full of baby snapper. In my experience, snapper of similar size tend to school together (whether or not that is a scientifically valid statement or not, I have no idea). Unless you are fishing with small kids and just trying to bend a rod or enjoy feeding shrimp to small fish, it is best to just move on to look for a new school. Inshore snapper very rarely get BIG like they do offshore, but a 13 inch snapper will not only put up a good fight but provide for a fantastic meal for even the pickiest of fish eaters. 
courtesy of Do Florida Right

Sebastian Inlet Report

                                      
07-18-16 MONDAY: MANGROVE SNAPPER, REDS, MACKEREL, LOOKDOWNS, BLUE RUNNERS, BARRACUDA AND SHARKS 

It's a lovely morning at the inlet. We have a real nice breeze blowing out of the East at 13 mph, gusting to 17 and there is a moderate chop on the water. There are no NOAA advisories this morning although seas may be a little bumpy with a wave period of five seconds. Tomorrow night's full moon is bringing us extreme tides.

The bite picked up Friday afternoon and the weekend was pretty good according to Sarah at the Sebastian Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop. Mangrove Snapper came over the rails in good numbers, Spanish Mackerel, Blue Runners and Lookdowns were active as well. Slot sized Reds were hitting poppers and fiddler crabs on the outgoing tide. Catch and release Snook have been hitting live shrimp and bucktails. 
 Our photo today is courtesy of Mike Ricciardi of Vero Beach. Mike and his neighbor Bob Green fished the north jetty Friday afternoon from noon to three. The end of the outgoing tide and beginning of incoming produced a good Snapper bite. Barracuda were patrolling the jetty, keeping the Mackerel away. Mike and Bob were using mojarra, greenies and goggle eyes and Bob scored with the beautiful 17.5" Mangrove in today's photo using a goggle eye. 

From The Crew @ Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart


Inshore: The trout bite has been good to the north around round island and queens cove, look for the biggest concentration of bait. Toss a live pilchard or mullet, or a topwater at first light then switch to a mirrodine or gulp jerk shad as sun gets higher. Snook and redfish can be caught off the docks as well as the spoil islands to the north. Live bait or paddle tailed baits should get bites.

from ICAST and 2MT The New Savage Gear Suicide Duck for 2016

Tuesday, July 12, 2016





Packing a few things for the AM trip up to Orlando. Got a long list of people and things I want to see.... Will fill you in on whats new for "The On Foot Angler"

From The Crew @ Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

Inshore the trout and reds have been around to the north of Harbor Branch soft baits  and live shrimp have produced the best. The snook and tarpon have been in the bait school around the south jetty in Ft. Pierce around first light and just before the sun goes down in the evenings. 






Sebastian Inlet Report

                                                  
07-12-16 TUESDAY: SPANISH MACKEREL, MANGROVE SNAPPER, LOOKDOWNS, SHARKS, BARRACUDA, JACKS, C/R SNOOK AND REDS 
We have another beautiful but steamy morning at the inlet. Winds are blowing out of the Southeast at 3 mph, gusting to 6 and there is a light chop on the water. There are no NOAA advisories this morning. The water is really clean and calm. What a great day to get out and do a little fishing! 

We have a lot of bait in the water right now and that is bringing in some nice predators. Catch and release Snook are active but we ask that you please handle them with extreme care. The top right corner of this page has FWC information on catch and release species and how to hold them properly for a QUICK photograph. Please don't leave them out of the water for multiple photos, a quick photo is adequate. The quicker those fish get back into the water, the better. We're seeing Spanish Mackerel zipping around the jetties and Gotcha lures or silver spoons will get their attention. Mangrove Snapper and Lookdowns, Jacks and a few scattered species are biting too. 

Our angler of the day is Peter Balsitis. Peter was free lining a croaker from the south side rocks when he landed this huge C/R Snook. Peter reported that Snook were cruising the rocks feeding on baitfish. The fish was released unharmed right after the photo. 

Spooltek Big Snook Shoichiro Matsumaru

Casting Fishing Papua wild river barramundi fishing with Gong Lei @Casti...

Monday, July 11, 2016

Sebastian Inlet Report

                                               
07-11-16 MONDAY: SPANISH MACKEREL, LOOKDOWNS, MANGROVE SNAPPER AND BARRACUDA 
This morning winds are blowing out of the South-Southeast at 11 mph, gusting to 15 and there is a light chop on the water. The wind is welcomed by our inlet anglers, we been experiencing such intense heat. NOAA is calling for the wind to increase this afternoon and there is a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. 

The bite has picked up according to Sarah at the Sebastian Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop. She reports that over the weekend Spanish Mackerel were active along with Lookdowns and Mangrove Snapper. A few Barracuda have been hanging around the north jetty. There is still a good amount of greenies (menhaden) and croakers in the water. Conditions are perfect for getting out and wetting a line. 

Our angler of the day is Jake Barker. Jake landed and released the 40" Barracuda in today's photo on the morning outgoing tide using a live pogie.