To the angler who loves to fish the beaches, shores, jetties, bridges and piers of Florida.
Tuesday, July 1, 2025
From Todd @ Juno Bait Crew-Juno Beach
INSHORE- Catch and release snook fishing remains the best bet inshore right now. A fair number of snook in the Loxahatchee right now, but a bulk of the snook have pushed towards the inlets to spawn. Bridges closer to the inlets have been holding a decent number of snook at night. Fish outgoing tide with flair hawk jigs and bigger swimbaits for a good chance at a bigger bite from a full grown snook. The snook have also been hanging around docklights. The dock light fish tend to be a bit smaller size wise; but make up for it with better numbers a lot of times. Shrimp lures (DOA, Vudu, Savage) tend to be a great choice for the snook around docklights. A decent number of jacks and the occasional tarpon will be mixed in with the snook in the lights as well. A few mangrove snapper hanging around the bridges as well, with the best bite on them coming at night. Live shrimp and small live pilchards are great bait choices for the mangrove snapper.
SURF/PIER- The surf fishing remains a bit quite overall, not uncommon for this time of year. Catch and release snook fishing has picked up a bit, and should only improve as we move into the heart of summer. The snook fishing remains good on the Juno Beach Pier. Best bite on the pier snook will be early in the morning and then again at closing time. If the snook are fired up and floating in the bait schools then a flatlined live bait is the way to go. If the snook aren't as active; try fishing the bait on the bottom under the pier. A handful of jacks still cruising the beach, along with some schools of tarpon. A handful of croaker and sand perch biting in the first trough. Small pieces of fresh shrimp is the top bait choice for them.
Snook-Nook Fishing Report
Our summertime Snook fishing is in full swing here on the Treasure Coast. If you’re looking to try to catch a trophy sized Snook, this is a great time of the year to give it a shot! There have still been good numbers of Snook schooled up in the inlet. Look for the schools around the south detached jetty, along the beach by the Hole in the Wall, in the Crossroads as well as on the beaches to the north and south of the inlet. Fishing live baits such as Croakers, Pilchards and Threadfins have been the most effective baits in the inlet. It doesn’t hurt to try fishing dead baits around the inlet such as a dead Threadfin when the fish aren’t eating the live baits as some of the lazier fish tend to be more inclined to eat those. Some of the schools haven’t been as cooperative when it comes to getting bites from them, but if you find yourself in that situation, it is best to move onto trying to find the next school. We’ve been getting a steady supply of Croakers here at the shop and should have a steady supply throughout the summer weather permitting. Don’t be afraid to shoot out the inlet to fish some of the nearshore wrecks and reefs this time of year as they will commonly be found out there. Fishing bridges and docks in both the St. Lucie and the Indian River should result in a few fish as well. The concrete blocks underneath the causeways have been holding some big Snook, be sure to have some heavy tackle if you plan on going to battle there! When we get the high afternoon temperatures, the water will heat up a good bit as well. When that water heats up you will want to focus on areas with deeper water and moving current as the fish will tend to move to those areas. If you’re looking to fish in the evening into the night, the dock light fishing has been pretty good. You will see that the fish may feed more at night in the lights due to the water temperatures cooling down after the sun sets. Anglers fishing from shore can look to get in on some Snook action on the beaches, at the Jensen Causeway, at Indian Riverside Park, the Ft. Pierce jetty and wading north of the power plant in the mornings and evenings. At the causeway they have been feeding pretty consistently on shrimp and crabs that have been flowing through on the outgoing tides in the evenings. Free lining crabs or shrimp as well as fishing a shrimp on a jighead will give you a good shot at hooking up. If you are looking to fish artificials; NLBN paddle tails, Vudu or Thumper Shrimp and Yozuri Crystal Minnows have all been solid choices.
Anglers fishing live shrimp have been able to pick away at Mangrove Snappers around structure here inshore. If you’re looking to weed through some of the smaller ones, fishing a small pilchard or pinfish on a jighead is a great strategy to catch some of the bigger ones mixed in when they’re around. We typically see our biggest Snapper here inshore during the summer months. Those fishing live shrimp have also run into Flounder, Sheepshead, Black Drum and a variety of other species. Keep in mind that July is typically the toughest time of the year to get live shrimp. The water heats up in the gulf and the shrimp will bury themselves in the mud to stay cool, when that happens our shrimpers aren’t able to catch them. The few shrimp that are caught are very small and face higher chances of die off on the ride over due to the warm water. Please be patient with us when it comes to the live shrimp as we are at the shrimper’s mercy, feel free to call the shop for updates when the shrimp supply becomes difficult.
We typically will begin to see more opportunities for catching a Tarpon as we get into July. We are starting to see some crabs flowing through the bridges on the outgoing tide, it hasn’t been nearly as many crabs as last year or years past, but definitely a good sign. If you are fishing around the bridges, you will want to focus on that outgoing tide, free line a crab or free line a larger live mullet to give you the best chance at hooking up. Adding a float on your line isn’t a bad idea either to keep your bait up on the surface where the Tarpon have been feeding. We also usually start seeing more Tarpon showing up in the inlet and cruising the beaches in the mornings and evenings in July. Fishing live Threadfins or mullet will give you a good shot at them if you see them around.
Surf Fishing Report
Whiting fishing has been pretty good for anglers fishing from the surf all month, the main issue anglers have had to deal with is some slime weed. If there is slime weed or an abundance of weeds in the water at the beach you choose, it is best to try a different beach as there may not be any weed at the next beach access and the fish have been spread out along the island. Over the past week, the best of the Whiting fishing has come from beach accesses north of Jensen public beach. The majority of your bites will come close to the shoreline in the 5 to 15 yard range. There have been some nice sized Croakers caught from the surf too. Pieces of shrimp and either bloodworm or shrimp Fish Bites have been the ticket to putting these fish in the cooler. You will also want to focus your fishing around the high tide for both the Whiting and Croakers.
The Snook are starting to show up in better numbers on the beaches for those looking to get in on that action. Typically your better fishing for them will be around the high tides too and in the morning or evening. The morning and evening windows will give you a better chance to get a bite using artificials. White paddle tails, Yozuri Crystal Minnows and twitch baits are all solid choices if you’re going the artificial route. It’s always a good idea to have a rod with a sabiki tied on in the event of some bait moving down the beach. You can catch the threadfins or pilchards with the sabiki and free line them right in the first trough, live Croakers are also a great choice to free line. There have been some Tarpon cruising the beaches, but the majority of them have been out of casting range. We do tend to start seeing them come a little closer when the bait schools get up close to the beach.
Sebastian Inlet Report With The Snookman
A fabulous day of fishing at the newly-reopened north jetty
“Good morning, all my AWESOME Sebastian Inlet fishing friends and jetty visitors. Yesterday (June 30) was a grand day for the reopening of the north jetty! It was a fantastic turnout, to say the least! The weather was great, the water was clean and clear, and the fish were there in abundance. There were about 150 people or more that showed up to fish or just sightsee; it was fantastic! It was reminiscent of opening day of the fall snook season when the fish were biting well… and they stayed all day, too! I have to say, though, it is really nice to have the jetty back open because that is where we get the most fishing action. The north jetty offers deeper water, and access farther out into the ocean, not to mention the abundance of more and better structure for the fish. Thank you to EVERYONE involved in the rebuilding of the jetty walkway area and the surrounding dunes and foliage. It was a job well done by all. So, without further delay, here is your HOT fishing report!!
North jetty: As I mentioned, the jetty was PACKED on Monday, and the fish were everywhere! On the walk out to the jetty with everyone, there were some small schools of large jack crevalle, 15 to 20-pounders chasing mullet and mojarra along the seawall and making quite the commotion. A couple of the ‘young guns, I call them, were tossing large swim baits at them and hooking up, but none were landed as the hooks pulled out. That got everyone excited right off the bat! Once everyone claimed their spots, the tide came in nicely, and the fish started being hooked up, and come over the rails. Most of the fish were caught on live shrimp, black drum, redfish, black margates, sheepshead, and spadefish. For those fishing with live greenies and small crappie jigs and tiny swimbaits, the lookdowns were on fire! There were quite a lot of them caught! Not much to them, but they are VERY tasty to eat, and there are no limits or restrictions on them. For those fishing silver spoons out far, and vertical jigs, there were also quite a few nice bluefish in the 15 to 16-inch range caught. The snook were non-existent due to the abundance of all the huge goliath groupers harassing the schools and chasing them around. Only two were hooked and the groupers ate both of them, and one redfish. The groupers were trying to eat EVERYTHING being netted. My suggestion: Please DON'T target the snook during the summer so the groupers don't eat them all! Let them do their spawning thing; there are other species to catch that you CAN keep. That's pretty much all for this side.
South side: Over here the water was pretty dirty, but not as dirty as it had been; it cleaned up some. At the tip they were catching black margates, spot tails, some sand perch, and a couple small whiting, and of course the pesky puffers and ever-present catfish. Once the tide started coming in, people on the south jetty moved to the north jetty. The water over there got pretty dirty, so they left.
T-dock area: Back here the fishing has picked up, especially during the high tide phases. Small mangrove snapper are starting to show more as the water keeps warming up. I had some reports of a few keepers being caught on live greenies, and cut mojarra, and shrimp around the dock pilings. And as always, when the water gets a tad dirty, the puffers are abundant for the bait fishermen. On the outgoing tide when the greenies show up, there have some nice Spanish mackerel being caught on the live greenies, and small week of June 30 2025
swim baits. Other than that, it is still a bit slow.
Surf area, both sides: On the north side, the water was silted up and there weren't any anglers fishing; just swimmers having fun. The south side remained a bit silted as well, but there were a few pockets of clean water around. For those fishing cut shrimp and live sandfleas, there were a couple nice pompano caught that I know of, along with some whiting. And again, the pesky catfish and once in a while bonnet head sharks to keep it interesting, along with a few bluefish.
That's it in a nutshell! It is awesome to have the north jetty back open while fishing is hot. It is a blessing. This week is supposed to be riddled with afternoon thunderstorms, so get there early and catch some dinner. The high tides will be in the afternoons, but the fish are there to be caught. I wish everyone a safe and wonderful week!” — Snookman.
Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area
Sunday, June 8, 2025
Sebastian Inlet Report With The Snookman
The action is at the south side (perch, whiting, margate, pompano, blues, jacks, etc)
“Good morning, my Sebastian Inlet fans! I hope everyone had a great weekend despite the afternoon rains. This week is supposed to be about the same, so get out early. Let’s begin with good news: No, the north jetty hasn’t yet reopened, but the T-Dock is finally reopened on Saturday. Also, snook season is CLOSED until September 1. In the interim, snook are catch-and-release only! Now, for the report:
North Side: Restricted access (due to construction at the north jetty) has limited the fishing activity. On the outgoing tide, fishing has been slow. Most of the action has been on the incoming tide along the rocks west of the tide pool. Small mangrove snapper and sheepshead are being caught on live and dead shrimp. Under the bridge, small snook are being caught on live mojarra, if you can find some. West of the tide pool along the mangrove shoreline area there are snook being caught also on live baits. Also, sheepshead and snapper are being caught as well. Try live or dead shrimp.
South side: This side has been where most of the action has been, mostly on the incoming tide. At the tip, it has been all about the pompano being caught on small goofy jigs. They are still around because the water is still cool enough for them, plus it has been pretty clean, which they like. The snook bite had been pretty good, too, for those fishing live mojarra, shrimp and threadfins. Most of the fish have been under slot size, but a few keepers were caught. Boaters fishing in the area have been doing well. As mentioned, snook season is CLOSED until September 1, catch-and-release only! The outgoing tide on this at the tip of the jetty has been producing black margates, lookdowns, nice sand perch and a few whiting and pompano on sand fleas and cut shrimp. Jack crevalle and blue runners and some small bluefish round out the species being caught on small jigs and spoons.
T-Dock Area: Back here, bigger snook have been caught on live mojarra, shrimp and croakers on the incoming tide. Now that the T-dock is open, expect the snapper and sheephead bite to pick up fishing around the pilings on dead shrimp and cut baits. It's the time of the year for them. Either tide is good. Also expect to see some Spanish mackerel to start showing up with all the tiny minnows around the dock. Very small jigs and swim baits will attract a bite from them. Jack crevalle and bluefish are possible as well.
Surf Area, both sides: The south side has been where the action has been slow, but fish are being caught. Pompano, whiting and bonnet head sharks are being caught, along with a few bluefish that are lingering due to the cooler water temperatures (77 as of this report). Sand fleas and shrimp are the baits of choice. Surf on the north has been slow, largely due to low tide in the morning. There isn't enough depth to bring the fish in. It's been clean though. There haven't been a lot of mullet running the beaches like there was, but be on the lookout for any and there might be snook, tarpon and big redfish around them for some action.
That's it for this week. I wish I had more, but when the north jetty reopens (in July), it will add to the action, since it is the hub of the action is this time of year. Have a great week everyone!”
From Todd @ Juno Bait Crew-Juno Beach
INSHORE- Snook fishing remains the best bet inshore. The snook are definitely in a pre-spawn pattern and have largely started moving towards the inlets. The nice thing about the snook this time of year is...when they want to eat, they WANT to eat. Some of the most aggressive snook bites of the year will go down now. Large baits and jigs are a great way to go for the snook right now. Look for the snook to feed best on the last of the incoming and first of the outgoing tide. During the day live mullet fished along seawalls and under bait docks is a great way to go for the snook. At night the snook will be easiest to target around bridges and docklights. Moving water (Incoming or outgoing) will be key to getting the snook biting best. A few big jacks continue to roam around inshore, along with scattered tarpon. Mangrove snapper seem to be biting a bit better inshore these days. Live shrimp and small pilchards are the top bait choices for the snapper.
SURF/PIER- Snook fishing continues to improve along the beach and at the Juno Beach Pier. A return to more normal water temps, a good amount of bait, and a pre-spawn appetite has the snook biting well. Along the beach the best bite will be early in the morning and then again late in the afternoon. Small bucktail jigs, swimming plugs, and twitch baits are a great way to go along the beach. Small live pilchards are also a top bait choice. Look for sections of beach without heavy traffic and a deeper trough for best luck on the snook. At the Juno Beach Pier the snook have been eating live sardines. Lowlight periods will be best for the snook, but they will also feed on tide changes and ahead of approaching storms. Surprisingly, still a few good schools of big jacks cruising down the beach. A Rapala X-Rap is a great lure to cast at the cruising jacks. Tarpon reports have improved this week. Sounds like a good number of tarpon are starting to move down the beach.
Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area
Saturday, May 31, 2025
Snook-Nook Fishing Report
June is here along with our hot summertime temperatures. Luckily for us, the fishing can be just as hot! June provides anglers shots at not only good numbers of fish but opportunities at some bigger fish too. With the warmer temperatures comes warmer water temperatures too and you will find that your better fishing can come early in the morning and in the evenings for those fishing inshore.
Inshore Fishing Report
Snook: As a reminder, Snook season closed in our area on June 1st and will reopen again on September 1st. June provides us with some of the best Snook fishing of the year. Not only do we see a lot of fish caught, we see a lot of trophy sized Snook caught. If you’re looking to knock a 40” Snook off your bucket list, you’ve got a good shot at it! Please remember to handle these breeder Snook with care as they will be providing us with our Snook population for years to come. Fishing circle hooks, limiting their time out of the water along with reviving them if necessary are all crucial to a strong release of the fish. We will see a lot of fish moving towards the inlet and schools heading outside the inlet to spawn on the beaches and on some of the nearshore wrecks and reefs. We have begun to see fish start staging up and moving towards the inlets. As of June 1st, a few fish have been caught in and around the inlet but the larger schools should be showing up soon. If you are planning on Snook fishing during the heat of the day, you will want to focus on areas with deeper water and moving current as they will tend to favor those areas to stay cool.
For our anglers fishing from boat, areas in and around the St. Lucie Inlet such as the Hole in the Wall, the south side detached jetty and alongside the north side jetty all should be productive as we get into the summer. Live Croakers are typically one of the best bait choices for those targeting Snook this time of year and we plan to have a steady supply of them through the summer weather permitting. Threadfins and Pilchards can be great choices as well. Don’t be afraid to try fishing dead baits with an egg sinker if you aren’t getting bit on the live bait, you might surprise yourself! Heading outside the inlet when the water is clear and running the beach either north or south to look for schools up in shallow can be productive and makes for some great sight fishing opportunities. Once the schools start hitting the inlet in numbers, you can expect to find them on some of the nearshore wrecks such as Bullshark barge out to some of the numbers in 60’. As these fish have begun staging for their spawn, they will typically stop at the causeways on their way towards the inlet, fishing the concrete blocks and fenders can be quite productive in June. Bouncing around docks with deeper water and steady current can be good too, try fishing docks with sport fish boats or larger center console boats. Typically they will hold some fish as they will have your deeper water. If you want to head out in the evening or at night, dock light fishing can be really good this time of year as a lot of the fish that stay in the river will be more inclined to feed at night in the lights when it cools down.
For our land based anglers, the Jensen Causeway, Ft. Pierce Inlet, Indian Riverside Park and the beaches are all solid summertime choices. If you’re heading to Jensen Causeway, the night and evening Snook bite has been more productive than during the daytime. During the outgoing tide we have finally started to see a few crabs and shrimp that have been passing through that the fish key in on. You can freeline live shrimp or crabs when they pass through to match what the Snook are feeding on. Focusing on the shadow lines with artificial shrimp or paddle tails can get you some bites too. If you’re heading to Ft. Pierce Inlet, live Croakers once again will be a great option as the Snook will typically be sitting on the bottom. The Croakers naturally will swim down to their zone, you may need to add a little weight for when the current starts picking up such as a larger split shot if you are fishing the river side of the jetty, but if you are fishing the beach side, you should be in good shape just free lining them. Live pilchards will also work if you see some bait schools around. Indian Riverside Park is typically going to be a morning bite this time of year, Pilchards and Croakers around the dock will typically lead to some success when the fish are around. The beach can provide some fun Snook fishing during the summer. You can fish artificials such as white paddle tails, Yozuri Crystal Minnows or Rapala X-Raps or twitch baits in the morning before the sun gets high and in the evenings to cover a lot of water. When the sun gets higher in the sky, they will tend to prefer a live bait. It is always a good idea to bring a rod rigged with a sabiki in case a school of bait comes by. If you are able to catch some live bait, you can simply free line it up in the first trough. If you are Whiting or Croaker fishing and catch a smaller one, you can go ahead and free line them as well to give you a shot at a big one!
Tarpon: With some crabs starting to flow through the causeways, it can really get the Tarpon bite going. You will want to focus on fishing the outgoing tides if you’re looking to find them there. Free line a crab with a small cork for your best results if you are fishing around the bridges. There has been some good Tarpon fishing for the guys running the beaches, they have been able to find some nice schools of cooperative fish. Look to find them rolling on the surface and fish live baits such as Mullet or Threadfins. Those running the beaches have also found schools of big Jacks and an occasional Cobia. There have been some Tarpon caught inshore around the power plant too. For those fishing live bait, larger live mullet will typically be your best option. If you are looking to throw artificials, the tried and true DOA Terror Eyz and DOA Baitbusters are always reliable choices.
Snapper: We typically get some nice sized Mangrove Snapper inshore during the summer. Look for them around structures like bridges or docks. You will typically need to weed through a lot of the smaller ones if you are fishing with live or dead shrimp, but if you put your time in you should be able to find a few for the cooler. Fishing with a small pilchard, pinfish or mullet with the tail clipped on a jighead or knocker rig can also help you weed through some of the smaller fish and find the bigger ones that are able to eat a bigger bait.
Trout: The Trout fishing has slowed down a bit with the warmer water temperatures, but those who have been after them have still been able to find a few. Those wading the east and west side of the river have been productive in the mornings before the sun gets high throwing artificials. Anglers fishing the west side of the river have been focusing on hitting the ends of the docks where the water is a little deeper.
The Whiting fishing off the beach has been on fire to close out the month with both good numbers and good sized fish being caught. The red bloodworm Fishbites along with pieces of shrimp on a double hook whiting/croaker rig has been the ticket to getting the bite. Fishing two hours before the high tide and the first two hours of the outcoming tide has been the most productive windows. These fish have all been close to the beach, typically in the 10 yard range so be sure not to over cast. You will see some Croakers mixed in with the same area as well. We typically have to deal with a good bit of weeds fishing from the surf in the summer, if you hit a beach and you notice a lot of weeds in the water, make a move to the next beach as it may be weed free.
From Todd @ Juno Bait Crew-Juno Beach
INSHORE- Snook fishing remains the best bet inshore. The snook are definitely in a pre-spawn pattern and have largely started moving towards the inlets. The nice thing about the snook this time of year is...when they want to eat, they WANT to eat. Some of the most aggressive snook bites of the year will go down now. Large baits and jigs are a great way to go for the snook right now. Look for the snook to feed best on the last of the incoming and first of the outgoing tide. During the day live mullet fished along seawalls and under bait docks is a great way to go for the snook. At night the snook will be easiest to target around bridges and docklights. Moving water (Incoming or outgoing) will be key to getting the snook biting best. A few big jacks continue to roam around inshore, along with scattered tarpon. Mangrove snapper seem to be biting a bit better inshore these days. Live shrimp and small pilchards are the top bait choices for the snapper.
SURF/PIER- Snook fishing continues to improve along the beach and at the Juno Beach Pier. A return to more normal water temps, a good amount of bait, and a pre-spawn appetite has the snook biting well. Along the beach the best bite will be early in the morning and then again late in the afternoon. Small bucktail jigs, swimming plugs, and twitch baits are a great way to go along the beach. Small live pilchards are also a top bait choice. Look for sections of beach without heavy traffic and a deeper trough for best luck on the snook. At the Juno Beach Pier the snook have been eating live sardines. Lowlight periods will be best for the snook, but they will also feed on tide changes and ahead of approaching storms. Surprisingly, still a few good schools of big jacks cruising down the beach. A Rapala X-Rap is a great lure to cast at the cruising jacks. Tarpon reports have improved this week. Sounds like a good number of tarpon are starting to move down the beach.
Thursday, May 29, 2025
Sebastian Inlet Report With The Snookman
Fishing still slow, but snook, black margates, whiting and perch are possible with the right bait
“Good morning, Sebastian Inlet fanatics. I hope you all had a great and safe weekend despite the afternoon thunderstorms. The weather and water were agreeable, but the fishing was a bit slow for the most part — no baitfish anywhere to be found and that made it kind of tough. There were mojarra, but you had to search and work hard to find any. Fish were caught, but not like it should be for this time of the year. The water was relatively clean until the winds switched to SSE, which dirtied it up on the south side. Seaweed was lingering, but nothing like it was. The water has warmed back up to 78 as of this writing, which should be in the low 80's this time of year. Now for my report:
North side: The action here has been under the bridge on the rocks on the outgoing tide. A few anglers who were able to find some mojarra were catching small undersized snook and a couple of small catch-and-release redfish. Remember, in this area, you are NOT permitted to pass the fencing marked “no trespassing” east of the catwalk; it is a designated construction area. Towards the back, west of the tide pool on the incoming tide, a few snook have been caught fishing live mojarra, and back along the mangrove shoreline. That's pretty much it for this side since fishing access is limited.
South side: Here, all the action has been at the tip of the jetty on the outgoing tide — cut shrimp was attracting bites from black margates, spot tail pins, small whiting, and some nice sand perch. I also received a report of flounder caught as well, but didn't hear if they were keepers or not. The incoming tide has been slow with the dirtier water, but there were a couple of undersized snook caught on live croakers. That's pretty much it.
T-Dock area: Here, the fishing has picked up a bit, but access is limited due to the T-dock still being closed. On the incoming tide, and beginning of the outgoing, snook are possible if you find mojarra. I did hear about a few slots being caught, but I did not see any the entire weekend I was there. Early morning seems to be the time for that. Along the rock shoreline I saw small mangrove snappers caught. This time of year when the water warms in the intercoastal, snapper will start showing, plus all the tiny minnows that are around the T-dock attract them. Also caught back here were sheepshead, and a few black drum, live or cut dead shrimp for the snappers, drum, and sheepshead.
Surf Area, both sides: The north side has been slow due to a massive sandbar on that side from the jetty all the way up to the north parking lot which makes finding deep water tough, so not many folks are fishing this side. On the south side the water is much deeper, but also much dirtier due to the SSE winds kicking it up. An occasional pompano or two have been caught, along with some small whiting on live sand fleas and cut shrimp. Puffers, catfish, and some pesky bonnet head sharks round out what is happening on this side.
Sunday, May 4, 2025
Friday, May 2, 2025
Snook-Nook Fishing Report
Inshore Fishing Report
May is one of the most productive months for inshore fishing in Stuart, Florida. With warm water temperatures, usually calmer conditions and bait becoming more abundant, anglers can expect excellent action in both the Indian and St. Lucie Rivers.
Tarpon: The Tarpon have not yet been widespread inshore, but there have definitely been a few around. Anglers have found Tarpon around the Stuart Causeway as well as up by the power plant. Larger live mullet has been the ticket for those fishing live baits. Drifting crabs on a float around the bridges should find you a bite too when they are around. We have not really had a good flush of crabs this year so the crabs have been on the scarce side this year. For those fishing artificials, the DOA Bait Buster and DOA TerrorEyz are tried and true great lures for targeting Tarpon.
Pompano: The inshore Pompano fishing was definitely on the slower side compared to previous years in April. Our cooler winter this year may have delayed the action with reports of fish still to the south of us that will need to migrate north. For those that have been targeting them, anglers have been able to pick away at a few on the Jensen Causeway east side relief bridge. 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. You’ll definitely want some current flowing as it really slows down during slack tide. 3/8oz and 1/2oz Pompano jigs have been the most popular choices.
Trout: Those who are targeting Trout have still been able to pick away at a few. The better numbers of fish have been caught north of the power plant on both the east and west sides of the river. On the west side, you will have your better shot at finding a school of them at the end of the docks. There have been Trout caught as far south as Joe’s Point just south of the Jensen Causeway along with a few mixed in the dock lights. Targeting them with soft plastics such as DOA Cals, artificial shrimp, top waters or twitch baits will get the job done when you find yourself around them. For those looking to fish live baits, live shrimp on a popping cork is an effective strategy too.
Misc: There have been some Tripletail caught by those running the crab trap buoys north of the Jensen Causeway. When you do find one, pitching them a live shrimp will typically get you the bite. We will typically have one rod rigged with a jig head and one rod rigged with a small cork to offer two different presentations if they aren’t cooperating. Stone crab season closes in May so you will see a whole lot less buoys in the water which can be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it. The Tripletail are still around, but will move to channel markers and other structures with the absence of the buoys. The Sheepshead and Black Drum bite has slowed down with the warmer water temperatures, but we should begin seeing some better Mangrove Snappers here inshore as we approach the summer. Plenty of big jacks have been around cruising the channels and sea walls too.
From Todd @ Juno Bait Crew-Juno Beach
INSHORE- So-so week inshore this week. Snook fishing has been fair. The Loxahatchee and ICW are producing a few snook, just not a red hot bite. Live mullet remains the top bait choice for the snook during the day. At night the flair hawk bite is trying to get going around the bridges. Outgoing tide will likely produce a few more snook bites. A few jacks and occasional tarpon mixed in with the snook. Other inshore action remains a bit slow; with a few mangrove snapper and sand perch being caught.
SURF/PIER- Not a red hot week on the beach; but those putting in the time have been finding a few fish. Pompano are still being caught, but still not in huge numbers. It feels like we should still have a good push of pompano coming; though we are starting to get a little late in the season. The usual bait assortment (sand fleas, clams, Fishbites) will do the trick on the pompano. A few pomps coming over the rail at the Juno Beach Pier on Doc's Goofy Jigs early in the week as well. Bright colored jigs (orange and pink) seemed to be the best color. Still some scattered bluefish around; though it has to be near the end of them soon. A few good schools of jacks cruised by the Juno Beach Pier this week. A well presented Rapala X-Rap or Yo-Zuri Mag Speed is the top lure choice for the jacks. A few scattered kingfish at the Juno Beach Pier as well. The same swimming plugs that work for the jacks will work well for the kings. Croaker and whiting have been biting good in the first trough. Small pieces of fresh shrimp is the way to go for the croaker and whiting.
Friday, April 25, 2025
From Todd @ Juno Bait Crew-Juno Beach
INSHORE- So-so week inshore this week. Snook fishing has been fair. The Loxahatchee and ICW are producing a few snook, just not a red hot bite. Live mullet remains the top bait choice for the snook during the day. At night the flair hawk bite is trying to get going around the bridges. Outgoing tide will likely produce a few more snook bites. A few jacks and occasional tarpon mixed in with the snook. Other inshore action remains a bit slow; with a few mangrove snapper and sand perch being caught.
SURF/PIER- Not a red hot week on the beach; but those putting in the time have been finding a few fish. Pompano are still being caught, but still not in huge numbers. It feels like we should still have a good push of pompano coming; though we are starting to get a little late in the season. The usual bait assortment (sand fleas, clams, Fishbites) will do the trick on the pompano. A few pomps coming over the rail at the Juno Beach Pier on Doc's Goofy Jigs early in the week as well. Bright colored jigs (orange and pink) seemed to be the best color. Still some scattered bluefish around; though it has to be near the end of them soon. A few good schools of jacks cruised by the Juno Beach Pier this week. A well presented Rapala X-Rap or Yo-Zuri Mag Speed is the top lure choice for the jacks. A few scattered kingfish at the Juno Beach Pier as well. The same swimming plugs that work for the jacks will work well for the kings. Croaker and whiting have been biting good in the first trough. Small pieces of fresh shrimp is the way to go for the croaker and whiting.
Thursday, April 24, 2025
Saturday, April 19, 2025
From Todd @ Juno Bait Crew-Juno Beach
INSHORE: Snook fishing remains decent inshore. Pretty standard report on the snook (and occasional tarpon or passing jack), with the ICW and Loxahatchee river producing some fish along seawalls and under boat docks. During the day live mullet is the top bait choice. Early morning and late afternoon with favorable tide conditions you maybe able to trick a snook or two into smashing a topwater. At night the snook will switch to bridges and docklights, with the outgoing tide tending to produce the best results. Water hasn't warmed enough to really fire the snook up, but it's getting close for sure. Won't be too long before they really start snapping. Other inshore action remains a bit spotty. A few late late season sheepshead hanging around inshore mixed in with a few early arriving mangrove snapper. Sailfish flats in Stuart continue to see a few pompano, but those numbers continue to fall as well.
SURF/PIER: Surf and pier action has been pretty good this week. Pompano numbers seem to have improved a bit, with some decent catches coming along the beach, and a handful of pomps being picked off the Juno Beach Pier as well. Sandfleas, clams, and Fishbites (with pomps it pays to have an assortment) remain the baits of choice on the beach. The same baits and also Doc's Goofy Jigs are getting them on the Juno Beach Pier. Still a few late season bluefish cruising around, though that has to be close to winding down. The Juno Beach Pier has been producing a few Spanish Mackerel, with a white or white/silver JYG Pro crappie jig the top lure choice for the Macs. A handful of snook showing up at the Juno Beach Pier as well. It's not huge numbers yet, and the snook are not overly aggressive but they are showing up. Best bet for the snook is fresh dead bait chunks fished very patiently on the bottom with a very light lead. Jack schools have been passing by the pier, though they have not been overly interested in eating as of late. Conditions have looked right for some kingfish to come cruising by the pier as well, but no reports yet to speak of on them. Keep those Rapala X-Raps and Yo-Zuri Magspeeds ready to go...it's gonna happen anytime!
(NOTE: I don't have the exact times, but the Juno Beach Pier will close on Saturday afternoon to allow for Easter Service set-up. It will reopen for fishing following Easter Service sometime around noon).
Sebastian Inlet Report With The Snookman
Water temps need to climb before the fishing takes off again
Here’s this week’s fishing report from our fishing guide, “Snookman” Wayne Landry, who has fished at Sebastian inlet for more than 50 years: “Good morning, Sebastian Inlet fishing friends. I hope everyone enjoyed the nice springtime weather last weekend! Expect similar weather all week long.
This report will be brief as the fishing was slow all weekend, based on my observations and what I heard from others. I believe the water temperature is still playing a big role in the lack of fishing action and the lack of any baitfish in the water. I was at the inlet both days over the weekend and not much was caught. At the south jetty in the early morning incoming tide there were several under slot snook caught on live mojarra, and a few redfish, which you still cannot keep. At the tip on the outgoing tide, all I saw caught were smaller black margates on dead shrimp. I did hear about a couple of keeper flounder caught in the pocket area on the beachside of the jetty — live shrimp did the trick on them. And that was pretty much it.
Back around the T-dock and cleaning station, there was a decent snook and redfish bite on Saturday, both tides, on live mojarra. One of my friends said she caught four nice redfish, (which you cannot keep because season is still closed), and three snook; one under slot, and two over slot. She returned on Sunday and in the same area caught a 31-inch slot snook on the very first cast! After that, only a couple under slots were caught. I didn't see much of anything else caught back here as the T-dock is closed, and that is where we see the other species caught.
The surf areas north of the north jetty and just south of the south jetty have been slow due to the cooler water temperatures, still at 73 degrees as of this writing, and the silted-up water. About the only thing I saw caught in these areas over the weekend were a couple of nurse and bonnet head sharks.
Thursday, April 17, 2025
Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area
Anyone who hit the beach today on South Hutchinson Island had to be impressed with the color of the water , especially if you were targeting pompano . I didn’t go any further north than Normandy beach but I did talk to a good friend of mine who stopped up by Ft Pierce and he saw the same “clean green “ that was further south . As far as results of the pompano contingency it seems there were some fish caught up and down the Island . I did not talk to anyone who had big numbers as far as the commercial group but there were fish put into the coolers . Since I’m still not in a position to throw my Over The Bar rods I targeted the whiting and croaker with my 7 foot short rods . They have been a bit scarce since our last wind event but today showed signs of this bite getting better also . There was lots of bait schools moving down the beach and the pelicans were everywhere on the bait pods . The croaker and whiting held to their trait of turning on as the high tide mark got closer because I never had a bite in the first hour . When they did start to chew they were no more than 5 to 10 yards from the edge of the surface. When the water is clean the drop off is easily visible and pitching the bait just past the inshore side of that first trough proved to be the zone . I started with a couple of whiting and then the croaker took over for the last hour . You never know what’s going to bite your Fishbite and small piece of shrimp as I had one hit that bent the rod over and took some drag . After a couple of minutes I saw some silver and put one nice pompano in the cooler . With the croaker starting to show the snook action should really heat up . Catch a smaller croaker and just liveline it in that near shore trough . The hot Fishbite color today was Orange Crab and the Snook Nook has a great supply . I had to leave a bit earlier than I wanted to but longtime friend , Chuck Frith , stayed and I’m sure he put together a Hutchinson Island Fish fry before leaving . The weather is getting warmer and the surf bite should be heating up too . I hope everyone has a great Easter weekend. Friday, April 11, 2025
Sebastian Inlet Report With The Snookman
“Hello there, all you Sebastian Inlet fans! I hope everyone enjoyed the weekend. Fishing wasn't very good at the inlet (dismal at best), so, this report is brief. The water has remained at about 74 to 75 degrees, which is where it should be, but the water conditions at the inlet have been a train wreck. Brisk SSE winds and wind-fed surf muddied the water and spread seaweed everywhere.
Last weekend, it didn't matter where you fished: the water was nasty. And I didn't see any fish caught except for a few small whiting and black margates caught at the south jetty. It was rough and wet out there, though, and few were fishing. On the south side, in the back, I didn't see any fish being caught, either. While chatting with a fishing gal on Sunday, she said she caught three snook on live mojarra, two over slot and one under slot. And that was all the snook I heard about! Heck, even the boaters weren't catching anything. This week is going to be another iffy week with the weather and water conditions. Another front is expected on Tuesday, bringing rain and brisker NNE (15 to 25 mph), as well as five to seven-foot seas by late Wednesday through Friday. So, if you are fishing at the inlet, the back should be your best bet. Like I have always said, I don't sugar coat anything to get you all to go fishing, I tell it like it is at the inlet. I love to see you all catch fish, but if the action isn’t good, I'll tell you. Have a great week!” — Snookman.
From Todd @ Juno Bait Crew-Juno Beach
INSHORE- The snook bite remains decent inshore, especially for those with a lot of time to dedicate to it. During the day the snook will remain locked under boat docks and cruising seawalls in the Loxahatchee River and ICW. A live mullet will be the top bait choice for the bigger snook during the day. Rumor has it a few smaller baits (primarily pilchards) are showing up inshore. The pilchards will also get a lot of bites; with a lot of the fish being on the smaller side. At night docklights and bridges will be the best bet for the snook. Around dockligts look for live shrimp, shrimp style lures, and smaller jigs and swimming plugs being a good choice. Docklight fish are primarily eating small shrimp and glass minnows so keep the lures on the smaller side for the most bites. Around the bridges the snook are biting jigs and swimbaits pretty good. A handful of jacks around inshore, along with occasional tarpon as well.
Saturday, April 5, 2025
From Todd @ Juno Bait Crew-Juno Beach
INSHORE- Snook are around and continue to be the best bet for inshore fishing this weekend. The seawall and bridges at night seem to be the most popular. During the day a live mullet is top bait choice for a cruising snook or jack. Flair Hawk Jigs and bigger swimbaits around the bridges remain your best bet for the Snook bite. As we approach the second week in April the Snapper are replacing the Sheepshead.
SURF/PIER- More and more pompano are showing up along the beach and pier. The croaker and whiting remain strong. Sandfleas, clams, and FishBites remain the baits of choice along the beach for the pomps. Cut Bait and Docs Goofy Jigs are still the most popular tackle for them. Bluefish continue to show at the pier, however; a long cast is needed. Your best bet will be a Diamond jig, GT Ice Cream, or other long casting lure. Jacks have been showing up more and more as well. The same lures bluefish like will generally get the jacks attention as well. No real reports of Snook this week, however it's not impossible to see a few.