Scouting Around

                                           photo courtesy of Chris Bishop 

INSHORE

Snook season opened Tuesday morning and anglers haven’t wasted any time getting after them. Remember that the size limit for snook is 28-32 inches and the daily bag limit is one per person.

There has been a lot of bait running the beaches from the Treasure Coast down through southern Palm Beach County, and there are a lot of predatory species — including snook and tarpon — in those schools. Your best bet is fishing the shallower edge of the schools.

Anglers in Martin County are catching snook, flounder and snapper at the bridges of the Indian River throughout the day.

The inlets and Intracoastal Waterway bridges in Palm Beach County have been great for snook fishing this week as well. Tarpon are also in the mix.

In addition to snook, tarpon and snapper, sheepshead are chewing around the Intracoastal bridges from Palm Beach to Boynton Beach during the day. At night, add mangrove snapper to the list.

Bridges and dock lights ate night are also great spots for hooking snook.

FRESHWATER

The bass fishing really seemed to pick up a bit on Lake Okeechobee this week. The early-morning (first light) bite remains strong, with big numbers of fish being caught around the offshore islands. A few fish over 5 pounds were reported.

The bite lasts until about 10-10:30 a.m., although you’ll want to finish your morning trip by fishing the outside edges and back in the grass. Several guides said they were catching upward of 40 bass on their morning (four-hour) trips.

Live shiners are working better than artificial lures, but experienced anglers who prefer working with artificial lures are having success.

 report courtesy of Palm Beach Post

Cast Net

Cast netting is the most economic tool for catching your own bait. Cast throwing tips, how they work, choosing the right cast net and more.

Wherever you may fish, live bait is always the best lure. To save time and money, you need to keep live bait ready. Cast netting is the most economic tool for catching your own bait. You can also use a cast net to catch shrimp, larger fish, mullet, etc.

Understanding Cast Nets

Cast nets have been used for thousands of years. A good example of cast netting in antiquity is after His resurrection, Jesus tells his disciples to "'Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.' When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish." (John 21:6 NIV).

Cast netting is very popular, either in fresh or salt water, and can be used in different applications from Sport to Commercial fishing. Many people use cast nets, from kids to experienced professional fishermen, almost everywhere in the world.

Basic Cast Net Structure

• Swivel: two metal loops or rings attached together, that turn at both ends.
• Hand line: a rope which is attached to the swivel on one end, with the other end attached to the caster's wrist.
• Horn: a ring with an indentation around the center, where the top of the net is tied.
• Lead Line: a rope with sinkers attached. This rope is at the outside perimeter of the net to sink it.
• Brail Lines: lines attached to the swivel at one end and to the leadline at the other. Their function is to pucker the net, thus trapping the catch.
• Netting: made from nylon multifilament or monofilament to form the desired mesh.

How Cast Nets Work

Throwing the net creates a driving force that causes the lead line to open the net to a flat form, the lead weights then sink the net. After the net has sunk, and the brail line is pulled, the lead line is forced to close thus creating a pouch in the net which holds the catch, trapping a school of shrimp or fish. After pulling the net from the water, opening the leadline will cause the catch to fall out.

Choosing Nets Correctly

Depending on what kind of catch is targeted, i.e. shrimp, pin fish, shiner, mullet, sardine, etc., the correct size of mesh and net will provide more accurate hauls. As with any fishing equipment, the bigger the targeted catch, the bigger size of mesh and stronger netting material needed.

Cast Net Care

The most important thing in cast net care is rinsing your net after every use. Washing the net not only washes away the salt water, it also removes fish particles and slime remaining on the net. The fish slime is particularly harmful in deteriorating the net. Simply rinse well with a garden hose and allow the net to dry. Then place the net into a bucket or any other dry storage area.

Sunlight is another harmful element to the cast net. Do not allow your cast net to stay in the sunlight for long periods of time. This is especially important for monfilament cast nets. Overexposure to sunlight will cause the netting to become brittle and weak.

Another secret in cast-net care is fabric softener. By using fabric softner you can prevent the net from becoming stiff and help in the overall spread of the net. Just take a pail of water, add a cup of softener, and place the cast net in the pail for about one hour. Remove the net, rinse, and store the net after it dries. This process should be done when the net is first purchased and repeated every six to eight months.

Finally, just inspect your net occasionally, checking for any holes or weak areas. You, or your local net shop can repair these areas. If repairing the net yourself, "How to Make and Mend Cast Nets" by Ted Dahlem can be a helpful tool.

castnet

Snook ID-Part 2

From Capt. Charlie @ Fishing Center - Ft Pierce

September is always an exciting month to fish along the Treasure Coast. Anglers eagerly await the arrival of the annual fall mullet run. The beaches and rivers will be filled with mullet and you can find lots of predators following the bait this month. Look for tarpon, snook, jacks, bluefish and many other species feeding on the mullet this month. Top water and suspending lures work fantastic in September. Try a DOA Baitbuster, Spooltek, Monster 3X or Big Fish lure while fishing around the large schools of mullet. It's a great time of year to fish early mornings along the beach. The fish will be cornering the bait along the surf and action can be fun and exciting.

Snook season opens again on September 1st.  Anglers have been patiently awaiting the chance at keeping a slot fish for dinner. A few things to keep in mind while you are anxiously getting ready for the start of the season are making sure your license and snook permit are not outdated.  Know the slot size, which is 28” – 32” and a one fish per day limit.  Check your rods, reels and fishing line.  Don’t lose that keeper fish because of something that you could have avoided by a little preparation.  Remember that there will be lots of anglers heading out the first several days of the season.  Have fun and be safe!

You will be able to find some redfish schools this month as they gather up to head out to the ocean. Look around the shallow sandy flats for them to be feeding. Monster 3X, DOA shrimp or jerk baits can coax them into biting. Trout will continue to bite around the usual flats like, Bear Point, Harbor Branch and Round Island. Deadly Combos fished on the edges of the bait schools will find some action with trout and other species. Snapper can be found along channel edges and around structure. Sheephead, drum and snapper can be caught on the catwalks of the bridges. Live or dead shrimp will find these fish.
      September Fishing Tip:
Fish the bait schools! It's easy to spot the bait this time of year. If you don't find bait around your favorite fishing spot, you will most likely not find many fish there. Move around if you need to in order to find active bait. Fish love this time of year and they are out there gorging themselves on the bait in anticipation of the coming winter months. 

Try a Spooltek, CAL Airhead, DOA Bait Buster or Monster 3X around the mullet schools.  Early mornings can be exciting on the flats. You can find big fish in shallow water around the bait pods. It has been a long hot summer and finally temperatures will begin to mellow out and water temps will get back to normal. It's a great time of year to be fishing!

From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

Inshore snook season opened today and there were a few reports of some fish around the bridges in Ft Pierce with live bait on the out going tide with a few fish in Sebastian with live bait to it should be a good fall and the mullet are starting to show up so fishing should be good soon.There were a few reports of some nice reds to the north of Ft.Pierce around Harbor Branch with a few trout mixed in the snapper bite has been good on the channel edges to with live shrimp.

Sebastian Inlet Report

 09-01-15 TUESDAY: REDFISH, MANGROVE SNAPPER 

It's another beautiful summer morning at the inlet. Winds are blowing out of the South at 3 mph, gusting to 5 and there is a light chop on the water. Winds are expected to increase this afternoon. The water temperature is back up to normal for this time of year but is a little murky due to the run off. The forecasters are calling for a very hot day today, be sure to take plenty of water if you head to the inlet. There is a chance of showers and thunderstorms. 

Inlet regular Mike Ricciardi of Vero Beach fished the north jetty yesterday morning and confirmed the Redfish bite. Mike reported 10 - 12 slot fish in the 25" range came over the rails for anglers using mojarra. The dirty water slowed down the Snapper bite; only 3 or 4 were landed. Our photo today is of Mike with a 25" Red.