Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

 There was definitely a shot of cooler water that hit our beaches as the surface temperature yesterday was 79 and the temperature on the the bottom off of Jensen Beach according to Checkthewaves.com was just 72 . As of right now at 4 pm it’s back up to 82 on the surface at Jensen . This past weekend only produced some whiting, small catch and released croakers, and bonefish, at least a dozen of them for Randy and myself. We stayed up this way in Jensen Beach and I did speak with a friend who fished down in Hobe Sound and he hooked a couple of pompano but unfortunately the sharks were quicker than him . This morning I stayed local again and fished at Dolemans and my first three bites on the long rods all ended up being sharked off . The water was crystal clear yesterday at Stuart beach yesterday and the amount of snook we saw swimming the first trough was incredible . There were also shots of whiting swimming along the edge but getting them to bite in that kind of water is pretty tough . This morning I switched over to a short rod as the tide was coming in and I will say the water was not as clear as yesterday . The whiting didn’t get the memo but the big croakers did . I fished with Fishbites Bloodworm scent today in both the red and green colors . The hooks were tipped with a tiny piece of shrimp also . I managed to put a bunch in the cooler and they will be on the dinner menu this week at my house . I also spoke with a friend who has been playing tog of war with the snook on the beach and live pilchards have been the ticket . He is sabiking them under the causeway and transporting them up to the beach in a 5 gallon pail with an aerator . That bite has been on fire . No pompano today but definitely a lot of fun catching those big croakers on light tackle with the Fishbites .

Snook-Nook Fishing Report

 Inshore fishing has remained quite productive here in Stuart and Jensen Beach, just be sure to grab the sunscreen and have some cold waters to combat the summertime heat. August will provide anglers the opportunity to battle some of the biggest inshore gamefish of the year; Snook, Tarpon and Jack Crevalle as we approach the fall mullet run. Snook fishing has remained steady around the St. Lucie Inlet still, plenty of big breeders are still being caught fishing live Croakers. Docks on the east side of the St. Lucie River in the Sewalls Point area has provided anglers some steady action as well. The causeways in the mornings and evenings have been holding Snook as well. You can fish live Croakers underneath the fenders or if you want to go with artificials, pitching swimbaits such as the No Live Bait Needed paddle tails or artificial shrimp around the shadow lines in low light conditions are some of the best options. Snook season opens up September 1st so be sure to practice safe catch and release practices until then. 

We’ve been seeing more Tarpon showing up inshore and should expect that to continue as we get into the fall. Look for them on the edges of deep channels, in the cross roads, around the inlet and around the causeways on outgoing tides. Live mullet or crabs will be your best live bait options for them. For artificials, the Hogy Slowtail swimbait is pretty tough to beat for Tarpon. Plenty of big jacks have been patrolling seawalls and the channels as well if you want to hook into one of the big river tunas. 

If you’re looking to find some fish for a meal, there have been a lot of nice sized Mangrove Snapper inshore. Look for them around the structure and you can fish for them with live or dead shrimp on a jighead. We appear to have gotten through the dreaded summertime shrimp drought so you can expect us to have live shrimp consistently throughout August. We’ve also heard reports of Spanish Mackerel still being caught at the Jensen Causeway, some Sheepshead and Sandperch around the bridges and at Indian Riverside Park. Anglers have also been running into a few Cubera Snappers inshore up to 15lbs. 

Surf Fishing Report

The surf fishing has been quite frustrating for anglers along Martin and St. Lucie County beaches and it isn’t because of a lack of fish, but frustrating conditions. We’ve dealt with a lot of weeds along the shoreline here the past month, both sargassum weed and slime weed. If you are hitting the beach, definitely check it out before getting all set up. There have been Whiting and Croakers around, but at times anglers have had to travel from beach to beach to beach in search of favorable conditions. Pieces of shrimp and either bloodworm or shrimp FishBites in the first trough have produced the action for anglers. 

There have still been a lot of Snook on the beaches as well. Fishing live Pilchards and Croakers will do the trick as well as artificials such as Yozuri Crystal Minnows and the 3” No Live Bait Needed white paddle tail in the low light conditions. We have heard some reports of Tarpon cruising the beaches as well. Look for schools of glass minnows this month and there should be some Tarpon close by! 

Scouting Around Palm Beach And Martin County

 Inshore

Fly fishing around some of the docks in the Lake Worth Lagoon, Capt. Pat Smith of Swamp to Sea charters said the snook bite was a bit challenging Tuesday night.

He said that though he was throwing a small size 4 fly, the snook seemed completely keyed on the tiny shrimp in the water. He said the water has been crystal clear and with the dock lights the snook are not being easily fooled. He did say they managed to catch and release six.

Capt. Pat also said that another fishing guide reported catching and releasing several juvenile goliath grouper in the Lake Worth Lagoon.

Lake Okeechobee

The bass bite has been good in the early mornings. There are some shad moving around that has the bass a bit more active.

Live shiners worked along the outside edge of the grass line is still the best bet. If going with an artificial, however, skinny dippers or swim baits, something with movement, have been getting hits as well. Buckhead Ridge down to Horse Island has been solid.

Though the bluegill bite has tapered off, they are still catching them. The key has been the moon phase. A week before the new or full moon has been producing the best action. Live crickets, worms and grass shrimp are working best. There have been good numbers of them around the Tin House Cove area as well as along Cochrans Pass.

More Freshwater

Targeting peacock bass along the Lake Osborne to Lake Ida chain, Capt. Pat Smith said the action has picked up recently.

He said they are being found around structure and are mostly hitting live shad. He did say that top water lures will work, but it's taking some effort.

report courtesy of The Palm Beach Post

From Todd,Eddy & Jeff @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

 INSHORE-  Catch and release snook fishing remains very good inshore right now.  A good number of snook in the Loxahatchee River right now, as well as in Jupiter and Palm Beach Inlet.  Live mullet is always a go to bait for the snook; while a topwater plug will get some great blowups early and late in the day.  Expect a few jacks and a tarpon or two to be mixed in with the snook as well.  Lowlight periods (early morning or late afternoon) will no doubt be the best bet; but don't overlook mid day tide changes in certain situations as well.  Mangrove snapper reports slowed a bit inshore, but still a handful around for sure.  

SURF/PIER-  This week saw a few days of less seaweed along the beach, and dare I say was actually quite fishable.  Catch and release snook fishing has been solid, with both numbers of fish around and good size ones as well. Plenty of snook in both Jupiter and Palm Beach Inlets, the Juno Beach Pier continues to produce good numbers, and solid numbers of fish moving along the beach as well.  Hard to beat a live croaker or sandperch for snook, but in most cases a live pilchard or sardine will do the job as well.  A lot of tarpon reports coming in this week.  A good number of blue runners at the Juno Beach Pier, along with a few bonita and Spanish Mackerel.  It's early for sure, but did hear a pompano report or two already come in this week. 

Sebastian Inlet Report

 As of this week, the illustrious “Snookman” Wayne Landry adds a new spot to his fishing report – the catwalks beneath the Sebastian Inlet Bridge: “Good morning my Sebastian Inlet anglers, I hope everyone had a great weekend! Fishing for the most part, again, has been pretty slow due to the silted water, seaweed and a cold upwelling that moved inshore, lowering the water temperature by about 4 or 5 degrees - and that scant temperature change affects the bait, and ultimately, the fish activity. 

North jetty: The water over here was pretty dirty over the weekend, with both tides full of seaweed, making it a little tough to fish ‘cleanly’. Visibility was poor and some of the small baitfish present a week ago were gone. I saw mullet around, and small greenies to help keep something biting, however. Sunday, I saw mangrove snapper being caught in and around the pilings and the rocks at the tip on the northeast corner of the jetty. Most fish were on the small side, about 10 or 11 inches, and not a lot of them being caught. There were also small Spanish mackerel around, but I only saw a couple caught on the live small greenies. Schools of small jack crevalles were around the jetty, feeding on schools of greenies. I saw a couple of redfish — in the 30 to 32” range, too big to keep — caught at the tip of the jetty on the outgoing tide on live mojarra. And just an FYI for everyone, as of September 1, all redfish on the east coast of Florida from about Ponce Inlet to Fort Pierce, will be catch-and-release only. They cannot be harvested anymore due to the decline in the stock in our area. 

South jetty: Nothing but seaweed and very dirty water, both tides. 

T dock: Small snappers of various types are still being caught on small greenies, live or dead, and cut bait around the pilings. I did see a nice flounder about 18 inches caught back here last Friday on mojarras, but not much else as it is pretty weedy back here, too. 

Catwalks, both sides: The south side, as mentioned, has been weedy and dirty and hard to fish. Also, being shallower here than the north side, it is tougher to fish. The North catwalk is better  to fish because the water is deeper and generally cleaner. The last few times I was checking this area, anglers were catching nice mangrove snapper on cut baits on the outgoing tide. The fish were anywhere from 11 to 16 inches. Folks are also catching black margates on cut bait. One I saw was measured at 18 inches -that's a big one for that species. 

Surf area, both sides:  The south surf has been dirty and all weedy from the southeast winds, so not much over there. North surf has been producing nice snook on live baits and swim baits for those fishing early and late high tides. Also, whiting and croakers are being caught on cut baits and fish bites. If you find some schools of glass minnows in the surf, Spanish mackerel, jacks and tarpon could be present and will hit spoons, jigs and live baits.

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

 It’s Wednesday morning around 1130 am and I’m just leaving the beach . I did a lot of catching today but not a lot of keeping because the trough was loaded with small whiting and croakers . I would like to pass on to all of you tgat target snook from the beach to get the gear and get up there . I fished at both ends of Stuart , Bryn Mawr , and finally Dolemans and have to say , Dolemans is loaded with snook . Water was super clean today at Dolemans and Normandy. The snook were coming by in packs of 4 or 5 and I really don’t know how many I saw . There was a beachgoer that was videoing the schools and sending them to her husband . Lots of bait today at all locations. The highlight of my day was a keeper pompano on a piece of Bloodworm Fishbites in the near shore trough . I released that guy so he can add a few inches on and be a real nice fish by late fall . I only kept a few whiting as the bigger ones were a bit spooky in that clear water but it was fun watching all of those snook just cruise by . All in all a good day . Early morning and late afternoon should be the time all of you snook catch and releasers should be hitting the beach .

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

 How about a Saturday post about catching enough tasty whiting on the beach to take home and have a great dinner !! I didn’t fill the cooler this morning but caught some nice whiting and had fun catching and releasing a bunch of palometa and croaker . Now you notice I haven’t mentioned slime weed or sargassum yet . The slime weed was non existent and the sargassum was annoying . At least you could shake the scattered weeds off of your line and keep fishing . Under normal fishing for this time of year I would be saying the fishing was slow but based on the last 30 to 45 days any day you can put some in the cooler and release a bunch it was a good day . The whiting were virtually at your feet and 5 to 10 yards from the edge of the sand was the catch zone . Bloodworm Fishbites tipped with a small piece of shrimp was the ticket and a 2 ounce pyramid was needed even in that first trough as the current was screaming to the north. I fished at Stuart Beach and walked up and down the beach pitching my bait . The trough is pretty defined there and whether it was a small croaker, palometa, or whiting they were spread out up and down the beach . I did not see any bait or snook cruising in the trough but the water had some nice color . A 3500 Penn Spinfisher on a 7 foot Bass Pro Gold Cup Inshore rod was the setup for today . These smaller fish are a lot of fun on this light gear .I switched from Bloodworm Fishbites to Pink Shrimp for a short period of time and my bites backed off . Once I put the Bloodworm back on the activity picked right back up . The Bloodworm Fishbites are ”the” bait for the whiting and croaker.