From Todd / Eric @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

INSHORE:  Catch and release snook fishing remains the main game in town on the inshore front right now.  Look for the bridges to be good at night, especially on the outgoing tide.  Big baits are the way to go for big bites.  If you think your bait is too big...try one just a little bigger and see what happens!  Mangrove snapper are also biting around the bridges, especially at night as well.  Small live pilchards and live shrimp will be the bait of choice for the snapper.  Sandperch are biting small pieces of shrimp in the ICW.  

SURF/PIER:  Catch and release snook fishing remains very very good right now.  The early morning and late afternoon bite have been best.  Plastic jerk baits, Vudu Mullet, Rapala X-Raps, Yo-Zuri crystal minnows, and soft body swim baits are all catching the snook right now.  From the beach look for the best action to be in the first trough, and not way out.   Cast almost parallel to the shore instead of straight east for best luck.  The Juno Beach Pier snook bite is hot right now.  Live croakers and sand perch are solid choices for getting a big snook bite.  The sand perch and croakers are biting fairly well on the Pier just before the first entrance.  Try small live shrimp, small live sand fleas, and pieces of cut shrimp for best luck.  A very few mangrove snapper are biting around the Pier and Jupiter Inlet, with the best time being low light periods of the day.  A few tarpon milling along the beach early in the morning and also a few jacks as well.  Best action will be first thing in the morning and then again late in the afternoon.  Leave the surf to the sunbathers when the sun is high overheard.  

Sebastian Inlet Report

                                       

07-08-16 FRIDAY: TGIF! 

Winds are blowing out of the Southwest this morning at 5 mph, gusting to 8 and there is a light chop on the water. Winds are forecasted to shift to the Southeast this afternoon. It looks as if we have a real nice weekend forecasted for our boaters and surf fisherman. Always check the NOAA forecast prior to boating.

With the water clearing up we are seeing the bite pick up a little. Sarah at the Sebastian Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop reports this morning the Spanish Mackerel are hitting Gotcha lures, spoons and small bucktails. Blue Runners, Reds, C/R Snook, Barracuda, Sharks and Margate as also appearing. We have Mangrove Snapper coming over the rails, sometimes it's incoming tide and sometimes it's outgoing tide, summer fishing is unpredictable. A few Mutton Snapper have been in the mix too. 

Our first angler today is Gretchen Barota of Delaware, OH. Gretchen landed this pretty C/R Snook early Thursday morning using a spoon rig with a plastic curly tail grub. 
 Photo two features inlet regular Bob Green of Vero Beach. Bob landed his C/R Snook last Thursday as well using a live greenie. 

From The Crew @ Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

The Inshore Trout bite has been great up by Round island and Harbor branch, Live pilchards seem to be the golden ticket. The night time Snook bite at the inlet have been great, Many big Snook and Tarpon have been caught on incoming tide using White/Pink jigs and 6″ Spoolteks. Watch out for the bull sharks they are also thick in the inlet and they aren’t afraid to steal your catch. Wading north of Midway has also been great, many big Trout and Snook have been caught using Monster3x Shrimp.

This time I'd like to talk about patterning fish.

All fish are subject to changes in behavior directly associated with specific stimulus. Spawning, migrating and foraging are just a small part of the big picture. To truly understand your target you must consider it's habits completely. 
Right now in my neck of the woods it's prime time for mangrove's snapper so I thought they would be the most appropriate fish to discuss for the moment. 
To pattern these fish so that you're catching them on a consistent basis means that recognizing that there are multiple factors at play. Again, this is true for every species. First you must understand the fish's seasonal movements. If the fish aren't there to begin with none of the other factors at play will matter and you'll be wasting your time. Do your homework and you'll realize that these are subtropical and tropical fish. Ideally, the water should be pushing a minimum of 78-80 degrees. Much cooler than that and mangrove snapper can be tough to come by. Warm water gets them moving as it does for they're prey, warm water loving bait fish like mojara, pilchards and sardines.. Hmm... Right there you have a connection. Warm water fish + warm water prey species... 

Snapper
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...
story courtesy ofDavid Ronald Hartwell @ Big Dave's Slay City. Land based lessons

Scouting Around Palm Beach/Martin County Area

INSHORE

    The tarpon and snook bite are great first thing in the morning along the beaches of the Treasure Coast. There are always whiting and croaker around as well.

     It’s important that you get out on the water early. Fish don’t want to eat once the water heats up which, as you’d expect, makes it tough to catch anything.

     The best spot in the Indian River this week seems to be around the powerplant. Tarpon, snook and trout are all being caught. There are a lot of small snook in the area, which is very encouraging.

     Big numbers of snook have been caught in the surf along Jupiter’s beaches and also in the Jupiter Inlet. There are also some nice tarpon around.

     In the Intracoastal Waterway, mangrove snapper and snook are chewing at the bridges, especially at night. You can also find snook in the dock lights at night.

     Those fishing in the Intracoastal in Palm Beach and other parts of central Palm Beach County are hooking snook and snapper around the bridges. Jjacks and tarpon (mostly small) are also biting. The best action is early in the morning or later in the day – after 7 p.m.

     The fishing has been great in and around the Boynton Beach Inlet. Snapper and jacks are being caught during the day, while snook, tarpon and permit are being hooked at night. Snook, tarpon and jacks are also cruising the beaches early in the morning. There are likely permit in the mix as well, but none have been caught or reported at this point.

LAKE OKEECHOBEE

     Summer is definitely here and it’s heating up on the “Big O.” Fortunately, those getting out on the water early in the morning are finding that the fishing is also on fire.

     Big numbers of bass are being caught around first light, and the action lasts for about an hour. Live shiners and artificial lures are both working well.

     Once that sun is up and the water starts to warm, the bite shuts down until the late-afternoon/early-evening hours. You can definitely catch fish this time of year, but it’s key that you go at the right time.

     Keep working the outside edge – this is where you’ll find the best and most consistent bite.

Sebastian Inlet Report

                                                     

07-07-16 THURSDAY: MANGROVE AND MUTTON SNAPPER , REDS, SPANISH MACKEREL, BLUE RUNNERS AND MARGATE 

We have another beautiful, hot, steamy day ahead of us. Winds are blowing out of the South-Southwest at 8 mph this morning, gusting to 12. Winds will shift to the Southeast this afternoon. There is a light chop on the water and no NOAA advisories this morning. 

Tommy Turowski at the Sebastian Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop gave us an update this morning; it was great to hear his voice again. Mangrove Snapper remain the most targeted species right now and this morning there were a couple of Mutton Snapper in the mix. Fishing is always on the slow side in the summer but a few Reds, Snook, Blue Runners and Spanish Mackerel are making appearances. There are schools of greenies in and around the inlet. 

Our angler of the day is Brandon Haney of St. Cloud. Brandon was fishing west of the bridge when he pulled in the juvenile Cobia in the photo on a live mullet. The fish was released safely right after the photo. 

Jiggin’ The Flats!

                          
                                                      Photo courtesy of tajigs.com

Another pristine morning on the water finds lots of bait schools in the shallow waters that Florida has to offer. Nervous baitfish trying to find a safe haven to feed, while the predators are tagging along looking to feed on them. Jigging along the flats can provide some great action for any angler. As soon as the sun comes up, I switch to soft baits.

There are so many soft baits on the market….it’s like buying a bottle of shampoo or tube of toothpaste! Which color, type, size or brand works best? That’s always a personal preference and you sure would have a tough time convincing any angler that your favorite works better than his. I have always believed that color is secondary to presentation. Light or dark can make a difference for sure. I tend to try to match color to what is happening in the river at that particular time. If you are new to fishing soft baits, ask your local tackle shop for some advice on the popular colors and types that are being used in your area.

Styles are yet another type of which soft lures work best for you. Shad tails, curly tails, jerk baits, shrimp imitations, etc…etc….are all different styles of soft baits and each one has its own kind of action. Some are injected, infected and projected with scents to add as attractants. DOA has always been the choice among most Treasure Coast anglers in this area. It has been my personal choice, too. Pay attention to what kinds of bait are in the area that you will be fishing. I prefer jerk baits when bait schools are prevalent throughout the river. But that’s another topic for another day….

While most soft baits can be rigged weedless and in many different ways, I have always relied on jig heads for my best opportunities of hooking up on fish. Jig heads have been a stickler for me on how they will act in the water. Once again, there are many brands, styles and weights of jig heads. If fishing very shallow water, I like a 1/16th or 1/8th ounce jig, while heavier ones are great for deeper water or windy conditions. The shallower the water, the lighter the jig head is my creed. I pay particular attention to the way the jig is made and what it does when you are working it. Where the eye of the hook is located can suggest what the jig will do when popping it across the grass flats. I look for one that will jump smoothly up and settle back into the grass without latching onto it. The DOA CAL jigs are a great example of the types that are made especially for shallow water fishing. An upward curve to the head and the hook eye situated to allow the jig to jump up from the bottom will make your jiggin’ days’ work much better and be more productive.

Rod tip up…..will give you the edge on jiggin’ the flats. You will automatically have the line pulling in an upward motion and the jig will follow along. Make sure that you are using a loop knot to allow the lure to present a more natural presentation. Work your jig slowly across the grass flats in short pops and be ready for that strike. You can find redfish, snook, trout and many more species on the flats that can be tempted by working a jig properly along the bottom. Next time you are looking at jig heads, notice how they are made and how they will actually work in the water. It can help make your day more successful. Have fun jiggin’ the flats!
courtesy of Capt. Charlie Conner