It’s been a pretty tough week for anyone targeting the whiting, croaker, and mojarra down here in St Lucie and Martin counties . After that big bite I had last Sunday I fished this past Monday and Wednesday and only managed a couple of small mojarras . I fished a total of 9 beaches those two days and just didn’t find any . The glass minnows that were thick last Sunday were nowhere to be found for me this week . I did not fish today but Randy did and caught 6 or 7 nice croakers early this morning and had a 50 to 60 pound tarpon grab one of his croakers also . He got one nice jump out of the tarpon before he broke him off . Randy said the water on the south end of Hutchinson Island was much cleaner today than it was from the Jensen traffic circle north . The best report I can give you is the sand fleas are showing up and down South Hutchinson Island . Definitely haven’t seen them like this in a couple of years so get your rakes out and put them in the freezer for the upcoming pompano season . I fish 4 rods during the pompano season,two with plain Fishbites , one with a sand flea tipped with Fishbites and one with a clam strip tipped with Fishbites when I start my day . As the bite develops I determine what they want that day and will switch the spread that I’m fishing to the baits, colors, and scents of Fishbites that are producing. It’s nice to be able to get up to our beaches and get some fleas . I’m heading up tomorrow to hopefully find some whiting and croaker . My sandflea rake will be on the cart too!! Good luck and catch ‘‘em up .
To the angler who loves to fish the beaches, shores, jetties, bridges and piers of Florida.
Saturday, July 29, 2023
Lets Talk About Snook
Ed Killer / tcpalm South Fla. Report
By the time you read this, you may be doing so over a fresh broiled lobster tails dipped in golden melted butter. You might even have a side of grits and some freshly shucked ears of corn to go wit that lobster.
The two day mini-season for lobster always falls on the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July. It gives recreational divers and snorkelers a chance at getting a few lobsters before the commercial trappers put their traps into the water, mostly in the Florida Keys.
Each year about 40,000 divers are expected to arrive in the Keys where their limits are six per person per day. Many decide to make the trip because they know the chances of getting bag limits in high. Some stay closer to the Space Coast where a Huka rig fitted with several breathing hoses gives a group of divers the easy chance to work in shallow waters for some tasty tails.
Visibility is always relative, often worse closer to shallower water and better in deeper water. Sometimes there is a thermocline sending cool or dark water into the water column as a diver works his or her way down. Sometimes weather doesn't cooperate either. Hopefully, you'll have a safe season and not spend too much to get your tails. Or do like me and for $29.99 a pound get yours at the seafood market.
Mosquito Lagoon
There have been juvenile tarpon in the shallow lagoon taking swim baits. Use artificial shrimp this time of year when live shrimp can be hard to get. The shrimp will catch you speckled trout, redfish, black drum, jacks and snook. Freeline the shrimp or rig them under a popping cork.
Surf
There has been good fishing this week for whiting during the high tide and beginning of outgoing tide. Use Fishbites in the crab or EZ flea flavors. Catch and release snook, small sharks and jacks are also possible catches.
Sebastian Inlet
There has been good snapper fishing around the jetties, catwalks and T dock. Use pieces of shrimp since this time of year live shrimp can be hard to come by. Catch and release snook and redfish are in the inlet taking live mullet, sardines and pogies.
Indian River Lagoon
Fish around docks and bridge pilings with pieces of shrimp or clams to catch sheepshead and black drum. Catch and release juvenile tarpon, snook and redfish are in the Merritt Island area near Dragon Point. Fish with topwater plugs early in the morning to catch speckled trout.
Freshwater
With the high heat this time of year, anglers will find fishing deeper in the water column can be productive. Slow down one's presentation because the low oxygenated water will cause the bass to move slowly and not be very aggressive. Live crickets are best for catching bluegill and sunfish in Lake Poinsett and Puzzle Lake.
- report courtesy of Ed Killer is florida today's outdoors writer. Friend Ed on Facebook at Ed Killer, follow him on Twitter @tcpalmekiller or email him at ed.killer@tcpalm.com.
Todd, Morgan, Eddy & Jeff @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach
INSHORE- As expected for this time of year...catch and release snook fishing will be the best bet inshore. A fair number of fish in the Loxahatchee right now, but a bulk of the fish will be around the inlets. Live baits during the day remain the way to go for the snook. At night bridges close to the inlets have been producing good numbers of snook. A small swimbait (like the 3" NLBN) on a fairly heavy jighead has been producing very well; especially on outgoing tide. Mangrove snapper fishing remains strong inshore. Best bite on the mangroves, especially the bigger ones, will be at night. Small live pilchards and live shrimp are the way to go for the snapper.
SURF/PIER- Cold water along the beach early in the week made fishing a little tough. A little wind the last couple days seems to be helping straighten things out. Catch and release snook fishing has improved the last few days with warming water. Along the beach small soft plastic paddle tails, small swimbaits, and suspending jerkbaits have been good lure choices for the snook. The snook bite at the pier was slow, but has improved late into the week. The Juno Beach Pier has also had a pretty solid amount of blue runners and jack around. The "Bobber Rig" with a small Clark Spoon is a good way to go for the Blue Runners. Crappie jigs and free-lining small live baits is also a good way to go for the runners. A handful of mangrove snapper reports coming from the pier as well, with the best bite very early in the morning.
