From Capt. Charlie @ Fishing Center - Ft Pierce

Summer has arrived with warm weather and rainy afternoons. It has been a wet rainy season so far, so I have to spend a day mowing grass instead of fishing! Water clarity has been good to the south of Fort Pierce in spite of all the wet weather. It has held up pretty well to the north as well. This weather pattern should be the norm through the summer months, so expect some hot temperatures out there. It's a fantastic time of year to fish the Treasure Coast!

                                                                                            photo courtsey of Unfair Lures

Sea trout have continued to be the best bite around this area. The big gator trout are on the flats and you can still catch a trophy size fish this month. I had an angler from Australia this week and he found some nice trout up to 25" in shallow water. The tides have been low this week so you might need to change your patterns up a bit and try some new areas that are deep enough to fish. Try top water at first light and switch to CAL jerk baits, DOA shrimp or live baits as the sun rises higher. Harbor Branch, Queens Cove and Bear Point are great areas to fish on most any tide. You can still find some bluefish hanging around the flats this time of year along with Docks have been productive lately with redfish, snook and some huge jacks around the area. Some of the jacks are in the 25 - 30 pound range and would most likely spool a lot of gear used in the river. 

You can still find lots of snapper around the river, especially docks, bridges and channel edges. Live or dead shrimp always works well on the snapper. I still see some mackerel and blue runners just below the south bridge in Fort Pierce. Small shiny lures can get you hooked up with some of those species. The surf will hold whiting, bluefish, jacks and snook for anglers on the beach. Try getting on the beach at first light with a top water lure and see what happens....

As summer kicks in full blast, make sure to drink plenty of fluids and use lots of sunscreen. It's going to be a hot summer and you should plan it as a part of each trip. A little common sense and preparation can save you from a very uncomfortable day. Sunburn and sunstroke are two things you don't want to experience on the water. Stay safe and have a great summer on the water!