Palm Beach Report

INSHORE

     The beach fishing has been excellent along the Treasure Coast – the snook are there in big numbers and the tarpon are really starting to show up. Both are being caught in the St. Lucie Inlet as well.

     Those fishing in the surf are also catching whiting and croaker.

     Snook and tarpon are also being caught around the bridges on the Indian River during the incoming tide. The best fishing is in the middle of the night and during early-morning hours.

     Trout and big snook were also reported on the west side of the river.

     There are a lot of bait fish, mostly sardines, on the beaches in Jupiter. You can bet the snook are there as well, and also in the Jupiter Inlet. In fact, big numbers of snook were caught this week. A few tarpon were also reported.

     The best inshore bite this week, and in the coming weeks, however, has been mangrove snapper. They love structure and are biting near piers, inlets, jetties, bridges and rock piles.

     In the Intracoastal Waterway, the snook are biting around the docks and bridges but, again, now is the time to target mangrove snapper.

     There are snook on the beaches throughout central and southern Palm Beach County, but the numbers decrease the further south you go. They are biting in the Intracoastal as well, with the best action being around bridges and docks at night. The mangrove snapper are also around, as are some pretty large jacks.

     The Boynton Beach and Boca Raton inlets seem to be holding big numbers of bait fish, so the action should be pretty good in these spots.

FRESHWATER

     As you would expect, the best bass fishing on Lake Okeechobee is in the early-morning hours this time of year.  Good numbers of fish are being caught before sunrise, but once the sun is up for an hour or two, everything shuts down. In other words, if you’re on the water past 9:30 a.m., you’re more than likely wasting your time – and sweating profusely!

     The biggest fish being reported seem to be between 4 and 5 pounds, but anything is possible.

     Plenty of fish are being caught out in the open water, on the main lake. Other anglers are having success along the outside edges and back in the grass, so it’s really a matter of preference. The bass are around, so time of day is really far more important than location at this point.

     Artificial lures have been more productive than live shiners, but don’t be afraid to use either one.