Looking Around - Port St. Lucie

"The onshore flows of easterly winds continue. Rough surf and weeds are still a deterrent to surf casting on South Hutchinson Island. But all that being said the Snook, Croaker and big Jacks are swimming our beaches. On Tuesday after looking at Tiger Shores beach first and finding it unfishable due to the mass of weeds, I went to Santa Lucia and found breaks in the weed lines along the beach. The Croakers started biting immediately one hour before high tide and continued up to the time I left which was two hours during the falling tide. Like I had thought big Jacks made their presence and after getting broken off by two Jacks that were 15 to 20 pounds, I managed to land two that were between 7 and 10 pounds. Snook were present in the trough as you could see them swimming up and down the beach. With the abundance of weeds fishing a second rod with a live Croaker was impossible. When I left with approximately 40 big Croakers in the cooler, they were still biting. Sand Flea Fish Bites, Shrimp and strips of Clam were the baits of choice. The Jacks bit on the Sand Flea Fish Bites also.
Returning to Santa Lucia on Wednesday afternoon conditions had worsened as the wind was blowing a steady 20 knots out of the southeast making the surf very rough. I did manage to get one small Croaker out on a live bait rig that was eaten within 5 minutes by a large Snook. Unfortunately due to the conditions after a brief fight the hook pulled. I did see two slot Snook landed by two surf fishermen just to the south of me and they were live bait fishing also. We only managed to land about a dozen Croakers as the wind was picking up during the afternoon.
Time is running out to catch your slot Snook for the spring season as it closes on June 1st. The forecast for this weekend are lighter easterly winds and I highly recommend fishing the beaches on South Hutchinson Island from Bryn Mar to Santa Lucia as these southern beaches seem to have breaks in the weeds that make them more fishable. Better conditions will produce plenty of bites of Croakers, large Jack and Snook. Here’s to better conditions; good luck and catch ‘em up."
Report courtesy of Dan Ziegler

From Todd / Eric @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

Sebastian Inlet Report

                  
05-29-15 FRIDAY: FISHING IS PICKING UP! 

It's more of the same weather today with winds out of the East at 10 to 15 mph and a few isolated showers possible. Ditto that forecast for both Saturday and Sunday. Fortunately, there are no NOAA advisories posted at this time.

Sebastian Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop's Tommy Turowski reports that the fishing is picking up. A lot of Mangrove Snapper, quite a few Snook, some big Reds, and a few Jacks, Permit and Sheepshead are coming out of the water. Tommy says there are still some weeds out there so the beach fishing is not quite as good as the Inlet at the moment. If you're looking for schools of bait fish, Tommy says greenies and Pilchard are showing up on the south side.

The angler of the day is Chuck Fischer of Satellite Beach who hooked and landed a monster Black Drum recently. Chuck said this 42" fighter weighed around 25 lbs. and was caught on live shrimp.

From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

                                   
               photo courtesy of HaiTruongFishing.com

Inshore the snook fishing has been good around the bridges and the jetty in Ft.Pierce on the out going tide on jigs and live bait.The reds have been around to the north of North bridges with a few nice trout mixed in live bait and topwater have produced the best around 1st light.The inlet has had a few tarpon around at night live mullet and jigs have produced the best.

Sebastian Inlet Report

05-28-15 THURSDAY: MANGROVE SNAPPER, SNOOK, REDS, JACKS, LOOKDOWNS AND SHEEPSHEAD 

We are still dealing with wind and a lot of seaweed in the water. Winds are blowing out of the East at 14 mph, gusting to 18 and the water is choppy. There are no NOAA advisories this morning, but conditions can change very quickly. Always check the NOAA forecast prior to boating. 

Tommy Turowski at the Sebastian Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop reported more Mangrove Snapper coming over the rails the past couple of days along with a smattering of Snook, Reds, Jacks, Sheepshead and Lookdowns. The bite has been luke-warm but seems to be improving. 

Our angler of the day is Elvis Purnell of Orlando. Elvis landed this prefect, 32" slot Snook off the north jetty. Elvis was using shrimp to land this beautiful Snook, 

Palm Beach Report

INSHORE

     REMINDER: Snook season closes on Sunday.

     Whiting, croaker and jacks are being caught from the beach throughout the day along the Treasure Coast. The snook bite has also improved during higher tides and tarpon are also showing up.

     Flounder are still biting in the Indian River, which is a bit rare for this time of year. For best results, work a shrimp along the bottom.

     The bridges are holding keeper-size snapper, ladyfish, black drum, sheepshead and, of course, snook at night. Tarpon have also been spotted.

     Anglers targeting trout are finding them around Bear Point.

     There are good numbers of snook at the beach in Jupiter and around the inlet. The bite is good all day and night. Tarpon have also been reported when the water is calm.

     Jacks up to 30 pounds are also being hooked.

     There haven’t been too many anglers fishing in the Intracoastal Waterway this week, but there are plenty of jacks around, and snook are being caught at the bridges. There are also tarpon in the mix.

     This is the case not only in and around Jupiter, but throughout central and southern Palm Beach County as well. Mangrove snapper are also being caught around bridges during the day.

FRESHWATER

     It’s an early bite for anglers fishing for bass on Lake Okeechobee. You definitely want to be out on the water before sunrise, and the action is all but over by noon. Charter guides are still reporting up to 40 bass on a four-hour morning trip.

     The best bite is on the offshore islands. It has slowed back in the grass and along the outside edges.

    Live shiners are artificial lures are working equally well at this point.

     Those targeting bluegill are having success throwing crickets. The fish are out there, but they have been a bit tricky to find.

Report courtsey of Palm Beach Post

Florida Kayak Fishing: Surf and Turf Tarpon

Sebastian Inlet Report

                                             
                                                           
05-27-15 WEDNESDAY: LOOKDOWNS, MANGROVE SNAPPER, REDS AND JACKS 

We have hot, dry wind blowing out of the East-Southeast at 15 mph, gusting to 18 this morning and the water is choppy. NOAA has issued an advisory for small craft to exercise caution.

Inlet anglers are dealing with a lot of seaweed in the water which can tangle lines and make fishing difficult. We received an update from Mike Ricciardi of Vero Beach who fished the north jetty yesterday morning. Mike reported that a lot of Lookdowns were landed by anglers using small, white jigs. Mangrove Snapper were in play, Mike landed two and several others came over the rails as well. Jose Dore of Palm Bay landed an oversized Red that was returned to the water. Thanks Mike!
Mike Ricciardi  fished the outgoing tide from 8 - 12:30 and reported a lot of 3 - 5 lb. Jacks coming over the rails, a few Blues, and a couple of Spots were landed. Mike and another inlet regular, Tommy Ngo landed the only two Reds of the morning. The oversized Reds were both 32" and were released right after the photos. 

From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

Inshore the snook fishing has been good around the bridges and in the inlets. on the out going tide.The trout fishing has been good around the spoil islands to the north of north bridge in Ft.Pierce.The jetty has had a few snook around at high tide with a flounder mixed in live shrimp has produced the best.
              

Sebastian Inlet Report

                                                
05-26-15 TUESDAY: SLOW ACTION 

We are still dealing with high winds today. It's blowing out of the East-Southeast at 16 mph, gusting to 21 and the water is choppy. There are no NOAA advisories at this time.

Over the long weekend we didn't see a lot of action from the inlet jetties. The high winds were a deterrent for a lot of anglers this weekend. Saturday was fair, but Sunday and Monday were pretty blown out. A few fish came over the rails but nothing in great numbers. Seaweed has been keeping our anglers busy detangling lines, that mixed with the wind = poor fishing conditions. 

Our angler of the day is Alec Morrison of Palm Bay. Alec is an avid inlet angler and tries to fish every evening if he can. He was using mojarra to land this oversized C/R Snook from the south jetty. The Snook was released unharmed right after the photo.

                   

Juno Is Heating Up

     all photos courtesy of Bobby Wummer Photography

       KNOW THIS ONE TRICK IF YOU GET STUNG BY A                                                   STINGRAY

 My whole life I unhooked stingrays by hand. It never bothered me to lift them up by the leader line, grab their nose and remove the hook from their mouths. That all came to a screaming halt one day in 2011 aboard a fishing charter. A customer wasn’t paying attention and lifted the stingray too far out of the water as I was reaching down to grab him. It took only a split second for me to realize my error, but it was too late: the barb was already in my hand. Fortunately, it came out with the stingray but the damage was done. Up until this point I had led an interesting life and during the experience my life got slightly more interesting. That stab from the stingray was one of the most painful things I had ever experienced! I toughed out the rest of the day and successfully finished the fishing trip, but if I had know this one technique my pain could have been alleviated.

                               

Meet Mikey. Mikey was recently stung by a stingray on his hand and had to suffer through much of the same pain I endured. If you’re not sure how bad it hurts I can tell you I would rather have anybody swing a Louisville slugger between my legs before I let another stingray get me! If you look at the picture of Mikey he looks to be in rough shape, but he is doing much better since his hand is in a tub of hot water. It is not common knowledge that hot water helps stop the pain associated with stingray stings. The hot water does this because it will dissolve the protein-based venom found in stingray barbs. Do not use cold water or ice packs! It could make the wound more painful. Instead, let the hot water open the wound, break down the venom and ooze out.

Chances are you don’t have hot water aboard your boat and chances are even better that you don’t have a microwave or stove aboard either! But that doesn’t mean you are out of luck. You can use the water circulated out of your motor. It’s just as hot as any water and will help break that venom down. The down side to this is that it is straight sea water and not fresh water out of a bottle or faucet. If you are bank fishing on a beach you can use hot sand to achieve a similar effect as hot water.

During the warm months vibrio vulnificus can run rampant. It takes only a small prick from a stingray to become infected with it. Vibrio is a flesh eating disease that will cause you far more problems than the pain associated with a ray’s sting. For this reason, I carry a spray bottle of bleach to flush wounds with to kill the bacteria on contact. This will hold me over until I can properly clean the wound at home.

                 

It goes without saying that you should go to the hospital if a sting is more than just a sting, especially if the barb breaks off in your flesh and gets stuck there. Barbs are exactly that, barbs! They are worse than your fishing hook and are not designed to be easily removed. Go to the hospital as soon as possible if you are seriously wounded and have a professional remove the barb. Just take a look at the picture, they are no joke! You should still go to the emergency room if there is any doubt in your mind that your sting is serious, even if the barb comes out. Better safe than sorry.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so it’s best to prevent stingrays from stinging in the first place. If you do catch one, you are better off just cutting the line as short as possible, especially if you are by yourself. You can avoid catching them in the first place by becoming more proficient with artificial lures rather than using live bait. Shuffle your feet if you are wade fishing so you don’t step on a stingray.

                             

                      Shuffle your feet if you are wade fishing.

Fishing the inshore waters of Louisiana and Florida is one of the greatest pleasures on this Earth but it has its dangers. While the risk is worth it, an angler should always be prepared and know what to do. Do you have a cell phone signal where you are going? Do you have a VHF radio? Do you have a kit for emergencies? These are questions you should ask yourself and get the answers to.

And it is answers that we are all about at the Blog. Tackle shops provide lures and marinas provide a launch. The Louisiana Fishing Blog provides knowledge and now you know one more thing to help you Fish Smarter. Catch some fish and stay safe out there!

CAPTAIN DEVIN / Louisiana Fishing Blog

From Capt. Charlie @ Fishing Center - Ft Pierce

It seems the rainy season it getting a good start on the Treasure Coast. We certainly need the rain, but it can be a little untimely when you are trying to get out fishing! The winds are still blowing most days recently, but there are plenty of areas to fish and get out of the worst of the gusty conditions. There is lots of bait around the area and that means the fish are going to feed! May is always a super month.

We have had to tuck up around the islands and mangroves lately to enjoy the fishing. Luckily, the fish have been around those areas and cooperated to give us some great outings. It's top water season and time to get out early and enjoy some exciting action on the flats and along the mangroves. I like the DOA Bait Buster for early morning. You can use it as a top water and yet let it sink under the surface as well. Look for trout to be in three to five feet of water and shallower at first light. Our redfish have come from under the mangroves. We are getting most in the upper slot to just oversize. The snook bite has remained good lately. We have lost some big fish while fishing the mangroves and sea walls. You can find plenty of snapper around the river when fishing structure, bridges and docks. There are some mackerel, jacks and ladyfish around the inlet and turning basin in Fort Pierce.                                  
Now that the rainy season is with us, make sure you watch weather conditions and plan your adventures accordingly. Afternoons tend to be active for rainy weather. Keep rain gear on board and have a plan to get to safety in case of thunderstorms approaching. Be safe and have fun in May!

If you feel bold and wanted to try this weekend... Here you go

Sebastian Inlet

From Todd / Eric @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

Sebastian Inlet Report

                                    

                             
                                         





















05-22-15 FRIDAY: JACKS, SNOOK, REDS, SNAPPER, TROUT, TARPON, LOOKDOWNS, MARGATE 

It's another lovely morning at the Sebastian Inlet. Winds are blowing out of the Northwest at 9 mph, gusting to 13 and the water is calm this morning. Our Memorial Day weekend looks like we'll have fairly good weather and decent seas for our offshore anglers, wave heights are predicted to increase some on Sunday. 
Fishing remains hit or miss during the daylight hours; evenings and low light periods seem to be more productive for our inlet anglers. This week we've seen mostly large Jacks, oversized Snook and Reds, a small number of Mangrove and Mutton Snapper, Tarpon in the evenings, stragglers of Trout on the flats, Lookdowns and Margate. Anglers have been using live shrimp, mojarra, mullet, spoons and topwater plugs. 

Our first photo today features five year old Kayden Stephens of Kissimmee. Kayden who fished Thursday night with her dad. While trying to catch bait to use, Kayden landed this 18" C/R Snook! What a great first inlet experience, now Jason can't go without her and we like that! Great job Kayden!

Bruce Johnson sent in our second photo. Bruce fished the flats around the inlet, just west of the bridge. Using a piece of shrimp, he landed this pretty Porkfish which is a good fighter for its size and Bruce said it was quite tasty! 

Our third photo is courtesy of Mike Ricciardi of Vero Beach. Mike fished the outgoing tide from 12:30 - 4:00 p.m. Mike only saw two fish landed during his time on the jetty. One was a Mangrove Snapper about 13" and the other is the 16.5" Mutton Snapper landed by Ta Pham in our third picture. Both snapper were landed on live shrimp. Mike was using 3 - 4" greenies and couldn't get a bite! An angler in a boat near the north jetty hooked up with one of the huge Goliath Groupers that lurk under the north jetty about 2:30 and was still playing the fish when Mike left at 4:00 p.m.! 
Steven Santiago is featured in our fourth photo. Steven landed this huge Jack of Thursday night using a topwater plug. He's probably sitting on his cooler because he's spent after pulling that beast in for a photo. 

Sebastian Inlet is tricky, but worth the lost tackle

The anticipation of driving to the inlet is at times too much to bear. The thoughts of snook, redfish, tarpon and a wide variety of possible catches dance through the mind. As you near the bridge and enter the park, the blood starts pumping quickly when you finally see the water. When you hook up on one of the inlet's bruiser redfish, huge snook or maybe a Goliath grouper, you understand just why you made the trip. The inlet is the premier fishing spot in Central Florida. 

"The Sebastian Inlet is compact and shallow," Larry Fowler, a veteran captain, said. "You might have five times as many fish in the Fort Pierce Inlet, but it's so much bigger. Sebastian is narrow and only about 15 to 16 feet deep."

Fowler has worked the inlet for 15-plus years and knows it better than most.

"The catwalk is kind of different. You can get over the water and fish," Fowler said. "The bridge also gives snook an ambush point. Bait gets pushed to them."

There are keys to being successful here. It's not as simple as wetting a line and hooking a fish. You'll need to take plenty of tackle, as you're certain to lose a lot along the rocky bottom, a refuge for hooked fish.

Make sure you have sharp hooks and plenty of weights -- if you're not fishing on the bottom, your success rate won't be very high. Snook fishing is the top draw here, and for good reason, as the inlet is absolutely loaded with them. These fish have adapted to anglers targeting them and have grown picky. On certain days they'll only eat a certain bait, yet on other days, most anything you put in front of them will be inhaled.

"There was a study done quite some time ago and they estimated some 40,000 snook are in the inlet at one time," Fowler said. "That was a while back, who knows how many are there now."

Schools of slot-sized redfish will stack up on the jetties, gorging on any baitfish that gets in their way. The bigger redfish, 30-pound-plus monsters, stage in the channel. Drift with crabs and cut baits or fingerling mullet, and hang on. Once these guys realize they're hooked, they put up quite a tussle.

"Snook and reds are what it [the inlet] is known for," Fowler said. "It's also the first inlet below the freeze line. Snook have moved up to Ponce Inlet, but if we have a hard freeze, they'll die; it never freezes at Sebastian."

Fish at night

From spring to summer, the best time to fish the inlet is during tide changes at night. The current is very strong at the inlet, pushing bait in and out. Predatory fish stack up along the rocks or bridge pilings, in position to ambush anything that comes their way.

During the winter, when the snook become lethargic and either don't eat or move out of the inlet, anglers turn their attention to flounder. These fish are a huge draw and terrific table fare. The best way to target these fish is to bounce jigs off the bottom or use mud minnows.

Goliath grouper can be caught in a hole off the northern jetties. This protected species has become a nuisance for some anglers, as any fish that gets in their way is snapped up, including trophy snook.

Bluefish and Spanish mackerel make appearances in the spring, winter and fall. These toothy critters command respect. Not only are they capable of removing part of your hand, but they also put up a good battle on light tackle. Spoons and small live baits are the way to go. Topwaters and hard jerkbaits will certainly get hit as well.

Too crowded at times

Usually the inlet is tranquil and a good place to meet and chat with others who enjoy fishing.

Problems tend to occur after a person hooks up, as others swarm to that spot and throw their lines in. This creates several problems, the first being a breach of common courtesy. The second, and more damaging, is line tangles. The inlet will already claim plenty of your gear, but when a man-made problem occurs, tempers can flare.

There is a camp ground should you decide to stay a few days.

"That's a nice thing about the inlet," Fowler said. "It's a state park, there are no houses on it. And the inlet sits right on the ocean -- there is no turning basin or anything. Fish can move up into the inlet and be out in the open ocean in a few hundred yards."

THE SKINNY

Given the number and variety of fish available, Sebastian Inlet remains the premier fishing spot in Central Florida.

Located at the northern tip of Indian River County off Route A1A about 45 minutes south of Melbourne, the Inlet is a tricky fishery -- with all its rocks, you'll need to carry plenty of gear. Virtually all the fish there can be found in the runout channel from the Indian River lagoon to the ocean.

The best way to navigate the jetties is to have a cart. Take several rods and vary baits to see what the fish want on that day.

Among the species available: bluefish, Spanish mackerel, snook, redfish and tarpon.

Fish the catwalk at night during tide changes with Bomber lures for snook. Use heavy leader as the inlet does have its share of big fish.

By Mark Blythe

Sebastian Inlet Report

                                          

                    05-21-15 THURSDAY: JACKS, SNOOK, REDS, MANGROVE AND MUTTON SNAPPER, LOOKDOWNS, MARGATE AND TROUT 
We have an absolutely gorgeous morning at the Sebastian Inlet. Winds are blowing out of the Northwest at 7 mph, gusting to 10 and there is a light chop on the water. The water is clean but we have a lot of seaweed that is on the beach, at high tide it all gets washed back into the water and fishing becomes difficult. 

Tommy Turowski at the Sebastian Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop reported Pompano and Whiting in the surf. There have been a few Snook, Reds, big Jacks, a few Mangrove Snapper and Mutton Snapper coming over the rails, but in small numbers. This morning Dave Lectric of Sebastian landed a large Spotted Trout off the north jetty, which isn't very common. 
 Our first photo today features Ruben Vizcarrondo. Ruben fished the north jetty all day and landed lots of Jacks and Lookdowns on live shrimp. Photo one is of a Lookdown and photo two is of his cooler full of Jacks. 

"Juno Pier" Getting Hot

Today we've been hooking snook and big whitings. Big jacks like the one pictured here are still being seen swimming by the pier. Greenies are still around the pier too… There was another permit caught today which makes four that we know of since last Sunday. Few barracudas and bonito in the mix too… Water is crystal clear and snook are easy to spot… 

Trout Fishing In Sebastian

Looking Around Palm Beach Report

INSHORE

There has been a ton of sargassum in the surf along Jensen Beach and other areas of the Treasure Coast, so there hasn’t been too much activity this week. The resident whiting and croaker are there, and permit are starting to show up. The bite has been best first thing in the morning and on higher tides.

There are some snook on the beaches now, but the conditions just haven’t been too favorable the past few days. That should improve by the weekend, and the fishing will be excellent once again.

Big snook are biting on the flats and around bridges and dock lights in the Indian River. The best action seems to be on the west side of the river, where big redfish are also being caught.

Black drum, sheepshead and keeper snapper are also being caught at the bridges, and flounder are biting on the bottom throughout the river. The key is bouncing your bait along the bottom and sand holes.

Jacks, whiting and bluefish are being caught along the beaches in Jupiter, and the number of snook in the area is increasing. A few bluefish and Spanish mackerel have also been reported.

Mullet are holding on the beach, which has attracted a large number of fish to the area. The best time to fish this spot is early in the morning and late in the afternoon.

The most consistent action in the Intracoastal Waterway in Jupiter and central Palm Beach County has been snook fishing around bridges and docks at night.

Snook are slowly starting to show up on the beaches, but there seem to be quite a few in the county’s various inlets. Tarpon — including several large ones — are also appearing in the inlets and surf.

In addition to snook, there have been some nice mangrove snapper, jacks and tarpon snagged near the bridges of the Intracoastal, mostly at night.

FRESHWATER

The morning bass bite has been great on Lake Okeechobee. It’s not uncommon to catch 35-40 fish on a half-day trip, if you’re out on the way before sunrise.

Live shiners have been more effective than artificial lures, and the best action is along the outside edges and back in the grass. Wind hasn’t really been a factor this week, so you shouldn’t have any trouble working these areas.

East Wall and West Wall have been hot spots.

    The late-afternoon and evening bite is decent and has produced some pretty large bass, but for the best numbers, get out early.

report Palm Beach Post 

From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

Inshore the snook fishing has been good around the bridges and in the inlet live bait has produced well on the out going tide.There were a few reds reported around the docks by Midway road to the power plant on the west side of the river.The trout fishing has been steady around Bear Point to the south and queens cove to the north.The jetty in Ft.Pierce has had a few nice snook and some flounder around live shrimp has produced well. Sebastian inlet has had some nice snook and reds around on the out going tide with a few tarpon mixed in.

      photo courtesy of  Lyd Le'Ng

Sebastian Inlet Report

                                
05-20-15 WEDNESDAY: REDS, SNOOK, JACKS, AND STRAGGLERS OF OTHER SPECIES 

We have a beautiful morning at the inlet. Winds are blowing out of the West-Southwest at 6 mph, gusting to 10 and the water is calm. Winds may increase this afternoon and we have a chance of a thunderstorm this evening. We have quite a bit of seaweed and drift algae in the water tangling lines.

There still isn't a whole lot of activity at the inlet. Oversized Snook and Reds and large Jacks have dominated the catches but they've been few a far between. Stragglers of Black Drum, Spadefish, Margate, Spots and Mangrove Snapper have made appearances as well.

Apparently, some information on yesterday's report was misconstrued by at least one reader. The FWC report clearly stated that the boat was "fishing" not "navigating" the inlet. Navigating the inlet is always the number one priority of the District and the purpose of the jetties. The purpose of putting the FWC report on the web site was to encourage civility from both boaters and jetty anglers. Since there are no FWC regulations on where one can fish after they've safely navigated the inlet, common sense and courtesy should prevail.

Our first photo today is courtesy of Chuck Fischer of Satellite Beach. Chuck took the photo of inlet regular Tony Swiderski of Sebastian in morning around 5:00 a.m. Tony was using live shrimp to land this pretty, oversized Red which was released unharmed right after the photo. 

                             

Sebastian Inlet Report

                                   
 05-19-15 TUESDAY: SLOW WITH AN OCCASIONAL SNOOK, RED OR BIG JACK 

We have a few clouds hovering over the inlet this morning, but hopefully they'll just keep things cooled down a little bit. Winds are blowing out of the Southwest at 2 mph, gusting to 5 and there is a light chop on the water. We are experiencing extreme tides due to the new moon. When looking at our tide chart, you are looking at "ocean tides". Due to the size of the Sebastian Inlet, the tides fall and rise approximately 2.5 hours after the ocean tides. The tide goes in for six hours and out for six hours, twice a day. The period known as slack tide is the transition from incoming to outgoing or vice-versa and usually lasts about ten minutes. 

We have a team out this morning checking the temperature gauge on the bottom of the ocean floor; the process may take several days if the cable needs to be replaced as well as the gauge. Hang in there folks, we're working on it. 

Fishing remains slow and apparently this is causing frustration amongst many anglers. The following was taken directly from the FWC Weekly Law Enforcement Report: 

"While on vessel patrol, Officer Lightsey received a call in reference to a physical altercation at Sebastian Inlet. The officer spoke to the victim, who advised he was fishing next to the jetty when a man on the pier threatened him and threw a lead sinker and hook at him and his vessel numerous times, damaging the vessel and nearly hitting him. This has been an ongoing issue at Sebastian Inlet. The victim told the officer he had used a GoPro video to record the whole incident. The officer took statements from witnesses, the victim and the suspect who stated that he did throw the sinker and hooks at the man. After meeting with the suspect and watching the video, charges were filed with the State Attorney's office for aggravated assault, throwing a deadly missile into occupied vessel on State waters, Harassment of a fisherman, and criminal mischief". 
It sounds like it will be costly for the jetty angler, particularly if repairs to the boat are necessary. Boaters have the entire ocean; keeping your distance from the jetty is a good idea, at least out of casting range! Common sense and common courtesy need to prevail on both sides of the equation, we can do better than this. 
Now, on a lighter note, our angler of the day is Ashley Hill of Orlando. Ashley was fishing the south jetty using a buck tail when he landed this oversized Snook. Ashley took a quick photo and released the Snook unharmed. 

Introducing the Lily Camera

Chasin' Tail ENP

10 REDFISH TIPS AND TRICKS

The redfish – probably the most sought after inshore fish in the southeast – is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in shallow water angling. Following these ten tricks will significantly increase your redfish catches.

TEN THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN REDFISH FISHING:

1.FISH THE TIDES.

Redfish are very migratory within the estuaries and lagoons, and follow the tides to feed on crabs, shrimp and fish in the grassy waters of the flats. Set up shop in shallow water about two hours before high tide, and watch the numbers of fish that pour into the shallows. 

photo Jayson Arman That's R-man Land Based Fishing Services

2.DON’T BE AFRAID OF SHALLOW WATER.

3.LOOK FOR THE TAILS.

4.KNOW YOUR SEASONS.

5.USE CRABS FOR BAIT.

6.USE CUT BAIT IN MURKY WATER.

7.USE LIVE MULLET IN CLEAR WATER.

8.USE A CIRCLE HOOK.

9.USE GOLD SPOONS.

10.USE TOP-WATER PLUGS NEAR BAIT SCHOOLS.

From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

Inshore the snook fishing has been good around the bridges and dock lights at night with live bait.There were a few reports of some nice trout around the Bear point are on the incoming tide,To the north Harbor Branch has had a few reds around and some snook around the mangroves at first light.
                     

Sebastian Inlet Report

05-18-15 MONDAY: JACKS, REDS, SNOOK, MARGATE, SPADEFISH, A FEW SNAPPER AND FLOUNDER 
Over the weekend big Jacks were prevalent and we saw big Snook and Reds but not in large numbers. Mangrove Snapper, Atlantic Spadefish and Margate are beginning to show up as well as a few Pompano and Flounder.

Our angler of the day is Jason Stephens. Jason fished the south side  when he hooked up and landed this perfect, 27" slot Red. 

Looking Around Palm Beach

INSHORE

The beach fishing has slowed a bit in the Treasure Coast but there are always whiting and croaker around. They bite best during high tide, but you can catch them all day. Tarpon are showing up at first light, and a few pompano have been hooked on the incoming tide.

Trout are hitting on the east side of the Indian River, and there’s a good redfish bite on the west side.

Anglers working the river’s bridges and docks are catching big numbers of snook at night. However, most of the fish are just under slot.

The action has been steady along Jupiter, with good numbers of snook being caught in the surf throughout the day. They’re also biting at the Juno Beach Pier. There are pompano at the pier and on the beaches as well, but it has been mostly a morning bite.

Permit have been migrating north through the area along with some tarpon. The best bet for targeting tarpon is fishing the mouth of the Jupiter Inlet early in the morning (the outgoing tide is ideal).

Snook are being caught around the bridges of the Intracoastal Waterway at night. Fishing around dock lights is also effective.

A few snook are showing up in the surf in Palm Beach and down through southern Palm Beach County. There are also some tarpon in the mix. Again, fish the mouth of the inlets first thing in the morning. Hungry tarpon stop there and wait for bait fish to swim by.

There are also some jacks on the beach in central and southern Palm Beach County. They are also being caught in the Intracoastal during the day.

As you’d expect, snook are biting around the bridges at night, along with ladyfish.

FRESHWATER

It’s definitely getting warmer out on Lake Okeechobee, but the bass are biting. Your best bet is getting out on the water early — before sunrise. There are fish being caught at all times of day, but for numbers, you really want to be finished by mid-to-late morning.

Live shiners are still working best, although skilled anglers are having success with artificial lures as well.

Fish the outside edges and back in the grass. This is more challenging on windy days, but the conditions have been favorable this week.

    Decent numbers of bass are being caught on half-day trips, and fish over 5 pounds have been reported.