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.

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