Stuart Inshore

Mullet of all sizes have arrived in big numbers on the Treasure Coast, which means fishing in October is outstanding for snook in the Indian and St. Lucie rivers. You can load up a couple dozen finger mullet in one throw of the cast net. Free line a mullet near the docks and/or seawalls for snook waiting to ambush the bait. If we continue to have massive amounts of freshwater runoff, fish the deeper bridges with mullet or shrimp on jig heads because the saltier water will be near the bottom. Casting big jigs at night around the Quarter Bridge with a slow crawl just off the bottom has been producing snook. There are plenty of big jacks blasting the bait schools. Any topwater plug with fast action will get their attention and for a novice angler they will never forget the fight. A little dip in water temperatures and less daylight will bring the macs and blues to our waters from up north. Cut bait or Krocs spoons for the blues and anything green and shiny for the macs will do the trick. Black drum and sheepshead can be caught on small pieces of shrimp or fiddler crabs fished near rocky channels or close to bridge pilings. Indian River trout will be on the edges of the mullet schools, so watch for surface action as they feed on the finger mullet. Long casts with 7 M 11 MirrOlures or D.O.A. Bait Busters along with the regular arsenal of topwater plugs will get you in the action. Tarpon can be caught in the Crossroads with a big mullet free lined out the back of boat. Wear your Costa Del Mars to see the fish.

report courtesy of Capt. John Young/Coastal Angler Magazine