Scouting Around Palm Beach And Martin County

 

Inshore fishing:

Along the beaches just to the north of Jensen Beach Park, there has been an excellent pompano bite the past week. Not the barely-legal size variety either. Fish 17 to 18 inches are being caught. Like the last few weeks they are out in the second trough so bring the big rods. For bait, live sandfleas are tops, but sandflea- and crab-flavored Fishbites are working well too.

There have also been some nice whiting caught along the St. Lucie and Martin County beaches.

Though the bait is a bit scattered off those beaches right now, if you do happen on any schools chances are you'll find some good bluefish action as well.

In the St. Lucie and Indian Rivers the black drum bite has been good the past week. Work the bridge pilings and deep docks with live shrimp on a jighead.

In those same areas there have been some six- to eight-pound sheepshead caught. Fish during the slower tide periods and use live shrimp or fiddler crabs.

Also in the rivers, there are still some tripletail being found around the stone crab markers.

Up by the powerplant, the seatrout bite is still happening and should only get better. Use live shrimp or Gulp! shrimp on a jighead.

The bite for snook, tarpon, jack crevalle and bluefish has been good throughout the Palm Beach County area the past week. 

There are still mullet around and working a live mullet or mullet-sized lure has been very effective for all four species. The bottom of the outgoing tide has been the most productive at both the jetties and bridges.

During the day throwing noisy topwater plugs have been excellent for getting hooked up with some big jack crevalle.

Lake Okeechobee:

With the high level of the lake the bass have been a bit scattered the past week. Still best in the early morning anglers are trolling around from Buckhead Ridge to Horse Island looking for fish. Working moving baits around submerged eel grass or other vegetation has been providing excellent results. Once that morning bite cools down, switch to flippin' creature-style baits in the round reeds. The crappie bite has picked up a bite more. In the Kissimmee River, anglers using minnows and fishing at night are having good luck. The jig bite for crappie is working best in areas where the water is moving. Use chartreuse or chartreuse/white jigs.

Most of the area canals have a good cichlid bite. Red worms and wigglers are best.