Here Snooky-Snooky

 

 

The Snookman Sebastian Inlet Report

 

Chilly waters have cooled the action for now, but reds and jacks are still biting

‘Good morning, hardcore Sebastian Inlet fishing fanatics. I hope everyone had a super weekend! It's time once again for the ‘what's up on the inlet’ fishing. Just when you thought it couldn't get any slower fishing at the inlet, here comes the cold water upwelling or thermocline that usually comes in July. This year it is a little late, but it is here. The water temps along our coastline all the way down to Ft. Pierce dropped from 86 degrees to the 78-80 range and shut it all down! Then, along with it comes the NNE winds spinning off of the storms in the Atlantic and the wave action picking up. It just put a damper on all the fishing. I was down last week Tuesday through Thursday and in the morning the Spanish mackerel were biting pretty well, along with some nice mangrove snappers. After Thursday, well it all went away! Dirty, cold and rough water was the scenario all weekend. So here is your breakdown. 

North jetty:  As I stated above, early week the Spanish mackerel were biting well in the morning. Plenty of fish were caught using live greenies, but they only wanted the smaller greenies over the larger ones. Most of the fish caught were in the 16-18 inch range. There were also a few nice mangrove snapper caught around the tip rocks and pilings on the inside; we had incoming tides all morning last week, so they were there until the water cooled down. Most of the fish we get this time of the year are subtropical and prefer warmer water temps. The catch-and-release snook bite shut down as well; they don't care for the cool water this time of the year. Some redfish are around, but not like before. They don't mind the cooler water. Blue runners and some small jack crevalle have also been biting just about anything you throw at them. Along the rock shoreline between the catwalk and jetty has also been producing some snappers, until it cooled down. Greenies live or dead got the bite. That's pretty much it for this side.

South jetty: Over here, same thing waterwise, except it is much murkier due to stormwater runoff.  At the tip on the outgoing tide, it is the same cast of characters: black margates, blue runners, small jacks and catfish. All are being caught on shrimp, live or dead and greenies - live or dead. The incoming tide, when the water is clear, is still producing catch-and-release snook and redfish, but they are of the smaller ones. Live croakers are the bait of choice for them. Not too much else over here. 

T-dock area: Back here it is about the same because the cool water is everywhere. The baitfish are still around, but the snappers have slowed down some. Anglers are still catching them, but just not in the numbers as they were a week or so ago. And again, most are under the legal 10 inch minimum. Some small mutton snapper are still being caught once in a while too, but most are under the legal 18-inch minimum as well. Live and dead greenies are the baits for the snappers. There also have been a few Spanish mackerel being caught back here too on live greenies and small jigs, either white or chartreuse in color. All in all, kind of slow back here.

Surf area, both sides: Surf fishing has been mostly dismal for the last 4 days due to the two to three-foot waves and the brisk 15 to 20 mph NNE winds spinning off of the tropical lows out in the Atlantic. It's been cooler out, but doesn't do much for the fishing. 

That's it for this week folks! Not what you all want to hear, but like I always said, I don't sugar coat things when it comes to our fishing, I tell it like it is. But you never know when it will pick up. Hope everyone has a great week.” — Snookman.

From Todd, Eddy & Jeff @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

 INSHORE-  Catch and release snook fishing remains the main game in town...one more week till they can come home for dinner.  Looks like the wind should blow into the weekend and keep them biting good in the river.  A few small pods of finger mullet have trickled through, it won't be long now before it's full on mullet run.  Still a pretty good pick on the mangrove snapper inshore.  Best action has been at night, especially on good moving water.  Live shrimp and pilchards have been the baits of choice for the snapper.           

SURF/PIER-  Rough conditions and less than ideal water conditions had fishing relatively slow this week along the beach.  Some fair catch and release snook fishing reports, but a bit slower than the past few weeks.  The Juno Beach Pier has still been producing a few snook as well.  The Pier has had a few Spanish Macs and blue runners around, along with a fair number of mangrove snapper.  

Lake Worth Pier Report With Dylan Campbell

Lake Worth Pier Fishing Report:

Its that time of year where my fishing reports are much more abysmal compared to usual. To put it simple terms the fishing kind of sucks.

Jacks, The odd kingfish, Spanish mackerel, blue runners are all around at the normal peak times.

Snook have been caught but the frequency is far fewer then normal. Bonita have been caught intermittently in waves but no correlating patterns in how they have been biting.

Sharks! Sharks! Sharks!: I am surprised to say that the shark activity is mostly medium sized hammerheads and small black tips. The bulls have not been making their presence know however I definitely would not say they are gone

Artificial report: Commercial rigs, gotcha plugs, x-raps, heavy crappie jigs & ice cream cones have the key to my success

The bait bite: Pilchards, Sardines, Golden dots & small goggle eye have been around. In fairly consistent numbers.

Pro tip: Fish from 6-9:30 then leave come back 4:30pm-sun down during the day is extremely dead

How to Butcher Whole Snapper (Works With Other Fish)

From Todd, Eddy & Jeff @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

 INSHORE- Catch and release snook fishing remains the best bet inshore.  While a lot of the snook are still in the inlets, a fair number have started to break off and begin pushing inshore.  The Loxahatchee River has been producing a good morning topwater bite on the snook, and a few big jacks as well.  The night bridge snook bite remains strong, especially on outgoing tide.  The 3" NLBN swimbait has been a constant producer.  Flair hawks are also getting bit well in the right situations.  Mangrove snapper bite remains good at night as well around the bridges.  Live pilchards or shrimp are the top bait choices for the snapper.  A good number of big sand perch in the ICW as well these days.  

SURF/PIER-  Pretty standard summertime fishing along the beach and at the Juno Beach Pier this week.  Good catch and release snook fishing remains the highlight, with some big fish around this week.  A live sand perch or croaker is the way to go for the big bites.  Live pilchards, smaller swimming plugs, and smaller swimbaits are the way to go for more bites from the snook, the average size will just likely be smaller. The Juno Beach Pier has had a fair number of blue runners and Spanish Mackerel around.  The bobber rig w/ a Clark Spoon, crappie jig, or small live bait should get the job done.  The Juno Beach Pier has also been producing a good number of mangrove snapper, especially first thing in the morning.  A good scattering of croakers and a few whiting along the beach this week.  Small pieces of fresh shrimp are the best way to go for them.  Look for a little wind this weekend to help shake things up a bit.

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

 

I hope the pompano that are showing in our area don’t have the ability to read a calendar . The numbers seem to be increasing and unlike normal years when the first fish we see in September are under 11 inches , the fish that I’ve been catching this week don’t need to be measured . Today was the best day so far as I managed to get 9 nice fish in the cooler and they are now on display at the New England Seafood Fish market . I have to tell you these fish are amped up as half of them pulled drag and skipped along the surface . Lots of life around other than pompano too as I caught and released jacks, big blue runners, bonefish , ladyfish , and a couple of spanish mackerel. I’ve caught some pompano in August over the years but the activity the last three days is not what I have experienced since I started doing this . Let’s hope this continues and with the mullet run around the corner maybe the late summer bite will be a good one . Good luck this week and catch em up .

Sebastian Inlet Report

Slow going, but snappers and Spanish mackerel possible

 Good morning, Sebastian Inlet fans! First,  I'd like to remind folks using a cast net on the jetty. Since greenies are plentiful around the jetty this time of year and they attract snappers and mackerel, they are the go-to bait. When you cast net a baitfish and dump them out on the fishing deck and cherry-pick some for your bait bucket, please return what you don't need back to the water. The rules are listed on the big white sign on the way out to the north jetty: "Cast netters must return unused marine life back into the water; this is one of the few jetties that allows netting. Please do not abuse the privilege." Do your part to protect our fisheries and resources. Now for the report.

North jetty: Just as quickly as the fishing got hot, it cooled back down. That's usually how it goes. The main reason was due to all the runoff water flowing seaward from the intracoastal waterway and Sebastian River. Last week and through the weekend, we had outgoing tides most of the day, and extremely low tides as well, which kept water low and murky. Mangrove snappers were biting along the wall from the catwalk to the jetty, but you had to arrive very early to catch the end of the incoming tide and the clear water. Live and dead greenies are still the bait of choice. At the tip of the jetty and the very beginning of the outgoing tide — again, very early in the morning — the mangroves were there until the freshwater arrived and shut it down. Most snappers were too small to keep, but there have been a few keepers, but not like two weeks ago. Saturday and Sunday I saw a decent Spanish mackerel bite in the morning. A couple of anglers took home close to their limit, and pretty nice fish! The trick was to use live greenies with a float of sorts to get it out to where the fish were.

South jetty:  Same deal on this side, very early or late evening incoming tide when the water clears up some, is the best time to fish. Mangrove snapper, mostly smaller ones and catch-and-release snook and redfish were being caught. Greenies for the snappers; croakers for the snook and reds. Outgoing tide, the very beginning at the tip they were catching some mangroves as well, but again most were too small to keep, or just barely over the minimum of 10 inches. Black margates and some blue runners and jack crevalle were biting to keep it interesting.

 T-Dock area: Back here the bite has also slowed a bit, and again due to the runoff water flowing out! There are a lot of  baitfish around - greenies and glass minnows, and the snappers are biting, but most are too small to keep, just like everywhere else. Not a whole lot is going on for any other species. 

Surf area, both sides:  The surf fishing has been slow around the inlet due to low water and runoff. The south side has been murky with the ongoing SE winds. Not much action, save for catfish and stingrays being caught. Maybe if you get a pocket of clean water, you might see whiting. 

That's all I have. We need all this runoff water to go away so the clean ocean water can return. This week should improve, thanks to incoming tides all week. It should clean things up quite a bit! Grab your gear and enjoy the inlet! Stay hydrated and have fun.”  - Snookman. 

 

Ed Killer / tcpalm South Fla. Report

 

In ancient Florida, long before the Spaniards staked claim to the "land of flowers" or found the fountain of youth, a prehistoric creature plied its estuarine waters. It looked like something out of a child's imagination — 15 to 18 feet long, built to hug the bottoms of rivers and bays, beige and suited in shark-like skin. The front of its face protruded nearly half its length and if that wasn't enough, the long pulpit was adorned with two rows of teeth spaced about an inch apart, resembling a long, swimming hedge trimmer.

The sawfish was once a majestic and mysterious part of the coastal ecosystem in tropical Florida. It lived alongside snook and snapper, tarpon and pompano and only fed on the bait schools when they would cloud the inshore waterways by the millions during their migrations.

By 2003, overfishing and water quality and habitat degradation in coastal waters had taken their toll. The sawfish numbers had dwindled to the point where concerned conservationists placed the large marine fish on the endangered list — it was the first marine species to receive that designation.

Two decades later, is the sawfish making a comeback? Depends on where you are and whom you ask. Here on the Treasure Coast, the sawfish can be found roaming around searching for food during the summer months. In the past two weeks, this fishing writer has fielded no fewer than seven sighting reports, none of them duplicate. The good news is they ranged in size from 12 feet offshore to 3 feet near the Palm City Bridge. 

Florida fishing: Sawfish, sharks, snapper, snook energize late summer bite

Indian River County

Inshore: The regular flow of freshwater from afternoon storm runoff moving through the inlet on the outgoing tide has slowed the bite for snapper. Use greenies if you can catch them or cut mojarras to get bites. Around Vero Beach there is a lot of stormwater runoff in the lagoon and that has meant only snook are biting. Remember, season does not open for snook until Sept. 1.

Freshwater: Anglers at Headwaters Lake are complaining about mats of vegetation blown up into the boat launch areas. That makes launch and retrieving boats difficult. Use patience when there.

St. Lucie County

Inshore: Wade fishing in the lagoon has been a productive way for anglers to get close to snook, trout, tarpon and even redfish. Use jerk baits or artificial shrimp to get bites from 1-3 pound trout in the seagrass at the ends of the docks along Indian River Drive.

Surf: It's been slow here. Soon, however, the glass minnows may show up igniting the bite close to the trough of the beaches on Hutchinson Island. After the next full moon Aug. 30, look for the first small pods of mullet moving.

Martin County

Inshore: Snook fishing remains pretty solid throughout the St. Lucie River. That's because snook like it dirty. Tarpon have been at The Crossroads, the inlet and just outside the inlet taking live mullet. Sheepshead can be caught around the bridge pilings on shrimp.

Lake Okeechobee

Toxic algae has been present all over the lake still, so anglers must make up their minds as to what they want to do when it comes to catching bass in less than pristine water quality. The alge should begin to fade by the next full moon at month's end.

• report courtesy of Ed Killer is florida today's outdoors writer. Friend Ed on Facebook at Ed Killer, follow him on Twitter @tcpalmekiller or email him at  ed.killer@tcpalm.com.

Sebastian Inlet Report

 

Warmer water bring out the snappers!

“Good morning. I hope everyone had a great weekend, despite the heat. Here is the update on the inlet fishing: Along with the hot temps, the fishing has heated up as well throughout the inlet. Water temps have been holding in the 86-degree range and the greenies have been pretty thick everywhere. In turn, that all has brought the mangrove snapper out to play. Throughout last week and the weekend, anglers were catching many everywhere. The snapper are  about a month late showing up, but they are plentiful now with many keepers being caught. Remember, they must be 10 inches overall to keep, and you can only keep five per person as a bag limit. There have been all kinds of other fish caught around the inlet. Here’s the breakdown.

North jetty: Tuesday through Thursday was a really good window for the mangrove bite. Lots of fish, plenty of keepers were caught on the incoming tide and the very beginning of the outgoing tide all along the rock seawall from the catwalk out to the jetty area! Live greenies and cut greenies were the bait of choice for the snappers. You can get the greenies by cast netting them, the bait shops don't sell them because they are so hard to keep alive. I saw some nice redfish being caught on artificial lures, top water. The reds were caught on the beginning of the outgoing tide. Out on the jetty, the mangroves were biting, but not as well as back along the wall. Incoming tide between the pilings with live or dead cut greenies were getting the bite.

Beachside the water is still really shallow because of the sand bar that has formed over there, but there were some nice Spanish mackerel caught on live greenies and gotcha lures. The water was so clear you could see them swimming around chasing the minnows present around the jetty. And as always, this time of year when the Spanish are around, so are the barracudas looking to eat one that gets hooked up. The cudas can be caught on a very lively large live bait or a green or pink tube lure reeled quickly through the water. I was told one of our regular anglers caught two big ones last week - about 40 inches or so.

Also, on the incoming tide last week (Tuesday through Thursday), the catch-and-release snook bite went off! Boaters were hooking a lot of them and landing some of them, and the goliaths ate the rest. Live croakers were what they wanted. I fished Thursday with some nice live shrimp I had and hooked up five and landed two in  two hours. Bite was good. I didn't lose any to the groupers, got lucky. I also did see a couple nice redfish caught too. All the action was on the incoming tide. Outgoing tide at the tip before the nasty runoff water started out there was a decent snook bite on the croakers, along with a few cubera snappers that were hooked up, but not landed, the goliaths ate them mid fight! They like them too! They eat pretty much everything they can catch! 

South Jetty: Over here, same thing. Incoming tide all along the rock seawall from the tip to the catwalk has been mangrove snapper city! A lot are being caught, but many have been too small to keep. However, there are quite a few keepers being had. Live greenies, cut greenies and live shrimp are the baits of choice. Also, on the incoming tide, the summer snook are hitting live croakers for those of you that enjoy catch-and-release fishing. Most have been the smaller juvenile fish, 28 inches and under, but every once in a while, a bigger one comes along. Catch-and-release redfish were also here as well. At the tip on the outgoing tide the black margates, blue runners and smaller jack crevalle and mangrove snapper are biting cut baits and live greenies. Once the runoff water gets around the tip and flows south, it pretty much shuts down and the pesky catfish start. 

T-Dock area: Here, same as last report. During the clean incoming and  beginning of the clean outgoing tide, snappers have been biting well on cut and live greenies, and shrimp. Several different species are being caught but most are small.  The mangroves have been the predominate species being caught and some are big enough to be kept. Once again, lanes need to be 8 inches minimum, mangroves, 10-inch minimum and muttons 18. Don't get caught with undersized fish — it isn't worth a ticket. Also, there has been catch-and-release action with snook and redfish. Live baits and artificial swim baits are catching fish. Again, the clean incoming and first of the outgoing tide before the runoff water starts to fill the inlet, is best. Also, for you light tackle guys, the Spanish mackerel are around, chasing the schools of greenies and glass minnows. Small white or green jigs or live greenies fished free-line or with a float will do the trick to catch some. 

Surf Area, both sides: Tannic runoff water has slowed the action at the south side of the inlet. Catfish and nurse sharks are being caught, along with a few stingrays. Further south at the park’s day-use area, a rock ridge out there is sometimes a good place to find mangroves, snook and redfish. Live baits are the best. The North side, being much shallower due to sand that has washed down the beach,  requires one to go some distance up the beach for deeper water. Water clarity is decent and  whiting are being caught on cut baits. Look for schools of minnows and greenies in the surf, and you might just find some predators around. Snook, tarpon, redfish and Spanish mackerel follow the bait pods, and you just might get some action tossing medium-sized swim baits or live baits into the surf. Also, there have been reports of sharks as well. I saw  some bonnetheads and Atlantic sharp nose sharks in the surf at the jetty. They will eat anything and fight well, too! 

That's all I have this week. Looks like August is going to be a great month to fish. Grab your gear and bait, bring water and sunblock and catch some fish!” — Snookman.

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

 

No posts this week due to the fact that surf activity down our way has been nonexistent and the heat has been brutal . High tides were in the middle of the day and anyone who has been up on the beach this week knows how crazy hot it was . I looked on Monday and Wednesday and found no life , bait, birds, or surface activity . The sand fleas that have been plentiful took the week off too it seems based on some intel from some buddies who were looking . I tried a few beaches this morning, Dolemans, Herman’s Bay , Middle Cove , and Walton Rocks and only had one bite . It turned out to be the right one and was lucky enough to put a 16 inch pompano in the cooler . We need to start seeing some life in the surf with some bait schools to get the whiting , croakers, jacks, and snook back on the scene . Looks like the heat is going to be here into next week but the high tide mark will be in the early morning so I’ll be putting some time in this week . There seems to be some pompano and whiting being taken from Daytona up to St Augustine so I might even make a run up that way this week . Tough week but the mullet run is not that far away so keep the faith . Things are going to get better!!Good luck and catch em up .

From Todd, Eddy & Jeff @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

 INSHORE-  Hot air and water temps have the inshore fishing pretty slow overall.  Catch and release snook fishing remains solid.  The snook don't mind the heat.  It's not quite "the hotter the better" for snook, but it's not far off.   Look for low light periods (preferably on a tide change) to produce the best results for the snook.  A monster snook crushing a topwater plug as the sun comes up is always a good way to start the day.  A few jacks and possibly a tarpon or two could be in the mix as well.  The snook are also biting nicely at night around the bridges.  Again (as always), look for them to be most active on moving water.  Snapper fishing remains pretty good inshore at night as well.  Best bet for the snapper will be bridges with a good channel and moving water.  Small pilchards, live shrimp, and chunks of sardine will all be good bait options for the snapper.      

SURF/PIER-  Surf fishing overall was a bit slow this week.  Depending on the spot and conditions you may find a fair catch and release snook bite along beach, but overall pretty spotty.  The Juno Beach Pier has continued to produce decent action over the past week.  A good mix of blue runners and Spanish Mackerel made up a bulk of the action.  The bobber rig with a clark spoon has been a top lure choice, with 1/8oz white crappie jigs also putting in the work.  Bait has been in and out for the most part, but feeling small live baits is also effective.  Catch and release snook fishing remains strong on the pier as well.  A live sand perch has been the bait of choice for the snook; with the late afternoon bite being the most consistent.  

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

 

I'm happy to report that Randy and I put a Hutchinson Island fish fry in the cooler this morning. It was an early morning high tide, around 6 am , and the croakers started to chew around 7 am . It was a steady bite until about 9 am and we decided to call it a day . We each went home with a cooler of about 20 fish and I’ll have some happy neighbors and friends tomorrow when I drop these fillets off . Orange Shrimp Fishbites tipped with a tiny piece of shrimp was the ticket again today . If anyone plans to fish the falling tide this week make sure you increase the distance of your casts as the tide recedes . By 9 am we were getting our fish 30 to 40 yards from the edge of the surf . We are going to have morning hide tides this week so the 7 to 10 am time slot will be the time to target your fishing . We only caught one whiting today as the water was pretty off colored . Croaker are much more tolerant to off colored water than the whiting . I hope everyone has a great week and get out and bend a rod . Good luck and catch ‘‘em up .

Sebastian Inlet Report

 

Warmer water bring out the snappers!

“Good morning. I hope everyone had a great weekend, despite the heat. Here is the update on the inlet fishing: Along with the hot temps, the fishing has heated up as well throughout the inlet. Water temps have been holding in the 86-degree range and the greenies have been pretty thick everywhere. In turn, that all has brought the mangrove snapper out to play. Throughout last week and the weekend, anglers were catching many everywhere. The snapper are  about a month late showing up, but they are plentiful now with many keepers being caught. Remember, they must be 10 inches overall to keep, and you can only keep five per person as a bag limit. There have been all kinds of other fish caught around the inlet. Here’s the breakdown.

North jetty: Tuesday through Thursday was a really good window for the mangrove bite. Lots of fish, plenty of keepers were caught on the incoming tide and the very beginning of the outgoing tide all along the rock seawall from the catwalk out to the jetty area! Live greenies and cut greenies were the bait of choice for the snappers. You can get the greenies by cast netting them, the bait shops don't sell them because they are so hard to keep alive. I saw some nice redfish being caught on artificial lures, top water. The reds were caught on the beginning of the outgoing tide. Out on the jetty, the mangroves were biting, but not as well as back along the wall. Incoming tide between the pilings with live or dead cut greenies were getting the bite.

Beachside the water is still really shallow because of the sand bar that has formed over there, but there were some nice Spanish mackerel caught on live greenies and gotcha lures. The water was so clear you could see them swimming around chasing the minnows present around the jetty. And as always, this time of year when the Spanish are around, so are the barracudas looking to eat one that gets hooked up. The cudas can be caught on a very lively large live bait or a green or pink tube lure reeled quickly through the water. I was told one of our regular anglers caught two big ones last week - about 40 inches or so.

Also, on the incoming tide last week (Tuesday through Thursday), the catch-and-release snook bite went off! Boaters were hooking a lot of them and landing some of them, and the goliaths ate the rest. Live croakers were what they wanted. I fished Thursday with some nice live shrimp I had and hooked up five and landed two in  two hours. Bite was good. I didn't lose any to the groupers, got lucky. I also did see a couple nice redfish caught too. All the action was on the incoming tide. Outgoing tide at the tip before the nasty runoff water started out there was a decent snook bite on the croakers, along with a few cubera snappers that were hooked up, but not landed, the goliaths ate them mid fight! They like them too! They eat pretty much everything they can catch! 

South Jetty: Over here, same thing. Incoming tide all along the rock seawall from the tip to the catwalk has been mangrove snapper city! A lot are being caught, but many have been too small to keep. However, there are quite a few keepers being had. Live greenies, cut greenies and live shrimp are the baits of choice. Also, on the incoming tide, the summer snook are hitting live croakers for those of you that enjoy catch-and-release fishing. Most have been the smaller juvenile fish, 28 inches and under, but every once in a while, a bigger one comes along. Catch-and-release redfish were also here as well. At the tip on the outgoing tide the black margates, blue runners and smaller jack crevalle and mangrove snapper are biting cut baits and live greenies. Once the runoff water gets around the tip and flows south, it pretty much shuts down and the pesky catfish start. 

T-Dock area: Here, same as last report. During the clean incoming and  beginning of the clean outgoing tide, snappers have been biting well on cut and live greenies, and shrimp. Several different species are being caught but most are small.  The mangroves have been the predominate species being caught and some are big enough to be kept. Once again, lanes need to be 8 inches minimum, mangroves, 10-inch minimum and muttons 18. Don't get caught with undersized fish — it isn't worth a ticket. Also, there has been catch-and-release action with snook and redfish. Live baits and artificial swim baits are catching fish. Again, the clean incoming and first of the outgoing tide before the runoff water starts to fill the inlet, is best. Also, for you light tackle guys, the Spanish mackerel are around, chasing the schools of greenies and glass minnows. Small white or green jigs or live greenies fished free-line or with a float will do the trick to catch some. 

Surf Area, both sides: Tannic runoff water has slowed the action at the south side of the inlet. Catfish and nurse sharks are being caught, along with a few stingrays. Further south at the park’s day-use area, a rock ridge out there is sometimes a good place to find mangroves, snook and redfish. Live baits are the best. The North side, being much shallower due to sand that has washed down the beach,  requires one to go some distance up the beach for deeper water. Water clarity is decent and  whiting are being caught on cut baits. Look for schools of minnows and greenies in the surf, and you might just find some predators around. Snook, tarpon, redfish and Spanish mackerel follow the bait pods, and you just might get some action tossing medium-sized swim baits or live baits into the surf. Also, there have been reports of sharks as well. I saw  some bonnetheads and Atlantic sharp nose sharks in the surf at the jetty. They will eat anything and fight well, too! 

That's all I have this week. Looks like August is going to be a great month to fish. Grab your gear and bait, bring water and sunblock and catch some fish!” — Snookman.

From Todd, Eddy & Jeff @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

 INSHORE-  Normal summer inshore patterns continued this week.  In other words...nothing crazy to report on the inshore scene.  Catch and release snook fishing remains good.  A bulk of the snook are in the inlets, or close by.  During the day it is primarily a live bait bite, with the snook biting the best on the tide changes.  At night the snook are biting good around the bridges, with a small heavy swimbait remaining the lure of choice.  Outgoing tide seems to be producing the most bites; but don't overlook incoming, especially if the water has some color to it.  Mangrove snapper fishing remains good, especially at night.  Bridges and docks close to some deeper water with good current flow will produce the best quality mangrove snapper.  Live shrimp and small live pilchards are the top bait choice for the snapper.  

SURF/PIER-  Fishing was a bit hit or miss along the beach and at the Juno Beach Pier this week.  Catch and release snook fishing has been fair.  Funky water conditions, red slime, and widely moving bait schools have made it tough to really get the snook dialed in.  A few big jacks cruising the beach, along with a few scattered tarpon pods.  The Juno Beach Pier has had a good number of blue runners around, along with a fair number of Mackerel mixed in as well.  The Juno Beach Pier has also had a few mangrove snapper biting first thing in the morning. 

Snook-Nook Fishing Report

 Inshore Fishing Report 

We’ve been battling some hot summer afternoons as of late, but luckily the inshore bite has been pretty hot as well! Snook, Tarpon and big Jacks have been the main targets inshore. Mornings and evenings have been the most productive as the fish will be moving around and feeding more during these times especially with these hot afternoons. You will still be able to find some fish in the afternoons, you will just want to focus on areas with deeper water and moving current such as the inlet, bridges and deeper docks. For our anglers on boats looking to get in on the summertime Snook action, the inlet has not been quite as productive as it has in years past. The north side of the inlet is not as deep as it used to be due to dredging so the fish have been schooling up in different areas. Areas to look around the inlet include the south side of the inlet, hole in the wall and the nearshore wrecks and reefs as anglers have been finding schools of Snook in those areas. Live Croakers are going to be one of your best bait options along with live Pilchards or Threadfins. You can expect to find more Snook working their way back into the river in August as they return from the summer spawn. Look to fish areas like the causeways as well as docks in the St. Lucie River along Sewalls Point for a good chance at hooking up! For our land based anglers, the Jensen Causeway has been quite productive in the evenings and at night for those Snook fishing. A lot of crabs and shrimp have been passing through so it is best to match your choice of bait to what is flowing through as that is what they have been feeding on there. Artificial shrimp, paddle tails, live shrimp and crabs have been the baits of choice. There have still been plenty of Snook caught on the beaches, fishing white paddle tails, jerk baits and twitchbaits in the mornings and evenings are a great idea. When the sun gets a bit higher, switching over to live baits like Pilchards or Croakers typically will result in a few more fish. It is always a great idea to have a rod rigged with a sabiki or a cast net with you when you hit the beach in case some bait pushes through.

The Tarpon bite has been really productive inshore. A good majority of the action is coming from those fishing the outgoing tides at the Stuart Causeway. A lot of Tarpon have been seen there rolling in the mornings as well. Anglers have also had success in the crossroads once the fish move with the tide away from the bridge. A lot of quality sized fish have been in the mix with several in the 100lb+ class. Live crabs have been the hottest bait choice, you will also have a good shot fishing with live mullet. Those fishing the catwalks under the Jensen Causeway at night have been finding a lot of juvenile Tarpon in the 10-30lb class. Those fish have been primarily feeding on shrimp, crabs and small pilchards. 

If you’re looking for a battle, there have been plenty of big jacks cruising inshore. Look to find them cruising the seawalls and channels. If you see them, toss them a live baitfish, top water lure or popper and hold on! We should begin to see signs of our annual mullet run towards the end of the month so buckle up! 

Surf Fishing Report 

The Whiting and Croaker bite on the beach has still been hot. The majority of the fish have been caught 10-20 yards off the beach. For the best results, you will want to plan on fishing one hour before the high tide mark up until two hours after the high tide mark. That window has seemed to be the trend all summer for these fish. Shrimp and Bloodworm flavored FishBites along with pieces of shrimp have been the best bait choices if you’re looking to get in on the action. A few anglers have been able to pick off some Permit fishing the long rods. If you want to try to hook into one, you will want to focus on beaches with clear clean water, you can use a Pompano rig and crab flavored FishBites to entice a bite from one of those drag screamers! There has been a lot of life on the beaches, schools of glass minnows and schools of small pilchards being fed on by Snook, Jacks, Mackerel and a variety of other species, grab a rod rigged with a spoon, jerkbait or paddle tail and fish around those bait schools to get in on the action. You can expect to still find Snook on the beach throughout August, but those numbers will begin to decrease as we get into September. We will keep our fingers crossed and hope for some big schools of glass minnows to come our way followed by some hungry Tarpon this month!