From Todd @ Juno Bait Crew-Juno Beach

 INSHORE-  So-so week inshore this week.  Snook fishing has been fair.  The Loxahatchee and ICW are producing a few snook, just not a red hot bite.  Live mullet remains the top bait choice for the snook during the day.  At night the flair hawk bite is trying to get going around the bridges.  Outgoing tide will likely produce a few more snook bites.  A few jacks and occasional tarpon mixed in with the snook.  Other inshore action remains a bit slow; with a few mangrove snapper and sand perch being caught.  

SURF/PIER- Not a red hot week on the beach; but those putting in the time have been finding a few fish.  Pompano are still being caught, but still not in huge numbers.  It feels like we should still have a good push of pompano coming; though we are starting to get a little late in the season.  The usual bait assortment (sand fleas, clams, Fishbites) will do the trick on the pompano.  A few pomps coming over the rail at the Juno Beach Pier on Doc's Goofy Jigs early in the week as well.  Bright colored jigs (orange and pink) seemed to be the best color.  Still some scattered bluefish around; though it has to be near the end of them soon.  A few good schools of jacks cruised by the Juno Beach Pier this week.  A well presented Rapala X-Rap or Yo-Zuri Mag Speed is the top lure choice for the jacks.  A few scattered kingfish at the Juno Beach Pier as well.  The same swimming plugs that work for the jacks will work well for the kings.  Croaker and whiting have been biting good in the first trough.  Small pieces of fresh shrimp is the way to go for the croaker and whiting. 

 

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From Todd @ Juno Bait Crew-Juno Beach

INSHORE:  Snook fishing remains decent inshore.  Pretty standard report on the snook (and occasional tarpon or passing jack), with the ICW and Loxahatchee river producing some fish along seawalls and under boat docks.  During the day live mullet is the top bait choice. Early morning and late afternoon with favorable tide conditions you maybe able to trick a snook or two into smashing a topwater.  At night the snook will switch to bridges and docklights, with the outgoing tide tending to produce the best results.  Water hasn't warmed enough to really fire the snook up, but it's getting close for sure.  Won't be too long before they really start snapping.  Other inshore action remains a bit spotty.  A few late late season sheepshead hanging around inshore mixed in with a few early arriving mangrove snapper.  Sailfish flats in Stuart continue to see a few pompano, but those numbers continue to fall as well.  

SURF/PIER:  Surf and pier action has been pretty good this week.  Pompano numbers seem to have improved a bit, with some decent catches coming along the beach, and a handful of pomps being picked off the Juno Beach Pier as well.  Sandfleas, clams, and Fishbites (with pomps it pays to have an assortment) remain the baits of choice on the beach.  The same baits and also Doc's Goofy Jigs are getting them on the Juno Beach Pier. Still a few late season bluefish cruising around, though that has to be close to winding down.  The Juno Beach Pier has been producing a few Spanish Mackerel, with a white or white/silver JYG Pro crappie jig the top lure choice for the Macs.  A handful of snook showing up at the Juno Beach Pier as well.  It's not huge numbers yet, and the snook are not overly aggressive but they are showing up.  Best bet for the snook is fresh dead bait chunks fished very patiently on the bottom with a very light lead.  Jack schools have been passing by the pier, though they have not been overly interested in eating as of late.  Conditions have looked right for some kingfish to come cruising by the pier as well, but no reports yet to speak of on them.  Keep those Rapala X-Raps and Yo-Zuri Magspeeds ready to go...it's gonna happen anytime!
(NOTE: I don't have the exact times, but the Juno Beach Pier will close on Saturday afternoon to allow for Easter Service set-up. It will reopen for fishing following Easter Service sometime around noon).  

Sebastian Inlet Report With The Snookman

 

Water temps need to climb before the fishing takes off again 

Here’s this week’s fishing report from our fishing guide, “Snookman” Wayne Landry, who has fished at Sebastian inlet for more than 50 years: “Good morning,  Sebastian Inlet fishing friends. I hope everyone enjoyed the nice springtime weather last weekend! Expect similar weather all week long.

This report will be brief as the fishing was slow all weekend, based on my observations and what I heard from others. I believe the water temperature is still playing a big role in the lack of fishing action and the lack of any baitfish in the water. I was at the inlet both days over the weekend and not much was caught. At the south jetty in the early morning incoming tide there were several under slot snook caught on live mojarra, and a few redfish, which you still cannot keep.  At the tip on the outgoing tide, all I saw caught were smaller black margates on dead shrimp. I did hear about a couple of keeper flounder caught in the pocket area on the beachside of the jetty — live shrimp did the trick on them. And that was pretty much it.

 Back around the T-dock and cleaning station, there was a decent snook and redfish bite on Saturday, both tides, on live mojarra. One of my friends said she caught four nice redfish, (which you cannot keep because season is still closed), and three snook; one under slot, and two over slot. She returned on Sunday and in the same area caught a 31-inch slot snook on the very first cast! After that, only a couple under slots were caught. I didn't see much of anything else caught back here as the  T-dock is closed, and that is where we see the other species caught. 

The surf areas north of the north jetty and just south of the south jetty have been slow due to the cooler water temperatures, still at 73 degrees as of this writing, and the silted-up water. About the only thing I saw caught in these areas over the weekend were a couple of nurse and bonnet head sharks.

 

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Anyone who hit the beach today on South Hutchinson Island had to be impressed with the color of the water , especially if you were targeting pompano . I didn’t go any further north than Normandy beach but I did talk to a good friend of mine who stopped up by Ft Pierce and he saw the same “clean green “ that was further south . As far as results of the pompano contingency it seems there were some fish caught up and down the Island . I did not talk to anyone who had big numbers as far as the commercial group but there were fish put into the coolers . Since I’m still not in a position to throw my Over The Bar rods I targeted the whiting and croaker with my 7 foot short rods . They have been a bit scarce since our last wind event but today showed signs of this bite getting better also . There was lots of bait schools moving down the beach and the pelicans were everywhere on the bait pods . The croaker and whiting held to their trait of turning on as the high tide mark got closer because I never had a bite in the first hour . When they did start to chew they were no more than 5 to 10 yards from the edge of the surface. When the water is clean the drop off is easily visible and pitching the bait just past the inshore side of that first trough proved to be the zone . I started with a couple of whiting and then the croaker took over for the last hour . You never know what’s going to bite your Fishbite and small piece of shrimp as I had one hit that bent the rod over and took some drag . After a couple of minutes I saw some silver and put one nice pompano in the cooler . With the croaker starting to show the snook action should really heat up . Catch a smaller croaker and just liveline it in that near shore trough . The hot Fishbite color today was Orange Crab and the Snook Nook has a great supply . I had to leave a bit earlier than I wanted to but longtime friend , Chuck Frith , stayed and I’m sure he put together a Hutchinson Island Fish fry before leaving . The weather is getting warmer and the surf bite should be heating up too . I hope everyone has a great Easter weekend.

Sebastian Inlet Report With The Snookman

 “Hello there, all you Sebastian Inlet fans! I hope everyone enjoyed the weekend.  Fishing wasn't very good at the inlet (dismal at best), so, this report is brief. The water has remained at about 74 to 75 degrees, which is where it should be, but the water conditions at the inlet have been a train wreck. Brisk SSE winds and wind-fed surf muddied the water and spread seaweed everywhere.

Last weekend, it didn't matter where you fished: the water was nasty. And I didn't see any fish  caught except for a few small whiting and black margates caught at the south jetty. It was rough and wet out there, though, and few were fishing. On the south side, in the back,  I didn't see any fish being caught, either. While chatting with a fishing gal on Sunday, she said she caught three snook on live mojarra, two over slot and one under slot. And that was all the snook I heard about! Heck, even the boaters weren't catching anything. This week is going to be another iffy week with the weather and water conditions. Another front is expected on Tuesday,  bringing rain and brisker NNE (15 to 25 mph), as well as five to seven-foot seas by late Wednesday through Friday. So, if you are fishing at the inlet, the back should be your best bet. Like I have always said, I don't sugar coat anything to get you all to go fishing, I tell it like it is at the inlet. I love to see you all catch fish, but if the action isn’t good, I'll tell you. Have a great week!” — Snookman.

From Todd @ Juno Bait Crew-Juno Beach

 INSHORE-  The snook bite remains decent inshore, especially for those with a lot of time to dedicate to it.  During the day the snook will remain locked under boat docks and cruising seawalls in the Loxahatchee River and ICW.  A live mullet will be the top bait choice for the bigger snook during the day.  Rumor has it a few smaller baits (primarily pilchards) are showing up inshore.  The pilchards will also get a lot of bites; with a lot of the fish being on the smaller side.  At night docklights and bridges will be the best bet for the snook.  Around dockligts look for live shrimp, shrimp style lures, and smaller jigs and swimming plugs being a good choice.  Docklight fish are primarily eating small shrimp and glass minnows so keep the lures on the smaller side for the most bites.  Around the bridges the snook are biting jigs and swimbaits pretty good.  A handful of jacks around inshore, along with occasional tarpon as well.  

SURF/PIER-  Pompano reports remain fair to good depending on the day and spot: But, it sounds like the pomps are still stacked up pretty good down south, so the biggest push of fish is still to come.  North winds this weekend will likely hold them up a little longer, but don't be surprised to see a decent amount of fish around.  Early morning and late afternoon have been producing best on the beach, with the usual assortment of baits (FishBtes, sand fleas, clams, and fresh shrimp) all accounting for some catches.  The same baits have been producing a few pomps on the Juno Beach pier, but the bite does seem to be a bit better from the beach.  A handful of pomps coming over the rail on Doc's Goofy Jigs as well.  Still a few late season bluefish around, but they are starting to push back north pretty quick now.  A little early season bait (sardines and cigar minnows primarily) showing up around the pier will keep those bluefish around a bit longer.  A few smaller snook starting to show up around the Juno Beach Pier, though the cooler water does not have them biting fast and furious yet.  It's a slow bite on the snook, so be prepared to fish slow and patient.  With a little bait showing up around the Juno Beach Pier, it's about time to see a few kingfish come cruising through.  A long casting swimming plug (Rapala X-Rap, Yo-Zurl Mag Speed, or Yo-Zuri LC Minnow) is the best way to target the kingfish.     

From Todd @ Juno Bait Crew-Juno Beach

 

INSHORE-  Snook are around and continue to be the best bet for inshore fishing this weekend.  The seawall and bridges at night seem to be the most popular.  During the day a live mullet is top bait choice for a cruising snook or jack.   Flair Hawk Jigs and bigger swimbaits around the bridges remain your best bet for the Snook bite.  As we approach the second week in April the Snapper are replacing the Sheepshead.

SURF/PIER-  More and more pompano are showing up along the beach and pier. The croaker and whiting remain strong. Sandfleas, clams, and FishBites remain the baits of choice along the beach for the pomps.  Cut Bait and Docs Goofy Jigs are still the most popular tackle for them.  Bluefish continue to show at the pier, however; a long cast is needed.   Your best bet will be a Diamond jig, GT Ice Cream, or other long casting lure. Jacks have been showing up more and more as well.  The same lures bluefish like will generally get the jacks attention as well.  No real reports of Snook this week, however it's not impossible to see a few. 

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Snook-Nook Fishing Report

 

Inshore Fishing Report 

April is a prime time for inshore fishing in Stuart, Florida! As we get greeted with warmer water temperatures, we begin to see an abundance of baitfish and migratory species. Expect a variety of species to be active and hungry as water temperatures rise, making for some great action in both the St. Lucie & Indian Rivers. 

Snook: As temperatures rise, the Snook fishing heats up! We are beginning to see the number of fish caught increase by the week along with some more quality sized over slot fish making an appearance. As the water temperatures rise, we are seeing that they are more willing to feed on live baits such as Croakers, Pilchards, Threadfins and Mullet. For those fishing from a boat, seawalls in both the Indian and St. Lucie River have been very productive. Those fishing around the bridge fenders of the causeways have had some luck too. If you are fishing the fenders with live bait, don’t be afraid to snap on a heavier split shot to hold your bait down there when the current is strong. The live Croakers around the bridges are pretty tough to beat. You will also occasionally run into some Grouper mixed in with them. We haven’t seen too many Snook show up in the St. Lucie inlet yet, we should start seeing a few more of them push that way towards the end of the month and going into May. Those fishing dock lights at night have also been able to pick off some good numbers of fish. For those fishing from land, the Jensen Causeway has provided some action for anglers in the evenings fishing artificial shrimp such as Thumper Shrimp and Vudu Shrimp, paddle tails and live shrimp focusing on the shadow lines. Indian Riverside Park, Joe’s Point and the Ft. Pierce Inlet are also typically productive for those looking to target Snook this time of year. The Snook fishing will continue to improve as we get into the spring and approach their summertime spawn. 

Tarpon: While tarpon are still a little early to be widespread inshore, some early arrivals can be found. If you’re looking for Tarpon, focusing on the channels around the Stuart and Jensen Causeways will be one of your best bets. We typically have a better flow of crabs flowing through the bridges on the outgoing tide this time of year, but we really haven’t seen a lot yet. If you can get your hands on some crabs, that will be your best bait option, larger live mullet will work as well. There have been a lot of big jacks cruising the channels and hitting the seawalls if you’re looking for some screaming drag action as well. There have been some smaller Tarpon caught around the power plant, live baits or DOA Terror Eyz will get the job done on them. 

Pompano: Over the past few years, April has provided us our best inshore Pompano action of the year, especially on the Jensen Causeway east side relief bridge. There have been some flurries of Pompano caught there over the past few weeks, but not really any big numbers of fish. We have been seeing a trend of things being a little bit later this year, partially due to the fact that we actually had a winter this year with some consistent cold temperatures. We hope to see that Pompano bite pick up at the bridge here in the coming days! The chartreuse/orange and chartreuse/pink jigs with a pink or gold teaser have been a favorite for anglers jigging the bridge over the past few weeks. There have been a good amount of Pompano caught on the Sailfish flats with some bigger schools around, anglers have even been catching them fly fishing. We’ve heard about a lot of fish that are still to the south of us that will be migrating back north over the next few weeks.

Trout: The Trout fishing has remained productive for those targeting them. The better numbers of fish have been caught north of the power plant on both the east and west sides of the river. There have been Trout caught as far south as Joe’s Point just south of the Jensen Causeway as well. Targeting them with soft plastics such as DOA Cals, artificial shrimp, top waters or twitch baits will get the job done when you find yourself around them. For those looking to fish live baits, live shrimp on a popping cork is an effective strategy too. 

Misc: There have been some Triple Tail around, you can look for them on the crab trap floats as well as channel markers. You can typically spot the fish as you are cruising down the line of crab trap buoys and turn back around when you spot one and pitch them a live shrimp. Anglers have still been able to pick away at some Black Drum and Sheepshead around the bridges using live shrimp or fiddler crabs. We’ve had some bigger Bluefish and a few Spanish Mackerel still around, look for them around the inlet as well as around both the Jensen and Stuart Causeways. 

Sebastian Inlet Report With The Snookman

 

Winds and high seas hamper fishing, but snook are possible 

“Good morning, Sebastian Inlet fishing fans. I hope everyone had a great weekend — it was a bit windy, but nice. This report is brief  once again thanks to several days of gusty ESE winds, and big 5 to 6-foot seas, which wasn’t conducive to fishing, although there were some fish biting. And another reminder: When fishing the north side around the bridge, you ARE NOT permitted to fish anywhere on the rocks east of the fencing marked with the three "NO TRESSPASSING" signs. Also, anywhere along the rocks all the way out to the jetty, and you ARE NOT permitted to climb under the jetty at the beach/jetty point either; it is also marked with signage stating that entire area is designated a construction area. FWC will cite you for trespassing. It is for your safety. Thank you.

Now on to the fishing. It has been a little slow, but while I was down over the weekend, there was a fairly good snook bite for a change: most were small undersized, but plenty of them, and I did see several mid-slots taken as well.  

The snook bite was decent on sides of the inlet, and during both tides. There were a lot of shorts, but I did see several slots kept, and some oversized released. South jetty incoming tide,  use shrimp and threadfins; in the back, south side, mojarras, thumper shrimp jigs, and threadfins. The mojarra were plentiful. The hot spot in the back was by the T-dock and cleaning table, both tides. At the north side I saw several snook caught in the back where the mangroves start, along the rocks, incoming tide. Boaters were catching quite a few snook west of the bridge along the shoreline, which is inaccessible to shoreline anglers due to construction. Saturday was active;  the best I have seen in a few weeks! The north side baits were live threadfins and mojarra. That's pretty much it — I didn't see much of anything else being caught except for a few kitty fish, jacks and a couple of small nurse sharks. On a good note, the water is gradually warming up, (73 degrees as of this writing). With the easterly flow of winds, the water will continue to warm. The winds need to calm down and clean back up. That's all I have for now, guys and gals. Expect a great week all week with more seasonal spring-like weather — two to three-foot seas and lighter winds (no more than 15 to 25). Grab your gear, water, sunscreen and catch some fish!” —Snookman.