JULY 23, 2009
INSHORE - The inshore bite has been a little slow this week. The best time to try your luck has been from daylight until about 9am and from 6pm until dark. The trout bite has been the best action around with fish to 6 pounds being caught and they are taking top water baits. Try Bear Point or Harbor Branch. Still plenty of snapper along the channel edges if you can find shrimp big enough to fish with. Most of the fish have been from 1 to 3 pounds. The catch and release snook action and the tarpon remain good in the Ft. Pierce Inlet when you are fishing with live baits. Also, in the Inlet are schools of spanish mackerel and bonita. They have been following the schools of bait fish in and out with the tides. They will hit just about anything shinny.
OFFSHORE - I did have more reports of dolphin this week than last week. But, you can hardly say there is a good dolphin bite. Most of the fish were taken in 180 to 200 feet of water to the north of the Ft. Pierce Inlet and the fish ranged from 6 to 15 pounds. The kingfish bite has been steady in 40 to 70 feet of water for anglers trolling live baits. And, to the south there has been quite a few sailfish reported in 100 feet of water and they were taking ballyhoo. I also had reports of several wahoo in the 35 to 40 pound range and they were hitting baits that were fast trolled in 200 plus feet of water. There are steady reports about the snapper, triggerfish and seabass coming from over the reefs and wrecks. Along with cuda's, sharks and jacks.
BRAGGING BOARD - Last Friday I had 7 year old Tristan Euthler, his dad and grandpa on the boat with me. Tristan caught most of the fish -- 14. He had trout, ladyfish, jacks and snapper. He was visiting here from Abudhabi. I got 2 e-mails with pictures. Steve Gerwig sent one about the trip they had down at Marathon. He and the crew of the KNOT RITE fishing team -- Capt. Will & Marne Mizelle and Rick Johnson had a great catch to report -- a 40 pound cow. The 2nd e-mail came from Tom Vanderspool about the catch he and his crew made in 95 feet of water out of the Ft. Pierce Inlet. They had a 50 pound wahoo that hit a purple/black skirted ballyhoo at 7:10am. They also had 2 dolphin, 5 cuda's and a sailfish that hit a live sardine on 15 pound test line. Not a bad day of fishing.
If you would like to report a catch you can e-mail me at cward11605@aol.com or call me at 772-201-5770. You can also reach me on the web at www.captjoeward.com
Capt. Joe Ward
Capt. Joe's River Charters