August 23, 2007
INSHORE - The inshore fishing has remained steady even with all the wind. The trout bite has been about the best thing going with fish from 2 to 7 pounds reported this week. Try fishing in 3 to 5 feet of water and get out there early. The bite has pretty much been over by 8:30am. Right at day light try a top water bait and then switch to a live shrimp and fish it under a popping cork. The catch and release snook bite has also been steady up on the flats with fish to 27 inches being reported. They have been taking the same baits as the trout. And, as most of you know snook season opens up on September 1st. Just remember than the slot size is now 28 to 32 inches and now you are only allowed 1 snook per person per day. The snapper bite continues to be steady along the channel edges, around the local bridges and in the Ft. Pierce Inlet. The snapper have been taking live shrimp or white baits and the bite has been steady as long as the water has been moving. I did get a report of a good snapper bite late in the afternoon at the North Bridge in Ft. Pierce. The jacks are every where and are taking just about anything you throw at them. Also, plenty of ladyfish up on the flats to keep you busy.
OFFSHORE - The offshore bite has slowed down the last two days due to the wind but before that there have been good reports of fish being caught. The sailfish bite continues to remain steady with fish in as close as 41 feet and out as deep as 120 feet. The kingfish bite is about the best thing going with fish from 15 to 31 pounds being reported this week. The fish have been anywhere from 30 to 70 feet of water and taking a live blue runner. Still a few cobia around in that same are and they have been taking live baits also. The dolphin have been scattered from 40 foot out to 350 feet. I did get a report of some 20 pounder's on Monday. Last Friday and Saturday we had several dolphin come into the docks but most were 15 pounds or under. The tarpon are still rolling at the Boils early in the morning and just before dark. Most of the fish have had lock jaw. The bottom fishing for snapper, grouper and seabass has been good. Most of the grouper have been 25 pounds and under and they have been taking live baits. The snapper have been from 5 to 11 pounds and taking both live and chunk baits. The seabass have been taking just about anything you offer them. The schools of jacks, spanish mackerel and bonita coming in the Ft. Pierce Inlet on the incoming tide has slowed way down. I did see a few schools of spanish while I was out on Monday and Tuesday.
TEEN ANGLERS - The first inshore Teen Angler tournament took place last Sunday at Jaycee Park in Ft. Pierce. The two fish of the day were he mangrove snapper and the trout. In the middle school division 1st place went to Tyler Serio of Lincoln Park Academy and 2nd place went to Chad Merrill of Southport K - 8.. There was no fish weighed for 3rd place. In the high school division 1st place and also biggest fish of the tournament went to Jordan Martinez of Westwood High for his trout. 2nd place went to David Brasher of the Florida Learning Center and 3rd place went to Jason Horn of Melbourne High. Our next inshore tournament is scheduled for September 23rd. If you would like more info on joining Teen Anglers or if you have a boat and would like to volunteer to take a Teen fishing just go to the web at www.teenanglers.org. You can also call 772-201-5770.
BRAGGING BOARD - Last Thursday Gary Reed caught a 6 & 1/2 foot sailfish in 41 feet of water. They were fishing between 10-A and 12-A buoys. Gary caught the sailfish on a Billy Bait Turbo Slammer. On Friday Dustin Reed -- age 16 caught a 62 pound cobia while fishing to the south of the Boils at the Power Plant. Dustin was fishing a live blue runner on a kite with 17 pound test line. The fish hit about 2:30pm and it took him 45 minutes to land the fish. Capt. Stephen Reed was responsible for leading his brother and nephnew to these catches. On Monday Jay Sizemore caught 2 dolphin weighing 20 pounds in 40 feet of water to the south of the Ft. Pierce Inlet. They were caught on live greenies. Jesse Pfeiffer caught several snapper around the North Bridge. He was using white baits and live shrimp.
If you would like to report a catch you can call me at 772-201-5770 or you can e-mail me at cward11605@aol.com. You can also reach me on the web at www.captjoeward.com.
Capt. Joe Ward
Capt. Joe's River Charters.
