JUNE 19, 2008
INSHORE - The inshore fishing is still a little slow during the daylight hours but, with the full moon this week you can look for good action at night. Try finding a lighted dock in the area for the catch and release snook and also for trout. Try free lining a greenie or shrimp just inside the shadows of the light. Also, good reports of snapper along the channel edges as well as around the bridges and in the Ft. Pierce Inlet. Small white baits or small live shrimp will work just fine. The daytime action has been OK at first light for trout on top water baits. The area of Big Mud Creek seems to be producing the bigger fish from 4 to 7 pounds with a lot of fish in the 2 to 4 pound range. If you are looking for redfish you will need to look shallow and you will need to make accurate casts to the fish. Try using a soft plastic baits or a piece of cut bait like a ladyfish. There are still schools of spanish mackerel and bonita working the bait schools in the Ft. Pierce Inlet and in the Turning Basin. Try your luck with a small silver spoon.
OFFSHORE - There has not been much of a change since last week but, we expect that this time of the year. There is a lot of action one day and slow the next. I'm still getting a lot of sailfish reports and the fish have been in 95 to 125 feet of water and taking naked ballyhoo. The dolphin bite slowed way down with the only fish being reported this week coming from 125 to 350 and they have been scattered at best. Most of the fish were schoolie size -- 4 to 7 pounds. I did have reports of bigger dolphin but they came from the other side of the Gulfstream. The kingfish bite has been steady along the beaches in 20 to 50 feet of water and a live bait has been your best bet. Mots of the kings have been in the 12 to 18 pound range. We did have several cobia come into the docks this week and they were caught in 90 feet of water on a live bait. The snapper fishing at night has been good for anglers fishing the 50 foot reef and chumming hard to attract the snapper. Most of the fish reported were in the 4 to 8 pound range.
CENTRAL FLORIDA OFFSHORE FISHING CLUB - The CFOFC held their monthly offshore tournament this past weekend out of the Dockside Inn in Ft. Pierce. Members of the club fished offshore on Saturday and brought back a number of fish. The reports were that they had fish from 50 out to 1100 feet of water. Alan Wilcox caught a 25.6 pound dolphin along with 9 more smaller ones. Bobby Thorlton on the Buckfin just missed out on first place when he weighed in a 25 pound cobia. Other members brought back kings to weigh.
1st place - Alan Wilcox - 25.6 pound dolphin
2nd place - Bobby Thorlton - 25 pound cobia
3rd place - Hal Kersey - 17 pound king
4th place - Dave Tindell - 15.7 pound king
5th place - Wally Schultz - 11.9 pound dolphin
6th place - Jesse Perez - 11.5 pound king
BRAGGING BOARD - Teen Angler - Kalib Guttler caught and released a snook at Taylor Creek Spillway that was a personal best for him. Kalib didn't take the time to weigh the fish but he estimated it to be about 25 pounds. He caught it on a Yo-zuir 3-D minnow in the black.gold pattern. I got an e-mail from Linda Glass about a catch they made on June 14th out of the St. Lucie Inlet. She reported that Doug Poole, Valerie Mercer, Jeremy Glass & Chris Bowen -- all of Port St. Lucie caught a 7 & 1/2 foot sailfish in 80 feet of water. They caught the sail on a live greenie and were fishing on the boat -- Love To Fish. I got an e-mail from Nicole Hamm stating that on her 1st offshore trip she caught a 30 pound jack in 100 feet of water out of the St. Lucie Inlet. She was also on board the Love To Fish and they were drifting live greenie's when she caught the jack. On Friday -- David Wagner caught a 34 pound dolphin in 114 feet of water out of the Ft. Pierce Inlet. He caught him on a blue/white/pink Islander with a ballyhoo. This was a personal best for David. He was fishing on the Boatacious with Rick & Trae Sorensen and family friend Brad. They are members of the Old Salts from St. Pete and visit Ft. Pierce each year for a week of our good 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