MAY 29, 2008
INSHORE - The inshore bite has picked up some from last week. I have been getting good reports of trout from 2 to 6 pounds being caught from Bear Point down to the Middle Cove and at daylight and use a top water bait. To the north the reports about redfish are still coming in with a lot of fish being sighted but, only a few are being caught and most of them were caught on cut bait. Start up around Round Island and work your way south -- most of the fish have been in less than 1 foot of water. The snook fishing has not been red hot but a few fish have been caught along the docks of South Indian River Drive for the anglers who were throwing a live shrimp or pinfish. Most of the keeper snook are coming from the Ft. Pierce Inlet and being caught on live baits fished on the falling tide. I also had reports of some nice snapper from 1 to 3 pounds being caught on small white baits around the local bridges.
OFFSHORE - Over the holiday weekend the offshore fishing was slow for some anglers and red hot for others. The best bite seemed to be the kingfish along the beaches in 20 to 40 feet of water. The kings were hitting on live baits and the best bait was a live mullet. Most of the kingfish weighed in were from 12 to 20 pounds with a few bigger fish mixed in. The dolphin were scattered with reports coming from 85 to 300 feet of water. Most of the dolphin were caught on naked ballyhoo and the most of the fish were in the 12 to 30 pound range. We had several small wahoo come into the docks and they were caught in 180 feet of water. We had more sailfish releases than anything else -- other than bonita -- and they were caught in 100 feet of water to the south of the Ft. Pierce Inlet. There are still a good number of spanish mackerel along the beaches and in the Ft. Pierce Inlet and all you need is a small silver spoon and to look for the birds. The bottom fishing for snapper and grouper over the reefs and wrecks has been steady for anglers who were chumming heavy and fishing with cut baits
BRAGGING BOARD - I had a couple of e-mails from Shane Barber about several catches from his boat Lap Dancer. On May 21st Brian Fogal caught his 1st dolphin and it weighed in at 46 pounds. He caught it out of the Ft. Pierce Inlet in 160 feet of water. On May 23rd Melanie Barber caught her 1st grouper and it weighed in at 43 pounds. She caught it in 180 feet of water on a Shimano butterfly jig. Also, Joe Kirk, Tim & Rob Wigglesworth went offshore for the 1st time and caught a 55 pound amberjack. They also caught the fish in 120 feet of water on a butterfly jig. Not a bad way to start off your offshore fishing career!
If you would like to report a catch you can e-mail me at cward11605@aol.com or you can 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
