Summer is almost upon us. It’s good to see so many friends and new friends out in the boat. The heat of summer will be here soon. Water temperatures are on the rise. April was a little windier this year than years past. Look for May to provide calmer and warmer conditions lots around the Treasure Coast!
This is the last month until the September opener to take a snook home for dinner. The fish will be transitioning to their summer spawning areas throughout the month of May. Deeper cuts around the mangroves and bridges should hold a good number of fish. In the early hours the fish will be laid up shallow transitioning to deeper water as the sun gets higher. This is a great time to target snook with surface lures. Skitterwalks, jumping minnows, and Zara Spooks are all great options for topwater action when targeting snook.
This is a great month to target “gator” trout as well. The same tactics you would use for shallow snook work for the big trout as well. Everyone has their own definition of what a true “gator” trout should be. Personally, for me, if it’s not over 30 inches, it’s a good one, but not a gator. PLEASE!! Handle these fish with extreme care and practice catch and release on these big girls. They’re not nearly as prevalent as they used to be, and we need to keep as many of them in the river as possible.
The bridges, docks, and channel markers will all hold good numbers of snapper as the water temps start to warm in to the 80s. Live shrimp on a knocker rig will keep the rods bent all day. Live mojarras or frozen sardines will cut the number of bites in half but the size of your fish will be much bigger.
FORECAST BY: Capt. Adam White
(609) 820-6257
www.stlucieflatsfishing.com
