[dropcap]W[/dropcap]ith the summer coming to an end the fishing should start improving for the inshore anglers. September, as you well know, is the start of snook season and it should be good with plenty of action coming from places like the Fort Pierce Inlet, the local bridges and the grass flats. For the inlet and bridges, try a live pinfish, pigfish or a white bait and fish it on the bottom. It will need a heavy weight in the inlet – 6- to 8-ounces, a 40-pound fluorocarbon leader, about 3-feet long, and a good 5/0 hook. Around the bridges use the same set up but use a light weight – 1- to 2-ounces. Try free lining the mentioned baits on the flats and around the docks will be your best bet. If it is trout you are looking for, try places like Bear Point, Queen’s Cove or the flats to the north of Harbor Branch. The tackle is simple – a live shrimp fished on a #6 Kale hook or under a popping cork. The redfish bite should still be good for anglers fishing around the mangroves on the high tide. Try a piece of ladyfish or a crab on a 2/0 hook with a 20-pound fluorocarbon leader and a small split shot, which should be plenty of weight. The snapper should still be active along the channel edges both to the north and south in the Intracoastal. Use a live shrimp or a small white bait and a small bottom rig with a #2 hook and a half-to-a one-ounce weight with a 15- to 20-pound fluorocarbon leader. Make sure the leader is at least three feet long – the longer the better.
Capt. Joe Ward has been fishing the inshore waters of Fort Pierce for over 50 years. He provides guided fishing charters on the Indian River Lagoon in Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Jensen Beach, Port St. Lucie and Stuart, Florida. In his "spare time", Capt. Joe and his wife Cammie dedicate their time to running Capt. Joe's Bait & Tackle (located on the Fort Pierce Inlet at the Dockside Inn and Resort) and Treasure Coast Casters, a 501(c)(3) that teaches youth about fishing and the importance of marine conservation. To reach Capt. Joe, call (772) 201-5770 or visit his website.