We definitely need a change of pace from the long hot summer and the opening of snook season is just what we need. The equipment is ready to go: reels are lubricated, spools have fresh braid, fluorocarbon leader tied on, hooks are sharp, cast nets mended and favorite spots are looking good.
Plenty of snook were caught and released the last couple weeks from the inlet to the backwaters of the St. Lucie River. More and more finger mullet are showing up in the rivers and it seems like in the Indian River Lagoon the bait never left the summer heat. Snook will be in the troughs at the beach crashing bait along with tarpon, sharks, jacks and early arrival of bluefish. Match the hatch with D.O.A. Bait Busters and Storm Swim baits in the mullet pattern.
A lot of the snook have already pushed back into the North and South Forks of the St. Lucie. When the finger mullet show up west of the Ten Cent Bridge, the action gets red hot in the St. Lucie. The Roosevelt Bridge has had resident big fish all summer and they are ready to gorge themselves on the mullet as they come through the bridge pilings and dock lines. Free line mullet around the docks or drop a lip hooked mullet on a jig around the bridges for some rod bending action. Work the shadow lines at night with big plugs like Bombers or Flair Hawks for snook action and tarpon that will wait for bait on the edge of the lights.
Back into the Indian River Lagoon, the trout bite has been good early and a top water plug placed on the edge of the bait schools will get their attention. I fished a couple times with my buddy Marty in Fort Pierce and the redfish bite was incredible every time we fished. Most of the fish were solid upper slot and bigger. The Blind Creek area has been consistent with nice redfish on the higher tides fishing the mangroves with D.O.A. Shrimp.
Got a suggestion for you, try the new Wiley X sunglasses designed for fisherman. Guarantee you’ll like them. Until next month….
FORECAST BY: Capt. John Young
Bites On Guide Service
Snook, Trout, Redfish, Tarpon, Kingfish
Phone: (772) 708-3593
Email: snoooky12@yahoo.com