September 1 starts snook season and although the snook bite has been off most of the summer, it should pick up as the waters warm up. The beaches around Sebastian Inlet to the north in Melbourne Beach have had unusually cold waters for almost the last two months and it has slowed the snook bite dramatically. With surface temps at 71- 75 degrees, the water on the bottom is much cooler. The fish are there, but the numbers of snook that are willing to eat a bait is way down. Anglers fishing in boats and shore bound anglers can fish both the north and south jetties day and night. Daytime outgoing tide is good to fish the tips of both jetties with bait and at night, anglers in boats will drift the fenders under the bridge with live bait or troll Rapala Super Shad raps along the fenders for snook. Anglers fishing from the jetties and catwalk at night will be fishing bucktail jigs and Hogy lures from 1 1/2oz to 2 oz. Guys throwing hard baits use Rapala XRap 14 in mullet, hot pink or bunker and Hogy Lures fished on a 2oz jighead. While snook will be the main target this month, anglers will also have a lot of fun catching the big reds and big jack crevalle using the same techniques.
The mullet run is looking like it will start a little early this year. Anglers can follow the fish along the beaches from Melbourne Beach south to Vero Beach. Tarpon, sharks, snook, kingfish and cobia can be caught in the schools of mullet with live baits and artificial lures. I like to rig the mullet on a 7-9/0 VMC tournament circle hook from 4’ of 60- 80lb leader or you can use a short piece of wire just before the hook to prevent break offs. Artificial anglers can use the Hogy Paddle Tail baits, Rapala XRap 14 lures or DOA Bait busters around the bait schools with good success also.
If you are looking for smaller tarpon and more big snook, look no further than the creeks from Sebastian to Melbourne this month. Look for tarpon rolling and fish live finger mullet or greenies on a 5/0 VMC circle hook. Artificial anglers can use DOA Terror Eyz in Rootbeer or Avocado Red Glitter and work them slow around the rolling fish. The docks in all of the creeks also hold good numbers of snook that can be fished with live bait, subsurface plugs or DOA Shrimp in Glow/Gold Glitter.
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