The near-shore waters of the Atlantic and Sebastian Inlet are the focal point for most Sebastian area anglers in the month of July. There are the kingfish, cobia, bonito and jack crevalle within a couple miles of the beach. The Spanish mackerel, bonito and jacks can provide fast paced run and gun options when they are breaking on bait pods. The little tunny (bonito) have been gorging themselves with glass minnows every morning and will usually hit a small diving plug ripped through the feeding frenzy. When the surface is not boiling with frenzied action, slow trolling live bait is a great way to cover some ground and get connected to a large specimen of one of the above mentioned species. Slow trolling live mullet and greenies is a proven method to catch kings pushing 40 pounds and anything else prowling the nearshore waters. Dolphin and cobia also move into small boat range of Sebastian Inlet and can be slow-trolled up or cast to when sighted around floating weeds or basking turtles.
Sebastian Inlet is a great place to find action from redfish and snook in July. Live bait is the way to go during the day and pigfish, croakers or pinfish, can pay off in the form of photos of oversized reds and snook. Night fishing is cooler and easier, as inlet predators will take artificial lures after dark.
Look for snook of all sizes along the shorelines of the lagoon, especially around docks and oyster bars. Topwater plugs, jerk baits and D.O.A. shrimp are all good bets for fishing snook around cover. Trout can be found scattered around in troughs on the flats and around deeper water structure. One thing I have some success within the summer when I can’t get in the ocean, is drifting open water casting jigs and plugs for anything that bites, such as ladyfish, jacks, and blues. When we catch a ladyfish, I put it out on a steel leader and let it drag behind the boat for shark. It is amazing, how quickly the sharks find the struggling ladyfish. Most are bull sharks from 50 to 100 pounds and are released without attempting to bring in the boat.
The Sebastian River should continue to provide a tarpon fishing options. Hooking several juvenile tarpon is an achievable goal most mornings on D.O.A. Terror-Eyz, flies and live bait.
Tight lines!
FORECASTY BY: Capt. Gus Brugger
(772) 360-6787
www.WelcomeToSebastian.com
