Spring time has arrived and the fishing has finally turned on with bait showing up on the flats, beaches, and outside the inlet. This makes nearshore fishing very popular as we see lots of action along the shallow reefs and wrecks.
The cobia bite continues with sharks hanging out at the Sandpile, Gilberts Shoal, and Culverts. Simply chum the sharks and pitch some weighted baitfish under them.
Some spring-time tarpon can be cruising the beaches near Peck Reef or off Jensen Beach early morning. We usually flat-line live greenies or mullet while casting Yo-Zuri Crank baits and Hogy’s.
There can also be some big jacks chasing bait just outside the inlet which can be lots of fun throwing top-water plugs spin or fly fishing. Just look for birds outside the inlet with fish feeding below them and be ready to chase them as they like to move very fast.
The snook are not typically showing up at the inlet yet, but it’s always worth a try at the rock jetty’s with snook season is still open until end of May. If they’re not showing up at the inlet yet, we target the causeways, seawalls, docks, and mangrove shorelines pitching baitfish or artificials such as D.O.A. Shrimp, Giles~Jigs, and Rapala Twitch Minnows.
There can still be some pompano on the Sailfish Flats for some fun wade-fishing. We park at the Sandbar and walk north in knee deep water looking for some potholes or grassy areas holding pompano and other species. We prefer outgoing tide in the morning or late afternoons.
When starting your trips, always have a cast net ready as soon as you get to the boat ramp because you can often find pilchards or finger mullet schooled up at the boat ramps or nearby. With daylight savings, we currently have a later sunrise giving you a little more time to find that early-morning bait.
At the dock-lights and bridge-shadow-line, snook have been feeding more. For some evening fun cast Micro Minnow flies and Bomber Crankbaits. As the summer moves in, be ready for some early morning tarpon fishing. And as the weather warms up, an early morning trip to Okeechobee can be fun fishing the snake grass of Buckhead Ridge or the reeds and ledges near Slims Fish Camp.
FORECAST BY: Capt. Giles Murphy
Stuart Angler Bait & Tackle
(772) 288–1219
www.stuartangler.com
giles@stuartangler.com
Fishing Charters: (772) 475–4857
