As the heat turns on in July, so does the fishing! This time of year is great for fishing the coastline for big jacks, snook, and tarpon with nice calm seas. First of all, let’s find some bait!
Live pilchards can be caught cast-netting along the beach in the clear water three to ten miles north of the inlet. Simply look for diving birds. Casting sabiki rigs can be easier at the Sandpile and Bullshark Barge to catch greenies and sardines. Once we get bait, it’s time to find some fish.
One great method is slow-trolling those baitfish outside the inlet. Try a 1-ounce weighted fish-finder rig with 7-feet of 50-pound leader. The tarpon are currently all over the keys, and should be showing up here in July, around four to seven a.m. at the inlet and crossroads. Big silver mullet are the best baits for the silver kings rigged without weights. One good method is a butterfly cut mullet 12-inch rigged with a 6/0 hook through the nose. Free-line it down current at the inlet or under the bridges keeping just slight tension to feel the bite. After it drifts 100-to-200 feet back, reel it back up current medium slow for a possible retrieve bite.
The inshore bite has been tough with the runoff water caused by endless rainfall this spring. The best bite inshore has been in the Indian River, not the St. Lucie River with its runoff. Some trout and redfish can be caught along the flats casting “Giles Jigs” and 3/8-ounce D.O.A. C.A.L. jigs in chartreuse and white. Despite the freshwater runoff, some juvenile tarpon always show up in July at Lighthouse Point and the Roosevelt Bridge. Early morning, throwing D.O.A. Terror Eyz at the tarpon rolling at Lighthouse Point can pay off. Rootbeer and Clear Holographic are my favorite colors for them. Early morning or evening with incoming tide can get the tarpon feeding at the smaller Roosevelt car bridge. Yo-Zuri crank baits work well.
Keep on the lookout for the up-wellings that push the bottom bite closer in along the wrecks and structure three miles out of the St. Lucie Inlet. Dropping sardine strips on three-ounce fish finder rigs never fails.
Enjoy your 4th of July everybody!
FORECAST BY: Capt. Giles Murphy
Stuart Angler Bait & Tackle
(772) 288 – 1219
www.stuartangler.com
giles@stuartangler.com
Fishing Charters – (772) 475–4857
