Stuart Offshore Fishing Report and Forecast: July 2014

[dropcap]J[/dropcap]uly is here, and the fireworks for Independence Day aren’t the only things going off. Great fishing and calmer weather can be found from coast to coast this month, the Treasure Coast to the Bahamas coast. Cruise the local beaches and near shore wrecks looking for tarpon, jacks, snook and permit.

I use a 7-foot 12-25 lb. Blackfin spinning rod with a 40lb. to 60lb. fluorocarbon leader and a 5/0, 6/0 or 7/0 circle hook. Toss or slow troll live bait fish in front of schools of migrating game fish for almost guaranteed action. Live crabs or big shrimp, either on small jigs or free lined alone on long light fluorocarbon leader, will continue to provide your best shots at the permit. As we move out onto the reef, big kingfish and the occasional cobia will take up most of the mid to top water action being caught on live baits and drifting sardines, with mutton snapper, red snapper (which is open the last three Friday, Saturday, and Sundays this month) and grouper providing good action down on the bottom. Longer leaders, live baits and patience will get you the larger fish, while chicken rigs and squid will keep the more easily distracted anglers busy.

On the rip you’ll continue to see some dolphin, sails, blackfin tuna and the occasional wahoo. Trolling skirted ballyhoo along weed lines, color changes, and bottom contour is a good way to search for your dinner and save some fuel. Running and gunning from piece of float to piece of float or bird to bird will pay off well too, but with fuel at almost $5.00 a gallon, expect it to be a pretty expensive fish dinner. Moving out to the deep you’ll see some of the best day and night time sword fishing the year offers. Big fish are often caught during the day and night time sometimes providing bites in the double-digits from smaller, but still nice sized fish. Even though June was a little bit of a letdown with the yellowfin tuna, don’t give up on them. Over the last few years July has been one of the best months for tuna. Using a quality radar we can mark a single bird over four miles away, and packs of birds over six miles away. This is an aggressive style of fishing where you’re always in the hunt and often right in the middle of the action; yellowfin tuna fishing off the coast of Stuart is one of my favorite things to do. On 50 to 80 pound tackle, troll cedar plugs, ballyhoo with sea witches and other proven tuna baits way back behind the boat and wait for your own fireworks to take place.

Don’t forget, the Bahamas are only a couple hours away and worlds apart. My family and I just spent a few days at Blue Marlin Cove in West End and had a great family vacation. Snorkeling, fishing, and relaxing in a beautiful, clean, resort marina with a great friendly staff. We can’t wait to get back there when lobster season opens back up next month. It was definitely Off the Chain!