[dropcap]B[/dropcap]ait! Bait! It is the start of the bait run! Mullet schools will start to show up all along the beaches and the river. This will be happening all the way until November. This is the best time to be a land based fisherman. Look for the bait schools along the beach and be the first there and you will have no problem catching some really big fish! Tarpon well over 100 pounds! Big jacks up to 40 pounds will be crushing the mullet. Big female snook will be off the spawn and getting ready to fatten up. Sharks will be in the mix and they will not be shy. You will not get a lot of sleep because fishing will be hot all day and night. First it will be finger mullet and then big mullet up to 12 inches. You catch the bait right there no, need to buy, you will have more than plenty. Get a nice cast net and start throwing to get a bucket full. You can use all types of hard baits that look like mullet. My favorite is the Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow in black and silver. Use heavy leader 80-pound at the least. These fish will be big, no time to go light or you won’t land them. Sixty-five-pound braid tied to a 5500 spinning reel with an 8-foot rod will be what you need. Follow the schools and you will have no problem catching fish. Fort Pierce Inlet will start the run and every beach along the way will produce. Walton Rocks, Tiger Shores, Hobe Sound, Stuart, and Bathtub Beach will be hot. Don’t miss out—gear up and learn to throw a cast net. Bridges and catwalks will be great places to. Tight lines! Remember the Happy Bait Snook Tournament is September 4th. For more info, visit the Happy Bait Snook Tournament page on Facebook.
