July is about catch and release snook. Snook season is closed until September and these fish are spawning off our beaches and in the inlets. I use heavy tackle and only circle hooks on my lures to get these fish off really quick. I also use number 6 circle hooks on my LIVETARGET swim baits and Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow. I use 50-pound braid and an 8-foot spinning rod to get them to shore and release them quick. These fish like to fish at first light on the beach and also at dark. Snook will be right at your feet so you don’t have to cast really far, merely a few feet in front of you. Look for an incoming tide and some waves—two to three feet is good. Flat days aren’t so good; you need that milky color water. Best beaches for snook are Bathtub Beach, Walton Rocks, Hobe Sound and Sebastian Inlet.
Tarpon are here and they can be tricky to catch off the beach. If you put in your time you can land one. Before sunrise is a great time to get one to bite. Night time is the best time. Live bait pilchards are tarpon candy. LIVETARGET Lures makes a great looking swim bait that looks like one. add a number 6 circle hook to the bottom of the lure. Walton Rocks north holds a lot of bait so look for some flipping bait in the surf right before sunrise and look for rolling fish. Night time, go to the inlets on an outgoing tide and throw right into the current and bring it back slow. Two days before the full moon is great, as well as a week after.
Redfish can be caught on the flats on live shrimp or any soft rubber bait that looks like a shrimp or mullet. Fish the docks around the power lines in Fort Pierce and walk to each dock slow and pitch your baits close to the dock. Redfish like holes. You will get snook, redfish, trout, flounder and more by just taking your time fishing the docks slow. Incoming tide is the best time. Take a kid fishing and enjoy the Fourth. Tight lines.
FORECAST BY: Chris Sharp
Beachwalker Guide Service
Phone: (772) 475-8412
Email: beachwalker32@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/BeachwalkerGuideService
