07-01-2004, 02:02 PM
Yes, summer is here. It’s hot, muggy and afternoon thunderstorms are a sure bet. Water temps in shallow water will reach a staggering 91 degrees at midday. I know if I were a fish, I’d be out of there and looking for deep, cool water or serious shade. If you want to catch fish, get out early. Five to nine a.m. is the time for surf fishing and in the grass flats in the river. In the evening, near 7 p.m. and throughout the night is another good time. You can catch fish in the afternoon, but it’s going to be in deeper water (around the bridges and in the channels).
Starting with the surf, whiting and croaker will be in the first trough. A small piece of shrimp or squid on a small jighead works great. No big pompano rods needed here. Your basic river set-up is a 6-7 foot rod with 10 lb. test and that’s all you need. Don’t forget, with all the whiting in close, the snook and tarpon will be too, looking for an easy meal. If you want to have some fun, throw out a live whiting on a 20 lb. mainline with 8 feet of 60 lb. leader using a circle hook. Odds are you will hook up a snook or tarpon within an hour (probably less). When casting lures or jigs, remember to crimp the barbs down for an easy release. Snook season is closed until September 1st, so let’s release them all in good shape. The blues action will be spotty, hitting spoons near dark.
Offshore, the dolphin will be scattered inside 150’. Look for cobia and kingfish hanging around large bait schools anywhere from 30-60 feet. The bait schools should be really thick in July, so you won’t have to go far to get your limit of live bait. Just a few days ago, off the House of Refuge in 34 feet, we witnessed greenie schools that were solid to 20 feet deep. My bottom machine was registering only 14 feet because the bait was so thick. With these conditions a mere 5-10 minutes using a sabiki rig is all it will take to load your live well. Remember not to overload the well. Twenty baits should be more than enough. It also helps to use a hook remover and pull the drain plug every half hour to remove scales that settle to the bottom. Sailfish will be around all summer. Just about all the sailfish that I’ve caught in the past on my pontoon have been in the summer months when the seas are “boater-friendly”. Look for plenty of bonita and cudas inside 6 miles. There are also plenty of sharks to steal that nice snapper or grouper that you had bound for the grill.
Inside the inlets and rivers, snook will be spawning, so release them all unharmed. We’ve had a great snook season this year and it’s due to anglers respecting the regulations and releasing fish in good shape. Tarpon will be scattered, but look in the Crossroads to the Quarter Bridge, Nettles Island area and around Big and Little Mud Creeks, as well as up in the St. Lucie River near the hospital dock and around Club Med in the North Fork. Again, the early morning hours produce the best results. Live baits, DOA Baitbusters and terrorize top the list for tarpon. Tripletail will be in full swing in July. During the day, fish channel markers covering a 20-foot radius starting with a DOA C.A.L. lure. As you work closer, switch to live or DOA shrimp on the bottom, right next to the piling. Just be ready when he hits, because that guy’s going to be mad and do his best to wrap you around the piling. If you’re anchored, you need to release the anchor as quickly as possible and get that fish away from the structure. The reward is well worth the effort. The first week of June, on Catch 22, we caught 9 tripletail running between 8-17 lbs., so be prepared for a half-hour fight if fishing 10-lb. test like I do. The trout bite will be great all summer long. Just fish low light hours or hit the private, lighted docks at night, tossing DOA’s glo shrimp or live shrimp. The redfish seem to be keeping north, starting around Midway Road on the west and Bear Point on the east. Soft rubber baits and gold spoons top the bait list, but don’t hesitate to try a DOA rootbeer crab. If your only opportunity to fish happens to be in the afternoon, take it. Just fish deep in the inlets and channels or under bridges where you can find 10 feet or more that will hold snook, jacks, flounder and more. Channels running east and west, like AA Marina, Indian Riverside Park and Sundance Marine in Jensen Beach should hold some nice trout in the afternoon. An extra 4 ft. of water works wonders when the water temps rise.
Water conditions are the best I’ve seen in a long time. Last week we could see bottom in 20 feet inside the St. Lucie Inlet while some offshore reefs in 40 feet were visable. Lot’s of bait around. Even way up in the St. Lucie river, salinity levels are high which will hold more species than normal. Last summer started out great, but once they started dumping from the Lake in September, conditions really turned sour. Let’s hope for the best this year. Lots of media attention to the problem and the concerted effort of various angling groups seem to be having positive results. Let’s keep it up! I still plan on starting offshore trips with a new 25’ Parker near the end of the year. Can hardly wait!
Remember, the sun is brutal in July, so use plenty of sunscreen, drink plenty of water and stay in the shade when possible. Good luck and good fishing!!
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436
[signature]
Starting with the surf, whiting and croaker will be in the first trough. A small piece of shrimp or squid on a small jighead works great. No big pompano rods needed here. Your basic river set-up is a 6-7 foot rod with 10 lb. test and that’s all you need. Don’t forget, with all the whiting in close, the snook and tarpon will be too, looking for an easy meal. If you want to have some fun, throw out a live whiting on a 20 lb. mainline with 8 feet of 60 lb. leader using a circle hook. Odds are you will hook up a snook or tarpon within an hour (probably less). When casting lures or jigs, remember to crimp the barbs down for an easy release. Snook season is closed until September 1st, so let’s release them all in good shape. The blues action will be spotty, hitting spoons near dark.
Offshore, the dolphin will be scattered inside 150’. Look for cobia and kingfish hanging around large bait schools anywhere from 30-60 feet. The bait schools should be really thick in July, so you won’t have to go far to get your limit of live bait. Just a few days ago, off the House of Refuge in 34 feet, we witnessed greenie schools that were solid to 20 feet deep. My bottom machine was registering only 14 feet because the bait was so thick. With these conditions a mere 5-10 minutes using a sabiki rig is all it will take to load your live well. Remember not to overload the well. Twenty baits should be more than enough. It also helps to use a hook remover and pull the drain plug every half hour to remove scales that settle to the bottom. Sailfish will be around all summer. Just about all the sailfish that I’ve caught in the past on my pontoon have been in the summer months when the seas are “boater-friendly”. Look for plenty of bonita and cudas inside 6 miles. There are also plenty of sharks to steal that nice snapper or grouper that you had bound for the grill.
Inside the inlets and rivers, snook will be spawning, so release them all unharmed. We’ve had a great snook season this year and it’s due to anglers respecting the regulations and releasing fish in good shape. Tarpon will be scattered, but look in the Crossroads to the Quarter Bridge, Nettles Island area and around Big and Little Mud Creeks, as well as up in the St. Lucie River near the hospital dock and around Club Med in the North Fork. Again, the early morning hours produce the best results. Live baits, DOA Baitbusters and terrorize top the list for tarpon. Tripletail will be in full swing in July. During the day, fish channel markers covering a 20-foot radius starting with a DOA C.A.L. lure. As you work closer, switch to live or DOA shrimp on the bottom, right next to the piling. Just be ready when he hits, because that guy’s going to be mad and do his best to wrap you around the piling. If you’re anchored, you need to release the anchor as quickly as possible and get that fish away from the structure. The reward is well worth the effort. The first week of June, on Catch 22, we caught 9 tripletail running between 8-17 lbs., so be prepared for a half-hour fight if fishing 10-lb. test like I do. The trout bite will be great all summer long. Just fish low light hours or hit the private, lighted docks at night, tossing DOA’s glo shrimp or live shrimp. The redfish seem to be keeping north, starting around Midway Road on the west and Bear Point on the east. Soft rubber baits and gold spoons top the bait list, but don’t hesitate to try a DOA rootbeer crab. If your only opportunity to fish happens to be in the afternoon, take it. Just fish deep in the inlets and channels or under bridges where you can find 10 feet or more that will hold snook, jacks, flounder and more. Channels running east and west, like AA Marina, Indian Riverside Park and Sundance Marine in Jensen Beach should hold some nice trout in the afternoon. An extra 4 ft. of water works wonders when the water temps rise.
Water conditions are the best I’ve seen in a long time. Last week we could see bottom in 20 feet inside the St. Lucie Inlet while some offshore reefs in 40 feet were visable. Lot’s of bait around. Even way up in the St. Lucie river, salinity levels are high which will hold more species than normal. Last summer started out great, but once they started dumping from the Lake in September, conditions really turned sour. Let’s hope for the best this year. Lots of media attention to the problem and the concerted effort of various angling groups seem to be having positive results. Let’s keep it up! I still plan on starting offshore trips with a new 25’ Parker near the end of the year. Can hardly wait!
Remember, the sun is brutal in July, so use plenty of sunscreen, drink plenty of water and stay in the shade when possible. Good luck and good fishing!!
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436
[signature]