Snook Nook Fishing Reports

FISHING 9/27/09

Lets start on the beach, lots of bait fish, mullet,pilchards and every thing else is here and so is every thing looking for them. For that early morning angler lots of Snook. big Jacks and Blue Fish. If its is chrome and , cast it. If it looks like a mullet cast it, if is a mullet put out there and you will find fish. Snook are over the slot, Jacks will test you and your equipment and the Blues are there biting every thing off. Bring the ice the Whiting are big and the bite starts after sun up on little pieces of shrimp. Tarpon are big moving in and out with the bait school, some times in casting distance and sometimes just far enough to make you angry, big fish. If you can not make it early get a tide chart and catch the tide two hour before high, they will all be there.

River fishing has been excellent, why not with all this bait it is hard to miss. Trout have been of slot size in good numbers, east or west side. Mullet has been the favored but shrimp and soft rubber baits are keeping anglers busy. In mix has been the slot size Snook, Jacks, big Lady fish and yes Blues. If you cast a Mullet or any thing that looks like a mullet do not put that rod down, some one will take home. Tarpon in the Hells Gate area, Crossroads, Causeways and the power plant have been rolling and eating at will, no special time,when they are ready and not before but big like really big fish. Snook at the bridges have been big fish, low light and dark hours have been best, mullet what else. Still a good bite of Black Drum, Snapper and a few Flounder for the land based anglers, sorry about those Snook.

Black Fin Tuna, foot balls, from 80' out eating small feathers and Mylar jigs, troll them way out back till you find them then have the pitch rods ready. Still plenty of Bonita, so rod benders are not a hard find. Good Sail fish bite north of the inlet starting at the 100' mark, you will see them free jumping and balling bait. The Kings are small, excellent for the grill, but every where. Have not heard much about Cobia this week, they have been up close, small boats chasing Tarpon have been reporting these fish, to close, unless you are in a flats boat. Break out the cast net and get your bait before you leave the inlet, mullet of all sizes for your bait well.

Mornings have been over cast but the sun breaks through about 7:30 am and the days have been perfect, I love Jensen Beach. Till next week, release one for me......................HENRY

FISHING 9/12/09

Rain and more but not at all locations. Rain in Port St. Lucie but not in Stuart, rain on the island but not in Jensen, we can see the rain but it never seems to get here. Rain gear should be part of your normal gear, maybe you will use and may be not, nice to have if needed. do the fish bite better in the rain, I don't think they care they are all ready wet, now lets go catch a fish.

Lots of bait, both on the surfs edge and in the river. Pilchards, sardines and mullet, and so are all the predatory fish. Fishing has been excellent from all locations. Mullet are schooling not quite a run but getting ready.

Finally the Dolphin have made their presence known. Fishing from 80' out to 200' gaffer size Dolphin, fish from 15 to 30 pounds. Many anglers stopped in to tell me of their catch, the best part was live, trolled, plastic and pitch baits all worked. Cobia in 50' south of the Ft. Pierce inlet all the way to the power plant, again eating just about any thing you would cast to them. Pesky Sail Fish were not as pesky this week but still a strong show on live baits starting in 50' and out from there. Before I forget, Bonita fest is still in action with the Black Fins on the out side and deep, monster Tarpon at the boils eating Mullet big enough to feed a family of four. Bait is up close so get yours before you head out and take a few extra, "Bonita fest".

Casting from the beach, big Jacks and plenty of Snook, not many in the slot but plenty. Had a few days with weeds reported at some location but scattered at best. If it looks like a Mullet cast it or if it is a Mullet put it back in the water and hang on. Hook size is always the question, let the size of your bait decide, the bait has to look impaired not shot with an arrow. 4/0 to 8/0 depending on the size of your bait will make an excellent presentation. Good Whiting and some Black Drum on pieces of shrimp and yes a big Jack will eat that piece of shrimp. Tarpon, you can watch them rocket through the bait but out of casting range, big Tarpon.

River is covered up with bait fish, lots of fat happy fish. Snook at the bridges on mullet, live mullet not something that looks like a mullet but live mullet. Bring your cast net there is plenty from any bridge and please do not leave them on the bridge. What you are not using put them right back and when you run out make another cast with the net . Snook crashing the baits all over slot but not sure if you don't try, high tide and dark hours are the prime times. Plenty of Drum, still Snapper, there has even been some Flounder to take home. Tarpon in at the north side of the Turning Basin, Big Mud, Cross Roads, Hells Gate big Tarpon eating big baits, high tide and the gray hour are your best. Trout from Mid way road to the Jensen Causeway on shrimp, DOA baits and top water, lots of slot Trout, dark through mid morning has been the time, real good catch. Lots of Mullet, lots of bait, lots of fish and they are already wet so they don't care.............till next week, rain gear..................Henry

FISHING 09/5/09

Lets go catch a fish, in shore, surf or off shore we have had a pretty good week. Surf anglers reported some weeds but it was scattered and gone the next day. Lots of rod pullers not always your target but fish all day. For the early anglers it was Snook and Jacks, one of the few slot fish I saw came from the Bath Tub area. Most of the Snook I heard about were short and the Jacks were big, how do these fish know when the season opens. Most fish were caught using a floater diver type of lure, something you can feel touch the bottom. This type of plug looks like a feeding bait fish, head down bumping the bottom and then rising but there has been allot of live bait at these locations. Using live baits, use a good size hook, a hook that comes out the other side and can hook a fish. Place the hook between the anal fin and the tail, the bait will swim away from you, and the best part is the last thing the fish will feel is the leader because he will always eat it head first. Jacks they will eat any thing that moves, still a few Blues and the rest you can catch on shrimp. Good bite for the Whiting anglers with a scattering of Pompano, these fish are there all day, come when you like.

Off shore it was all about Kings and those "pesky Sails" from forty feet to eighty feet of depth both north and south of the inlet. Favored bait this week has been sardines and mullet. Live bait off shore has been a hard find, from north to south, here, there but not for very long any where. Last week we suggested you take some mullet with you, plenty of them in assorted sizes, all inside from everywhere. Bottom bite has been excellent with Muttons and Mangroves topping the list, just get a sardine through the Amber Jacks and you will have them. Did I mention the Bonita's?

River fishing has been Trout and Reds. Looking for the Reds you have to be in the water before sun up, from Mid way road to the Jensen Causeway, all those Mullet schools you saw, well they have been Red Fish. Take your time, get in front of them and long cast is the secret. Slot size Trout well into mid morning on live shrimp, doa baits, top water, they have been a hungry group. Plenty of Lady fish and Jacks to keep you awake. Snook, well if you have been fishing the Roosevelt Bridge using live baits there has been plenty of fish, problem they are all over the slot. So use circle hooks and enjoy the fight, have not heard of one area where the slot rules, most over and a few under, keep trying.

Till next week watch that slot, 28" to 32"....................HENRY

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