The Snook Nook FISHING REPORT Always Bring Your Camera!

September 2010

         Finally the wind let up for the week end, and the inlet looked like U.S1 at 5: PM, lots of boats.  We had quite a catch list, Cobia, Dolphin, Sails, Kings and plenty of bottom fish.  Bait was not an issue but most anglers were trolling and the action zone was 80’ to 120’.  One thing they did say the water was not clear, shades of green. Anglers that went to the blue water found a few Black Fins, but came in the get on the Dolphin.  These fish were not big fish; ten to twenty pounds an excellent size to take home.  One thing is missing, where are the Wahoo?  Have you tried running bait deep, put a trolling sinker at your line and twenty five feet of leader to the bait and if you’re top baits are swimming fine so will the deep bait.  These fish see up not down, that’s the reason they stay down, now take them dinner.

          Leave the surf board’s home, the edge has settled and the Mullet are thick.  Tarpon, Snook, big Jacks and Blue fish are all there taking in all they can, so if it looks like, swims like or smells like a mullet cast it and hang on.  Reports of big Jacks driving the mullet up on the beach, Tarpon and Snook rocketing on these fish and Blues just getting fat, lots of Mullet.  A big chrome spoon, big lure with chrome sides any thing that flashes will draw attention. Any time is a good time, the bait keeps coming and the fish are with them, find a spot with out a lot of anglers and cast north or south, you can see the fish working the bait schools.  Yes, they will eat cut mullet.

          So what are all those anglers doing at the Roosevelt Bridge in the day light hours, big Black Drum lots of them?  Shrimp Works but the Crabs they will die for, not less than 14” or more than 24”, 5 is the bag limit and you can have one over 24” so know you know.  Problem trying to catch 5 that are under 24” and in the dark hour it is Snook, Problem is to catch one in the slot.  Last week I told you to pick a bridge wait for sun down and the Snook would be there, well they did not disappoint me, deep running plugs, jigs and live mullet all did their job.  So let’s go catch a Trout or a Red fish, just about any bait school from Ft. Pierce to the St. Lucie inlet, you can see the bait shower in the shallows, long cast top water and follow the bait.  Tarpon and Snook along with Jacks and Blues will be there although they tend to be deeper.  Watch the skinny water for the Reds and Trout, east side or west fish shallow, fish early.  How about those big Snapper, up to three pounds from the walls off the causeways.  If you are looking to take a fish home try one of these.  Gut the snapper and bake it, then fillet the fish, ummmm excellent.  Let’s hope this wind stays away and get ready for the mullet run, this is only the beginning.

              Friday evening it was shoulder to shoulder off the relief bridge on the Jensen Causeway and why were all those anglers there after dark, finally Snook season is open.  Conditions were perfect, wind kept the river chopped up, the tide was high and the mullet were thick.  Most anglers came away with something to talk about, over and under and yes slotted fish.  That 28” to 32” slot cane be a hard find, most are over and some are just short. Wind driven water and that high tide gave these fish plenty of room to seek and fight their way out.  That pier on the north side of the Jensen Causeway with its shadow lines and platform is a real over looked area; one might want to check it out.  Cast your offerings the length of the shadow or just drop your bait next to one of the many pilings be ready to set the hook.  Dark hour for the Snook and Black Drum all day, the Roosevelt Bridge has been thick with the Drum, Big Drum and the Snapper have been up to five pounds, reports from many bridges on Drum and Snapper, so who cares that we could not get off shore this week.  That east side of the river has been the location of the quiet water, plenty of Trout, Reds, Tarpon, Snook and Mullet, lots of Mullet.  This is not the run but the full moon is coming and that should start it all.   With the over cast mornings anglers were able to spend a little more time on the flats.  Cove on the north side of Nettles Island, Herman’s Bay, Power Plant  on up to Bear Point and south to Joe’s Point and all the way to the cross roads it has been busy fishing.  With all the Mullet in the rivers why would the fishing be slim, if it looks like a mullet, swims, acts, has the profile, live or dead cast it and hang on.  Lots of bait, lots of fish.

             Off shore, well let’s say it has been a good week for maintence.  Strong winds from storms well out in the ocean have made for some sporty seas.  Five to seven feet or there about has given the fish a break, now lets hope that when we can get out some of those Dolphin have been blown in.

             Surf anglers well what can I say, big seas make big waves but the cool thing is you can watch the Tarpon rocket on the mullet or come over to the river the bite has been hot………..till next week, where is the camera………………..Henry

            Mullet and more Mullet, the run has not reached full swing but I don’t think we will have to wait for the full moon.  If you have never seen the show come on down you have to see this.  Mullet of all sizes going south on the beach and river more mullet than you can imagine.  South to where I do not know but I sure do not want to be there when they get there.  A drive on Indian River Drive can be real scary, narrow road and drivers busy watching the fish, scary.  From bait spray to the next, one can only wonder who is doing the chasing, Snook, Tarpon, Jacks, Blue fish and yes some real good size sharks will be in the mix.  From your condo on the beach the war zone will amaze you with Tarpon jumping, Sharks spinning and Jacks corralling these fish, then on the radio you will here “where is all the bait” makes you laugh.  As that moon gets closer to full there will be more.

          On the surf if it looks like a mullet use it, no it does not have to be live.  Many of these fish are opportunist and they will eat what easy for them to catch, half of a mullet or whole it will catch fish.  Now is not the time to surf, big fish come in to take advantage of these days and if it moves they will bite at it, leave your board at home.  No Whiting or Pompano this week it seems that every angler has a different target this time of year.  No light tackle bring some thing that has line capacity, you will need it, or just come down and watch the action.

           River, more Mullet and more bait sprays.  Lots of Jacks of all sizes, when in the river throw big top water, lures that make noise, splash water these fish will climb on them and if they miss it let it set for a moment and then move it but hang on.  Good Trout and Red fish bite going from Harbor Branch south to the St. Lucie Inlet, Fish early, lots of competition after sun up.  Snook season will open on the 17^th so give them a kiss and release them as quick as possible.  Blue fish from Bear Point south to the Power lines, five pound fish eating any thing you put in the water, have your pliers ready.  Lots of glass minnows and that is where you will find the big Trout, watch for those birds they will tell you where the minnows are.  Where are the Snook, pick a bridge and you have found the Snook and yes they will feed face into the current so cast you bait up and let the current present your offerings.  Also at the bridges we had Drum, Snapper (watch the sizes), Mac’s and Pompano all eating shrimp.  Cut mullet on the bottom is catching a lot of attention.

             Off shore conditions have been perfect but it seems the fish don’t know it.  Color lines, rips, weed lines are all there, both shallow and deep, so where are the fish.  Had some Dolphin reported in 80’ some at 125’ and some more at 200’ but no pattern and a lot of small peanuts?  Cobia the same but starting at 60’ and not chewing?  Sails jumping and finally some thing was chewing King Fish form 40’, nice fish in that 15pound class.  Mutton Snapper for the reef anglers, on the shallow sides of the reefs, 25’ was the zone to start in.  Anglers fishing the Loran Tower found theirs on the west side of the reef, sardines were the favored bait. 

              Till next week, I wonder where all the Mullet are going and what are they doing when they get there…………Henry

           Surf anglers it took the last three day of the week for the sand to settle, turbid, could not see a fish.  Took longer than I thought but it has cleaned up and we have mullet in the surf.  Big mullet, big bait, big fish, Tarpon, Snook (opens on the 17^th) and Jacks in numbers and you guessed it mullet is the favored bait.  Sun up and high tide are the preferred times but the mullet are there all day and so are the fish, come on down.  Lots of sand fleas on the edge and there should be Pompano but the big fish will keep them away.  Whiting and Croaker a few but the other species are keeping them on the run.  Seven foot of a fast taper rod, two hundred yards of thirty pound braid and fifty pound leader tied to it and you are ready; please do not bring a knife to the gun fight.

            Off shore we had mixed results, anglers were reporting fish and others are still out looking.  Some Dolphin not a lot but some, had reports from seventy feet out to two hundred, no pattern but fish. Trolling was the preferred method, taking dinner to the fish.  Had Kings in sixty feet and a few Sails, but not a lot of fish for the number of boats.  Bottom fishing was hot with Muttons toping the list, forty feet is where it all started.  North or south of our inlet fish were scattered, no pattern.

            Blue fish in the river, Mac’s at the bridges, not sure what month it is, but lots of mullet in the neighborhood. Anglers casting a D.O.A bait found plenty of Trout, Reds, Tarpon, and Snook of course the Blues made quick work of the rubber baits.  As the turbidity settled out of the water fishing just got better, from Bear Point south to the power lines it was Trout, Snook and Blue fish????  Joe’s Point had plenty of Tarpon with a good mix of Trout and Reds, south of the Stuart causeway around the islands it was more slot Trout with a mix of Snook, just had to wait for that water to clean up. Lots of mullet and lots of Snook, you have until the 17^th then who knows where they will disappear too.  Bridges have had plenty of Snapper, Drum, Mac’s and mullet so the big fish are there be careful do not set your rod down with a bait in the water, they will teach it to swim.

           Where is the camera and remember to hold your breath, when you need to breath so does the fish………………….Henry

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