JULY 11, 2008
INSHORE - The inshore fishing hasn't changed much since last week -- the old summer time patterns. The trout bite has been better just before and right at daylight. The late afternoon bite has slowed down because of the heat. The best baits have been a top water plug and right at daylight switch to a live pigfish. Most of the trout have been between 3 and 6 pounds. The catch and release snook bite has been great in the Ft. Pierce Inlet at night and on the tide change. Just fish a live bait on the bottom and hold on. The snapper bite continues to be good along the channel edges and around the bridges when using a live shrimp. There have been a few tarpon rolling around the Mooring but they all have lock jaw. I did get a couple of reports about tripletail being caught to the south of the power lines. They were using a live shrimp. The spanish mackerel and bonita schools are still chasing the schools of bait fish in the Inlet. All you really need is a silver spoon or anything that is shinny. There have been a few kingfish mixed in with the mack's and bonita.
OFFSHORE - The bite is almost the same offshore as last week but the cold bottom temps has made the snapper and grouper fishing tough. The kings have moved in as close as 20 feet along the beaches. A live blue runner has been the bait of choice. We had kings to 38 ponds reported over the holiday weekend. The sailfish are still going strong to the south of the Ft. Pierce Inlet. Most of the fish that were caught and released were in 80 to 125 feet of water. Naked ballyhoo seems to be the bait of choice. The cobia have been around more starting in 50 feet of water. Most of the have been free swimming and not with rays so make sure you have something to throw at them like a chartreuse cobia slayer from Gulfstream Lures. There has been a good number of what would be over the slot snook at the Boils. Remember that they are out of season and you should handle them as little as possible. Once again, the bonita and spanish mackerel are all along the beaches chasing the schools of bait fish and also following them into the Inlet on the incoming tides.
BRAGGING BOARD - Jesse Cervone along with his dad --Matt enjoyed a few days of fishing in Ft. Pierce -- they were up here from Ft. Lauderdale. Jesse caught a 38 pound kingfish at the Boils. He also caught a 24 pounder in the same spot and he was using threadfins for bait. Brian Zdrojowy of Westminster, Maryland was visiting Ft. Pierce with the Cervones. He caught a nice seatrout on a top water plug just after daylight and also his 1st ever snook from the docks at the Dockside Inn. The snook was caught on a live shrimp and released. Wayne Wilson caught and released a snook that he estimated to be 25 to 28 pounds. He was fishing the Ft. Pierce Inlet and using a pinfish.
If you would like to report a catch you can e-mail me at cward11605@aol.com or call me at 772-201-5770. You can also reach me on the web at www.captjoeward.com
Capt. Joe Ward
Capt. Joe's River Charters
