Tarpon, snapper lead the way on Treasure Coast fishing reports
Welcome to the Lake Atlantic. That's what it will seem like the next few days as calm seas will invite anglers to make long runs for yellowfin tuna, blackfin tuna, dolphin and wahoo.
Long runs to the other side can often be rewarded with a blue marlin hookup, too, but the meat fishing is the real attraction.
Closer to the beach, look for the silver king to be in the mix. Work the edges of pogy schools to find these monsters or kingfish, cobia and sharks, too.
Snapper mini-season: Two days: Red snapper anglers in the Atlantic Ocean get two days
Drawing shark?: No joke: 1,400-pound great white shark pings off Florida. His 'path' resembles shark drawing
Let 'em go: FWC is changing rules for Headwaters Lake, one of Florida's best bass fishing spots
Closures & regulations changes in effect: Anglers are reminded about these fishery harvest closures currently underway and ones about to begin and end.
Dolphin: New fishing regulations began May 1 for state waters. Bag limit is now 5 fish per day per angler; Vessel limit is now 30 fish per day. Captain & crew may not be included in limit.
Grouper: Shallow water grouper season is open May 1 through Dec. 31. That includes gag grouper, red grouper, scamp and six other lesser species.
Hogfish: Harvest of hogfish is open May 1 through Oct. 31, 2022 in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida.
Lobster: Mini-season is July 27-28. Regular season reopens Aug. 6.
Red snapper: No harvest allowed. There is two-day fishing season which is July 7-8.
Bass: Bass at Headwaters Lake will soon become all catch and release.
For complete fishing regulations in Florida go to MyFWC.com.
Indian River County
Offshore: This zone right now is hot for tarpon running the beaches. Best bet is to head out of Sebastian Inlet or Fort Pierce Inlet early in the day, then run the beach looking for pods of tarpon gulping air or signs of bait fish. The fish are there in the bait. You may only get a few jumps out of one, but it will be worth it.
Inshore: Snook know when they are out of season, so they are biting everywhere. They must be released until Sept. 1, of course. There are big jacks tormenting the summer bait pods, trout on the flats early and redfish in the mangroves. The falling tide is better to target these fish.
Freshwater: Headwaters Lake continues to be a good spot to find fish early. The fish are moving into deeper water and running for cover as the temperature and sun heats up during the day, however. Bluegill fishing has been pretty good as well on live crickets and red worms.
St. Lucie County
Offshore: It's snapper season offshore and some big ones are being caught. Bethel Shoal, the Offshore Bar and the deep wrecks are yielding mutton snapper to 15 pounds and mangrove snapper to 8 pounds. Use dead sardines or chunks of bait for the best action. Live croaker in 120 to 160 feet will get grouper to 30 pounds.
Inshore: There are trout biting on the points of the mangrove islands north of north causeway. Use live pilchards or mullet if possible during the beginning of the falling tide. Each summer, the tripletail come in and set up around channel markers, bridge pilings and carb pots. Use a live shrimp to catch them.
Surf: It's whiting season along the beaches of Hutchinson Island right now. The trick is finding a beach with little or no grass, and that can be a challenge. Use Fishbites E-Z flea or pieces of shrimp to get bites. Cast about 100 feet from shore to be in the zone.
Martin County
Offshore: Kingfish, tarpon and cobia are hanging around bait schools. Some tarpon are traveling early in the morning in pods. There are schools of big jacks in spawning schools, too. If fighting a fish near Bull Shark Barge, Sand Pile or the deep wrecks, reel fast or use a Sharkbanz Zeppelin to ward off sharks. There are also free jumping summer sailfish in 80-90 feet of water.
Inshore: Although catch and release fishing for snook has shifted to an offshore fishery, there are still some around the detached jetty and on the south shore of the inlet. Use live pilchards or medium-sized jigs to catch fish in this zone, but move on after you catch three or four.
Lake Okeechobee
All that rain, well it did not fall over Lake Okeechobee or north of it, thankfully. Good news for anglers seeking to dial in on bass in the shallows early in the morning. The fish are there, but not for long. The rising temperatures have the fish heading for deeper water and cover by 9 a.m. Use topwaters early or spinnerbaits and switch to lipless crank baits and worms later in the morning.
Ed Killer is TCPalm's outdoors writer. Sign up for his and other weekly newsletters at profile.tcpalm.com/newsletters/manage. Friend Ed on Facebook at Ed Killer, follow him on Twitter @tcpalmekiller or email him at ed.killer@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Tarpon, snapper lead the way on Treasure Coast fishing reports
