Captain Bob Bushholz
Jensen Beach, Florida
(772) 225-6436
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ALL YEAR LONG!!!!' | | Fishing Report for
July 29th, 2002
"August on the Treasure Coast"
The big event on the Treasure Coast the past
couple of years in August has definitely been the tarpon bite. Each year,
fishing gets better and better. Pretty soon we will see Florida Keys
residents traveling north to Stuart to target our "silver
kings". I can picture it now. Stuart, the "Sailfish AND tarpon
capital of the world". August provides many angling opportunities.
It's summertime and we will cover it all!
Starting in the surf, whiting and croaker are thick in the first
trough. Try ultra light 6 lb. test, casting no more than 10 feet out,
using crappie jigs tipped with shrimp, squid or clams. Great action for
everyone on light tackle. Don't be afraid to toss a whiting out on a
circle hook with beefed-up tackle (12-20 lb. test) for snook roaming in
the trough. If you feel like strolling, bring a 7-foot rod with 12 lb.
test using a 20 lb. leader, throwing an assortment of artificials and
there's a good chance of hooking into snook tarpon, permit, bluefish,
Spanish mackerel and who knows what else. DOA's baitbuster, crabs and
terrorize, bombers, spoons, Gag's mini mambo, Yozuri plugs and
windcheaters are best for those long casts. A good place to start, if the
water clears up, is Bathtub Beach and fish south to the Inlet. If
conditions are dirty heading south, just fish north casting diagonally,
working these baits in the first trough (the "strike zone").
Resident bluefish, pompano and Spanish mackerel always show up at the
craziest times. Early morning till 10 a.m. and near dusk (low light hours)
work the best. Remember, snook season is still closed, so crimp those
barbs down for easy removal and release all snook while they are still in
the water to protect their slime coats. If fishing from a boat surfside,
look for tarpon inside 20'. Schools of permit and snook are in close. Be
respectful of the surf anglers by not crowding their already limited
space. It's easier to motor 300 yards than it is for the angler on the
beach to walk. Don't forget to use plenty of sunscreen and bring lots of
water. With the heat index the past week, temps have been over 105
degrees.
Moving into the River, it's the same deal. Fish early or late. If you
must fish midday, the fish move into deeper water into the inlet,
crossroads, bridges, channel markers or anywhere they can find cooler
water temps and/or shade. By 11 a.m., shallow water reaches 90 degrees and
there won't be anybody home. Water temps in 10 feet of water are cooler by
up to 10-15 degrees. Since we all know fish have a tendency to outsmart
us, just follow their lead. Cooler is better. Even if there are more
releases from the canals and Lake Okeechobee, fishing deep will keep you
in saltwater. Fresh water sits on top in the St. Lucie River, so the
dirtier the water, the deeper you need to fish.
Tarpon will be everywhere. In the North Fork of the St. Lucie, look
around Club Med south to the Roosevelt Bridge. These tarpon will be
munching on abundant glass minnows and eels that run through the area in
August and can be found all the way to the Hospital dock. Heading east,
the St. Lucie Inlet and crossroads to the Stuart Causeway are a good bet
for tarpon action just east of the ICW channel. Sailfish flats will hold
tarpon, but it's a large area to cover. Channels into the Dolphin Grill
and Anchors Aweigh Marina hold a few huge tarpon (over 100 lbs.) and like
to feast on mullet. There seems to be a resident "monster" that
stalks the Indian Riverside pier looking for easy prey. You can spot them
rolling in the channel all the way north to Fort Pierce, but
"rolling" doesn't necessarily mean "eating". At the
power plant entrance, right up against the yellow boom and just outside of
Little Mud Creek in 12 feet of water has produced some super jumpers.
These fish have been in Little Mud Creek for two months now and will
really test your patience. They almost seem to recognize certain boats and
absolutely refuse anything you might throw at them. Maybe a disguise is in
order.
Tripletail will be hanging around channel markers up and down the
Indian River until the beginning of October. It seems the hotter the air
temp the better they like it. Live shrimp on a 2/0, ¼ oz. trollrite
jighead seem to be the preferred bait with DOA shrimp and terrorize,
assorted sort rubber baits working well too. You have to be mobile,
spending no more than 10 minutes on each piling. Flounder and jacks will
be spread out all over. Spanish mackerel in the pat few years have
appeared unexpectedly around the Mosquito Bridge on the Jensen Causeway,
making them a "boaters only" target for the next two years
during the construction period. Black drum are hanging around the
structure of the bridges, with the Roosevelt and Jensen Bridge holding
drum to 10 lbs. on the bottom. Snook remain on the beaches, inlets and
flat.
Night fishing is excellent in August. Private lighted docks hold
plenty of trout and snook. If you're fishing these docks, approach with
much stealth, cast into the shadow lines and work your casts close to the
docks. Slow sinking DOA glo shrimp are hard to beat. Live shrimp (if
you're lucky enough to find any at the local bait shops) and topwater
plugs will definitely work. If there are lots of glass minnows around, try
throwing Gag Grabber's Mini Mambo and match the hatch. They've made a
believer out of me! Remember to respect the dock owners and not blast your
casts onto the docks leaving line and hooks behind.
There are plenty of great fishing opportunities in August. The key is
low light for shallow fishing, deeper water for midday. New fish pictures
are now posted on my site. Just click on "Latest Fish Pictures"
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