Captain Bob Bushholz
Jensen Beach, Florida
(772) 225-6436
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ALL YEAR LONG!!!!' | | Fishing Report for
June 1st, 2004
"Summertime, Summertime"
It's summertime! Surf
temperatures will reach a whopping 84 degrees with
inland water even hotter. Now's the time to slip into "summer mode".
Target low
light hours when possible. Inshore and along the surf, try to hit the
water
before sunrise until 10:00 a.m. or near sunset for maximum bite time.
Fishing
nighttime is productive, just find moving water. If you must fish mid-day,
seek deeper water or shaded areas where the water is cooler. Summer
fishing is
great, with baitfish plentiful. Remember to utilize "summer mode" and have
a
great time out there! Last week in the inlet area I have seen greenies all
the
way into the crossroads. The bait schools were thick but only lasted 5
days.
Saturday was the Treasure Coast Builders event. This weekend is like the
indy
500 on water with everyone who owns a boat is out there. Needless to say
the
baitfish left the area.
Starting inshore, tarpon mania begins, with fish averaging 30-50 lbs.
roaming
just outside Big and Little Mud Creeks. The entrance to Big Mud is still
closed. There's a yellow boom stretching across the entire entrance, but
the
tarpon don't know it's closed and they head in and out on a regular basis.
Water
depth just outside Big Mud can reach 30 feet. In the creeks, watch for
rolling tarpon and throw a DOA baitbuster or rootbeer terrorize right at
them,
allowing it to sink about 10 seconds. Top water chuggers and windcheaters
will
also get their attention (if they're in a feeding mood). Live mullet on a
circle hook always is an option, using 12 lb. mainline with a 30-40 lb.
fluoro-carbon leader will handle tarpon to 50 lbs. For the monsters, I
suggest
"kicking
it up a notch". Other areas for silver kings are Nettles Island, where
water
depth averages 10 ft. This area always holds baitfish and the tarpon
usually
follow them in. Around the Jensen Causeway, tarpon will be feeding on
bunker.
The wooden fishing pier, just to the west of the drawspan on the north
side,
is a spot worth checking out. Channels near Sundance Marine, Anchors
Aweigh
and the Dolphin Grill hold some huge tarpon when the baitfish are present.
These fish require patience. Some days I'll see them rolling all over the
place, but refusing anything thrown at them. Put in your time and you'll
be
rewarded. The Quarter bridge at the Stuart Causeway to Marker 239 in the
crossroads is a super spot to look for tarpon. Nighttime in the summer I
prefer to
cast windcheaters about 50 yards south of the bridge. Snook are up close
near
the shadowline, but the tarpon are pounding baits just to the south. The
North
Fork of the St. Lucie is generally hot early in the morning. As a rule,
tarpon won't refuse live greenies or sardines, so keep a few Sabiki rigs
on hand
for baitfish near the Whistle Buoy or sandpile just outside the inlet and
throw
them in the live well just for insurance.
The trout bite in the summer is excellent, with big hogs to 10 lbs.
roaming
the shallow inland waters early in the am. Top water lures in less than 2
feet
until 7 a.m. will get the big ones. Later, switch to soft rubber or live
shrimp in 3-4 feet or wade dropoffs near spoil islands. These islands run
just
east of the ICW Channel from Stuart north. If you have a hard time finding
the
spoil islands, try cruising near low tide when they're more visible and
mark
them on your chart. Some spoils will hold lots of trout under 20".
Summer is "big" tripletail time. Most fish run 8-12 lbs, but the big boys
(over 20 lbs.) are a good possibility. I strongly suggest releasing the
big
fish over 14 lbs. This will insure breeding fish to re-populate. It seems
more
and more anglers are targeting this species and you need to be aware the
regulations are 15-inch minimum, with 2 per angler.We have been catching
some real
nice ones the past few weeks with 2 released at 23 and 17 pounds. Most
fish
are running around 10 with a few smaller mixed in. Early in March we
caught our
first one of the year. We headed out early for some snook. I like to pick
up
some live baits before hand so we tipped sabiki's with squid and picked up
a
dozen pinfish and a 13" tripletail to boot. Nice little fight on a sabiki.
The
slot I prefer to set for my boat and anglers are 18" to around 12 lbs.
There's plenty of meat on one of these guys to feed a family. DOA shrimp,
terrorize
and CAL lures along with "old faithful" live shrimp on a trollrite are the
baits of choice. The best bite is after 10 a.m. and some fish can be
spotted
near the surface. These channel marker will also hold other species like
sheephead, snapper, grouper, flounder, jacks and more.
Snook season closes June 1. The summer spawn begins with the breeders
heading to the inlets and along the surf. These are big snook and they are
there
for a reason. If you target these fish for catch and release, do
everything
possible to release them quickly and unharmed. Circle hooks with live bait
work
best eliminating the chance of gut hooking. Catch a few, take some
pictures
and leave them alone. Each year, more and more anglers are targeting these
snook in spawn and they are really sitting ducks. No sense hammering these
fish
all day long. Last year an angler stated to me he caught 32 snook by
himself
in one day. Anyone that thinks this is an accomplishment needs to have his
head examined!!
Some big black drum always show up near the bridges this time of year. The
Roosevelt and Jensen Bridge have provided 40-60 pounders in the past.
Redfish
along the docks on the west side of the Indian River or under the
mangroves on
the east side of the River have proven most productive. There are plenty
of
flounder in the sandy patches and ladyfish in the Sailfish Flats on windy
days keep everyone entertained with their wonderful aerobatics, along with
croaker, sennet and bonefish. Last month, aboard Catch 22, eleven bonefish
were
released in this area. Nothing really to brag about, but running into
numbers of
that species in Martin County is basically unheard of.
Into the surf, whiting on small crappie jigs tipped with shrimp or squid
in
the troughs works well. Pompano, bluefish and Spanish Mackerel will be
very
scattered with some resident fish still around. Tarpon, snook and big jack
crevalle show up in the very early mornings hours and will dominate the
catch and
release scene. Twelve lb. test with 30-40 lb. leader will bring in "most"
of
them. If you encounter big tarpon (over 100 lbs.), there's no stopping
them
on 12 lb. test (but it is very "sporting"). Try a live bait and hook it in
the
tail, allowing the baitfish to swim out (but switch to 20-30 lb. tackles).
Now you have a shot at "Mr. Big".
Offshore, dolphin are showing along the weedlines with quite a few
resident
sailfish still around. Three days ago seas were flat and I had a day off,
so
what did I do? Fish, of course. I took the pontoon offshore to about 300'
with my friend Hank and hooked up with (and released) a nice 6' sailfish.
Be
sure to take your time reviving these sails. The one I hooked had eaten
two live
greenies (on different rigs). Hank and I were looking at each other
wondering if we snagged each other or had a double hook-up. Finally,
Hank's line
broke off and I brought the sailfish in on 20 lb. spinning gear after a
great 10
minute show, including a dozen or so jumps. This fish took a good five
minutes to revive and swam off for another day. When trolling, don't
overlook any
floating debris. A small floating bottle or a piece of wood can hold some
really big fish.
Kingfish should remain strong inside 60', with dolphin out farther. It
looks
like it's going to be a "bumper" crop of dolphin this year. Lots of bonita,
barracuda inside 6 miles are always there to test your tackle.
The bottom fishing remains good with big muttons over 20 lbs. gag grouper,
mangrove and true red snapper topping the list. The ever-present "cuda" is
always on their tail, so bring the fish in fast. Remember, the grouper
with the
round tails are "goliaths" and are illegal to keep. Also known as
"jewfish"
they are showing up in the river and offshore in good numbers, but they
are still
"protected" and can cost you your boat, fines, license and much more. A
few
cobia are still showing up on the reefs and wrecks. Las week I took a few
guys out who work at the nearby baitshop Snook Nook. A few bonito and a
nice 37"
cobia that ate a DOA baitbuster. If you're looking for wahoo, try kicking
up
the RPM's. Trolling purple, red and black skirts down deep at 8-10 knots
worked for me.
Summer's here, stay cool and fish early!!! -Well, just fish!
Capt. Bob Bushholz
(772) 225-6436
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