FWC Hosts Annual Florida Wildquest Event April 28-May 7

Join the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) for Florida WildQuest 2023. Florida residents and visitors are encouraged to grab their phones and go on a wild adventure to complete scavenger hunt missions and discover some of Florida’s best spots to see wildlife and enjoy the outdoors. This year’s event will take place on Florida’s Wildlife Management Areas across the state April 28–May 7. Qualifying players will be entered in a random drawing to win wilderness-inspired prizes. Follow these steps to adventure: com for instructions on how to join a WildQuest.

1. Find It: Find your closest WildQuest WMA by visiting the Entrance Finder tool at https:// ocean.floridamarine.org/wma/ entrances/ and looking for the areas marked by green dots.

2. Charge Up: Make sure your phone is charged and the Goosechase app is installed (available at: https:// www.goosechase.com/download). Not all areas have mobile coverage but you’ll be able to take pictures for your scavenger hunt missions and submit them later. Visit FloridaWildQuest.

3. Be Safe: Stay on marked roads and trails. Before you enter a trail, be sure it fits your skill level and a distance you’re prepared for.

4. Pack Smart: It gets hot outside and there are no vending machines in the wilderness. Check the weather before you go. Pack water, sunscreen and snacks!

5. Snap a Pic: Most WMAs have a kiosk at the main entrance with a welcome sign that includes a map and important reminders for visiting the area. When you see this sign, be sure to take a picture for reference. Grab a guide at the kiosk if one is available.

WildQuest players of all ages will have opportunities to learn about and explore Florida’s extensive WMA system during the event. Registered players can also qualify for a chance to win wilderness-inspired prizes by earning at least 2,000 points on one of the scavenger hunts (don’t worry, it’s easy!).

Florida has one of the nation’s largest systems of state-managed wildlife lands. The WMA system includes more than 6 million acres managed primarily for wildlife conservation and nature-based public use. The areas featured in WildQuest will engage players in learning about Florida’s wildlife, habitats and recreation opportunities. The FWC maintains, enhances and restores native natural habitats for the benefit of plant and animal populations as well as for the people of Florida

Marina.

Capt. Scott Fawcett

Off the Chain Fishing Charters

(772) 285-1055 offthechainfishing.com fishscottyf@bellsouth.net

Sails, mahi, blackfin, king fish, and wahoo, all the obvious signs that spring is here and it’s time to go fishing.

As the winds turn south and start to subside a bit, the water starts to warm and seasons change. April offers some of the best fishing of the year in my opinion, and this season, in addition to the fish making their way back to north and staging off our coast as they do every year, we have a massive sargassum weed bed making its way towards us from the east. While this may make fishing difficult at times, it should benefit us on the whole. Almaco jacks, ocean tally, and lots of bait mixed in and hiding along it creates the perfect habitat and FAD for dolphin, wahoo, blackfin tuna and a sails. Look for this and less obvious edges and color changes inshore of it along our six- and eight-mile reefs as places to target your quarry.

This time of year, I use light 12-to-20-pound circle hook rods made by local rod manufacturer Blackfin Rods. Fin-Nor Marquesa reels spooled with 15-pound line, light leaders and small hooks are the perfect match for our everyday fish in the spring and will let you enjoy the fight rather than skipping fish the across the water.

Whether you’re trolling or live baiting, loose drags and smooth feeds are the key to success. Ballyhoo rigged with circle hooks, a planner rod with wire leader and a squid chain and or a dredge as teasers will work well while trolling dead baits. Thread fin, goggle eyes and pilchards work wonders as live bait this time of year and on days with a little bit of a breeze

I highly recommend Tigress kites. Fish them effectively and with ease using Diawa Tanacom reels, Tigress Tridents and a Fish Razr dredge deployed from a Cannon downrigger while fishing along our reef lines, edges and artificial bottom. Add spit shots to the outside edge of the kites to steer them away from each other to maximize your footprint and present baits in more effective way. On days

Capt. Jonathan Earhart

Chaos Fishing Charters

(772) 341 – 2274 www.chaosfishigcharters.com jon@chaosfishigncharters.com

Thisis a great month to target snook on the Treasure Coast. Bait fishing with pilchards will yield the most bites from snook of all sizes. Early mornings around select structures can produce epic strikes when fishing topwater lures before or just after first light. Night fishing around bridges will produce larger snook. Larger live baits and flairhawks or large swimbaits will get the bites after dark.

Martin County Deep Sea

Capt. Rocky Carbia

Safari I Deep Sea Fishing

Pirates Cove Resort and Marina

4307 SE Bayview St. Port Salerno

Reservations: (772) 334-4411

Safari-1.com

Florida’s April sunshine will illuminate a near coastal ocean that will play host to some of the most prized saltwater grocery trophies in the world. Cobia, snapper, mahi, and king mackerel will top this briny hit list and will be found around and atop the renowned reef system, east of our St. Lucie Inlet. The offshore fish hunters of April will delight in engaging in strategies that involve both surface and bottom fishing during open, user-friendly, weather windows this month. April can still be a windy month that produces rough sea conditions, so anglers (as always) will need to continue to monitor daily offshore forecasts.

Cobia typically make a strong showing during the golden days of April and will be found in many

Oversized jack crevalle’s dominate the river and beaches this time of year. Larger spinning reels with heavy leaders will help you stop these freight trains. Jacks love a large mullet around any structure. Now if you’re looking for smaller edible bottom fish, fishing with shrimp will produce grey snapper, black drum, flounder, and the occasional redfish. Remember redfish are still catch and release only at this time.

Tarpon fishing around channel edges with larger mullets can be very rewarding if you’re willing to soak a bait long enough to get the bite. Heavy leaders and large circle hooks will give you the upper hand if you want to see these giants boatside.

Nearshore fishing has been pretty good for tarpon, snook, jacks, permit, kingfish, sharks, and goliath grouper.

Kingfish are plentiful around bait schools off the beaches this time of year. Fish live baits throat hooked on a 7/0 triple hook rig. This is an easy way to catch a few for the smoker without the hassle of having to tie a wire leader on.

Live crabs will get the bites from schools of permit cruising the beaches this month. Lead the school of permit with a live crab on a circle hook and or weighted jig head depending on the depth of the traveling permit school. This technique will also work well for traveling schools of tarpon cruising along the beach as well. Also, I typically use large topwaters or swimbaits this month for giant jacks cruising along the beaches. Cast a plug out in front of these large schools of jacks, reel the topwater back quickly, and hold on!!

Tight lines!

MC OFFSHORE ................. FROM PAGE 4 when there is not enough wind, fish your outriggers while still trying to incorporate a teaser.

If you rather throw the long ball, this is a great time of year to try for yellowfin tuna. Using your radar to find packs of birds, and pulling medium to large ballyhoo on the edges and outskirts of this action is a dynamic scenarios of the local, liquid playing field. Hungry packs of cobia will be attracted to all types of reef structures, both naturally occurring and artificial, and will fall to live and dead baits presented throughout the water column. Live baits are especially effective and will prove to be irresistible to a cobia in great way to earn yourself a lifetime supply of sashimi. If tuna isn’t your thing, maybe swordfish? Or even snapper along the reef? the right mood. Besides being found around bottom structures, ‘cobes’ tend to follow and swim along with larger sea animals, like manta rays and southern stingrays, turtles, and sharks.

April offers all the options with great chance of success in each so enjoy the hunt. Whatever style of fishing you decide to do this spring, I wish you the very best of luck, and I hope your next fishing trip is Off The Chain.

Casting to a cobia towing behind a larger sea creature is best achieved using three- to four-ounce jigs, tipped with a long ribbon of squid. Bottom fishing for the many species of the snapper family will continue to be a go to strategy for Treasure Coast meat hunters in April. Large mutton and mangrove snapper will be available in good numbers along the reef line in 70 to 90 feet of water and allow fishermen to test their angling finesse while attempting to capture these fish athletes of the ocean floor. Wrestling a large snapper to the surface can be a full contact and exhilarating moment, made more satisfying as the filets hit the frying pan.

With this in mind, pack the cooler with plenty of dead bait, catch some “live-ies” if you can, and have an assortment of jigs standing by. And don`t forget to pull out some coastal recipes to fully enjoy the salty grocery trophies of April.

Trip Times

Monday-Saturday 8:30AM-1:30PM

Adults $70; Children $60

Sunday 8:30AM-3:00PM

Adults $80; Children $70

ST. LUCIE COUNTY OFFSHORE

Capt. Bo Samuel

Pullin Drag Charters

(772) 971-6661 facebook.com/Pullin-Drag-Charters catainbofishing@gmail.com

Some say spring is in the air, but I say it’s in the water! Nothing beats our springtime fishing. April action around the Treasure Coast includes some highly prized trophy fish like cobia, snapper, mahi-mahi, sails, and king mackerel. This time of year, most of the windy days are behind us and we should see great weather, great water quality, and great bait fish.

Most anticipated is the migration of the larger mahi-mahi from down south. While we always have mahi off the Treasure Coast, this is the time the bigger ones start working their way north. As the cooler water temperatures begin to warm up, expect the mahi action to heat up, too. Mahi anglers know that April is the time to target these amazing acrobatic fish known for their aerial jumps, brilliant Easter-like colors, and great taste. Get your trolling gear ready and head offshore. Look for weed lines, diving birds, floating debris, and color changes to begin your troll. If you have a couple of these, get ready for some serious action. Naked or skirted ballyhoo work great but be sure to keep free from weeds so they swim properly. Mahi are schooling fish so when you hook one, leave it beside the boat and look for more. Mahi must be 20 inches to the fork to harvest. It’s always a good idea to have a pitch rod ready to go for any cobia or tripletail that might be hanging around the weeds or debris. Adding one of these to your fish box increases bragging rights and photo opps.

Snook season has been phenomenal since opening in February with beautiful keepers caught drifting the Fort Pierce Inlet as well as significant underand-over slots. Best bait choices are live pilchards, pinfish, croakers, and select shrimp. Fishing around docks and other structures with fast moving current can provide notable snook action. Anglers of all ages enjoy the excitement of targeting this smart trophy fish for their great fight and even greater taste. Remember, the slot limit is not less than 28 inches to not more than 32 inches and the season closes at the end of May.

It’s definitely time to take advantage of the calmer days of April and work on that salty grocery list.

Local fishing knowledge, years of experience, and the fishiest charter boat in the area as my “office” means you’ll be fishing AND catching. If you’re ready to celebrate the arrival of spring on the nicest waters of the Treasure Coast, then consider hopping on a charter with me for a salty time Pullin Drag!

Capt. Adam White

St. Lucie Flats Fishing Charters

(609) 820-6257 www.stlucieflatsfishing.com

Spring has arrived! Aside from a few good cold fronts, this winter wasn’t too bad. Warm and windy days will be the norm throughout April. Water temps will start to rise and there will be lots of opportunities for several species this month. The spring transition is a great time to be on the water, so get out there and enjoy the fishing.

The snook fishing will be consistent all through this month. Whether you fish the inlet, bridges,

ST. LUCIE COUNTY DEEP SEA

Capt. Scotty Gold

Miss Fort Pierce Fishing

(772) 766-0191 fortpiercefishing.com

Aswe come away from the unpredictable March winds, April is upon us.

We start to see more cobia and mahi make their spring appearance. You will find them on the offshore reefs in 70-to-100 feet. Have your spinning rod ready to pitch out a sardine bait right in front of the swimming fish and hold on!

We will continue to catch lane snapper, triggers and porgies.

This time of year, the mangroves and mutton snappers start to feed more frequently as it is closer to the spawning season. Fresh cut bait, sardines, thread fins, and finger mullet are all good choices.

Fish a 40-to-60-pound or flats there will be plenty of opportunities to catch snook. The spoil island points will hold quite a few fish throughout the spring. Freelining pilchards, greenies, or croakers work very well to get those mid-to-late morning shallow fish to bite. If you would like more of a challenge, top water lures like a (Rapala) Skitter Walk or soft plastics like a (Reaction Innovations) Skinny Dipper are both great options for snook at first light.

On the calmer days, getting out on the beach is a great way to spend the morning. Big jacks, tarpon, kingfish, and the like, will be in the area through April. Slow trolling live baits around the edges of the greenie schools is great way to target kings. The sub-30-inch kings, if iced very well and bled, are pretty good table fare. Anything larger goes on the smoker. fluorocarbon leader 10-to-30 feet long with an appropriate sinker. Fish your rig in the “free spool” made and wait for the hard snapper bite, then start reeling. Set up on ledges and high points on the reef. Look to fish from 65 to 125 feet of water.

Keep your eyes peeled for the schools of big jacks while you’re out there. Kastmaster spoons or big popper work well for these bruisers when they’re up on the surface milling around. Using tackle, a bit heavier than you think you need is imperative. The sharks off our coast are relentless and you need the ability to really crank on the fish if one shows up.

Back inshore the bridges and channel edges will have some sheepshead, drum, jacks, and snapper. With the winter being a bit warmer than normal, the bulk of the sheepshead will have already moved out to the first reef. Summer is right around the corner. Get out and enjoy the last of the cooler temps we will have until next winter.

The weather will become more dependable as the month goes on and we get closer to May 1, when grouper season re-opens.

The 65 foot Miss Fort Pierce sails daily on an all day schedule at 7 a.m.

Reservations required. To book, visit us at www.fortpiercefishing.com or call us at (772) 766-0191. We look forward to welcoming you aboard.

Capt. Gus Brugger

Pattern Setter Charters (772) 360-6787 www.WelcomeToSebastian.com

April means comfortable weather and a long list of species to target in the Sebastian area. It would be a shame to limit yourself to pursuing a specific type of fish when so many are available. Why not try to get an inshore grand slam: seatrout, redfish, snook and tarpon. Some days you can just stumble into a slam as you work backwater shorelines. Other days it can involve time, tide, tackle, weather and mobility to get to and catch each species. Being prepared and having a plan is the key to not having to rely on luck to get a slam, but a bit of luck sure makes it easier.

SEBASTIAN RIVER – Snook and tarpon of all sizes are available in good numbers in the Sebastian River in April. D.O.A. shrimp, TerrorEyz jigs, MirrOLures and live mullet will catch just about everything you will encounter in the Sebastian River. Cast small plugs, jigs and flies to rolling tarpon in both forks of the river and work the docks and shoreline cover with jerkbaits and D.O.A. shrimp for snook. Bull sharks can be caught on live and dead baits fished on the bottom or below a float in the lower river between the railroad and US 1 bridges.

INDIAN RIVER LAGOON – April’s list of available lagoon species is the most extensive of the year. Work the mangrove shorelines and docks with D.O.A shrimp, jerkbaits and plugs for snook and redfish. The spoil islands, flats and shoreline points with baitfish activity should hold trout and redfish. Backwater culverts and canals are great places to look for juvenile tarpon and snook of all sizes. Deeper areas adjacent to flats and islands offer ladyfish, jacks, bluefish and some pompano. The techniques used to catch just about all the species can be as simple as live shrimp below a float, bouncing a D.O.A. jerkbait or working a suspending or topwater plug. Wade fishing with live shrimp or artificials is also a great way to pursue trout, reds and snook this month.

SEBASTIAN INLET – April’s warmer temperatures will make snook fishing the focus of Sebastian inlet anglers. Redfish and big jack crevalle will also be available. Live croakers, pigfish, pinfish, pilchards, and shrimp will all catch fish during the day. After dark, jigs and plugs are equally effective.

NEAR SHORE ATLANTIC –

Pompano and whiting are always the focus of surf fishermen in the cooler months of the year. Sandfleas and cut clams are the baits of choice for pompano and whiting, but a pink Goofy jig can be deadly when the surf is calm. The waters from the beach out a couple of miles can boil with schools of Spanish mackerel and jumbo-sized jack crevalle. When the weather is calm, a boat ride down the beach can really pay off, keep your eyes open and have some stout spinning tackle on board for double digit Jacks, the occasional cobia and an early school of migrating tarpon. Tight lines!

It only took Dean Rocco of Union, NJ about 30 years of visiting the Sebastian Area to land a tarpon. This one took a D.O.A. TerrorEyz jig in the Sebastian River.