BOATS TAKEN SERIOUSLY. ™

St. Lucie Flats Fishing Charters

(609) 820-6257 www.stlucieflatsfishing.com

Summer has arrived on the Treasure Coast. July is always one of my favorite months to enjoy the fishing the Treasure Coast has to offer. Whether inshore or offshore there is always something to target. It is a time to get out early or late in the day and avoid the afternoon heat and storms. You definitely have to keep a closer watch on the storms as the summer progresses. This is time to start looking for large mutton snapper in shallows off the beach. Anchor just off the reef in 15-to-30 feet of water. Using smaller split shots or even no weight at all has been the best approach for me. Make a good long

Capt. Bo Samuel

Pullin Drag Charters

(772) 971-6661 facebook.com/Pullin-Drag-Charters catainbofishing@gmail.com cast away from the boat and pay out line as the bait is sinking. Once it comes to rest on the bottom, I let the rod holder do all the work. Cut bait seems to be more effective for these shallow muttons. Fresh cut or frozen sardines, grunts, pinfish, or greenies are all good bait choices for big beach muttons.

Getting out a little further off the shallow reefs and slow or bump trolling live baits around the bait pods in 30-to-50 feet of water is a good way to target kingfish throughout the summer. There is no mistaking the blistering runs these fish are capable of when you hook up to a smoker king. Along with kings, you will encounter hard fighting bonitos, cobia, and the very occasional dolphin hanging around the shallow bait pods.

Getting back to inshore, this is prime tarpon time for our fish in the river and around the inlet. North jetty, Big Mud, and the Turning Basin are all consistent locations to find tarpon. Drifting with live or

Day, there will be “fire” in the water, too! July promises to be as hot and fishy as June for trolling and bottom fishing with calm seas bringing plenty of opportunities to get out on the blue. The fishing off Fort Pierce has been extremely successful and I expect it to continue throughout the summer so beat the heat by catching your own salty groceries.

The biggest “bang” right now is the news from NOAA Fisheries that two harvest dates have been natural baits like crabs, or mullet during the daytime is a good way to get a bite from the hardest fighting inshore fish we have locally. At night using live shrimp or small pilchards around the dock lights and bridges is another solid tactic for tarpon keyed in on small baits. granted for red snapper season, July 14th and 15th. Anglers all along the Treasure Coast will be gearing up for these red snapper days because, while they are frequently caught during the year, they can only be kept the two designated days. Hopefully, as each year establishes that the red snapper population is healthy and thriving, a longer season will be offered.

July is usually a great time to find bait along the beaches which means snook, tarpon, and jacks can be targeted there. Pulling drag on one of these great fighters will get even the most experienced angler fired up! The mangrove bite has been stellar in 70-to-100 feet producing some big ones at 10-to-12 pounds. I recommend using live threadfins or frozen sardines. Snapper fishing also brings fantastic opportunities for black, gag, and red grouper.

Finally, July also sees one of Florida’s saltiest traditions, the two-day lobster mini-season! Miniseason, always the last Wednesday and Thursday of the month, kicks off the highly anticipated regular lobster season that begins on August 6th and you can expect more boat traffic and lots of divers in the water. Many anglers are divers too but if you’re not a diver, trade some scales for tails and let the seafood fest begin.

Wishing everyone a safe July and on-fire fishing! Call me to make a catching trip part of your summer celebrations or just come visit me at my home base of Little Jim Bait & Tackle. Always grateful for the freedom to keep Pullin Drag!

Capt. Gus Brugger

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

An early start to the fishing day allows the angler to beat the July heat and guards against being caught on the water during the afternoon thunderstorms which can be an everyday occurrence this time of year. This is the time of year when you can plan a trip that can result in an inshore slam with trophy sized snook, reds and tarpon topped off with smoker kingfish and maybe a cobia or sailfish, all from a flats skiff, and be back at the ramp before the first thunder cloud forms.

SEBASTIAN RIVER – Looking for rolling tarpon in the predawn gray light in either fork of the Sebastian River is a great way to start any day. Sight casting to rolling fish with flies, D.O.A. TerrorEyz jigs and small plugs is an exciting way to target these 5-to-50 pound tarpon. Live mullet are also an excellent option once you find the fish. Once the sun is up, fishing the docks and shady shoreline cover with D.O.A. shrimp, jerkbaits or plugs is a good way to target snook in the Sebastian River.

INDIAN RIVER LAGOON –Finding a shallow water area with a school of mullet milling around on it in the early morning is the key to topwater plug fishing for seatrout and redfish in the Indian River Lagoon in the summer. Super Spook Jr. and other 4-to-6 inch topwater plugs fished around and through these milling mullet will get the attention of predators shadowing the mullet schools. Later in the morning fish drop-offs and deeper cuts with jigs for trout and ladyfish or hit the shady shoreline cover and docks for snook and reds.

SEBASTIAN INLET – Big redfish and snook will stack up at the mouth of Sebastian inlet on outgoing tides throughout the summer. They will hit live baits of all types fished on the bottom. The bull reds will move inside the inlet and pick off small crabs floating out with the tide especially around new and full moon periods, topwater plugs, live crabs and flies will catch them. With snook out of season, keep in mind that a large percentage of snook caught and released around the North Jetty wind up as easy meals for goliath grouper and sharks, so please limit that activity for the good of the snook population.

NEAR SHORE ATLANTIC –

The consistently calm ocean conditions in the morning allow small boaters to venture out into the open ocean. The warm clear waters draw king mackerel, bonito and cobia close to the beach. Large tarpon, Spanish macks, big jack crevalle and the occasional sailfish are also a possibility. Having a livewell full of mid-sized mullet and/or greenies is a must. These can be cast to rolling tarpon or any other species that show themselves. If nothing is showing, slow trolling a live mullet or greenie, especially on a downrigger set at mid depth, can be a very productive way to get some kings for the smoker or any of the other mentioned species. Look for bait pods, bottom structure, current edges or even weed lines to narrow your search.

July is finally here, my favorite month of the year for fishing. The good weather gets us more days offshore, combined with more consistent water quality. Warm clean water equals more consistent fishing. Remember though, when the water gets warm and clear, fish get picky. Light fluorocarbon leaders and live bait will produce more bites. Fortunately, live bait should be more readily present both inside and outside the inlet.

We’ll see good catches of mutton snapper, mangrove snapper and kingfish. Last year we only saw a mild thermocline, but we did have a couple of days fishing the beach reefs, although it passed quickly. Other than that, we should have some good kingfish on the 80-to-90-foot reefs, bigger fish will be hitting live bait. Strip baits trolled behind a Sea Witch and 3½ drone spoon works well also. For those trolling offshore, there should be some schooly dolphin some even into the 80 and 90 foot reefs. They’re always a nice addition to the box When your anchored up and a school swims up. This is when it’s good to have a couple light spinners ready with a #4 or #5 Mustad short shank with a 30-pound fluorocarbon leader. Have some chopped up pieces of squid ready to throw to keep their interest as well as to stick on the hook to capitalize on the opportunity.

Bottom fishing should be good on the reefs in the 80-to-90-foot range. Clear water is going to require light leaders and live bait to entice a bite there as well.

As always, the ever-growing shark problem will be something to deal with. If there’s any upside to the abundance of sharks, it’s that they’ve had cobia traveling with them. There’s a thin line between fishing heavy enough line to horse the fish in before the sharks eat them yet light enough to get the fish to bite. I’m hoping some group, individual or fishing club will put together a shark tournament. One tournament of 100 boats would start putting the uneven balance back where it should be. Meat from the shark could be donated to local food banks. Believe me, people that are saying this is a sign of a heathy eco system do not see what’s really happening out there.

As always support your local tackle shops, be courteous to your fellow anglers, one day you might need their help, be nice to your law enforcement including our FWC. They’re just doing their job.

“Fish on...gotta go!”

Shellen Guide Service

Okeechobee Bass Fishing Guides/Charters

(863) 357-0892 sjmike7@aol.com

OkeechobeeBassFishing.com

Headwatersfishingguide.com

The bass fishing scene at Lake Okeechobee has been nothing short of exceptional. Anglers from all over have been flocking to this renowned Florida fishing destination, and for good reason. The lake’s water levels have remained stable, providing ideal conditions for bass to thrive, and creating a haven for anglers seeking trophy catches.

During the early morning and late afternoon hours, topwater action has been explosive. Anglers using buzzbaits, poppers, and frog imitations have seen tremendous success in enticing big bass to strike. The fish have been particularly active near vegetation and submerged structures, where they have been ambushing baitfish and other prey. Anglers should focus their efforts on targeting these areas for the best chance at landing a trophy-sized bass.

As the day progresses and the sun climbs higher, switching to soft plastic lures such as worms, creature baits, and swimbaits has proven effective. Fishing along the edges of lily pads, reeds, and submerged grass beds has yielded consistent results. Texas and Carolina rigs have been the go-to setups for targeting bass in deeper water.

Anglers should keep an eye out for any signs of schooling activity, as bass have been congregating in large numbers to feed on schools of shad and other baitfish. Casting crankbaits and swimbaits into these feeding frenzies has resulted in multiple hookups and adrenalinepumping battles.

It’s worth noting that water temperatures have been steadily rising, so adjusting techniques and depths may be necessary as the day progresses. Paying attention to subtle changes in water temperature and fish behavior will be key to adapting and staying successful throughout the day.

Overall, Lake Okeechobee continues to live up to its reputation as a top-notch bass fishing destination. Whether you’re a seasoned angler or a novice looking to test your skills, now is the time to hit the water and experience the thrill of reeling in some truly impressive bass.

Costa Del

• Services: Rod and Reel Repair-Custom Rigging

• Huge Variety of Frozen

Chris Beachwalker Sharp

(772) 320 8611 beachwalkerfish@gmail.com

July fishing from land is the best time to fish for catch and release snook and big tarpon. Snook will be all over the beaches and it won’t take much to catch these breeding fish. When fishing for them I change all my lures to circle hooks so not to harm the fish and let to live another day.

My favorite to throw is Yo-Zuri Crystal minnow in black in silver. I always go before sunrise and fish at night to get numbers. If you fish at low light times you are able to catch a lot more fish and also beat the heat.

The bait pods have shown up on the beach and once you find them, it won’t be long until you get a bite. Look for beaches that have structure or deep drop offs. The best ones will be Walton Rocks, House of Refuge and Hobe Sound Beach.

You don’t have to have a big set up: a 4000 reel, 20-pound braid, 7 ½ foot rod and 30-pound leader will get the job done. Soft bait guys can’t beat using paddle tail baits to your catch either. Henn Lures are some of the best lures you can use with jig heads that offer circle hooks.

Tarpon will also be there about the same time you are throwing for snook. Right before sunrise you will see them roll. My first choice is a clear paddle tail 6-inch from Henn Lures with a circle hook jig head. I cast right in front of them and reel slowly to get a bite. I use a 8-foot rod paired with a 5000 Penn Slammer reel with 30-pound braid and a 50-pound leader. Hard baits work well if there are mullet schools around but if small baits are in the water, throw soft rubber baits. Don’t overlook your local spillways either, especially when it is raining.

Have a Happy Fourth of July and tight lines!