From the land to the deep sea, Stuart’s inshore and offshore waters offer an abundance and variety of different catches. We’re proud to team with the Coastal Angler to bring you the latest fishing reports to help put you on the fish and keep your lines tight
Although we all look forward to the Fourth, July’s fireworks last throughout the whole month out on the water off the Treasure Coast. Sailfish are the main target this month and the way to get them is by hanging live baits from Tigress kites attached to Blackfin circle hook rods, spooled with 20lb line, a 50lb leader and a 6/0 circle hook. Historically speaking December and January had always been the prime sailfish months, but over the last 10 years summer has made an impressive showing. Not only are multiple sailfish releases common during a day of fishing in July, but mahi-mahi, king mackerel, blackfin tuna, and wahoo make regular guest appearances as well. It’s definitely a good idea to have a spare rod ready with a section of wire or titanium leader for when one with teeth shows up unexpectedly.
Threadfin herring and pilchards are usually readily available on the beach this month but it’s always a good idea to stop by Stuart Live Bait and get a couple dozen on your way out just in case it’s not as easy to catch as we want it to be. When it’s there, the R&R Sabki rigs that we use are a definite advantage. Aside from different line tests and fluorocarbon being available, there are a couple extra hooks on each string and the bait stays on the hooks a whole lot better, so full stringers are a common occurrence speeding up your bait catching experience for the morning and getting you fishing sooner.
On your way offshore, start looking for signs of life immediately. It’s not uncommon for fish to push way in shallow this time of year to get away from the warmer waters of the Gulf Stream and also closer to the bait schools. You’re still looking for the same main things. Bait, color changes, scattered grass, weed lines, pieces of float and birds. We spend most of our time between 65 and 200 feet of water this time of year, but on occasion, we will slide out a little deeper looking for a nice weed line that might be holding some bigger dolphin. When we take this approach, I prefer trolling, and I always include a bait or two rigged on wire on our downrigger. Cannon downriggers offer a wide choice of units that work great not only what they’re intended for, but also pulling dredge teasers or squid chains while we’re trolling for Sailfish. The Cannon 10TS is an amazing product with auto stop and auto deploy along with a cycle mode which we’ve been using daily for almost 15 years now and is one of our most important pieces of equipment.
Summertime is fishing time, as July will roll out a toasty fish carpet warmed by the Florida sun. Very hot days and typically light winds (barring any tropical activity) will coat the eastern shores of Martin County. User friendly seas will allow fishermen to explore the inner and outer perimeters of their local zone and allow many strategy options for fishing crews this month.
Grocery collecting fishermen will target mahi, king mackerel, snapper, and grouper during these sweltering, summer days, by posting up on color and temperature changes, weed and current edges, and bottom structure. Mahi and kings will be found on these edges and changes, along with a summer body of sailfish, that will periodically make a showing this month.
Artificial and naturally occurring bottom structures will be home to a multi species array of snapper and grouper.
Mangrove and mutton snapper will be at the top of the fish hit list and will be found in many depths, especially from 70-to-90 feet of water from east of Jensen Beach all the way down to the Loran Tower Ledge, east of Hobe Sound and Tequesta. Live baits, especially sardines and cigar minnows, will be the premier and best baits to insure success for representatives of the tasty, snapper family. Try these shiny baits in dead form too, as these bottom dwellers will reveal their opportunistic side, by eating a wide variety of whole and/or cut baits, especially tomtates (also known as grunts). Grunt plugs and grunt heads, artistically cut by bottom fishermen are a favorite snack of large mutton snapper and groupers. Put these cut grunts on long leaders of 20-to-50 feet in length and present them on the inner and outer contours of the reef line for the best fish catching results.
The fishermen of July will need to continue being summertime vigilant in terms of monitoring the hourly progression of the day`s weather. Intense daytime heating will bring the potential for strong afternoon thunderstorms. Try to keep abreast of daily weather forecasts and radar signatures to make safe and informed decisions on one’s fishing plans. As always during the days of the forever Florida summer, start your fishing day as early in the morning as one can and get your fish catching job done early!
Fishing in July on the Treasure Coast is hard to beat. This month we can expect some awesome inshore and nearshore fishing. Just remember to stay hydrated as it can be very hot out on the water this month.
Inshore snook bite has been great early morning on artificial and fly. As the day progresses switch to white baits deeper in the water column for larger snook. Fly fishing with small white bait or glass minnow patterns will work amazingly well for snook and tarpon along mangrove shorelines, docks, and local Treasure Coast beaches this month. As always, expect some large jack crevalle’s in the mix while targeting snook and tarpon. Fishing crabs and/or live mullet along channel edges will produce some good tarpon action on the right tides. These fish run large so make sure to have adequate tackle and the right size leader/hook combination if you want these fish to make it boatside.
Nearshore fishing has been excellent. Calm days make for good action run and gunning along local beaches looking for large schools of fish to sight cast with live baits, crabs, or artificials. Expect to encounter tarpon, permit, jacks, kingfish, cobia, sailfish, and bonito. Find large schools of white baits and fish the outskirts for increased odds at nearshore kingfish, sailfish and sharks. Snapper fishing has also been good around nearshore reefs and wrecks. Just make sure to reel them in quickly or they will quickly become goliath grouper bites.
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