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
Calm seas, blue skies, plenty of bait and the fish are here. June is one of my favorite months off the Treasure Coast. It’s a great time for almost everything. Some days it proves better to troll, especially if you’re going for dolphin, but for action and a good mixed bag, live baiting is key this time of year. If you want to save a little time and get right to the big stuff call Bryan (561) 856-2175, at Stuart Live Bait and reserve you well full. Otherwise grab some R&R Sabiki rigs and head north along the beach or out to your favorite rock pile. These rigs have more hooks, fluorocarbon line, and the baits stay on the hook better so you can get to fishing sooner. Kings, cobia, mahi, blackfin tuna, wahoo and the sailfish spawn make this a lock and load fishery that will provide nonstop action some days. A light southeast wind is perfect this time of year, and kite fishing is my favorite way to fish. If you haven’t tried it before don’t be intimidated, it’s not as hard as people say. If you would like some tips, I strongly recommend booking a charter with us and we are happy to answer any questions and show you exactly how to get the most out of them. The white Tigress kites fly perfectly in minimal wind without needing helium and it’s incredible how well you can steer them to provide maximum coverage.
We just got a set of Dominion E Butts for our kite rods and these things are amazing. Have you seen them? Battery is in the butt of the rod, they give us total versatility being able to walk around not attached to the boat by a cord. We can always find the wind when launching our kites and walk our spread around the boat continuing to fish while trying to get the release on fish we have hooked up. Great for big boats, even better for small, we have a 22 Pathfinder that we were never able to kite fish off of because it didn’t have outlets. This solves that problem and now we can fly them with ease.
Using Blackfin rods for nearly 20 years now, we absolutely love them. They have a perfect 6 1/2 foot circle rod for 15-to-20-pound test which allows us to use a lighter line and leader without the risk of chafing fish off or pulling hooks. A good set of spinning rods are a must. We use Blackfin and Shimano for those too and they’re spooled with 12 to 20 pound clear line so we’re able to pitch to pieces of float for dolphin and cast to the sails we see following hooked fish and finning on the surface.
With so many fish having a second or third, following them, a good set of sunglasses is key always important. Costa Del Mar with their 580 lenses have been helping us ever since I can remember. The clarity on these lenses is incredible and they’re also available in prescription with a ton of frame options. If you haven’t already, I would definitely check them out.
Most of the action this time of year takes place between 65 and 250 feet of water with the exception of finding some dolphin or blackfin tuna out a little deeper. The six-mile reef in 65 feet of water will provide good kingfish action with a chance at cobia and sailfish and the occasional dolphin, the 8 mile reef in about 135 feet of water is another migratory highway for all of the pelagic fish. If you want to run a little further, June is a great time to take advantage of our calm weather and target swords out in the deep or even take the family over to the Bahamas. Starting just 75 miles from our inlet there’s another world of snorkeling, fishing and exploring that is world class.
Tight Lines!
June will open the window to the start of the forever Florida summer season. Generous amounts of solar heat and sunshine will illuminate an offshore ocean that will welcome the near coastal anglers of Martin County.
Bottom fishing will again be this month`s best offshore strategy decision for “meat hunting”, allowing anglers to target the many species of snapper and grouper that populate area reef zones. The open catch and keep season on most species of grouper will be in full swing during the days of June (*check current regulations for exact rules on all species of fish*). Fishing crews will continue to dial in their precise positioning skills over top of structures in 70 to 180 feet of water. Deep artificial reefs located in 150 to 180 feet, just east of our St. Lucie Inlet, will be location specific hot spots and will prove to be fish magnets for all species of saltwater fish, especially large gag grouper.
Bottom fishing strategies will also allow fishing crews to deploy a dead stick surface spread of flat lines with live or dead baits that enable fisherman to catch top water species like mahi, king mackerel, and sailfish, while actively bottom fishing at the same time. This method of covering the entire water column will increase all around fishing success and increases the potential for stand-up excitement.
Besides bottom drops on some of our deeper structures, anglers who cherish a snapper dinner, will angle towards the expansive southern reef line in depths of 60 to 80 feet of water, east of Hobe Sound and Tequesta, where many species of snapper tend to reside. Large representatives of the mutton, mangrove, and cubera family of snapper patrol these reef contours and are prize saltwater trophies for even the most seasoned of offshore anglers. Cobia will also be found along this naturally occurring reef zone, known to locals as “The Loran Tower Ledge”.
The days of June will offer a sun-toasted backdrop for grocery getting fisherman that enjoy fishing the entire water column, in the near coastal waters of the Treasure Coast.
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