Offshore: Bottom fishing has been very productive after last weeks’ swell from Hurricane Florence. The bite was best a little shallower than normal, with nice sized Mutton, Mangrove, and Yellowtail Snapper being caught in 50-75ft of water. Some Mutton and Mangrove Snapper catches were even reported by people fishing in the Jupiter and Palm Beach Inlet for snook. Look for fish to move back offshore this weekend along the reefs in 80-110ft from Singer Island to the Juno Pier. The dolphin bite has been scattered with most fish being caught off of Jupiter in 100-250ft. There have also been quite a few Sailfish being caught by boats live baiting off of Palm Beach and Jupiter. It’s a little early in the year for them to start showing up, but the swell from Florence may have kicked things off a little quicker than expected. Wahoo fishing has started to pick up and should only get hotter with the September Full Moon quickly approaching on the 25th. The August moon was the best bite of the summer, so look for the next 10 days or so to be just as productive. Trolling split tail mullet or horse ballyhoo has worked best this summer with a wireline rod or using a planer to get your baits down in the water column. Try using black/red or blue/white Iland lure or Sea Witch to add color and keep your baits from washing out at high speeds.
Inshore: Last weeks Hurricane Florence and the swell she produced has started to push even more mullet down the coast our way. Big pods have been reported heading south from Hobe Sound beaches to Palm Beach Island. The tarpon, snook, and spinner sharks have been right behind them. Using a live mullet and fishing it on the bottom, underneath the mullet school should work best. Make sure to use circle hooks to ensure the fish get released with as little harm as possible. Other than mullet, large artificial swimbaits such as a Spooltek, Gambler, or Hogy have also produced great results. If you want some topwater action, try using a Zara Spook or Halco Roosta Popper.
Pictured is Tyler Kuehl with a nice Yellowfin Tuna off of Venice, Louisiana.