OFFSHORE- The weather forecast is looking very nice for the weekend, and the fish have been biting…what a great combo!  Dolphin fishing remains good from Palm Beach to Jupiter Inlet.  No particular depth for the mahi-mahi, as they have been scattered all over.  Trolling to cover some water should raise the dolphin, or chumming in productive looking water should also have you seeing those beautiful green, yellow, and blue flashes around the boat.  Be sure to drop something down deep if the dolphin are around, it’s likely a wahoo is lurking just down underneath them!  A diamond or vertical jig is perfect for sending down deep to search out a suspending wahoo.

Bottom fishing has been good for snapper, with reports of the yellowtail starting to heat up.  A small yellow jig tipped with squid, bonita, or sardine should entice the yellowtail to strike.  Larger baits, like sardines or big chunks of bonita, fished patiently on the bottom may produce a nice mutton snapper.  Best snapper action seems to be 80-100 feet of water.   Keep some flatlines out on the surface for the kingfish or stray cobia that are still hanging around.

INSHORE- Snook fishing has been getting better and better.  The linesiders are getting ready to stack up in the inlets, but before they do it is feeding time!  The spring (now early summer, I guess!) mullet run is on, and the snook are taking advantage of the mass of food.  Big swimbaits, flair hawks, and of course live mullet are a good choice for the snook.

Inshore mangrove snapper and sheepshead fishing has been getting better.  Try shrimp around the bridges for best results.

SURF/PIER- The snook have decided it is summertime and have showed up in the surf.  Look for them cruising the first rough early and late in the morning.  Throwing live shrimp, doa shrimp, or small white jigs should get their attention.  Word has it the tarpon are cruising the beach as well.  Keep an eye out for the big schools of jacks cruising the beach as well!

It is about that time of year for the sardines, pilchards, and greenies to show back up in good numbers.  Early indications this year seem to indicate that red hook sabikis are going to be the best for catching bait (Tsunami flurocarbon sabikis #4 and #6 especially).  The bait that has shown up to date is still holding north of Jupiter Inlet.  Get out early and be prepared to work hard for the baits that are around now.

The weather forecast looks great for the next few days; calmer seas, mild temps, and to top it off the fishing has been pretty darn good!

Offshore- The dolphin fishing has remained very strong for the past week or two.  Lots of Mahi-Mahi hanging around in scattered depths.  150-300′ of water between Palm Beach and Jupiter Inlet continues to hold good numbers of fish.  Trolling a spread of small ballyhoo, bonita strips, squid, and small jethead lures will surely raise up a few dorado.  Any floating debris, color changes, current rips, or birds working is a good area to drag the baits over a few extra times.  A few “summertime” bonito, blackfin tuna, kingfish, or even wahoo may show up in that area as well.

For those not so interested in trolling, drifting the same area with live or dead bait will produce some dolphin as well.  Look for a good north current and clean blue water when setting up a drift.  Chumming with some chunks of sardines, squid, menhaden oil, or block chum will help get the dolphin (and other gamefish, including late season cobia) up around the boat.  Live baits, if you can catch them, will work great.  Frozen sardines(Florida variety preferably) and squid are great drift baits.  Never overlook a nice whole squid floating as a flatline as a great fish producer.

Bottom fishing has been good, and should only get better.  Mutton snapper and yellowtail snapper will be the bulk of the catch, but grouper season is open and a few have been caught.  Again, sardines are a great bait choice.  For fun mixed bag action try dropping a small yellow jig tipped with a bonito chunk or squid.  You never know what may grab onto that little jig!

Inshore- Snook season is winding down, so if taking one home for the dinner table sounds like a good idea, go get them now!  The linesiders are showing up on the beach, filling in at the inlet, and hanging around the bridges at night.  Along the beach Rapala X-Raps and small white jigs are a good choice.  Look for the snook to be cruising north and south in the first trough.  The bridges are holding good numbers of snook, and fishing at night is the only way to go.  Drifting live shrimp with the current is a great bait choice.  A flair hawk is a great lure choice for the bridges as well.

Mangrove snapper and sheepshead are hanging around the bridges as well.  Shrimp, live of cut pieces, is a great bait choice to fool those stubborn fish around the pilings.  Moonfish(aka lookdown) and sandperch have been caught around the bridges as well.

SURF/PIER- The pompano fishing has slowed down a bit, but it isn’t done just yet.  Clams and sandleas continue to produce a few bites from the pompano.  For those not into fishing bait, pompano jigs(like Doc’s Goofy Jig) may still get a few bites. Scattered schools of spanish mackerel have been moving up and down the beach and a few are always hanging around the pier.  White Crappie Jigs are a good choice from the pier for the mackerel.  The small profile matches a glass minnow nicely.  As mentioned above, the snook are showing up along the beach.  Fish low light periods for best action, or try and sight cast them in good light for a real challenge!

 Happy Early Mother’s Day to any Mom’s checking out the fishing report (Kids and Dad’s don’t forget about Mom this weekend!)

Bait Bonnets in stock, great way to add some flash to trolling baits!

Tsunami Flurocarbon Sabikis, priced right; great bait catchers!

Like my buddy Mark Hightower says, “It’s all about the hit”. It’s what keeps fisherman out all day and some of us up all night even when the bite is not red hot. I am one of those guys that is always looking for a new lure to catch fish on and enjoy the challenge of trying to get an uninterested fish interested.

Right now the trout bite is heating up in the Indian River so I decided to take my new 7’2’’ Juno Custom Rod up to the flats and break her in. When wading you are limited on the amount of tackle you can bring with you, so bringing a few different lures for a few different situations is a must. Local knowledge of what the fish are doing is important but as with anything you never know what kind of mood the fish will be in until you get out there. There are a few standards that everyone should bring with them everytime they wade fish the Indian River. The D.O.A shrimp (with the glass rattles), a topwater plug, a suspending jerkbait, and your favorite 3-4” shad tail with a few different jigheads. Matching the hatch is key but most of the places I fish have a little bit of every type of bait and you never know what the fish will be keyed in on at that time. The bass fishing market is the largest market in the fishing industry and should not be over looked when it comes to trying something different. I will go over some of the products that have “saved the day” for me, and how to fish them.

The first is Gamblers Flapn’ shad on a ¼ to ½ oz jighead depending on wind, current, depth etc. I am using a 3000 size spinning reel with 10 lb braid, 3’ of 15-20 lb fluorocarbon, and a 7’6’’ Juno Custom Rod with a fast action. The reason for the fast tip is simple, better hookset when the fish hits. With this set-up I am not wasting any time setting the hook. The fish hits, I reel the slack and give a quick, short, jab in one motion keeping the rod in place until the fish turns and I feel the hook penetrate. Ok, so how do you get the hit in the first place? There is not one answer to this question but the retrieve that has been most successful for me is a simple reel, pause, reel, pause. Experiment with the retrieve, sometime a little twitch in the retrieve is all it takes to get that bite.

The next bait that will take a seemingly uneventful day and turn it into a high fives and a car ride home where all you can say is, “I can’t believe how big that trout was!” is Yum’s Money Minnow. I am using this on the same reel, line, and leader but the rod I prefer for this type of fishing is a 7’2’’ Juno Custom Rod with a medium to medium fast action, and you guessed it the action is different because the hookset is different. I am using the 5’’ Money Minnow rigged with Owner’s 5167w twistlock weedless hook. This has been the best weedless hook for this application that I have found. When there are pods of mullet running for their lives on the flats nothing will get that big trout to come out of her home to eat like a slow, wobbling, easy to catch mullet imitation. This hookset is different then the one I use with the Flapn’ Shad, the retrieve of the lure is the same just slower. I keep the rod tip at about 40 degrees and when the fish shoots out of the grass and grabs the lure I do nothing at first, itself back in the grass and the rod is loaded, when you are 100 percent the fish is sitting still in the grass slowly and evenly apply more and more pressure on the fish until you ‘’feel’’ the hook penetrate. You want to keep firm pressure on the fish in the beginning of the fight because when done properly the hook point will find its way into the meaty part of the trouts cheek (not the easiest place to bury the hook with a lighter rod). Palming the spool during the initial hookset is not a bad idea, the fish will shake its head when she feels the hook and constant to increasing pressure plus the head shake will seal the deal when it comes to driving the hook home.

Written By:
Eric Gates
Juno Bait Shop Manager
Land Based Light Tackle Fishing Guide

…Looks like the fishing is finally going to start opening up.  Now is the time to get out and go fishing.  Offshore, Inshore, and Surf/Pier fishing have all been good, go now while it lasts!

Check back soon for more detailed reports, and be sure to stay up to date with our facebook page as well!

Offshore- February always provides a bit of a hard month to predict.  A few strong cool/cold fronts can leave us in the winter patterns, while warmer weather often pushes us towards the spring style fishing patterns.  This year sure looks like we will tip to the warmer side and head into spring early.  The ocean has been filled with bait most of the winter (mostly flying fish…and lots of them!), and at some point the fish will show up to the party.  Sailfish should continue to bite good this month, and don’t be surprised to see a wahoo or big dolphin crash the party.  Most action will be with livebaits (goggle eyes, blue runners, and speedos) in the 100-250′ depth range.  Kingfish have made a scattered showing as well.  Bottom/drift fishing remains very day to day (somehow I always seem to go on the slow days!)

Inshore- Hard to say what your best bet inshore is these days.  Those willing to spend the time will find a fair snook bite at night.  Keep the baits small and moving slow for the best chance at a snook.  Fish docks and bridges with some good current and deep water for best result.  Pompano have not made it into the river/ICW like they should, but again those spending the time on the water will no doubt catch a few!

Surf/Pier- The surf and pier have been on the slow side lately.  Best action has been on croaker/whiting in the first trough.  Cut shrimp on small hooks is the best bet for these little guys.  The fishing to the north (Hobe Sound and up) has been better, so if you have the time head up the coast a bit.

Thanks for checking this out everyone! Be sure to “like” Juno Bait on facebook for fishing updates throughout the month!

Offshore- Sailfish season is starting to heat up.  The colder it gets, the hotter the bite will be.  For those fishing south of Jupiter Inlet livebaiting the ledge will be the ticket for the most bites.  Blue Runners and Goggle Eyes are the baits of choice.  Expect a few kingfish and dolphin to be mixed in with the sailfish.  Snapper Fishing remains hit or miss at best.  Been a few cobia hanging around the bull sharks.

Inshore- The snook are still biting at night around the bridges.  Good numbers of mangrove snapper and sheepshead moving around inshore.   Some nice trout have been caught around Munyon Island.

Surf/Pier- Spanish Mackerel action is getting better and better at Peck’s Lake.  Bluefish are scattered up and down the beach.  Pompano fishing has been on the slow side…need some cold fronts!

By: Eric Gates

Nylon jigs, there are as many ways to fish them as there are different styles and colors.  No matter how you like to fish them, the fact remains they catch BIG fish.  Let’s focus on flairhawks for BIG snook.  For something as simple as a leadhead with some nylon tied to it there is a lot to consider when choosing the right jig for the right situation.

Color

We’re going to keep this very simple, if you’re fishing in a river around a bridge or an outgoing tide at an inlet use a chartreuse jig.  If you are fishing on the beach or in clear water conditions use a jig with white nylon, preferably with a little sheen.  Snook will hit a jig based on profile and action more than color, but for those who want to complicate things, your jig should blend into its surroundings and stand out all at the same time.

Jig Styles

The two most common flairhawk jig styles are the skimmer jig and the bullet style jighead.  Both work well in most situations, however snook hit based on profile and action so there are some things to consider.  Are the snook feeding on finger mullet or some type of bait with a narrow profile?  If they are, a jig with a narrow profile is what you want to use.  If they are feeding on croaker or something with a larger profile, a jig with more flair and a larger profile is the way to go.  When the snook are feeding on crabs you want to bang the bottom with a skimmer style jighead.

Weight

Perhaps the most important factor in choosing which jig to pull out of the box.  Snook hit based on profile and action, but a snook won’t hit what it can’t see.  Put the jig in the strike zone and your odds of catching a snook goes up three fold.  There is a definite learning curve here and you will lose jigs in the process, but getting the jig at the right depth and location at the right time is the big secret to jig fishing. There is an up side to hanging up on the bottom…when you find the hang-ups there is a good chance you have found where the snook are hanging out.  Present the jig properly around these hang-ups and the snags turn into big snook!

…is just a day and a half away for those of us on the east coast of Florida.  Catch and release snook fishing has been very very good all summer long, and all signs point to a nice start of the season.  The mullet are making their annual trip south down the beach, pilchards and greenies are stacked up in the intracoastal, and the snook are getting baby making off their minds and turning their attention to EATING!  Expect some crowds for a week or two, especially at the popular spots like Jupiter Inlet, Juno Beach Pier, and other Palm Beach area bridges; but after a few weeks the crowds start to thin a little.  By nature the snook are going to feed better at night, so give up the sleep if you can for the best results. Try to fish moving water for best luck.

We will be discussing all of these things at our upcoming Snook Series Seminars @ Juno Bait.  Be sure to swing by and check a few of them out if you get a chance!

After a good soaking and a few blown out fishing days from Tropical Storm Isaac, things are getting back to normal.  Another day or so and most people’s minds will have erased last weekends sogginess from their minds, and be focusing on the upcoming three day holiday weekend.  It doesn’t feel like it outside, but Labor Day will slowly start to make the transition from summertime to fall over the next few weeks; at least as far as fishing goes anyways!

OFFSHORE- To say the least, most of the summertime fishing was disappointing.  Though the bonita were here in full force, many of the usual summertime players never really made a good showing. Let’s hope the fall fishing picks up a little of the slack.  The next few weeks should start to see the bonita thin out a little and be replaced somewhat by blackfin

tuna (mostly on the small side). The small “football” size blackfin will be hanging from 150-300′ of water most likely.  Trolling small tuna feathers, flash feathers, or very small bonita strips will be the best bet for the blackfin.  Mixed in with the tuna should be a few dolphin or two, and the wahoo should still be hanging out underneath the tuna looking for easy meals.  The wahoo fishing sparked a little in August, but not like last year.  September and October can be great months for wahoo, so don’t start packing up the high speed gear just yet!  The snapper fishing has been so-so at best, but the recent storm may get them fired up for a good bite.  I got this nice mutton snapper last week on a dead sardine.

SURF/PIER-  The mullet should start to move down the beach any day now, and a whole list of predators will be following the buffet line down the beach.  Snook, tarpon, jacks, bluefish, sharks and more will all be chowing down as the mullet make their yearly push south.  The earlier they come the better, as more top level gamefish will be in the mix.  If they push down later it will be more bluefish than anything.  The bluefish are just too aggressive for much else to compete with!

INSHORE- Snook season opens on Saturday. Those that like to put one on the dinner table from time to time are chomping at the bit to give the snook a shot.  The snook have bit good all summer long at: the Juno Beach pier, beach, Jupiter and Palm Beach Inlet, bridges, and spillways.   The snook will be far more likely to play along at night and on moving water.  Other inshore fishing is lackluster…at best!

SEPTEMBER SNOOK SEMINAR SERIES

Held at Juno Bait 6PM on Thursday Nights

9/6 “Basic Biology, Better Baits, and Lucky Lures”

9/13 “Topwater Tactics”

9/20 “Swimbait Strategies”

9/27 “Flair Hawks 101″