LOCAL FISHING REPORT

Offshore

Despite the recent heavy rains, the fishing off Palm Beach has been good.

Though they’ve been on the small side, there has been a decent dolphin bite. Blackfin tuna have been hitting on smaller, trolled sardines and thread fins off The Breakers in 150 to 250 feet of water.

Fishing the wrecks off the Tiara Condominium on Singer Island there has been an excellent amberjack bite. These incredibly hard fighters are hitting in 200 to 300 feet on live goggle eyes and blue runners.

Also off Singer Island, off the Lost Tree Village area, there has been a good yellowtail snapper bite. They are hitting on sardines with the heads and tails cut off.

Twenty miles out, there have been swordfish biting and they are averaging 125 pounds.

Off Boynton Beach, dolphin have been scattered with fish between 5 and 10 pounds being caught on the drift in 100 to 300 feet.

Blackfin tuna have been biting in the morning and evening hours. One charter captain reported landing tuna up to 22 pounds using drifted sardines on 3/4-ounce drift rigs in 90 to 180 feet.

King mackerel are quickly passing through the Lake Worth, Boynton Beach and Delray Beach areas. Fish up to 45 pounds are hitting drifted sardines between 90 to 120 feet. They are not schooling up, but instead are moving through in small wolf packs.

Mutton, yellowtail and mangrove snapper have been taken this week while drifting across the Delray wrecks and the reefs in 85 feet. Mutton snapper to 10 pounds are showing up as the fish prepare to spawn.

Black grouper are spawning and being caught around Horseshoe Reef and the Hogfish Ledges north of the Lake Worth Pier. Anglers drifting either live or dead goggle eyes on 5-ounce grouper rigs are catching fish up to 35 pounds.

Inshore

Despite the “moist” conditions lately, the fishing for snook remains great in the St. Lucie and Indian rivers. Still being caught on pilchards around the bridge and dock pilings, they are starting to make their way toward the inlets to spawn.

If looking for pilchards, they have mostly moved offshore and are no longer easy pickings in the rivers.

Tarpon have been lurking around the bridges and there have been a few along the beaches. Late-night fishing with crabs has been producing good results.

In the Lake Worth Inlet, there have some tarpon around and they are being hooked using smaller baits.

Lantana Bridge anglers have reported catching croakers, sand perch, small snapper, jack crevalle and moonfish using fresh cut shrimp and small jigs. Mullet are also being caught around the bridge for bait.

There have been reports of good snook action around the Boynton and Lake Worth spillways. Live Target and Red Tail Hawk lures are working best.

Using live shad around the various spillways in the canals has been producing a good bite on clown knifefish, peacock bass and largemouth bass up to 8 pounds as well as a variety of catfish and gar up to 15 pounds. Look for flowing water from drain pipes or adjoining canals for productive freshwater fishing using jigs and top water lures.

Lake Okeechobee

The bass bite was incredible for The Nik Kayler Benefit Tournament last weekend. Featuring over 100 boats, 24 boats netted 20 pounds or more and the winning boat took in 38.5 pounds. The Monkey Box, Harney Pond and Tin House Cove areas were hot spots and surface baits including poppin’ frogs and Zara Spooks worked well.

With all the rain, anglers working areas with moving water have been doing well using chrome blue Rat-LTrap baits.

The bluegill bite is still good in the Kissimmee River, Taylor Creek and the J&S Canal areas. Using live crickets, many anglers are reporting catching their limits. All fishing report information courtesy of Snook Nook in Jensen Beach, Capt. Weston Russell at Reel Intense Fishing Charters, Capt. Bruce Cyr and Okeechobee Fishing Headquarters.