Southeast Florida Forecast
September 12, 2024
By Capt. Jonathan Earhart
Capt. Jonathan Earhart predicts fishing trends from Wabasso Beach to Boca Raton, including Vero Beach, Ft. Pierce, Stuart, West Palm Beach and Lake Worth
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Sept. 12 Report September on the Treasure coast can be some of the season’s best inshore and nearshore fishing. Big snook, tarpon, jacks, ladyfish, seatrout, redfish and sharks are plentiful and hungry for migrating mullet as our annual mullet run takes place this month along local beaches and up and down the intracoastal waterway. Fishing around large schools of migrating mullet will get the bites you desire. Fishing live mullet on circle hooks and heavy tsunami fluorocarbon leaders will get the job done. Snook season is now open, which means one fish per person per day with a 28"- 32" min & max size limit.
If you're keeping a slot-size snook I suggest bleeding your fish while it's alive, this will drain almost all of the blood from the filets, this will enrich taste and you will notice the filets will actually be much whiter when you go to filet the fish.
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Tarpon fishing has been good around deeper channel edges using larger live mullet and live crabs. Heavy tackle recommended as these fish are running XXL this week. We landed one this week close to 140 pounds. Heavy tackle with heavy leaders will allow you to catch the fish faster and ensure a quick safe release without tiring the fish to the point of exhaustion. Nearshore fishing along local beaches has been awesome for snook, tarpon, sharks and jack crevelles. Find the mullet, and the predators will be close behind.
Double snook. (Photo courtesy of Capt. Jonathan Earhart) PREVIOUS REPORTS Aug. 15 Report August is a great month for fishing on the Treasure Coast. Inshore, snook fishing has been excellent early morning and late afternoons. Live bait fishing has been your best bet using live whitebaits or larger croakers for big breeder snook during the summer spawn. Fishing around the local inlets or along local beaches are providing good action for large schools of snook, oftentimes you can sight fish said schools. Pick off the lead fish so that you don't spook the whole school right away, this will enable you to catch multiple snook without making the entire school wary of your presence.
Photo by Capt. Jonathan Earhart Tarpon fishing is also heating up this week along local beaches. Again sight fishing the lead fish will be your best bet. Live mullet or crabs will get the job done. White hogys will also work well if you prefer to cast artificials. Offshore has been decent for sailfish, mahi, cobia and plenty of mutton snappers this week. Sailfish are holding good in depths of 90-160 feet. Live bait trolling or drifting is producing the best action with mahi, cobia, bonita, kingfish and tuna mixed in. Bottom fishing remains strong on the 6 & 8 mile reef for mutton snapper using long leader rigs and white baits.
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Capt. Jonathan Earhart www.chaosfishingcharters.com
Photo by Capt. Jonathan Earhart Updated July 11 Fishing this month is off to a great start. Inshore our snook spawn is taking place currently from Lake Worth to Ponce Inlet. Good amounts of spawning snook are concentrated around local inlets and along local beaches near structure. Use heavy tackle as the predators seem to be bothersome this month. We have had multiple shark and goliath grouper encounters while trying to catch spawning snook over the past few weeks. Tarpon fishing has been great along the beaches from Lake Worth to Sebastian. Fish large chaining schools of tarpon and cast to the lead fish, and hold on! Threadfins, mullet and crabs have been working well. Also, try a white paddle tail swim bait for constant hookups. Permits are around; just need to find where they are staging offshore right now. Lots of crabs are flushing out of local inlets so scoop up a few and drift them around your favorite permit hole for some morning or afternoon fun. A few redfish, black drum and the occasional cobia are mixed in while fishing crabs nearshore or offshore this week. The sailfish bite is red-hot offshore right now in 90-to-160-foot depths. Live bait fishing is working best this week. There are a few mahi, blackfin tuna and kingfish mixed in as well. Snapper fishing has been excellent when the tides are not ripping. Red snapper season is open July 12th. Lets go!! It’s one fish per person for one day this year. We have been seeing some larger fish to 20 pounds in 140 feet of water this week.
Capt. Jonathan Earhart www.chaosfishingcharters.com
Photo by Capt. Jonathan Earhart June 13 Report It's starting to feel like summer here in SE Florida. Warm air and water temps have larger predators more actively feeding this month. Inshore fishing has been great for oversized snook and tarpon this week. Snook fishing local inlets from lake worth to ponce inlet has been holding good concentrations of spawning snook this month. Large live or dead baits fished on the bottom will yield plenty of bites. Tarpon fishing is also heating up from Lake Worth to Sebastian along local beaches and inshore along deeper channel edges. Live mullet or crabs are producing the bites. Nearshore fishing has been stellar for kingfish, jacks, snapper, permit, sharks, goliath grouper, and sailfish. Fishing around bait schools are providing anglers with a diverse selection of predatory fish as of lately. Offshore has been good for sailfish, mahi, kingfish, wahoo, & tuna. Depths from 70-360' have been best around varying conditions. I've seen some wahoo caught this week up to 87 pounds locally and some nicer mahis caught north of Ft. Pierce in 140-160'. Let's go fishing!
Capt. Jonathan Earhart www.chaosfishingcharters.com
May 1 Report May is prime time for snook in Southeast Florida. (Photo courtesy of Capt. Jonathan Earhart) May is prime time for snook fishing here on the Treasure Coast. As we approach the summer snook spawn, expect to catch bigger snook as the month progresses. Live bait fishing around structure is key. Pilchards, greenies, pinfish, croakers, & mullet are all working well for snook, jacks, tarpon, redfish, & inshore snapper as of lately. Artificials are producing snook and tarpon at night around local bridges. We can also expect to catch some very large jack crevelles this month both in the rivers and along local beaches near shore. These large schools of jacks are very easy to see from a distance. Cast live bait or artificial to the lead fish in the school and hold on! Nearshore fishing will also present some great opportunities this month for tarpon, permit, kingfish, sharks around bait fish schools. Offshore this week we are seeing good numbers of mahi migrating along the treasure coast near weed lines and color changes or random drifting debri. Trolling or drift fishing with live or dead bait is working well. Some cobia, sailfish, bonita, blackfin tuna, kingfish, & the occasional wahoo are in the mix when targeting said mahi. Bottom fishing has been hit or miss for grouper but the season is now open so take advantage by dropping a large live bait to the bottom on the 6 or 8 mile reef. Remember to reel them in quickly as the sharks have been bad lately. Check your local regulations for size and bag limits on the fish rules app. Bottom fishing for snapper should also pick up this month for large mutton snapper and larger mangrove snappers in 70- 120'. Long leaders and live or dead sardines on or very close to the bottom will work best.
Capt. Jonathan Earhart www.chaosfishingcharters.com
