As I was driving south on A1A Tuesday afternoon I was looking out at the ocean and I noticed two large schools of bait. Judging by the way they were flashing on the surface I could tell they were pogys. I sat and watched for a while but saw no action from fish feeding on them. As I started to pull away one of the schools erupted and by the size of the splash I could tell it was a tarpon. I thought all the tarpon were gone for the season but I see I was wrong. Don’t look for them to stay around for long because the bait is quickly moving south.
Rick at Roy’s Bait House says they are getting trout and reds in the surf and from the pier. The trout are in the 18” range and the reds are averaging in the 26” to 30” range. Most of the fish are being caught on live mullet. Pompano have also begun to show and whiting continue to be caught. These two fish can be caught using sand fleas or shrimp. The best bait for pompano are clams if you can find them.
In the ICW it’s reds, trout and snook. Snook are being caught at night around highbridge and the bridge on Old Dixie highway in Tamoka state park. Trout and reds are being caught in the ICW along the dropoffs. Topwater plugs are working early and switching to plugs, gulp baits and jigs as the day continues.
Last Saturday morning I headed out before daybreak to try for some snook and trout. I started with a topwater plug but had no luck. I then switched locations and started flyfishing with a popper. I had numerous fish that hit the fly and missed but ended up catching a 3 lb jack and 2- 18” trout. Sunday I headed out again but couldn’t catch anything on topwaterpulg or fly. I then switched to a 7m mirrolure and raised some big trout but none were willing to eat my offering.
Later in the day I noticed a fish busting bait on the other side of a flat. With the water being high I moved across the flat toward the action. I started throwing my 7m but no luck. All of a sudden the water exploded and I threw my lure into the action. As soon as it hit the water it was devoured. Line started peeling off the drag and I couldn’t stop the fish as it made it’s way under a dock walkway. I thought I could slow the fish down some by thumbing the spool on my baitcaster. Wrong move, the added pressure was too much and the 10 lb test mono just popped. Yet again another reason I give myself to switch to braided line.


Photo: Nathan Starke eyes the 22” trout he caught while live lining a mullet