Ft. Pierce Inshore - Offshore Report

[Captain Joe Ward]

JULY 5, 2007

INSHORE - The inshore fishing has been good with plenty of trout being caught both early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Top water baits or a live pigfish fished in 3 to 5 feet of water has been your best bet. The redfish bite has been steady along the docks around St. Lucie Village. Try throwing either a soft plastic bait or a gold spoon. A live shrimp is also a good choice. The snapper are starting to feed a little better around the bridges and in the Ft. Pierce Inlet. A small greenie, pinfish or a shrimp have been the best baits to use. The best bite has been on the tide change. I had several reports of tarpon from 25 to 75 pounds rolling at first light around the Big Mud Creek area. The bite from the sheepshead and black drum has been steady around the local bridges. A live shrimp has been taking most of the fish.

OFFSHORE - Fishing has slowed some for the dolphin fishermen with fish scattered from 55 to 300 plus feet of water. A lot of the dolphin have been small. I had reports of several nice wahoo in the 15 to 30 pound range. We did have a 60 pounder come into the shop on Tuesday afternoon. The fish was caught in 100 feet of water straight out of the Ft. Pierce Inlet. They were trolling a ballyhoo with a red and black skirt. I am still getting reports of sailfish -- mostly to the South of the Ft. Pierce Inlet and in water around 100 foot. The bottom fishing for snapper has been red hot in 60 to 90 feet of water. Both live and cut baits have been working well. Most of the fish have been from 4 to 12 pounds. The best bite was from dusk until about 10:00pm. The kingfish have been plentiful in 80 feet of water and they have been taking live baits or a slow trolled ribbonfish. And, as summer time is here so are the tarpon along the beaches in 15 to 30 feet of water.

BRAGGING BOARD - Jessie Pfeiffer and Ricky Eisen reported a good snapper bite last Sunday. Jessie caught a 10.4 pounder and Ricky caught a 9.5 pounder. They were fishing in 60 feet of water out of the Ft. Pierce Inlet. On Tuesday David Sims brought in a 60 pound wahoo. He got him in 100 feet of water out of the Ft. Pierce Inlet. On Wednesday -- July 4th -- Raymond Bronson caught and released 2 sailfish while fishing in 90 to 100 feet of water out of the Ft. Pierce Inlet. He also had 4 kings to 15 pounds. Also on Wednesday Capt. Bobby Thorlton had a 32 pound kingfish and a 15 pound dolphin. They were also fishing out of the Ft. Pierce Inlet in 80 feet of water. On Tuesday Jessie Pfeiffer and Eddie Green reported a good snapper catch with fish to 11 pounds. They were fishing in 60 feet of water and using both live and cut baits.

If you would like to report a catch, call me at 772-201-5770 or e-mail me at cward11605@aol.com. You can also reach me on the web at Indian River Lagoon Fishing Guide - Capt. Joe Ward.

Capt. Joe Ward
Capt. Joe's River Charters

[DIRTYFOOT2]

Thanks for the report Capt