Stuart Area

[Captain Kevin Drennan]

The past two weeks we were only able to fish about half the days we wanted to due to the wind and seas. Last week we found an abundance of bait south of the inlet head near Jupiter. Acres of threadfin herring and blue runners were being pounded on the surface by big Spanish mackerel and small sharks. Rays were leaping out the water every where the eyes turned. We fished this for a while hoping for cobia and sailfish, but all we got was bitten off. There were a fair number off sails caught that day but they were a little further out in about 120 ft. There was cold water outside of the St. Lucie Inlet which drove the bait further south. That situation has remedied itself and things are returning to normal. Yesterday there were sailfish in 220 ft. and they moved in as the day went on. Several boats had multiple fish. This was several miles north of the inlet near 8 mile reef. There were some dolphin also, from schoolies to nice gaffers. We took a 25 pounder home for the grill. There are some pompano along the beach as well as in the rivers. Sailfish flats on the outgoing and look around Sandsprit Park and Hell’s Gate on the incoming. Snook season begins February 1st so look for them near the bridges an seawalls. Trout and some redfish are near the docks north of the Jensen Causeway up to the power plant. The St. Lucie River has improved much since the discharges from Lake O’ have been temporarily halted so look for snook and big jacks Trapping bait in the canals. More later.
Captin Kevin Drennan