LOCAL FISHING REPORT

OFFSHORE FISHING

Off Jensen Beach, there has been good action on snapper and grouper on the 6- and 8-mile reefs and Evans Prairie. Chicken rigs with squid are working well for the snapper and live sardines and pilchards for the grouper.

There have been some summer sailfish being caught trolling ballyhoo as well as flatlining greenies or sardines.

Off Jupiter, there is still a good king mackerel bite on the edge in 105 to 130 feet of water. They are hitting on sardines, but be sure to use a light fluorocarbon leader as the water has been so clear that they can spot anything else. One charter captain said the water has been so clear that in some areas you can see the bottom in 80 feet over water.

Mixed in with the kings have been large numbers rainbow runners.

The bottom fishing in the Jupiter area has been difficult lately with a strong current running up to 3 knots.

That said, it's only a short cruise up to Hobe Sound where the current drops off to nothing. Up in that area, the bottom bite for mutton snapper has been really good. The best bait has been sardines. They are also hitting on threadfins and squid.

Off the Boynton Beach area, the bite for blackfin tuna, wahoo and sailfish has been mostly non-existent the past week.

There have been a few king mackerel caught, hitting on drifted herring in 90 to 120 feet of water. They have been mixed in with jumbo bonito up to 20 pounds.

The reefs in the area have very productive. In depths from 40 to 90 feet, anglers are finding good numbers of mutton, yellowtail, mangrove and lane snapper. They are being caught using herring and jigs tipped with squid strips spooled along the bottom.

Mixed in with the snapper have been cero mackerel up to 3 pounds that are hitting on the same herring and jigs tipped with squid strips spooled along the bottom.

Just before Monday's full moon, anglers were catching some good size African Pompano up to 25 pounds, hitting herring and whole squid over the sand in 50 feet of water.

Looking for bait? There are still tons of ballyhoo over the reefs and small sardines and cigar minnows moving around the inlet.

INSHORE FISHING

Along the beaches around Jensen, the snook bite is on fire. Anglers are having a field day using top water lures in the mornings and live pilchards or croakers in the evenings.

The bridges are holding good numbers of snook as well. Best bet is early mornings or evenings timed with either an incoming or outgoing tide. Live pilchards and sardines are working best and, if you can find them, live crabs.

There have been a few sea trout caught in the Indian River up closer to Fort Pierce with live shrimp on a popping cork or D.O.A. shrimp lures.

Looking for a fight? Check out the north fork of the St. Lucie River in the early morning. There have been tarpon up to 80 pounds hammering live pilchards and D.O.A. Terrorizers.

Unlike like the week before, there are massive concentrations of snook and tarpon at the Boynton Inlet right now. They are coming over the sandbar during the incoming tide on clear days.

There are still quite a few blacktip sharks milling around the flats adjacent to the inlet and into the Intracoastal Waterway.

At the Lantana Bridge, the fishing has been slow, which could be a result of the large number of sharks.

LAKE OKEECHOBEE

The bluegill and shellcracker bite is fantastic right now. Using worms and crickets, anglers are catching their limits on a daily basis. Hot spots have been the King's Bar, Indian Prairie and Horse Island areas. On the south end of the lake, Red Island has been good. The water is shallow so just be cautious and smart.

The bass bite has been really good during the first hour to hour and a half of the morning. Anglers working the Kissimmee grass on the northwest side of the lake are catching as many as 25 fish during an outing. White or shad colored baits, including swim jigs, and spinner and chatter baits on the outside edge, are working best. After the morning bite has backed off switching to stick worms or pitchin' and flippin' is still producing good results.

NOTEWORTHY

Capt. Mike Beebe will discuss Wahoo Trolling Tactics at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the West Palm Beach Fishing Club in downtown West Palm Beach. For information, visit westpalmbeachfishingclub.org or call 561-832-6780.

All fishing report information courtesy of Snook Nook in Jensen Beach, Black Dog Fishing Charters, Capt. Bruce Cyr and Okeechobee Fishing Headquarters.