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+--- Thread: Stuart Inshore Report: 09-28-03 (/showthread.php?tid=70375)
Stuart Inshore Report: 09-28-03 - catch22 - 09-28-2003
Just returned from a week’s vacation down in the Keys. We stayed in Islamorada and had a great time, fishing three times and taking it easy. September is always my slowest month so it’s an excellent time to vacate and fish some clean water.
Our water quality during the entire month of September has been terrible! We are still experiencing releases from Lake Okeechobee through the spillways which could continue well into October. Outgoing tide near the St. Lucie Inlet should be avoided as the “brown stuff” pushes through and well out into the ocean. The conditions are poor but the heartier fish (snook, tarpon, jacks and a few others) are hanging tough. When fishing near the bridges and in the channel, hit deeper holes where some salinity remains. On the incoming tide near the Inlet, the clean sea water flushes out the “brown stuff” and conditions improve until the next tide change.
The trout bite remains good north of the Jensen Causeway. The long-awaited mullet run has begun. Target the mullet schools, casting a few feet outside the pack. I’ve seen the late day tarpon appearing outside cuts on the west side of the Indian River which is where they started showing up last year. These fish are hungry and are pounding the mullet. Jacks, snook and tarpon over 100 lbs. are here! Find the bait and you’re in business. Live mullet, baitbusters, terrorize and chuggers have been producing some excellent results.
Yesterday in Stuart (St. Lucie Lock just west of I-95) Florida Oceanographic sponsored a “Rally for the River” protesting the releases from Lake Okeechobee. The turnout was great with over 900 people showing up, signing petitions and packets of letters to the appropriate “powers that be”. It was nice to see some old friends and make new ones.
This fall’s edition of South Florida Sport Fishing Magazine has an article written by yours truly called Tripletail Tango and I hope you all get a chance to check it out. Lot’s of how to information written by captains around the state. I’m really impressed with this magazine. Check out their site at www.southfloridasportfishing.com.
Till next time,
Capt. Bob Bushholz
http://www.catch22fish.com
(772) 225-6436