Florida fishing this weekend: Tuna, tarpon, dolphin, snapper are biting - TCPalm

---

Where are the kingfish, dolphin and wahoo during summer tournament season?

Show Caption

• Red snapper season is July 14-15.
• Florida spiny lobster mini-season is July 26-27.
• Snook season closed June 1, but you can still catch and release them.
• Grouper harvest opened May 1 and will close Jan. 1.

Is it summer yet? Well, maybe not officially, but it feels like it at the end of a rod.

Snook, tarpon, tuna, dolphin, kingfish, bonito and jacks are all common catches right now in the inlets and just beyond the inlets, along the beaches. It's also a good time for crossings for those who dream of the crystal clear waters at Walker's Cay, Grand Bahama and Marsh Harbor.

There is still a lot of Sargassum seaweed in the surf, so the beaches may not be exactly great right now and certainly are not fishable anyway. Snapper fishing is still pretty solid on the reefs in 60 feet of water. And red grouper have shown up in some Facebook posts, so look forward to that.

Florida fishing regulations and fishing season opening and closing dates:

• Red snapper: July 14-15. One fish per angler per day. No minimum or maximum size limits.
• Lobster: Season closed April 1. Two-day sport season (mini-season) opens July 26-27. Regular season opens Aug. 6.
• Snook: Harvest closed June 1. Reopens Sept. 1. One fish bag limit, 28-32 inches, snook stamp required.
• Grouper: Harvest opened May 1. Includes gag grouper, red grouper, black grouper, scamp, yellowfin grouper, yellowmouth, coney, graysby, red hind and rock hind. Harvest closes Jan. 1, 2024.
• Hogfish: Harvest opened May 1. Harvest closes from Nov. 1, 2023, to April 30, 2024.
• Cobia: New bag and size limits for state waters. Bag limit: Two fish per vessel. Size limit: 36 inches fork length.
• Spotted seatrout: Harvest opened Jan. 1 in Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin and Palm Beach counties. Harvest closes November and December 2023.
• Redfish: Harvest of redfish is banned in the Indian River Lagoon and Mosquito Lagoon beginning Sept. 1. FWC will re-evaluate later in the year.
• Alligator: Hunt season opens Aug. 15-Nov. 1. Permits required.
• Dolphin: Bag limit is five fish per day per angler. Vessel limit is 30 fish per day. Captain and crew may not be included in limit. These fishing regulations began May 1, 2022, for state waters.
• Tilefish: Harvest opened Jan. 1.
• Bass: Bass at Headwaters Lake will soon become all catch-and-release.

For complete fishing regulations in Florida go to MyFWC.com.

Red snapper season

NOAA Fisheries announced there will be a two-day long recreational red snapper fishing season in Atlantic waters. From 12:01 a.m. July 14 to 12:01 a.m. July 16, anglers may keep one red snapper per day per person. For more on the ruling, go to NOAA Fisheries and search "red snapper Atlantic."

Indian River County

Offshore: Reef fishing has been where it's at for bluewater anglers in this region. SISA Reefs in 70 feet of water have been productive for triggerfish, kingfish, mangrove snappers and lane snappers. Trolling has been a good technique for finding dolphin, blackfin tuna and wahoo.

Inshore: There has been some good catch and release fishing for snook south of Vero Beach along the mangrove shorelines. This is the best place to fish for spotted seatrout, too. Use live pilchards if available, or topwater plugs.

Freshwater: Higher water temperatures and longer days will have bass seeking cover and cooler water in deeper depths. Lipped plugs, swim baits, jigs and worms will be better lures to use. Fish with live crickets to catch bluegills and shellcrackers.

St. Lucie County

Offshore: Try fishing the reefs at Bethel Shoals or the Fishing Club Reefs to find mangrove snappers which have been feeding during the last week. Red grouper can be caught in these shallower waters. Gag and black grouper are in deeper water beyond 180 feet of depth along the ledges.

Inshore: Tarpon fishing has been decent in the inlet area during the incoming tide all the way into the Turning Basin. Trout can be caught along the docks of St. Lucie Village and Indian River Drive south of Fort Pierce. Anglers will find snook, too, while wade fishing near the mosquito impoundments along Hutchinson Island.

Surf: Fishing from the beach is still no good since there is still too much sargassum seaweed in the surf all along the barrier islands.

Martin County

Offshore: Dolphin, wahoo and blackfin tuna have been caught in200 to 300 feet of water by those trolling ballyhoo along current edges. Mutton snapper and red grouper have been caught in 60-70 feet of water along the Loran Tower Ledge and Six Mile Reef.

Inshore: Snook fishing is still very good throughout the area, from the backwater down to the inlet. Dylan Gaines, 10, of Port Salerno caught and released a 33 inch snook last week while fishing in the South Fork of the St. Lucie River. Stephen Ferrell did the same while fishing from a paddleboard near St. Lucie Inlet State Preserve. Both were using jigs.

Class-action lawsuit: Stuart vs. 3M over PFAS-tainted water supply

Water warning: SLC DOH issues water advisory for North Fork of St. Lucie River

Lake Okeechobee

The lake is 50% covered in toxic algae so fish at your own risk. Bass will be found at deeper depths and along drop-offs with water temperatures rising. Use wild shiner or lipped swim baits to generate strikes. Use a slow presentation.

Ed Killer is the fishing writer for TCPalm.com. Email him your fishing report at ed.killer@tcpalm.com.