The Fort Pierce Inlet offered us a mixed bag over a three day period this past week. The wind was more or less relentless and kept us well away from the jetties.
Live shrimp, free lined across current rips produced small Mutton snappers and a few small snook. Live shrimp pinned to a jighead and thrown up-current caught bigger snappers. Toss the same rig down-current and let it sit and who knows what might bite, but it was mostly catfish.
Using live pilchards from Dave’s Live Bait was just what the fish gods ordered this week. Slip a light-wire circle hook through its nostrils and gently toss it up-current. Watch your line closely as the bait swings down-current; a twitch in the loose line means a bite, even if you didn’t feel it!
Clients caught good numbers of snook and greater numbers of big jacks on the pilchards. Several of fish they hooked were never seen by us due to break-offs or pulled hooks. Not every critter hooked is destined for the landing net.
I’m now looking forward to next week’s inlet trips. With luck, the winds will give us a break and let us fish in more places.
Until Next Time, Tight Lines!
Capt. Mark Wright
