Stuart Area Inshore and offshore
Capt. Kevin Drennan
April 9, 2008
Stuart - Saltwater Fishing Report
The offshore dolphin bite was beginning to heat up, when the wind and high seas kicked in and turned us back to river fishermen. Our last couple of trips produced mostly school sized dolphin, but last Friday one of the rods went off and a big bull catapulted out of the water and screamed off about a hundred yards of line. We knew we had to concentrate on this one fish so we quickly pulled in our other lines and gave chase. We took our time tiring out the fish which jumped every time he saw the boat. In the meantime, every boat near us had a fish or two on but none were near the size of this one. After about thirty minutes, the gaff went in and the fish was flopping on the deck. We threw a towel over his head to calm him down and minimize damage to the boat and the passengers. After a little bit of persuasion with a billy club, we were able to place him in the fish box. The fish measured fifty six inches and weighed well over forty pounds.
The grilled fillets were great. There are plenty of bonita snd kings are starting to show up between sixty and eighty feet. There are some amberjacks on the wrecks along with an occasional cobia. Sailfish are scattered, but being caught in decent numbers for this time of year. Near the beach there are schools of bluefish and a couple of pompano. We saw a couple of boats hooked up to tarpon in schools of threadfins near the Jensen Beach Holiday Inn. Around the inlet, look for bluefish on the incoming tide. There are plenty of lady fish and small blues near Willoughby Creek. The pelicans will let you know when they are there. Look for snook at the Roosevelt Bridge on flair hawks or live mullet. Topwater around the docks and seawalls will also produce some fish. Look for the dolphin and king bites to improve as the spring pattern takes over and more fish move through the area. More later.
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