MARCH 6, 2008

INSHORE - Most of the action reported this week is coming from the Ft. Pierce Inlet. There has been a strong bite on the tide changes for anglers using pinfish and drifting them along the bottom for snook. I have also been getting reports of tarpon in the 50 to 75 pound range and they have been rolling in the Ft. Pierce Inlet but not many anglers are hooking up. The spanish mackerel, bluefish and jacks are also working in and out of the Inlet with the tides and the bait. Up on the flats the trout bite is still on the slow side but, as the water warms up look for the bite to improve. The trout that were reported were in 2 to 4 feet of water and taking live shrimp. The local bridges are holding a lot of sandperch, black drum and sheepshead. Most of these fish were caught on a pieces of fresh dead shrimp.

OFFSHORE - Not a lot to report but I did get reports on Thursday about some small dolphin in 130 feet of water to the south of the Ft. Pierce Inlet. There have been a few sailfish releases reported fro 100 to 140 feet of water and again to the south of the Ft. Pierce Inlet. A few kings were reported in 70 feet of water and they were taking live baits. The bottom fishing reports have been slow to come in. You may want to try the reefs in 80 to 90 feet of water for snapper, grouper and sea bass. Along the local beaches you can look for spanish mackerel, bluefish, whiting and croakers and they have been feeding on shrimp.

BRAGGING BOARD - Oliver Manilow age 6 caught his first trout while on a charter with me last week. He was visiting here from Chicago and fishing with his grandpa Harlan Petersen. Savannah Ward age 7 caught her first snook on Sunday night in the Ft. Pierce Inlet. It was 25 inches and she released it. Rob Ward caught a 32 inch snook on Monday night while fishing in the Ft. Pierce Inlet. Wayne Wilson and Jim Flynn have been reporting good catches of sheepshead and black drum. They have also been surf fishing and getting a good number of whiting.

If you would like to report a catch you can e-mail me at cward11605@aol.com or call me at 772-201-5770. You can also reach me on the web at www.captjoeward.com.

Capt. Joe Ward
Capt. Joe's River Charters