Navarre Fishing Report 7-17-23
The weather has not been nice to us recently, especially those trying to get offshore to get in on the snapper action. Hopefully the weather forecast for this week will stay better. Showing seas of 1 ft or less with southwest winds from 5 to 10 knots for most of this week, with more chance of storms come the weekend but maybe we will get lucky and that will get pushed back.
Sadly, we are in that time of year where the fishing is hit or miss due to the storms and the heat. Morning and evening are going to be the best time for you to get out there for some tight lines. Easy way to look at is if it is too hot for you, it’s too hot for them, especially if you are fishing the beach or the shallows of the sound or bay. They move to deeper waters during those times.
Pier
The pier has been having waves of different fish coming through. Mahi, kings, spanish, cigar minnows, hardtail, redfish, tarpon, ladyfish, whiting, pompano, and bluefish have all been being caught. Different sized sabiki rigs work great for those going for bait as well as the toothy ones. Word of advice, be sure to have a heavy enough weight that they won’t pop the bottom up and tangle up your whole rig.
If you are going for mahi, glass minnows or small spro jigs work great for them.
Tarpon you will need some good sized swim baits in preferably white or chartreuse but a natural green will work well too.
Shiny lures such as gotcha plugs, jigfish, or heavier weighted spoons are always a good thing to have on hand if going on the pier, most species will hit them so it’s a good all around lure. Be sure to have a heavy enough of a leader such as 50-60 pound mono so you don’t lose your lure on the first bite. Their teeth can cut through smaller leaders with ease.
Surf
The beach has been doing good as stated above in the morning or evening. Pompano seem to be preferring green or white as far as fish gum, fish bites, and salty rigs. Take a small piece of shrimp and tip it with the artificial strips to give you more scent in the water and a better chance of getting a bite.
Redfish and black drum are also running through, you can catch them same way as the pompano as well as changing out for bigger hooks with some finger mullet or mullet chunks.
Bring a smaller rod for pitching out lures while you watch your lines. Spanish, bluefish, hardtails, and bonita have been moving into the waves, especially in the evenings to feed on all the little bait fish moving in to feed. Casting spoons, heavier spro jigs, diamond jigs, or G-Eye jigs are perfect to use.
Sound
The sound is getting a beating from the sun in the shallows. If you are going on land, be sure to go early or later in the day when things calm down a little bit. Live shrimp works great but those pinfish are definitely stealing bait right now, so you can also go to artificial baits such as z-man soft plastics with some procure added. Gulp! scented baits work well too.
If you have access to a boat or kayak that will help you get a few more bites on your line. Check out the grass flats or deeper docks for some flounder, redfish, black drum, or speckled trout. You can also troll some gulp minnows or crystal minnows as you go through deeper water to see if you can get some of those reds or trout to come up and hit your line.
Red snapper season is still open for recreational for another couple weeks before it closes until fall weekends. Cigar minnows or northern mackerel will get the job done. You can keep 2 per person, so get some friends to go out with you and load up your freezers. If you want to go artificial route, slow pitch jigs or butterfly jigs will help get them fired up and hitting your lines.
Mangrove snapper have also been hanging around the wrecks as well as some kings, amberjack, and assorted grouper. Be sure to check with the regulations to see which ones you are able to keep and which ones need to get thrown back.
Photo Gallery
Have you been out recently? Got a report you would like to share with us or catches you want to show off? Send it to us through messenger, email at [email protected] or come and stop in the store and tell us all about it.
Pictures courtesy of Coastal Life Charters, Fish Time Charters, Navarre Beach Inshore Charters, Lucky Chucky Charters
