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PC/PCB Fishing Report 6-29-26
Bay Fishing
Bay fishing has continued to produce redfish, big trout, and mangrove snapper. In North Bay, there are reports of schools of feeding redfish if you can find them and sneak up on them quietly. These fish are very wary! I'm sure other areas in East Bay and West Bay have similar schools of fish.
The trout have been very interested in live bait. For bigger fish, use a decent-sized pinfish and free-line it while wading if you can, whether you're fishing from a boat or from shore. You can trim the tail fin slightly if the baitfish is too active. This increases the tail waggle, creating sound waves that mimic a wounded or panicked fish. Those are exactly the kinds of vibrations that attract predator species, especially trout and redfish.
The pass has been very productive for redfish using Rapala X-Rap Long Cast lures and other soft plastics. Spanish mackerel and bluefish have also been hitting multiple lures on a bubble rig with either a casting spoon or a Clark Spoon with a chartreuse back.
Mangrove snapper have been very active on small live baits in the pass along the base of the rocks. Shrimp and very small baitfish work well. You can easily catch small pinfish for bait on the east side using a small Marathon Tackle Sabiki rig and tiny pieces of Fishbites.
I recommend having either a floating bait bucket with fresh water changes or an aerator. Saltwater baitfish need clean, oxygenated saltwater even more than freshwater baitfish need fresh water. We have floating Frabill buckets starting at just $11.95, so make sure you have the gear you need since we all spend a lot just to get here.
As my dad once said, "I'd rather throw away extra ice and bait than miss out on a great bite because we didn't bring enough. We spend too much just to get here." Let's not budget ourselves out of a potential lifelong memory! Days on the water create opportunities for memories that last forever.
Pier Fishing
Release the jack crevalle!
Suddenly this week, big schools of jack crevalle showed up and have been severely testing anglers' tackle. Some fish were reported in the low 20-pound range!
Bonita and Spanish mackerel also showed up at times in good numbers, and there were king mackerel caught throughout the week as well. In the shallower water, anglers caught a few pompano, along with plenty of hardtails and ladyfish.
Overall, it has been a very active week on the pier!
Surf Fishing
Surf fishing has been a little tough this week because of the rough seas, but when conditions improved it has been really good for some anglers, with multiple limits of pompano being caught. The best bite has been early in the morning, but the late afternoon has also produced well.
The southwest wind has kept the water stained along our beaches. Once the wind lets up or shifts direction, the water should clear within a day or two.
That said, it isn't unfishable unless a large mass of sargassum moves into the surf. That stuff grabs everything, including your line, swivels, hooks, weights, and just about anything else!
Bottom Fishing
Bottom fishing is exceptionally hot right now. Since many anglers couldn't get offshore because of the weather, the reefs got a much-needed break from fishing pressure.
Reports have been excellent for red grouper, red snapper, vermilion snapper, mangrove snapper, including some very large ones, and white snapper.
One unusual thing this week has been reports of anglers catching the occasional wahoo while bottom fishing. Yes, it's unusual, but it also means wahoo are pushing in closer to shore.
That makes it a great time to put out a flat line with a live bait on a short wire rig while you're bottom fishing. It's also worth trolling a high-speed lure like a Nomad Madmacs between spots and on your way out and back to the dock. These lures can be trolled at speeds up to 17 mph, with some anglers successfully running them as fast as 20 mph. That allows you to cover more water while often getting better fuel economy than slower trolling speeds.
Personally, I prefer rigging them with 400-pound mono, although some anglers choose lighter mono or wire. We have all the thimbles, swivels, sleeves, and line you'll need, and we can rig them for you in the store while you watch so you can learn how it's done if you haven't rigged one before.
One other note, there have also been reports of some really nice mahi being caught around sargassum patches, so keep an eye out for those.
Nearshore Trolling
As mentioned in the bottom fishing section, now is a great time to troll a high-speed Madmacs or similar lure in nearshore waters. There have been some big king mackerel and a few wahoo caught, and anglers targeting kings with traditional trolling methods have also picked up a few nice mahi.
Offshore Fishing
