Stovall Report: July ‘09

By: Captain Sherrie Stovall

Article Category: Sebastian Fishing Report

With hot surface temperatures and flat seas, now is the time to cool off by hunting on the ocean floor. Diving can be a nice relief form the heat and will put some nice color in the fish box. The visibility has been really good on the bottom and the fish are in their normal holes.

Lobster season opens for a short two-day mini season July 29 and 30 for 2009. Lobster must be at have at least a 3″-carapace, and the limit is 12 per person for mini season. The regular spiny lobster season is August 6 through March 31. The daily bag limit is 6 per person per day during that time. Don’t forget to add the $2.50 lobster endoresment to your saltwater fishing license to keep a lobster limit.

The summer coldwater currents have not moved in yet, and the bottom temperatures are still warm. Look for the water to stay warm until the winds start blowing from the west. West winds are the summertime curse for thermoclines and make it hard to fish the bottom, but great for diving. Many of the larger gray grouper have been stacking up along the shallow reefs around 70 feet. There is a plankton layer along the bottom and tons of small anchovy baits are present. Most of the snapper seem to be gorging themselves on that protein-rich snack.

The summer months make a great time to do some late evening or overnight mangrove fishing. Try anchoring up on a favorite bottom spot and throw a chum bag overboard. Tie on a long fluorocarbon leader and use a light egg weight inline and just be patient. Sometimes the mangroves rise up to the back of the boat and you can fish for them right off the transom. Keep a watchful eye on the evening and late-night storms.

Anglers are finding that the 70- and 90-foot reefs are barren of large baitfish and the bite seems slow due to the buffet of little baits below. For better grouper and snapper fishing, you need to make that run further offshore to the deeper ledges around 130-240 feet for better bottom action. Many amberjack have been on the deep numbers and have even been seen 10-15 feet below the surface in large schools of 30 to 50-lb. class fish.

Most of the mahi and kingfish will be scattered along the offshore bars. Try trolling live bait on the surface or tolling strip baits along the pines and the offshore 80-foot bar. Schools of cobia have been swimming up to the boat and have also been spotted close to the beaches on a few rays. With calm summer conditions on the surface, look for schools of bonita busting bait on the surface. Trolling small spoons through them can make some great light line action.

Sebastian Inlet will host some awesome shots at big redfish this time of year as summertime stimulates the blue crabs to exit the river. The outgoing tides will bring the crabs out of the river and through the inlet for a redfish buffet. The reds along with jacks, snook and tarpon will stack up in the channel and go crazy, popping the crabs from the water’s surface. Try dipping a few of the floaters from the catwalks or along the rocks. Boaters can dip the crabs all over the inlet or along the grass flats south of the boat ramp. The best fishing time will be when the tide starts going out and the surface current really gets moving out of the Inlet.

Try to beat the heat and go fishing…