- The mullet run is hot in Sebastian Inlet.
- Schools are located along the shores and in the Indian River Lagoon.
- Flounder season concludes October 15-November. 30.
- Alligator season ends on November 1st.
There is no doubt. The running mullet has been turned to full on.
Sebastian Inlet seemed to be ground zero for the mullet migration. Vero Beach, North Hutchinson Island, Fort Pierce, South Hutchinson Island, Shelter House, Hobe Sound, all of these beaches have large schools of mullet swimming south and being bombarded by predators. Sharks, pelicans, osprey, snook, tarpon, jacks, redfish, basically anything that swims or flies.
Some appear in the Indian River Lagoon as well, but not as densely as the schools found on the shores. Will the high winds and winds this weekend make it more difficult to see mullet? Very likely. But prepare your fishing gear. Now is the time to get into action.
Florida fishing regulations and hunting season opening and closing times:
- blunder: Harvest is closed from October 15th to November 30th. Maximum size: 14 inches. Bag limit: 5 fish per person.
- Spotted seats: Harvest season closes in November and December in Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin and Palm Beach counties. Harvest reopens on January 1st.
- Snook: Harvest reopened on September 1. One fish bag limit, 28-32 inches, snook stamp required.
- Blue tile thickness: Harvest was closed on September 1 in Atlantic state and federal waters. The season reopens for harvest on May 1, 2024.
- Gold tile thickness: Harvest closed on July 17. Harvest will open on January 1, 2024.
- crab: The regular season opened from August 6 to March 31, 2024. There are no egg carriers, and the carapace is at least 3 inches long. Lobster chop wanted.
- Crocodile: Hunting season opened from August 15 to November. 1. Required permits.
- Porpoise: Harvest is closed from November 1 to April 30.
- Grouper: Harvest opened on May 1st. It includes grouper, red grouper, black grouper, grouper, yellow grouper, yellowmouth, coyote, gray grouper, red grouper, and rocky grouper. Harvest closes on January 1.
- Cobia: New bag and volume limits for state waters. Bag limit: two fish per vessel. Maximum Size: Fork length 36 inches.
- red fish: Redfish fishing has been prohibited in the Indian River Lagoon and Mosquito Lagoon since September 1, 2022. The FWC will reevaluate in the future.
- Dolphin: The bag limit is 5 fish per day per angler. The vessel limit is 30 fish per day. Captain and crew may not be included in the limit. These fishing regulations began May 1, 2022 for state waters.
- deep voice: Bass at Headwaters Lake will soon become catch and release.
For complete Florida fishing regulations, go to MyFWC.com.
Indian River Lake
Navy: Dolphin was on the catch list which is a nice surprise and a little earlier in the year than expected. A nice fish, 15 to 20 pounds, was caught in 120 to 150 feet of water. This weekend’s ground swells and onshore winds will make offshore fishing impossible for a few days, but when the weather clears, come back to it for bites of mahi mahi, blackfin tuna and wahoo.
Near the beach: Jacks, tarpon, snook and sharks have been bombarding schools of mullet around Sebastian Inlet during both low tides. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to find schools to the north, south and within the inlet. Some mullet have been moving south into the lake as well, so look for fish around Barber Bridge, and around the spoil islands south of the 17th Bridge.
fresh water: Headwaters Lake has seen much better fishing lately. Use crankbaits or spinnerbaits to find bass bites along the edges of vegetation and ledges.
St. Lucie County
Navy: The marine weather forecast along the Treasure Coast is not favorable for offshore fishing this weekend. Once that is done, there should be good snapper fishing in 80-90 feet of water for both mangrove and mutton perch. Grouper and amberjack can be caught in deep water at depths of 180-200 feet.
Near the beach: There have been schools of bait all over the lake, but not as dense or exciting as those on the shorelines. Fish near the end of the piers along St. Lucie Village, Turing Basin, Bear Point and Hermann Bay to find schools of mullet. There were some trout, snook and tarpon around the fish.
browse: This weekend’s event is a lot like a surf report. There should be good overhead waves breaking at Dolman and Walton Rocks. The wind should be light enough so that it does not get into the washing machine. Expect crowds when surfers from Palm Beach and Miami come to the Treasure Coast to enjoy the waves.
Martin County
Navy: Snapper fishing appears to have slowed, but some anglers have been able to catch dolphins while fishing in 150 to 250 feet of water. Seas are expected to reach 8 feet in the next few days, so don’t expect to be able to reach shore until next week.
Near the beach: There have been some action with jacks, pompano and croakers at the Jensen Beach Bridge. Some mullet are moving around, especially in the South Fork and North Fork of the St. Lucie River where the mullet run started.
rampant rage:Boat ramps must be resilient against hurricanes, tides and sea level rise
Dolphin death:‘A really big problem’: Here’s what’s killing dolphins in the Indian River Lagoon
Lake Okeechobee
The western and northern portions of the lake look as good as any angler could want a lake to look. No algae. No murky water. The jinn is evident in the spots. Tall, lush eel grass and ribbon grass beds. Ideal conditions for world-class bass fishing. Use 9-inch worms, dark colors or a crankbait to get bites in the grass.
Ed Keller is an outdoors columnist. Email your fish story to ed.killer@tcpalm.com.