Florida fishing: Grouper season opened May 1; plus, man caught 50-pound dolphin trolling

Ed Killer, Treasure Coast Newspapers

May 4, 2023 at 5:12 AM·6 min read

May the 4th be with you, and happy Cinco de Mayo. You can tell your friends you read it here first!

Seriously, if you are reading this online — and I hope you do every Thursday — I want to wish you a happy Star Wars day. If you are reading this in print — and I hope you do every Friday — Happy Cinco de Mayo. Is there such a thing as light saber tamales? Well, there should be.

Whether you celebrate in a galaxy far, far away or you're out grabbing tacos and tequila, I hope the fishing report offers something for you.

Now, down to business. May 1 (May Day, for what it's worth) opened grouper season in state and federal waters of the Atlantic. That means one of our favorites can come home to the dinner table until the end of the year.

Gag grouper, red grouper, black grouper, scamp and lesser caught species like yellowmouth, graysby, rock hind, etc., can be brought back to the dock and filleted up for grouper fingers. Check regulations before you go because they all have different size requirements. Good luck out there.

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Leonard Fox of Port St. Lucie caught this 50-pound bull dolphin, his personal best, April 28, 2023 while trolling ballyhoo southeast of St. Lucie Inlet.

Florida fishing regulations and fishing season opening and closing dates:

Grouper: Harvest opened May 1. Includes gag grouper, red grouper, black grouper, scamp, yellowfin grouper, yellowmouth, coney, graysby, red hind and rock hind. Harvest closes Jan. 1, 2024.
Hogfish: Harvest opened May 1. Harvest closes from Nov. 1, 2023, to April 30, 2024.
Cobia: New bag and size limits for state waters. Bag limit: Two fish per vessel. Size limit: 36 inches fork length.
Snook: Harvest closes June 1. Reopens Sept. 1. One fish bag limit, 28-32 inches, snook stamp required.
Lobster: Season closed April 1. Two-day sport season (mini-season) opens July 26-27. Regular season opens Aug. 6.
Spotted seatrout: Harvest opened Jan. 1 in Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin and Palm Beach counties. Harvest closes November and December 2023.
Redfish: Harvest of redfish is banned in the Indian River Lagoon and Mosquito Lagoon beginning Sept. 1. FWC will re-evaluate later in the year.
Alligator: Hunt season opens Aug. 15-Nov. 1. Permits required.
Dolphin: Bag limit is five fish per day per angler. Vessel limit is 30 fish per day. Captain and crew may not be included in limit. These fishing regulations began May 1, 2022, for state waters.
Tilefish: Harvest opened Jan. 1.
Bass: Bass at Headwaters Lake will soon become all catch-and-release.

For complete fishing regulations in Florida go to MyFWC.com.

Two railroad bridge advisories

Through May 22 the railroad bridge over the St. Lucie River in downtown Stuart will be locked in the down position for 24 hours a day every day. Work is being completed on the mechanism which raises and lowers the bridge and requires the bridge to be locked down. There is a second advisory for the CSX railroad bridge over the St. Lucie Canal just west of Indiantown. From 6 a.m. May 2 through 6 a.m. May 6, the bridge is allowed to remain closed to navigation. From 6 a.m. May 6 through 6 a.m. May 22, the bridge is allowed to remain closed to navigation except that an opening will be provided at 12 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., daily upon request.

Indian River County

Offshore: Mangrove snapper, kingfish, triggerfish and cobia can be caught on the reefs in 70-90 feet of water using dead sardines. For grouper, head a little deeper to 180-200 feet and fish the sea mounts and ledges. Use larger baits, like clipped blue runners or pinfish, and get a good first crank on that bite or else wave good bye to your rig when the grouper rocks you up.

Inshore: Snook are still the primary target at the inlet. Both jetties are producing bites. Use live croakers, live mullet or pilchards during the outgoing tide. Redfish can be caught during the outgoing tide by drifting on boats through the middle of the inlet. Use live crabs. Trout can be caught in Vero Beach along the mangrove shorelines.

Freshwater: Bass fishing has been very good at Headwaters Lake in Fellsmere. Use spinnerbaits, crank baits or 9-inch worms to get bites if wild shiners are not available.

St. Lucie County

Offshore: Grouper can be caught along the 27 Fathom ledge. Use conventional fishing gear and 80-pound leaders to be sure to withstand chafing along the edges of the rocky ledges when a grouper grabs a bait. Big "copperbellies" up to 30 pounds can be caught in this zone if there isn't too much current.

Inshore: Snook fishing in Fort Pierce is excellent. Fish docks in Taylor Creek, both bridges, jig at the Turning Basin, and toss live pilchards or sardines under docks along the inlet for bites. Spotted seatrout can be caught along the west side of the lagoon south of Midway Road, just off Walton Road and on up to St. Lucie Village on live shrimp or topwater plugs.

Surf: Whiting and pompano can be caught with Fishbites on 100-150 yard casts at beaches where the seaweed has not yet become a problem. It changes every day, so it's best to scout from beach to beach to look for the right kind of water. Falling tide has been better.

Martin County

Offshore: The area of the Wickstrom Reef artificial reef area in 180 feet of water can be a productive area for gag grouper. Sometimes, one has to pick through the amberjacks which tend to sit on top of the reefs where the grouper are. Sharks can be an issue, to, so take along a Sharkbanz Zeppelin. Leonard Fox of Port St. Lucie caught his personal best 50-pound dolphin April 29 while trolling southeast of the inlet.

Inshore: There has been good snook fishing throughout the river system. Many fish are being caught by pitching live pilchards or sardines to dock pilings at Rocky Point, Sailfish Point, Sewall's Point and Hell's Gate. Roosevelt Bridges, Evans Crary Bridge, Ernie Lyons Bridge and Frank Wacha Bridge will hold fish, too. Pilings are good places to catch croaker, sheepshead and black drum. A few large redfish have been caught inshore lately, too.

Lake Okeechobee

Bass fishing has been best in the northern nd western spots of the lake. Fish in 2-3 feet of water with wild shiners to catch bass around bulrushes and lily pads. Use topwater frogs, chug bugs, spook juniors, etc.

Ed Killer is the fishing obits writer for TCPalm. Email him your report at ed.killer@tcpalm.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida fishing this weekend: Grouper, dolphin, snook are biting

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