Florida fishing: Mullet run has begun; will it peak amid Hurricane Lee storm swells?

Ed Killer, Treasure Coast Newspapers
·5 min read

There is no doubt. The mullet run has been switched on to full operation mode.

Sebastian Inlet has looked like ground zero for the mullet migration. Vero Beach, North Hutchinson Island, Fort Pierce, South Hutchinson Island, House of Refuge, Hobe Sound, all these beaches have had big schools of mullet swimming south and getting pounded by predators. Sharks, pelicans, ospreys, snook, tarpon, jacks, redfish, basically anything that swims or flies is on the action.

Some are showing in the Indian River Lagoon as well, but not as thick as the schools on the beaches. Will this weekend's groundswell and wind make it more difficult to see the mullet? Quite possibly. But have your gear ready to fish. Now is the time to get in on the action.

Dolphin were in a couple catch reports on the Treasure Coast Sept. 10, 2023.
Dolphin were in a couple catch reports on the Treasure Coast Sept. 10, 2023.

Florida fishing regulations and fishing season opening and closing dates:

  • Flounder: Harvest closes Oct. 15 to Nov. 30. Size limit: 14 inches. Bag limit: 5 fish per person.

  • Spotted seatrout: Harvest closes November and December in Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin and Palm Beach counties. Harvest reopens Jan. 1.

  • Snook: Harvest reopened Sept. 1. One fish bag limit, 28-32 inches, snook stamp required.

  • Blueline tilefish: Harvest closed Sept. 1 in Atlantic state and federal waters. Season re-opens for harvest May 1, 2024.

  • Golden tilefish: Harvest closed July 17. Harvest opens Jan. 1, 2024.

  • Lobster: Regular season opened Aug. 6-March 31, 2024. No egg bearers, 3-inch minimum carapace length. Lobster stamp required.

  • Alligator: Hunt season opened Aug. 15-Nov. 1. Permits required.

  • Hogfish: Harvest closes from Nov. 1 to April 30.

  • 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.

  • Cobia: New bag and size limits for state waters. Bag limit: Two fish per vessel. Size limit: 36 inches fork length.

  • Redfish: Harvest of redfish has been banned in the Indian River Lagoon and Mosquito Lagoon since Sept. 1, 2022. FWC will reevaluate in the future.

  • Dolphin: Bag limit is 5 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 on May 1, 2022, for state waters.

  • Bass: Bass at Headwaters Lake will soon become all catch-and-release.

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

Indian River Lagoon

Offshore: Dolphin have been on the catch list which is a nice surprise and a little earlier in the year than expected. Nice slammer, 15-20 pounds, have been caught in 120 to 150 feet of water. This weekend's ground swell and onshore winds will make offshore fishing impossible for a few days, but when it calms, get back at it to get bites from mahi mahi, blackfin tuna and wahoo.

Inshore: Jacks, tarpon, snook and sharks have been pounding the mullet schools around Sebastian Inlet during both tides. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to find the schools, north, south and inside the inlet. Some mullet have been moving south in the lagoon, too, so look for fish around Barber Bridge, and around the spoil islands south of the 17th Bridge.

Freshwater: Headwaters Lake has seen much better bass fishing of late. Use crank baits or spinnerbaits to find bites from bass along edges of vegetation and ledges.

St. Lucie County

Offshore: The marine weather forecast along the Treasure Coast isn't favorable for offshore fishing this weekend. Once it is, there should be good snapper fishing in 80-90 feet of water for both mangrove snapper and mutton snapper. Grouper and amberjack can be caught in deeper water 180-200 feet.

Inshore: There have been bait schools throughout the lagoon, but not as thick or exciting as those on the beaches. Fish around the end of the docks along St. Lucie Village, the Turning Basin, Bear Point and Herman's Bay to find mullet schools. There have been some trout, snook and tarpon around the fish.

Surf: This weekend's action is more like a surf report. There should be good overhead swells breaking at Dollman and Walton Rocks. Winds should be light enough not to make it into a washing machine. Expect crowds as surfers from Palm Beach and Miami come to the Treasure Coast for the waves.

Martin County

Offshore: The snapper fishing seems to have slowed, but a few anglers have caught dolphin while trolling in 150 to 250 feet of water. Seas are forecast to reach as high as 8 feet the next few days so don't expect to be able to get offshore until next week.

Inshore: There has been some action with jacks, pompano and croaker at the Jensen Beach Causeway. Some mullet are stirring, especially up into the South Fork and North Fork of the St. Lucie River as the mullet run has been beginning.

Ramp rage: Boat ramps should be resilient against hurricanes, king tides and sea level rise

Dolphin deaths: 'A really big problem': Here's what's killing dolphins in Indian River Lagoon

Lake Okeechobee

The western and northern parts of the lake look about as good as any angler could ever want the lake to look. No algae. No murky waters. Gin clear in spots. Long, lush eel grass and tape grass beds. Perfect conditions for world class bass fishing. Use 9-inch worms, dark colors, or crank baits to get bites in the grass.

Ed Killer is an outdoors columnist. Email your fish story to ed.killer@tcpalm.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida fishing: Mullet run begun; sharks, snook, tarpon engaged

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