Treasure Coast Fishing Report: Rainy fishing

Indian River County

Sea conditions are forecasted to be in the range of 3-5 feet for Sunday with east winds 5 to 10 knots. It means those who have the right kind of boat, one of probably more than 25 feet in length with high gunwales, a good sea boat, can get offshore for a little trolling. Bottom fishing may not be that good because the effects of a ground swell may be lingering. However, trolling in 100 to 300 feet along current edges could produce a cooler full of dolphin, a couple of kingfish or even a wahoo or blackfin tuna. Take along some ballyhoo, or if slow trolling, cast net some finger mullet before heading offshore.

St. Lucie County

Inshore fishing has been steadily productive. Anglers are finding snook around structure like seawalls, docks, bridges, mangroves, channel edges and jetty rocks. Redfish can be caught in shallow water along the shorelines from Walton Road to St. Lucie Village along the west side of the lagoon. Trout are also in the mix, even though they clearly are not happy with the water quality or clarity. They are taking mullet-patterned lures, topwater plugs and live finger mullet.

Martin County

Eager to learn more about targeting and catching snook in local waters? Stop by the Stuart location of Whites Tackle at 6 p.m. Monday to find out from Tom Lewis, maker of Fort Pierce-based First Light Jigs, what techniques work for him and his customers. Lewis is an expert when it comes to catching and releasing trophy snook, and can direct anglers how to catch a slot-sized fish, too. The snook fishing is still good despite the crummy water conditions in the county. There has also been a really good tarpon going on near the Crossroads and in the area around the inlet.

Lake Okeechobee

Has the giant lake, and "Florida's liquid heart," as it has been called, topped off? It measured 17.20 feet above sea level Saturday which is within .04 feet of where it has measured for the past five days. Runoff is still entering the lake, mostly from the Kissimmee River Basin to the north, and is being discharged from the lake, through the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie rivers. The inflow volume is about equal to the outflow volume, for now. Bass are being caught along the edges with great action along the shoreline from King's Bar to Horse Island, and at Point of the Reef.