Palm Beach County’s Full Moon Fishing Report: 8/24/2018
Two words sum up the fishing forecast this weekend: Full Moon. Stronger currents around big tides from the full moon turn on the feeding switch for most fish in South Florida, so you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you turn down fishing this weekend.
The wahoo bite has been well-documented to peak before and after a full moon, so local favorite Junkanoo Lures has barely been able to keep up with orders, and says you should see a lot of zigzag high-speed trolling going on offshore during the outgoing tide. Black/Purple and Black/Red color combos are recommended by Juno Bait Shop during lowlight periods, while Blue/White and Pink/White should be good when the sun is higher. Try for wahoo at 120-300’ in the morning and head out a little deeper when the sun heats up a little.
Trolling ballyhoo, bonita strips, and squid for dolphin has been reliable this week, but there’s some speculation about how the full moon may affect this. Since dolphin usually feeds during the daylight, the brightness of the full moon may keep them grazing throughout the night and prevent them showing any strong action this weekend.
The Kingfish bite has been strong and should be fierce at night, and snook and tarpon should be stacked up in the inlets, making for some action-packed days. Snapper usually congregates for spawning during the full moon, so if you’ve been looking for some good-sized mutton snapper, here’s your chance.
While we’ve seen quite a few swordfish in the past month, the full moon may put a damper on this. Swordfish favor dark nights, but if you just can’t stay away, you can try compensating for a bright moon by dropping baits deeper and with more, larger lights.
Good luck to everyone fishing the final leg of the West Palm Beach Fishing Club’s Full Moon Wahoo Series this Saturday!
Side Note: Recreational blue crabbing opened back up on August 20th. Here's how to catch them.
Friday, 8/24: Mostly sunny with a 20% chance of thunderstorms, High of 86 degrees, Southeast winds at 10-15 knots, less than 2’ seas at 3 second periods, Intracoastal waters a light chop.
Saturday, 8/25: Mostly sunny with a 40% chance of thunderstorms, High of 86 degrees, East southeast winds at 10-15 knots, 2’-3' seas at 4 second periods, Intracoastal waters a moderate chop.
Sunday, 8/26: Mostly sunny with a 50% chance of thunderstorms, High of 86 degrees, East northeast winds at 10-15 knots, 2’-3' seas, Intracoastal waters a moderate chop.
As usual, have a safe, fun weekend on the South Florida water, and make sure you send any great pictures or stories to Lacey@wfpcc.com!
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