Palm Beach is in the middle of its peak spring mahi-mahi run, with weed-line action excellent within just a few miles of the beach. Tarpon are stacked in Lake Worth Lagoon and at the inlet, and the snook bite has shifted to summer pattern.
Offshore — Mahi Peak
Peak mahi is here. The weed line is setting up 1 to 8 miles off the beach depending on the day, and the bite has been excellent. Live pilchards, ballyhoo, and skirted ballyhoo behind sea witches are all producing limits of schoolies and shots at gaffers.
Frigate birds working bait are the giveaway. The run-and-gun approach on the birds is more productive than just blind-trolling.
Sailfish action has slowed but a few late fish are being caught.
Inshore — Tarpon in Lake Worth Lagoon, Snook
Tarpon are stacked in Lake Worth Lagoon and at Palm Beach Inlet. Schools are rolling on the outgoing tide, and live mullet and crabs on a 7/0 circle hook are the top baits.
Snook are on summer pattern. The Palm Beach Inlet bridges, the ICW bridges, and the beaches from Boynton north to Singer Island are all holding fish. Night fishing the bridges with live mullet is producing the biggest snook.
Beach snook at sunrise on the Palm Beach and Singer Island sand has been excellent — bucktails and live whitebait.
Conditions
Water temps 79–82°F. Light SE winds, afternoon thunderstorm potential.
Spots & Access This Week
Boaters can launch from the Phil Foster Park ramp at Blue Heron Bridge for quick access to Palm Beach Inlet and the lagoon tarpon, or run out of the Riviera Beach Municipal Marina for the short hop to the mahi grounds. The inlet itself is the staging zone — fish the outgoing tide where it dumps into the ocean. Shore anglers score snook off the Blue Heron Bridge catwalk, the Lake Worth Pier, and the Singer Island beaches at first light. The bridges of the Intracoastal — Southern Boulevard, Flagler, and PGA — all hold snook under the lights after dark.
Tackle Breakdown & This Week’s Tip
For the mahi run, a 5000–6000 spinning outfit with 30-pound braid covers pitching live pilchards to fish on the weed line, while a pair of conventional trolling rods with skirted ballyhoo lets you cover water between schools. Lagoon and inlet tarpon want a heavy spinning rod, 50–65 pound braid, and an 80-pound leader with a 7/0 circle hook. Snook around the bridges call for 30–40 pound leader to survive the barnacle-crusted pilings.
This week’s tip: when you spot frigate birds working over the mahi grounds, resist the urge to drive right under them — they spook the school down. Idle within casting range, kill the engine, and pitch live baits ahead of the fish. Keep one hooked dolphin in the water boatside and the rest of the school will hang with it, letting you pick away with the pitch rods. On the Atlantic coast, snook are catch-and-release through the summer closure, so plan to photograph and release quickly.
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