This week off Palm Beach, the Gulf Stream edge has been holding fish close enough for a short run, and the reef comes alive after the sun goes down. Between the two, there’s a full day of fishing for anyone willing to split it around the afternoon storms.
What’s Hitting
Mahi are the daytime draw, working the current edge and scattered weed in 300 to 800 feet — mostly schoolies with the occasional gaffer mixed in. Mangrove snapper are feeding hard on the reefs in 60 to 90 feet after dark, kingfish are steady over the structure during the day, and there are enough blackfin tuna on the edge at first light to justify a dawn troll. Inside, tarpon and jacks are working the bait schools along the beach.
Where to Find Them
The mahi water has been a short run east — find the edge where the blue water starts and work north with the current. Night snapper are on the reef lines off Palm Beach and Juno, and the blackfins have been up early around the same color change as the kings.
Tides & Conditions
Seas have run 2 to 3 feet on the morning window with the usual afternoon build. The strong tides this week put good current through the Palm Beach and Jupiter inlets — time your runs to avoid an outgoing against an east breeze.
Tackle & Tactics
Troll small ballyhoo on the edge until the mahi show, then chunk to hold the school. Night snapper want fresh dead sardines or bonito strips on 20-pound fluorocarbon with minimal lead. A live goggle-eye slow-trolled at dawn covers kings, blackfin, and any mahi that slide inshore.
Local Intel This Week
Phil Foster Park at the Blue Heron Bridge, Currie Park in West Palm, and Burt Reynolds Park in Jupiter are the main public ramps this week. The fish are concentrating along the offshore edge by day and the mid-depth reefs at night. Snapper limits differ between state and federal waters — check current FWC regulations and seasons before keeping fish.
This Week’s Tip
On the night snapper grounds, the moon dictates the drift. Around this week’s bright moon the fish feed in windows, not all night — fish the tide changes hard, and if the bite dies, wait it out rather than running. The next window usually opens within the hour.