The Palm Beach fishery is at its late-spring peak. The Gulf Stream is positioned right off the beach putting the mahi bite within easy reach, tarpon are piled into the Boynton, Boca Raton, and Palm Beach inlets, and the night dock-light snook fishery continues to produce excellent numbers. Light east winds most of the week kept the Stream accessible.
Offshore — Mahi Peak, Sails Holding
The mahi bite is at full peak. The Gulf Stream is sitting close (within 3-5 miles of the beach), putting productive blue water within an easy run. Trolled ballyhoo and naked rigs over weed lines and current rips are producing daily action — schoolies in the 5-15 lb range, consistent gaffers in the 20-35 lb class, and a few 40+ lb cows from boats running the deeper edge.
Sailfish numbers have held up well for late May. Boats running ballyhoo with kite-fished baits are getting consistent shots. The afternoon flat-calm windows have produced multiple-fish days.
Wahoo continue scattered along the deep humps. High-speed trolling with Yo-Zuri Bonitos and Hawaiian Eye plugs in the 600-900 foot depth zone is the standard.
Blackfin tuna are reliable on the inside edge of the Stream. Cedar plugs and small feathers in the spread accounting for daily bites.
Inshore — Tarpon at the Inlets, Snook Holding
Tarpon are stacked at the Boynton, Boca Raton, and Palm Beach Inlets on the outgoing tides. Live mullet, threadfin, and crabs on circle hooks anchored at the inlet mouths produce solid hookups. The Boynton Inlet south jetty has been particularly productive in the early morning windows.
The Lake Worth Lagoon and the Intracoastal through Lantana down to Boca are also holding tarpon. Sight casting to rolling fish in the calm morning windows produces the visual catches.
Snook fishing continues to be excellent. The Boynton and Boca Raton Inlets are stacked with fish on the moving tides. Live bait on circle hooks with 30-40 lb fluoro is the standard. The night dock-light bite through the Intracoastal from Boynton down through Boca and the Hillsboro Mile produces excellent numbers of slot snook.
Beach and Pier
The Juno Beach Pier and the Lake Worth Pier are producing the mix — Spanish mackerel, bluefish, the occasional king, snook (catch-and-release season), and tarpon ghosts on the outside bar. Live shrimp and Got-Cha plugs are the standard.
Surf snook have settled into the dawn-and-dusk pattern. White swimming plugs in the trough are the producer.
What’s Ahead
The new moon is June 5 — expect strong tarpon push and active offshore bite cycles. Water temperatures climbing through the low 80s offshore. Afternoon thunderstorms beginning to build.
For this weekend: dawn mahi on the Stream, inlet tarpon on the outgoing tides, dock-light snook at night.
Tight lines.