Fresh Grant-Valkaria Fishing Reports

Last night brought some steady wind, but I decided to make the most of it and see what the conditions would allow. The open areas were too rough to fish effectively, so I focused on the wind protected sides of a couple spoil islands. The first island was loaded with trout. I landed five solid fish, all over 15 inches, using a 3 inch paddle tail and a 4 inch topwater. These smaller lures matched the bait in the area perfectly and kept the action steady for a while. After a few good trout, I moved on to an area with more current flow and found a section of mangrove that created a natural break. That’s where I connected with a beautiful snook that put up an incredible fight, nearly pulling me into the trees before I managed to land her. A few more casts didn’t produce any extra bites, but by that time the wind had started to ease up, making for a calm ride back. Takeaways from the trip: • Focus on wind-protected zones when conditions get tough. • Match your lure size to the local bait. • Breaks in current near structure often hold the bigger fish.

Despite some early morning rain and heavy wind, we found a sheltered area and managed to get on a few nice fish! The highlight was this solid snook that made the rough weather worth it. One tarpon even tore right through my net — never a dull moment out there!

The snook bite at Sebastian Inlet has picked up pretty good this week along with some big bull redfish. We have some rough seas building up this weekend but hopefully next week will be calm enough to rip a lip.

My morning started just before sunrise, working a mangrove shoreline that turned out to be quiet. I decided to move into a nearby backwater canal where I noticed a cloud of minnows flickering across the surface — always a good sign. I began casting a 3” paddle tail tight to the mangroves, hoping for a snook, when my rod suddenly doubled over. A large juvenile tarpon exploded from the water, shaking its head wildly before crashing back down. Adrenaline immediately kicked in. What followed was an intense battle filled with aerial acrobatics and powerful, drag-peeling runs. Eventually, she rolled on her side in defeat, and I was able to grab a quick photo before releasing her to fight another day. Moments like that remind me exactly why I love fishing these waters — pure chaos, excitement, and beauty all at once.

The last couple weeks Mother Nature has treated us with some horrible weather but then just like that it is beautiful again. We've had to work around the rain, high winds, and rough seas and we're still putting fish in the boat. Sebastian Inlet has been torn up lately so we've been doing a lot of river fishing. The water levels have been super high due too the King Tides ànd the heavy rains we've been having. The high water levels are allowing us to get back into places we normally can't go because of the depth and it's been very successful. Redfish have been our top fish with a few snook and trout in the mix. Jacks, ladyfish, and bluefish have also given us some good battles as well. Lastly, the mullet run is still in full effect so get out with us soon before time runs out.

It is the start of the fall mullet run and the big fish have been chewing. The Indian River and Sebastian Inlet have been loaded with hungry predators chewing on giant schools of mullet during their yearly migration. Recently Sebastian Inlet has been full up with hungry bull redfish and Jack crevalles. The snook are hitting here and there but we are getting some keepers here and there. In the river snook, redfish, and tarpon have been devouring mullet. September and October are my personal favorite months of the year to inshore fish, so don't miss out, book a trip with Whatever Turns U On Fishing Charters