Summertime in Stuart, Florida, is a time of slick seas and abundance. Baitfish swarm where the St. Lucie River meets the Indian River and flows out of the pass over nearshore reefs of the Treasure Coast. Threadfins, pilchards, sardines, goggle-eyes, croakers—everything a game fish loves to eat is available, sometimes in swirling masses, both inshore and off.
And where there is forage, there will be game fish. Most anglers come to Stuart seeking big snook and sailfish—two very good reasons to start planning right now for next summer’s vacation, but more options abound. Trailer your boat or hire a guide; the action can be fast, and it’s surprisingly close to shore.
“You know, Stuart’s a very unique, opportunistic place for fishermen because you have a wide variety of species you can target in the summer,” says Capt. Jonathan Earhart of Chaos Fishing Adventures. “You typically have calm weather, and you don’t have to take long runs. I can be catching snook in the morning, and then if I get bored, I can shoot out and catch sailfish. Sometimes I can do that in a half day.”…