buzzk

How long does it take to go from Port St. Lucie to the inlet? What's the inlet like at Stuart and how far do you normally have to run to go Sailfish fishing in the winter? Do the boats use live bait or do they troll dead bait? Thanks

Capt Chris M

It should not take you more than 15-20 minutes to get to the inlet depending on where you are coming from. The inlet is shallow and the passage between the jetty and rockpile is quite narrow. It will get rough with standing waves. You should not need to go more than 5-10 miles out to get to fishable waters.

billinstuart

My opinion, parts of PSL are over 30 minutes. I've seen sails within sight of the inlet. Standing waves/outgoing tide can be rough, but since it was dredged it's not too bad. In any case don't be complacent.

buzzk

Do they use dead bait or live bait for Sails out of Stuart?

billinstuart

Yes.

Lotsa different techniques using both baits, even lures and teasers.

juniorbaiter

I've lived in and fished this area for several years and offer the following:
Parts of Port St Lucie involve fixed bridges at Port St Lucie Blvd and Prima Vista Blvd as well as several no wake zones. The fixed bridges are not a problem for a center console with a T-Top but are a no-no for an express with a tower. The north fork of the St Lucie River winds far north and parts can be an hour from the inlet. If you plan to fish mostly in the ocean, I wouldn't consider anything north of the Port St Lucie Blvd bridge. There is also a railroad bridge in Stuart that remains in the up position until a train approaches.
It's a single track bridge that is not manned. There are times you can wait 20 to 30 minutes for that bridge to open (there are 26 trains a day and there is no set schedule). If you have no problem with condo living, my personal favorite is a place called the River Club located at 1600 NE Dixie Hway in Jensen Beach. There are units (2 br's/2 baths, about 1100 sq ft) for about $120K (you can rent for about $850 a month). You can buy or rent a dock with a lift to handle up to a 36 foot boat. It's near shopping, the beach and is on the "good side" of the railroad bridge. The inlet is about six miles away with no slow zones and 1 fixed bridge (clearance is about 60 feet). There's an ice machine, a tool shop and carts to get your stuff from your car to your boat. Maintenance is $320 a month (includes water, sewer. trash, basic cable, WI-FI as well as all exterior care). The downsides: no pets (not even a parakeet), no motorcycles, no commercial vehicles, other condo type rules.
As far as winter sails go, the gulfstream averages about 8 miles out. Sails are caught anywhere from about 70 feet ( 3 miles out) out to the stream. We catch live bait, primarily in the form of Greenies
(Atlantic Threadfin Herring) and sardines so a livewell is a necessity. We also troll ballyhoo when live bait is not available. We do have sails here year round ( I've caught them on April 15th in 52 feet and on July 25th in as little as 50 feet).
If you need more info, shoot me an e mail at juniorbaiter@yahoo.com.
Jim Serra, Palm City