Today's (August 18) forecast calls for partly cloudy skies, a high of 89 degrees, NE winds of 11-13 mph, and two-to-three foot seas. 

Our fishing guide, Wayne "Snookman" Landry gives us the latest dish:

“Good morning, Sebastian Inlet lovers. It’s time for this week’s installment of ‘What’s Happening at the Inlet?’ To start off, there are plenty of baitfish: greenies everywhere, mojarra thick on the south side, the T-dock and south jetty. I saw small finger mullet the other day coming around on the north side, and I hope that's an auspicious sign with the approach of the fall mullet run — if we have one. The water has cleaned up a bit as of this morning, but it has been  silty and warm — 89 degrees over the weekend! Too hot for the fish to bite, but some did on both side of the inlet.  To that end, conditions will change as Hurricane Erin chugs by our coast Wednesday through Friday, which will fuel a six to nine-foot surf, according to my local surf report. The winds won't be a problem, but the surf may be. We shall see how it goes. Now onward to the good stuff.

North jetty: Here, the fishing has been steady, not great like it was, but steady. There's a ton of bait fish all around the jetty — greenies, pilchards, and scaled sardines — for the fish to feed on, and I even saw a massive school of glass minnows in the surf pocket area on Sunday afternoon and into the late evening. That's a good sign. The snapper bite has slowed again, but they are still biting around the rocks at the tip, incoming tide being the best as you have higher water. Another species that has showed up are the Spanish mackerel; not a lot, but enough to keep you interested. Most of the fish I saw caught were in the 14 to 16-inch range. Live greenies and tiny white crappie jigs were the baits of choice. The incoming tide in the inside of the jetty is still producing some catch-and-release snook and reds, but it is slow and you have to work to entice one to bite with the water being so hot. Snook do have a preferred water temperature, 72 to 82 degrees, but they don't like water temperatures above 85. This morning it was 88. Other fish being caught inside were black margates, spadefish, lookdowns, and mangroves, live shrimp and greenies. Outgoing tide at the tip has been slow as well with only a few snook and reds being caught, mangrove snapper and spot tail pins and margates are being caught on live and dead shrimp. Also, for those who like to fish for them, there have been barracudas hanging around. Fish them with any large live bait, or green or yellow tube lures. 

South jetty: Here, the action has been on the incoming tide. Catch-and-release snook have been fairly good on live mojarra! I chatted with a few anglers that were having a blast catching them one after another, and they all looked to be nice slot fish! The snapper bite over here has slowed a tad due to the water being dirtier and weedier than the north, but they are still catching some in the 10 to 11-inch range. Live small mojarra, and shrimp, live or dead will work. On the outgoing tide at the tip, look for spot tails, margates, whiting and puffers, which are biting on shrimp. Also, I did see big jack crevalle caught on fishing jigs and silver spoons. 

T-dock area: Here, the water gets a bit cleaner than out at the jetty. Mangrove snapper in the 10 to 12-inch range are still being caught around the dock pilings and the surrounding rock shoreline; incoming tide is the better time to fish them as the current isn't so strong, and it is cleaner. On the outgoing tide, fish the very first hour or so before the brown river water gets sucked out to sea. The catch-and-release snook bite back here has been slow, but they are catching some on live mojarra and croakers, same tide, incoming. Another species being caught back here are the Spanish mackerel on small jigs and live greenies fished on a float rig. Not a whole lot, but enough to keep you interested. Incoming and the first of the outgoing tide is the best time. Also there have been some nice jack crevalle around for those fishing jigs and spoons in the channel area. 

Surf Area, both sides: Surf fishing has largely been slow due to the waves being up a tad, and the SSE winds keeping it dirtied, not to mention the tide has been all wrong in the morning. Low tide makes it tough to fish as there is no water on the beach. There is still the possibility of catching  whiting and croakers on shrimp. Also, with the bait fish coming down the beach — mullet and glass minnows — predators may be around them: tarpon, jacks, snook and sharks, if the bait schools are big enough to attract them. 

That's the scoop for this week. Get out and fish or beach it before it gets rough down there. Stay safe and have a great week, my friends!” — Snookman.