Épisodes

  • Puerto Rico Fishing Report: North Coast Dawn Bite and Offshore Bluewater Action

    Puerto Rico Fishing Report: North Coast Dawn Bite and Offshore Bluewater Action
    Jun 22 2026
    This is Artificial Lure checking in with your Puerto Rico fishing rundown for today. Around the island, we’ve got a light trade-wind pattern setting up: east to east‑northeast breeze about 10–15 knots along the north and east coasts, a little lighter on the south side, with seas mostly 2–4 feet nearshore and 3–5 feet offshore. Skies are partly cloudy with the usual passing showers, heaviest early morning on the east and in the afternoon over the interior and west. Humidity is up, but the water’s nice and alive. On the north coast, including San Juan and Dorado, first light hits right around 5:45 a.m., with sunrise shortly after and sunset just before 7 p.m. That gives you solid low‑light windows at dawn and again the last hour before dark. Tides are running a normal mixed semi‑diurnal pattern: a pre‑dawn high, dropping through the morning, then a building afternoon high. That falling water after sunrise has been the money window in the surf and back bays, with the afternoon push turning on the mangroves and inshore reefs. Offshore out of San Juan, Fajardo, and Palmas del Mar, the bluewater bite has stayed steady. Recent charters have been reporting a mix of mahi‑mahi, blackfin tuna, a few yellowfin, plus scattered blue marlin on the deeper edges and along the drop. Trolling small skirted ballyhoo, Islanders and Ilanders‑style lures in blue‑white and pink‑white, and cedar plugs has been working well. For tuna and mahi, downsize to 20–30 lb class and keep a pitch rod rigged with a live bait or weightless ballyhoo for fish that pop up behind the spread. Inshore, the lagoons around San Juan—think Laguna Torrecilla and Laguna San José—have been giving up good snook and tarpon in the low light. Soft‑plastic paddle tails in natural baitfish colors on 1/8–1/4 oz jig heads, small topwaters, and suspending twitchbaits are the go‑tos. Live sardines and mullet are still king if you can net them early. Work the shadow lines of bridges and mangrove points on the falling tide; bites have been coming tight to structure, so fish your drag a touch heavy. Down in La Parguera and along the southwest coast, reef fishing has been hot. Mixed bags of yellowtail snapper, mutton snapper, mangroves, and small grouper have been coming over the rails. Best producers are live or chunk baits—sardines, ballyhoo, cut squid—on light fluorocarbon leaders with just enough weight to get down and drift naturally. If you’re jig‑minded, slow‑pitch and flutter jigs in the 60–120 g range, in pink, blue, and glow, are putting fish in the box when there’s decent current. For the kayak and shore crowd, a couple of hot spots to circle: • Piñones and the north‑coast beaches east of San Juan: great for snook, tarpon, and jack crevalle at first light. Work topwaters and walking baits along the trough and any river mouths during the dropping tide. • Cabo Rojo and the flats around Boquerón: look for bonefish, small permit, and jacks on the clear, shallow sand. Small shrimp and crab imitations on light spinning or fly tackle, or live shrimp under a small float, have been producing on the incoming tide when the water creeps up over the flats. Overall fish activity has been strongest early and late; mid‑day is tougher unless you’re deep on the reef or offshore. Scale down leader size in the clear water—20–30 lb fluoro inshore, 40–60 lb around heavier reef and for tarpon and snook. Keep an eye on those quick trade‑wind squalls; they blow through fast, but don’t ignore the dark clouds. That’s the word from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for more daily fishing talk. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
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    4 min
  • Puerto Rico Summer Bite: Tarpon Schoolies, Snapper Bags, and Dawn-to-Dusk Action

    Puerto Rico Summer Bite: Tarpon Schoolies, Snapper Bags, and Dawn-to-Dusk Action
    Jun 21 2026
    This is Artificial Lure checking in with your Puerto Rico fishing report, coming at you like a fresh cast at first light. Around the island the **weather** is classic Caribbean summer: warm and sticky, mid‑80s by midday, light to moderate trade winds mainly out of the east, and only the usual chance of a passing shower. Mornings have been starting calm, with the breeze building late morning and laying down again toward sunset. Humidity is high, so plan on slick waters early and a little chop on the exposed coasts by noon. **Sunrise** is right around 5:50 a.m. local, **sunset** close to 7:00 p.m. That gives a long day, but the bite has been best on the lower‑light windows: first two hours after sunrise and the last two before dark. On the **tides**, we’re working with a modest range. The key action has been on the incoming, when that clear ocean water pushes bait up on the flats and along the reefs, and then again on the first part of the falling tide around creek mouths and mangrove cuts. If you can time your trip to have moving water at dawn or dusk, you’re in the sweet spot. **Inshore**, the recent story has been strong: - Good numbers of **tarpon** in the back bays and lagoon systems around San Juan and Loíza. Smaller schoolies with a few fish to 40–60 pounds mixed in. Anglers drifting live sardines and mullet under corks have been getting multiple jumps per trip. Slow‑worked soft plastics on 1/4‑oz jig heads are also producing when the live bait is scarce. - **Snook** have been chewing around mangrove shorelines and bridge pilings at night, especially when the tide is pushing bait under the lights. Live shrimp, finger mullet, and small paddle‑tails in natural colors are the ticket. - On the **flats** of the south and east coasts, bonefish and the occasional permit have been cruising. Small shrimp‑pattern flies, 1/8‑oz bucktail jigs, and tiny soft‑plastics in tan or olive are getting eats, especially on the incoming tide over turtle grass and sand mix. **Nearshore and reef** action has stayed steady: - Mixed bags of **yellowtail snapper, mutton snapper, lane snapper**, and **jacks** along the drop‑offs and patch reefs from Fajardo down the southeast coast and off the west side around Rincón. Fresh cut ballyhoo, squid, and chunk sardines on simple bottom rigs have been producing full coolers on half‑day trips. - Light‑tackle folks drifting pilchards and casting small metal jigs are also tangling with **ceros and bonito** just outside the reef line, especially when birds are working. Offshore, when the weather lets folks run, the blue water has been showing life: - **Mahi‑mahi** and school‑size **blackfin tuna** have been the main stars around weedlines and current edges off the north and east coasts. Trolling small skirted ballyhoo, bright green‑yellow and blue‑white skirts, and cedar plugs has produced steady action. - A few **blue marlin** have been released by boats working the deep edges with larger lures and rigged ballyhoo, classic summer pattern. For **lures and baits**, if you’re loading the bag today, think: - Inshore: 3–4 inch **paddle‑tail and jerk‑shad soft plastics** in white, pearl, and natural baitfish, 1/4‑ to 3/8‑oz jig heads; small topwater walking baits in bone or chrome for the first light tarpon and snook blowups. - Natural baits: live **sardines, mullet, pilchards, and shrimp** are top of the list for almost everything inside the reef. - Reef/nearshore: bucktail jigs tipped with squid, small diamond jigs, and fresh cut baits. - Offshore: rigged **ballyhoo**, 5–8 inch skirted trolling lures in green, yellow, blue‑white, plus cedar plugs. If you’re looking for a couple of **hot spots** to aim at: - The **San Juan Lagoon system and Torrecilla/Loíza area** for tarpon and snook at dawn, dusk, and around the bridges at night on moving water. - The reefs and drop‑offs **off Fajardo and the nearby islands** for mixed snapper, jacks, and roaming pelagics when the tide is running and the birds show you where the bait is Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
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    4 min
  • Puerto Rico Summer Bite: Tarpon in the Shallows, Snapper on the Reef

    Puerto Rico Summer Bite: Tarpon in the Shallows, Snapper on the Reef
    Jun 20 2026
    This is Artificial Lure, checking in with your Puerto Rico fishing report. Out on the island today we’ve got classic Caribbean summer conditions: light east‑southeast trades around 10–15 knots, hotter and stickier on the south and west coasts, with a few passing showers building by afternoon. The marine forecast from the San Juan NWS office is calling for 2–4 foot seas on the Atlantic side, a little calmer on the Caribbean, so it’s a good window for nearshore and offshore runs if you’re out early. Tides around San Juan are running a pre‑dawn low, building to a mid‑morning high, then easing back late afternoon. Down by Ponce and La Parguera the highs are offset by roughly an hour. That rising water at daybreak has been the sweet spot all week. Sunrise is right around 5:50 a.m., with sunset close to 7:05 p.m., so you’ve got a long crepuscular bite to play with. Inshore, the mangroves and lagoon systems have been alive. Local skiff guides in San Juan Bay and Piñones are reporting steady **tarpon** in the 10–40 lb class, plus plenty of schoolies. Bone‑colored 3–4" paddle tails, white flukes on 1/8 oz jig heads, and silver‑black suspending minnows have been getting crushed, especially slow‑rolled along current seams. If you’re slinging bait, live sardinas and small mullet freelined near the bridges are hard to beat. Night bite around dock lights has been hot, with mixed snook and tarpon. On the reefs and edges, from Fajardo down to Humacao, there’s been good action on **yellowtail snapper, mutton snapper, and cero mackerel**. Chumming with ground ballyhoo and dropping small chunks on light fluorocarbon has been key. Bring a few pilchards or squid strips if you can find them. For artificials, pink and chartreuse bucktail jigs tipped with a thin strip of cut bait are putting meat in the box. Offshore, when the weedlines hold, boats out of Fajardo and Palmas del Mar have been picking at **mahi** and a few **school‑size yellowfin and blackfin tuna**, with the occasional **wahoo** on the drop‑offs. Standard Caribbean spread: small skirted ballyhoo in blue‑white, pink‑white, and black‑purple, plus a couple of cedar plugs way back for tuna. Early‑morning bite has been better before the sun gets high and the water slicks off. On the west coast, Mayagüez and out toward Desecheo have seen decent **grouper** and **deep snapper** bites for those dropping jigs and squid in 200–400 feet. Slow‑pitch jigs in 120–200 grams, natural sardine or glow patterns, worked tight to the bottom, are doing damage when current allows. If you’re shore‑bound, there’s still action for you. The rock points near Piñones, Isla Verde, and Punta Las Marías are giving up **jacks, small mackerel, and the odd snook** at first light. Cast metal spoons, small stickbaits, or white bucktails into the whitewater and burn them back with a few pauses. Just watch the swell and never turn your back to the water. Couple of hot spots to circle today: - **San Juan Bay & La Boca de Cangrejos**: Great for tarpon, jacks, and snook on that rising morning tide. - **Fajardo platforms and nearshore reefs**: Snapper and mackerel on chum, with a shot at mahi just outside the edge. - **La Parguera mangroves and outer reef**: Calm water, strong tarpon and reef fish mix when the afternoon storms stay light. Best overall setups: 15–30 lb braid with 30–40 lb fluoro leaders inshore, bump up to 50–60 lb leaders around the reef and 80‑plus for trolling offshore. Keep your colors simple: white, bone, natural baitfish, and a touch of chartreuse for the dirty water. Thanks for tuning in to your Puerto Rico fishing report with Artificial Lure. Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss the next bite call. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
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    4 min
  • Puerto Rico Early Summer: Tarpon, Mahi, and Prime Tidal Windows

    Puerto Rico Early Summer: Tarpon, Mahi, and Prime Tidal Windows
    Jun 19 2026
    Artificial Lure here, checking in with your Puerto Rico fishing report for the Caribbean waters around the island. We’ve got a classic early summer pattern setting up. Trade winds are blowing moderate out of the east, around 10 to 15 knots on most coasts, a bit stronger out past the reef lines. Seas are running 3 to 5 feet offshore, calmer in the lee on the south and southwest. Skies are partly cloudy with those passing showers that cool you off for five minutes and then the sun comes right back swinging. Humidity is thick, so hydrate and bring good sun protection. Tides around San Juan and the north coast are running a pre-dawn low with a steady incoming through the morning, then a late-afternoon high sliding into an evening fall. Down by Ponce and the south coast, the tide’s offset by roughly half an hour, but the same general pattern: moving water during the early morning and again late afternoon. First light is just before six, with sunrise right after, and sunset in the early evening, giving a nice golden window on both ends of the day. Fish activity has picked up with the warmer water. Inshore, the mangroves and grass flats are holding **snook, tarpon, and mangrove snapper**, with some jacks cruising the edges. Around the reef and rocky points, anglers have been finding **yellowtail, mutton snapper, cero mackerel, and some solid barracuda**. Offshore reports out of Fajardo and the east end talk about **mahi-mahi, blackfin tuna, and the occasional blue marlin** working current edges and weed lines. Catch counts from local charters this week have been steady: boats running east and northeast of Fajardo are bringing in mixed boxes of mahi and tuna, often 4 to 10 keeper fish on a half-day when the weed lines are organized. Inshore guides around San Juan Lagoon and the Loíza area are reporting multiple tarpon hookups per trip, with a mix of schoolies and the occasional 60–80 pound class fish, plus decent snook in the mangroves and plenty of smaller snapper for action. For **lures**, keep it simple and local-style. Inshore, small paddle-tail plastics in white, pearl, and chartreuse on 1/8 to 1/4 ounce jigheads are money for snook and snapper. Topwater walk-the-dog plugs and small poppers at first light will draw explosive strikes from tarpon and jacks along channel edges and seawalls. Silver spoons and slim minnow plugs work great when the bait is small and moving fast. Offshore, run medium ballyhoo behind island-style skirts in blue-and-white, green-and-yellow, or pink for mahi and tuna. Small feathers and cedar plugs trolled a bit deeper are taking blackfin. If you’re prospecting for marlin, bigger lures in purple-black or blue-silver along the drop are your best bet. For **bait**, live sardines, threadfin herring, and small mullet are top-tier inshore. Free-line a live bait near current edges, bridge pilings, or mangrove points during the incoming tide. Fresh-cut ballyhoo or squid will still put snapper in the box on the reef if you don’t have live bait. A couple of hot spots to circle on your mental chart: • **San Juan Lagoon and the canal system** – prime for tarpon and snook at first and last light, especially around structure and channel bends with moving tide. • **Fajardo and the Cordillera Cays** – solid offshore action for mahi and tuna along weed lines, plus good reef fishing for snapper and grouper around the islands when the wind lets you tuck in. Fish the low-light windows, match your lure size to the local bait, and don’t be afraid to downsize leader when the water is clear and the fish are finicky. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for more daily fishing talk with Artificial Lure. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
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    4 min