Thursday, November 27, 2014

Palm beach Report


INSHORE
The pompano bite has been red hot along the beaches of the Treasure Coast — when the wind isn’t blowing too hard. There have also been some whiting and croaker mixed in, along with a few bonefish, bluefish and ladyfish.
In the Indian River, flounder (up to 5 pounds) are biting near the south end of Middle Cove. Also, if you want to get away from the wind, try fishing the river’s small ponds and intakes. There are some nice — usually small — tarpon and redfish in these areas. Snook and tarpon are hitting jigs around the Jensen, Stuart and Roosevelt bridges.
Big bonefish were chewing in the surf along Jupiter, as were Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and some pompano. The best action is on the incoming tide or during the first two or three hours of the outgoing tide.
Snook, pompano and ladyfish were all reported in both the Intracoastal Waterway and Loxahatchee River, and snook are still biting around bridges and docklights at night. If you want to target Spanish mackerel, fish near Marker 42 in the Intracoastal — there are good numbers around.
Most of the inshore action in central and southern Palm Beach County has been snook around bridges and docks at night, although a few Spanish mackerel were caught on the beaches and near the inlets. There have also been a decent number of bluefish snagged along the beaches of Boca Raton.
FRESHWATER
The wind has made it pretty challenging on Lake Okeechobee this week. The best bass fishing is still on the outside edges and back in the grass, but getting to — and holding — those spots has been no easy task.
This is still a great time of year to fish the Big O, and there are plenty of fish out there, so if you can somehow get back in there, you should have a great day. If you’re unable to do so, there are still some nice bass being caught out in the open water. Several in the 4-to-5-pound range were reported in the past few days.
Live shiners and artificial lures are both working well, but the shiners would get the edge at this point.
courtesy of Palm Beach Post

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

From Todd / Eric @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

Black Friday/Small Business Saturday Specials!

From Capt. Charlie @ Fishing Center - Ft Pierce

Winter has certainly arrived early! Cold fronts have been moving into the area on a weekly basis. Water temperatures are trying to stay near the 70 degree range, but it is struggling lately to get there. I am hoping for another mild winter...but we will have to wait and see... You learn over the years to cope with each days challenges and enjoy the fishing! 
Our redfish have continued to hold under docks and mangroves for us. Try a DOA shrimp fished slowly around these areas. Look for trout in deeper grass flats in the mornings. 3 to 5 feet of water is good to start. As the sun gets higher, these fish will move onto the shallower areas to warm up. I like CAL jerk baits this time of year. Jacks, mackerel and bluefish will be moving into the inlet with the tides. Small shiny lures work best in these areas. Look for black drum and sheepshead to be the prevalent fish around the docks. It's a fun time of year to be fishing! 

Fishing changes this time of year. Water temps are dropping and the fish will look for warmer areas. Fishing deeper water can be more productive on cold mornings and moving shallower as the sun warms up the grass flats. A few degrees difference in the water can mean a lot in winter. My magic number is 68 degrees. It will be harder to find as we get further into the winter months. Channel edges, deep holes and areas around the bridges and inlet will be holding lots of fish this time of year. Working your lures very slowly can help coax a fish into striking, while working them fast might miss that opportunity. I like a CAL jerk bait or DOA shrimp this time of year and work them very slow. Fish will still be hungry, but less likely to chase a lure. They get lethargic and will sit and let the tides move food to them. Changing the fish you target can also be more productive. Sheepshead, black drum, bluefish and mackerel are just a few wintertime fish to seek. There will be plenty of action for anglers who change their tactics in winter.

Dress in layers during winter. We sometimes get thirty to forty degree temperature changes and being dressed appropriately will allow you to adjust to the weather easily. It's wonderful time of year...but I still like the warm weather....

Sebastian Inlet Report


11-26-14 WEDNESDAY: BLACK DRUM, REDS, SNOOK, SPANISH MACKEREL, FLOUNDER, BLUES, JACKS, WHITING, LADYFISH AND SHEEPSHEAD 

We have a blustery morning at the inlet. It's windy, wet and cool. Winds are blowing out of the North-Northwest at 15 mph with gusts up to 29; hang onto your fishing hats! The water is choppy and there is a small craft advisory in effect through this afternoon, always check the NOAA forecast prior to going offshore. 

We've been seeing a good variety of species making their way in and out of the inlet. We've gotten a lot of photos from our readers which we hope to get up on the fishing report next week. New equipment is on the way! Black Drum, Spanish Mackerel, Blues, Ladyfish, Whiting, Jacks, a few Pompano, Snook, Spanish Mackerel, Sheepshead and Flounder are all making appearances at the inlet. With the cool down, we may see some real nice fishing over the long weekend. Live shrimp, clams and sand fleas have been the live baits of choice. Most anglers have been using Gotcha lures or spoons for the Mackerel and Bluefish. 

Our angler of the day is Nicole Parker. Nicole fished the inlet on and landed a few small Snapper, lost a nice Spanish Mackerel and a couple of Flounder.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Catch 365

Sebastian Inlet Report



11-25-14 TUESDAY: BLACK DRUM, REDS, SNOOK, SHEEPSHEAD, BLUE RUNNERS, JACKS, POMPANO AND FLOUNDER 

Thank you for your patience. We are still dealing with technology issues. We appreciate those who have sent in your photos and updates. Hopefully we will be back up and running smoothly again after the long weekend. We'll have a lot of photos for you!

This morning we have overcast skies at the inlet with a good chance of showers this morning and tomorrow. We have a cool down coming our way; it should be sunny and beautiful by Thanksgiving Day! 

We received an update from Mike Ricciardi of Vero Beach who fished the north jetty yesterday morning. Mike reported an early, short Black Drum bite between 7:00 - 8:00 a.m., about 8 - 10 fish came over the rails. Tony Swiderski of Sebastian was the fish lottery winner of the day with three nice Black Drum and a 24" slot Red. Several Sheepshead were landed and Mike got one of them. Anglers using shrimp and clams were having the most success. Lots of small Jacks, Blue Runners and Pompano were caught as well. Catfish dominated before and after the Black Drum bite. 

Bis Rem of Orlando arrived on the north jetty around 9:00 a.m. yesterday and on his first cast, landed this beautiful 30" slot Snook while free lining shrimp. 

Catch 365

"Fast and Flashy"

A small fast moving jig is a great lure for fooling Spanish mackerel this time of year. Gulfstream Lures Flash Minnow (pictured) is a great choice. Don't be afraid to try a blazing fast retrieve...chances are you can't reel faster than the macs can swim!

From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

Inshore was hard to get out of the wind to but a few people got out and caught a few trout around the power lines and little mud creek,The snook fishing was good around the bridges and around the dock lights live bait produced the best. The water should start to clean up and the pompano bite around the sailfish flats should be good on the incoming tide. 

Monday, November 24, 2014

That Time Of Year, Support The Small Business That Make Sure 
You Catch Them Up .....
Black Friday / Small Business Saturday

Friday, November 21, 2014


Sebastian Inlet Report


11-21-14 FRIDAY: SPANISH MACKEREL, BLUES, REDS, SNOOK, FLOUNDER, BLACK DRUM AND TARPON 

Winds are blowing out of the Northeast at 19 mph, gusting to 23 this morning. It's blustery, overcast but the fish are biting!

Yesterday we saw a lot of Blues and Spanish Mackerel come over the rails of the north jetty. Please remember to bleed your fish over the jetty grates, they are messy fish. Please see the Fishing Etiquette Page in the top right corner for additional info. We are seeing quite a few decent sized Flounder on the south side, west of the bridge, but so far, the big door mats have not arrived. Black Drum, Reds and Snook are also in the mix. Live shrimp is doing the trick for most species. Gotchas and spoons work well for the Mackerel and Blues.

Our angler of the day is 13 year old Brett Berkman of Indialantic. Brett landed this real nice 32" C/R Snook  using a bucktail. 






 
Heres 20 For You 2

Greetings from all of us here at StingRay,
We know how stressful things can get as the holidays rapidly approach with the planning of holiday festivities. We want to help relieve a little of that stress and give you $20 off your purchase of $100 or more. This special "Pre-Holiday Sales Event" is good from today 11/20 through 11/26.  We are open from 9am to 6pm Monday through Saturday, come in and see us or shop our website to get your $20.

We add to our list of 2014 Holiday events, almost daily, here's a sneak peak of what we have planned for you.
November 28th, Black FridayAll Day In-Store Specials. Doors are open @ 8:30am til 6pm,

November 29thSaturday: Our Annual Fly Fishing Event with seminars held by our resident expert Davis Brown. Meet Dealer Reps from Simms, Salt Life & Mojo. In-Store Specials, Raffles, Incentive Give-A-Ways & free gift wrapping and it's American Express Small Business Saturday, visit www.ShopSmall.com for details. Doors are open @ 8:30am til 6pm.

December 1st, Cyber Monday: This is ALL about online sales, and I'm here to tell you, we have some GOOD ones planned. Check our website for these web-only specials.

December 6thSaturday: Our Annual Penn Tent Event. Meet Dealer Reps from Penn, Salt Life and RigRap. In-Store Specials, Raffles, Incentive Give-A-Ways & free gift wrapping. Doors open @ 8:30 til 6pm

December 13Saturday: Our Annual Open House from 9am to 3pm. Meet Dealer Reps from Fin-Nor/Quantum, Reactor & RigRap. In-Store Specials, Raffles, Incentive Give-A-Ways & free gift wrapping. SANTA is in the house from 11am to 2pm!! Bring the family, get your picture taken with Santa & join us for a Wine Tasting Event held by our one and only, Debbie.

December 20thSaturdayHoliday Wine Pairing with Debbie, need to know what wine best goes with your Holiday Feast, she's the one to ask. In-Store Specials, Raffles, Incentive Give-A-Ways & free gift wrapping. Doors open @ 9am til 6pm

December 21stSunday: We are expanding our hours for this day so you can get your last minute shopping done. Doors open at 12noon til 6pm.

Well, there's the scoop as I know it..................
I'm sure there will be additions over the next few days, don't worry, we will be sure to keep you in the "know" too.

Thank you ALL for your continued support, we really do APPRECIATE YOU!!
See you soon.

Regards,

Colette
StingRay Brands 

Palm Beach Fishing Report


INSHORE
Bluefish and Spanish mackerel are biting first thing in the morning along the beaches of the Treasure Coast. Some small pompano seem to be moving in later in the day, usually during the afternoon tide. Whiting and croaker are around throughout the day.

 Big numbers of pompano are being reported in the Indian River, especially in areas such as Sailfish Flats, and around the Stuart and Jensen Causeways.
There is a good redfish bite on the east side of the river, and there are plenty of trout around, but most of them are pretty small. The snook action has been excellent at night around the bridges, and some flounder have been snagged around mangroves near the powerlines.
The beach fishing has slowed a bit this week around Jupiter, but there have been good numbers of bluefish around. The fish seem to be holding throughout the day, but the bite is on and off.
Ladyfish and jacks are chewing in the Intracoastal Waterway around Marker 42.
Good numbers of jacks were reported this week in the Intracoastal in the Jupiter area, along with a few pompano. As always, snook are hitting around the bridges at night.
Intracoastal bridges in central and southern Palm Beach County have also been great spots for catching bluefish, ladyfish, jacks and small Spanish mackerel. A few sheepshead and small pompano were also caught.

FRESHWATER
The winds this week have made it pretty challenging to fish the outside edges of Lake Okeechobee, but this is where the best fishing has been. If you can actually get back into the grass, you can not only catch big numbers of bass, but also some pretty big fish. It hasn’t been uncommon lately to hook a bass weighing more than 7 pounds.
Anglers are using live shiners and artificial lures, and are having success with both; although shiners do seem to be working the best at this time. The bite lasts much longer this time of year, especially with the weather pattern we have experienced this week, so you can catch fish throughout the day. 

From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

Stuart
Inshore the snook fishing has been good around the inlet and bridges with live bait on the out going tide.The sail fish flats have had a few reports of some pompano around them with a bunch of jacks and lady fish if you just want to go have fun.The trout fishing has been great around the power lines on the west side of the river.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Catch 365 From Todd / Eric @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

                 "Getting Goofy Series"
Part 3

"Rigging Options"
Doc's Goofy Jigs are almost always fished with an additional quill (sometimes called a teaser or stinger).  The quill provides a little different color, extra action, and well...another hook to stick em!  Many pompano (at least half, if not more) are caught on the quill.  The two most popular ways to rig the jig/quill combo are pictured above.

1. Loop Knot (Gold Jig/Pink Quill Pictured): Tie the quill and jig together in the same loop knot. Once you have the loop knot down it is an easy knot to tie, gives the jig lots of action, and can re-tied very quickly.

2. Split Ring (Yellow Jig/Pink Quill Pictured): The jig and quill are attached together using a small split ring.  This rig can be good for having a lot of jig/quill color combos rigged and ready to switch out very quickly.

Sebastian Inlet Report


11-20-14 THURSDAY: BLUES, FLOUNDER, BLACK DRUM, SHEEPSHEAD, SNOOK AND REDFISH 

Sorry for the delay in fishing reports. This is being posted in between serious computer repairs. 

In spite of 23 mph north wind and small craft advisories, fishing is excellent. The water temps remain steady, close to 80 degrees. Blues are running and providing plenty of action. The big story is about the Flounder. Some great fish are being caught west of the bridge on shrimp and finger mullet. The south side seems to be producing more fish. In addition to the Flounder, there have been numerous hookups with Black Drum, Sheepshead, Snook and Redfish. There have been many other species reported so the inlet is the place to be for fishing right now. Lake Erie not so good at this time!

Today's photo is a nice C/R 39 inch Redfish caught by Eddie Vazquez on a spoon yesterday. 

From Todd / Eric @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

INSHORE- This week saw a surprising number of mullet around inshore still, and the snook and big jacks were more than happy to see them.  Inshore action remains best early morning, late afternoon, and at night(especially for the snook).  The flats around Munyon Island are really starting to produce some good numbers of fish. Ladyfish, jacks, bluefish, small snook, and a few trout are all hanging around the grassflats.  Live shrimp under a cork, DOA shrimp, or a small swimbait are all good choice on the flats right now.  The Hobe Sound flats are also producing some good numbers of fish as well.

SURF/PIER- Lots of good action along the beach right now.  The next wave of bluefish showed up with the last cold snap.  Spanish Mackerel are scattered up and down the beach in fair numbers, and more than willing to bite a small clark spoon or glass minnow jig.  Pompano action was fair this week as well.  Throwing the Doc's Goofy Jig at the Juno Beach Pier early in the morning seems to produce at least a few pompano daily.  Good numbers of small jacks along the beach right now.  Blacktip sharks are also around in good numbers.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014





Catching Flounder in All Seasons


Catching Flounder in the Fall

Fall is the favorite season for many flounder fishermen. This is the time of year when cold fronts trigger the fish to move offshore, commonly called the “flounder run.” Rather than being spread out, the fish will be more congregated and easy to target. Also, we’re not talking about little flounder here. These are the large spawning individuals we like to call “door mats.”

Where the Fish are in the Fall Months

Triggered by the onset of cold fronts in Florida, all three of the commonly caught species of flounder move from their usual inshore habitats to the inlets prior to their winter spawn. Here, they can be easily targeted using a variety of baits or lures, as they are very willing to eat as they store up the extra energy they will need for spawning.

Catching Flounder in the Inlets

Large spawning individuals in the inlets are very easy to target. Anchor outside of the channel, and drift small bait fish such as mullet, mud minnows, pinfish, sardines, or anything else you can get your hands on along the jetty.

Catching Flounder Inshore

Prior to that first real cold front, the fish will still be settled down next to their usual oyster reef, sandbar, or piling habitats, and can be targeted by dragging or bouncing a jig next to the structures.

An Overview of Catching Flounder in the Fall.

In the early spring, flounder can be caught in their usual inshore habitats. However, after the first real cold front, the large spawning adults will start to aggregate at the inlets as they prepare for their winter spawn. Target the fish in the inlets by drifting baits alongside the jetties, or by casting along them in the areas that have piers running alongside.

Catching Flounder in the Winter

Wintertime flounder fishing is excellent when the fish are still near the inlets, and more sporadic when they get offshore for their spawn. The seas are often quite rough in the winter, so the best place to target them is at the inlets.

Where the Fish are in the Winter Months

Flounders spawn throughout the winter, but can often be found still residing near the inlets as they get together before venturing offshore. When offshore, the fish will be in 60 to 200 feet of water, and oriented near structures such as natural and artificial reef.

Catching Flounder at the Inlets

Some inlets, particularly the more southern ones, will hold flounder throughout the winter. Cast small live baits or jigs along the jetties, or just outside the channel.

Catching Flounder Offshore

Most of the offshore flounder are caught by fishermen bottom-fishing for groupers. The offshore fish will be large, so using a 6-inch mullet or menhaden, and fish along the outside edges of natural and artificial reefs, deep drop-offs, oil rigs, or any other offshore structures.

An Overview of Catching Flounder in the Wintertime.

As winter is the spawning season for flounder, most of the big fish will be offshore doing their business, however many will still be found at the inlets throughout the winter as they prepare to venture offshore. In the inlets, use live baits or heavy bottom jigs alongside the jetties and just outside the channels. Offshore, use large natural fish around the outside edges of structures for big fish.

Catching Flounder in the Springtime

Spring is a great season where you can once again catch big flounder inshore. After their spawning all winter, the fish will be quite hungry to get back some of that energy spent making the next generation.
Where the Fish Are in the Springtime
In the spring, all three species of flounder return to the estuaries, lagoons, and coastal bays. Flounders like to bury themselves in the sand or mud next to structures where bait fish will be – this includes things such as oyster reefs, sandbars, dock pilings, and bridges. The depth varies, and will be wherever the bait is.

Catching Flounder Near the Oyster Reefs

Oyster reefs are a prime place to target flounders inshore. They sit and wait here for many of their favorite meals – mummichogs (commonly called mud minnows), mullet, pinfish, etc. – that tend to hang out near the reefs. Cast several feet away from the reef however, as you don’t want the sharp oyster shells to cut your line.

Catching Flounder on the Docks, Piers, and Bridges

Whether it’s a dock, pier, or a bridge, flounder will often settle down right next to the piling where the bait fish will be circling. Cast along the structure, so that as you retrieve you bait or lure, you’re passing each piling along the way.

Catching Flounder on the Sandbars

As with all the regular flounder hangouts, they like to sit at the edge of sandbars and sandy patches within grass flats, because this is where they can ambush bait fishes. Simply drag your bait or lure across any sandy patch or sandbar, and wait for the tap.

 An Overview of Catching Flounder in the Springtime

Flounder will be in all of their usual habitats – sandy or muddy areas next to structures – just sitting and waiting for their next meal. Whether you’re fishing the pilings of the piers and docks or the edge of an oyster reef, cast alongside the structures long-ways, where you can cover the most ground with each cast.

Catching Flounder in the Summertime

Summer is an excellent time for targeting flounder. With the warm waters of summer come floods of bait fish in the estuaries, making it easy to predict where the flounders will be buried (i.e. right underneath that bait).

Where the Fish are in the Summer Months

In the summer months, flounders will be buried next to their usual habitats (sand/mud bottom near structures), but there will be more daily variation because of the changing water temperature throughout the day. In general, since the schools of mullet, menhaden, or whatever other bait is in the area, will tend to shift from the shallows in the early morning to the slightly deeper waters throughout the day, the flounders will follow this pattern.

Catching Flounder Near the Oyster Reefs

Oyster reefs are always the place to go to find inshore flounder. In the summer, as the day drags into midday and the waters warm, the fish will likely be near the deeper side of the reef. Cast alongside the reef in deeper water and work your way closer to the reef with each cast.

Catching Flounder on the Docks, Piers, and Bridges

Fish the shallow pilings of these structures early in the morning for surprisingly big fish in shallow water. Wading is an excellent method for getting to the shallow water you need. During midday, fish the deeper, cooler water towards the end of the pier.

Catching Flounder on the Sandbars

As with the other structures, fish the shallow sandbars early in the morning, especially if the tide is incoming, and fish the sandbars during the middle of the day or evening in deeper water or during high tide.

An Overview of Catching Flounder in the Summertime

The days get hot in Florida, and it gets rough living in the mud. To overcome this, flounders tend to move as most fish do to find more agreeable water temperatures throughout the day. Fish the shallower parts of the structures first thing in the morning, but change to deeper waters throughout the day.





Fishing In the Cold


The time between the beginning of fall -- September, let's say -- and the first real cold snap is an interesting time for the angling community. A good part of the country gets ready to carefully clean every single lure, hook, reel, and pair of fishing shoes they own. After all, it is freaken cold out there. The last few years something new (I guess?) called winter has really planted its feet on a lot of the country. From the Texas panhandle summer trout-stalkers, to the urban anglers hunting the riverways of our big cities for their still-active fish populations, our sport closes down for many of our brothers and sisters on the water. But not for us.

Fishing in Florida in the Wintertime

Don't take this lead-in as evidence that nobody fishes in the winter anywhere but here in Florida. A well-stocked tackle shop in the northern states actually sells stuff you can use to catch fish through holes you cut or 'auger' in thick ice. They probably sell the tools you need to cut the holes in the ice, for all I know. Once upon a time in a land called New Jersey, and in a nearby land called Pennsylvania, the author seems to remember a few nights (?!!!) in a tent sitting next to a hole. I seem to remember frozen fish cubes -- bluegill or perch maybe? I do not remember anything pulling anything, but something resembling a bell hung on a stick and when it rang you picked up the ice-cube fish. There are a lot of fish out there I still want to catch. If ice fishing is on your bucket list, that is totally cool. It ain't on mine. I grew up most of my angling life on Florida's west central coast. The Gulf of Mexico is a vast playground for us. And the coastal regions I am most familiar with change quite a bit over the years. We fish different in the winter than in the summer. Northerners visiting our lovely state say that we don't have seasons.
I beg your pardon. Tell that to a tarpon. Tell that to the big redfish and snook you find warming themselves under residential docks in December. And tell that to the Bay slam - trout, redfish, and the snook - you could find in your cooler or on your smart phone in the middle of January.
There are a few things you need to know to catch more fish in the wintertime.
· Tides are different; low tides in the winter are a major factor in our waters.
· The fish are in different places.
· The fish eat slower.
· The bait is different.
· You need to dress properly.
Tides in the Winter
Tides act differently here than they do in Alabama. Hell. They work differently here than they do at the Skyway Bridge nine miles from where we keep one of the boats owned by team members. There can be two tides here and four tides up north where another of the partners keeps his shallow water boat. And vice versa. But in the winter time we have negative tides -- tides so low they expose dry areas of the bays and Intercoastal waterways you do not see ten months out of the year. You can learn a lot about your region if you go out when the water is very low in the dead of the winter.















Where the Fish Are in the Winter

Since we are taking generally about fishing in the winter, we will leave species-specific seasonal information for your leisure reading when you want to learn all there is to know about any one fish. But there are general issues about our local fish you will eventually just come to know whether we teach you or not.
Some fish can handle cold water without a shiver, and some can die from a three degree drop in their minimal range. Snook "kills" here in Florida are legendary; you can find ten thousand fish in a small bay if the water gets too cold. The species recover fairly rapidly after a big freeze, but not without a definite negative impact on the angler. The fish recover and the economy recovers, but cold weather has a lot of impact on how fish act even when it does not get below 30 degrees for ten or twelve days. Simple cold fronts change fish behavior. But the general downward water temperature but them in different places.
On the flats the fish are in those holes exposed by the negative tides. Look at a Google Earth picture. Then walk or paddle or boat out onto the edges of any flat on the gulf. You will see dry ground that appeared to be underwater in satellite shot. Those negative winter tides drive fish into relatively tight spots. Approach flats from the deeper edges, and look. Use a set of binoculars. They help you see water that is three inches deep in November and averages three feet during the summer flood tides.

The Bait is Different.


If you fish with live baits under almost any circumstances (they produce more fish), you end up using different baits in the summertime than you do in the winter. If you want to catch fish, using the actual natural prey the target predator is predating is obviously more effective than trying to use a piece of buttered toast for rainbow trout. It is also more effective than using a plastic or glass or metal fake version of that same living (or stinky and dead in the case of many otherwise very attractive fish) prey.
Here where we fish, the summertime is sardine time. It is easier to catch them with a cast net than it is with your hands, and they are not readily available except at seaside (raw or fresh saltwater is critical to their even short existence). But you can catch the heck out of them using a Sabiki rig to hook them three or four at a time and release them into your bait bucket. Wintertime is shrimp time -- both in their availability in local bait shops and their appearance in local waters. They also are a lot easier to fish with underneath a dock, where placed on a free-lined rig can result in shocking strikes from massive fish. Sardines know there are monsters in the shadows, and swim hard to get deep into the middle of channels where the docks are.


One of the companies that help the site work is a company called ProCure. They make a range of products that add scent to your dead bait and most importantly to your soft plastic lures. They increase the effectiveness even on baits claiming to already smell fishy. Try it – you will become an avid and regular user. In the wintertime the scents are even more important because otherwise active fish are more lethargic. Scent attracts fish that would otherwise not bother to move twelve inches to grab your lure and make your day.
If you are a lure fisherman or woman, fish your lures slow. If you think you are fishing them too slow, and that is why the fish are not eating, slow them down. Another consideration is that the fish are less active in the cold water and you might get more strikes from a bait bouncing on or near the bottom then you will with faster lures. This is not true when mackerel show up in shallow water where it meets deep channels, or rampaging schools of bluefish or even ladyfish or jack and make for great sport; they are moving schools that move fast. As fast in cold water as in warm. So have spoons ready when you need them. If you try bouncing one slowly though, on sandy bottoms near the edges of the mangroves, big trout might make you have a new perception of the productive artificials
Just drag them, pull them, bounce them, or swim them slowly, slowly, slowly.
Dressing Well
Lastly, make sure you dress well. We are not the kind of angler wearing a watch worth three thousand bucks and shirts that took $129 to put on. But we do like good clothes that keep us warm. Consider tight skin gear like skiers use underneath a shirt with buttons and pockets. It gives you more places to lose stuff, which is good luck. If it is damp, do not wear cotton; it wicks cold moisture and will ruin your day. Good covers make for more comfortable hunting, too, and do not leave the dock without rain gear if there is an even slight chance of getting cold and wet at the same time. Freezing wet skin will not drive some of us fishy idiots off the water, but being dry is a good thing.
Tight lines and warm socks. The fish are there and you will not need a bell on a stick to let you know.