Sunday, March 31, 2019

From Todd &Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

                      
INSHORE-  Snook fishing (like the weather) has been all over the place this week; but still remains the best bet in town.  The Snook are feeding well at night around the bridges, especially on outgoing tide.  During the day look for the snook to be laid up under docks and seawalls providing ambush points for unsuspecting mullet.  A few jacks cruising around inshore, but not great numbers by any means.   A handful of tarpon reports around Lake Worth Inlet.  

SURF/PIER-  Great pompano fishing at the Juno Beach Pier and along the beach this week.  Clams, sandfleas, and Fishbites are the bait of choice for the pompano.  Bright colored Doc's Goofy Jigs have been working well from the pier, especially during lowlight periods of the day.  The Juno Beach Pier has also had a good number of Spanish Mackerel around.  Crappie Jigs and Rapala X-Raps have been working well on the Macs.  Still a few blacktip/spinner sharks around; but the numbers are dwindling.  Get out and catch the last of the sharks now; they won't be around for much longer! 

Thursday, March 28, 2019

Topwater TIMING

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

Windy conditions are an understatement if you were on the beach yesterday. I cancelled a charter I had planned because of the horrible forecast but took advantage of the short window of time before it started howling. I fished at Santa Lucea and Bathtub Beach and managed to put together a nice catch of pompano before the 30 mph winds chased me from the surf. As Burry mentioned in his post, the surprise of the day was the conversation I had with Jon Shainman from NBC / WPTV, Channel 5 about the pompano fishing preceding the front. Fishing can be excellent during the day before weather fronts; Tuesday and yesterday morning proved that theory. As far as looking ahead, we are out of business until the weekend and hopefully fishing conditions will improve by Sunday. Good luck and catch em up.

Sebastian Inlet Report

Spring is here, weather is gorgeous…FISH ON!  Hot off the red phone update line and straight from Sarah at Sebastian Inlet Bait & Tackle.  Spanish Mackerel and Bluefish are biting on Got-cha lures, spoons and bucktail off the North Jetty.  Snook are also hitting on live bait and live shrimp.  Watch the tide changes, the Snook seem to be biting at the beginning of the outgoing tide but a lot are too big to keep so please practice appropriate catch and release techniques to ensure survival.  You’ll find Sheepshead on both sides of the channel and shrimp, sand fleas or fiddler crabs have been working well to bring them in.  Anglers have been picking up some Pompano in the surf and Sarah says go with a combination of frozen shrimp, clams and sand fleas.
Check out these photos sent in by one of our regulars on the North Jetty – Stephanie Lindgren!  An avid fish whisperer as we like to call her, we want to wish Stephanie all the best and offer our hearty congratulations.  She launched The Saltiest Sweet Spot – a personal fishing and hunting guide service in September after spending 21+ years working for a TV station.  “I love what I do! I target mostly beginners – women, children, veterans and first responders dealing with PTSD – to introduce them to some therapeutic activities and we all know mother nature cures all!”  At the end of January, Stephanie took out Jermaine Jackson from Naked and Afraid Season 9, episode 9.  He is an avid fisherman from California.  He rocked it off the North Jetty and got busy netting fish for other anglers.                                  

From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart


With a cold front pushing through today, conditions are going to be a bit tough over the next few days, with Friday looking to be an improvement. The Indian River has continued to produce some pretty good Seatrout catches, mostly on Gulp Shrimp and other soft plastics along the drop-offs of spoil islands and deeper shorelines. Snook have shown up in greater numbers around docks and deeper shorelines, falling for DOA CALs and Mirrodines. Redfish have been a bit tougher with the water a little dirtier due to the recent winds. In the surf, Spanish Mackerel and Bluefish are still the best bet, with a few Snook starting to spread out on the beaches. Spoons and metal jigs have done the best. Offshore looks like a bust for the next few days, but there have been some Kingfish and Dolphin catches, so hopefully it will calm soon so everyone can catch a few. The inlets have also been a bit off for Snook, but theis weather change should spark some activity. 

Thursday, March 21, 2019

Snook Like The Rain


Had to sit in car for 45 min waiting for rain to stop and sun to go down but it was worth it... 3 shorts then this keeper just short of 30 inches... # Juno Bait Custom Rod, #VR125 Van Staal Reel, Fins Braid, and # T&A Jig Head....

Scouting Around Palm Beach And Martin County

In the St. Lucie River the pompano bite, which had been so red hot the last few weeks, has backed way off.
The snook bite, however, has remained steady with anglers having good luck working the area bridges and docks. Throwing jigs at night or using live shrimp or pilchards, anglers are getting more and more slot-size fish with a few big ones mixed in.
The sea trout bite has picked up quite a bit. One fisherman working up around the power plant reported catching 26 in one day. They are Around the docks at the Sailfish Club their has been some good action on tarpon as well as a few schools of jack crevalle.
Anglers working the Boynton Inlet jetties have been catching sheepshead, croaker, mangrove snapper, ladyfish, jack crevalle and snook.
The snook have been hammering Flare Hawk jigs and jumbo live shrimp at night during the first three hours of an outgoing tide.            
Around the Lantana Bridge anglers have been catching large sand perch, croaker and a few pompano using fresh cut shrimp.
Working the dock lights and bridge fenders in the Intracoastal Waterway, anglers using small lures, jigs and live shrimp have been catching snook and ladyfish.
LAKE OKEECHOBEE
Despite the heavy rain and wind the last few days the bass bite has been excellent.
Working the outside grass lines from Cochrans Pass all the way around to the Belle Glade area, anglers are catching good numbers and good-size fish.
Live shiners are working best.

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

                  
I hope everyone took advantage of the calm surf and great conditions we had along our local beaches on Saturday because the forecasted wind and wave heights for the upcoming week are going to be pretty rough. Pompano, whiting, croaker, and bluefish highlighted Saturday's action at various locations and there were plenty of fish caught. I received reports from Tiger Shores and Stuart beach that had pompano, whiting and croaker catches and a great bluefish bite was reported from Santa Lucea. I fished at Bridge Road in Hobe Sound on Saturday and I will tell you, the Springtime Pompano bite seems to be on. As usually occurs in the spring, the dawn to 9 am bite was very good and after a couple of hours lull during midday, the late afternoon activity picked right back up. EZ Flea Fishbites, clam strips tipped with Orange Clam and yellow Fishbites, and frozen sandfleas tipped with EZ Flea and Pink Crab Fishbites, produced non-stop action. Remember, you have to be able to reach the pompano to catch them. There is a reef that is evident along the Bridge Road Beach and being able to put your baits just inside of the reef will produce constant strikes. I am using the Penn Spinfisher Longcast spinning reel on a 12-foot surf rod and using that combination will put you in the zone 70 to 90 yards from the surf line. This is great spring surf action and as long as the persistent weeds that we have been putting up with stay away, the bite will only get better. A quick note for anyone who was not able to get out and catch a tasty pompano dinner, the fantastic New England Seafood Fish Market in Jensen Beach has some very fresh pompano in their display case that will taste as good as they look!! 

From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

 With the weather of the last few days being fairly awful, there hasn’t been a lot of people fishing, but there have been a few bright spots for those willing to brave it. Snook fishing in the inlets has been good, but mostly on live bait, and Kingfish have been prolific to the south. In the Indian River, there have been quite a few Redfish around still, even with sight fishing conditions being less than optimal. Blind casting shorelines with DOA CALs and jigs have paid off the best. Seatrout are also being caught in good numbers, and the cooler weather should only help that. 

Wade Fishing A Florida Cold Front! (Gettin It Done!)

Florida's MOST Expensive Fish! Catch Clean Cook- Florida Pompano

Secret Revealed, How I Find The BEST Fishing Spots

Simple Bait SHRIMP Tip...

Friday, March 15, 2019

NEW! Band of Anglers "Dartspin"

From Todd &Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

                        
INSHORE:  Snook fishing improved this week  The bridges are producing some nice slot size fish, especially on outgoing tide.  A flairhawk or SpoolTek remain top lure choices for the snook right now.  Docklights are also holding a good number of snook.  Live shrimp or a DOA Shrimp remain solid lure/bait choices for the snook while fishing docklights.  Scattered jacks roaming around in the ICW right now, but not in huge numbers.  The Palm Beach Inlet continues to produce some big jacks.  Still a few sheepshead holding in the Inlet as well, though they have started to thin out.  

SURF/PIER:  The crazy swings in weather this week have led to a few good days along the beach and at the pier, and also has pretty much shut down other days.  The Juno Beach Pier continues, under the right conditions, to produce a fair number of kingfish.  Most of the kings seem to be coming up in the morning, and then a few stragglers again later in the afternoon.  Scattered bigger Spanish Mackerel mixed in with the kings.  A swimming plug (Rapala X-Rap or Yo-Zuri Longcast Minnow) continues to be the biggest producer for the kings and bigger Spanish.  Scattered pompano reports from the pier.  Not big numbers on a consistent basis coming over the rail, but a few days have managed to produce a fair number of good size pompano for those putting in time with the Goofy Jig.  Better pompano reports continue to come from Hobe Sound area beaches.  Blacktip/Spinner sharks continue to bite in good numbers for those looking for something bigger to pull on.  

Tuesday, March 12, 2019

From Capt. Charlie @Fishing Center-Fort Pierce

March has always comes in like a lion! You can expect windy days, but much warmer as we transition into spring. Chances of rain are on the increase so watch the weather and plan your adventures carefully. Water temps will be on the rise this month and you can expect lots of exciting action around the Treasure Coast. 

Trout will be moving onto the shallow grass flats as the sun warms things up. Try a DOA Deadly Combo or live shrimp on a popping cork to locate trout. A DOA CAL will also work well this month. Look for redfish to be around mangroves and docks. A DOA shrimp is always a good choice for reds. Sheepshead, drum and snapper will be along channel edges and docks and willing to take a live shrimp. 

Snook fishing will pick up around the inlets, bridges and docks. Live pilchards are a favorite bait in March. Mackerel, bluefish, jacks and many other predators will be coming in with the tides and feeding around the inlets and channels of the river. Small shiny lures work best for these fish. 
Pompano are in the river and along the surf and willing to take a Doc’s Goofy Jig, shrimp or sand fleas. They usually can be found in channels and deeper parts of the flats in March. We have had great success on croakers the past few years. There will be nice sized fish in the river and along the beaches feeding with whiting. They are fun to catch and super to eat!

Spring is almost here already. Winter wasn’t so bad even though we complain about it. It’s a good time to check equipment. Both fishing and the boat should be checked a few times a year to make sure everything is in good working order. Some of these windy days will provide a good chance to check rods, reels and safety gear for when good weather arrives. 

Sebastian Inlet Report


                                                 
 
                                               

                                             


A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING…SPANISH MACKEREL, BLUEFISH, BLACK DRUM, POMPANO, GO FISHING AT THE INLET!


Our friend Tommy Turowski at Sebastian Inlet Bait & Tackles has been seeing a whole lot of Spanish Mackerel and Bluefish, off both the North and South Jetty.  Got-cha lures and silver spoons haven been working great.  Anglers have been reeling in some Jacks, Redfish, Black Drum and Snook off the North Jetty and throughout the inlet.  Biting mostly on live or frozen shrimp and cut bait.  The Sheepshead bite has been great and we know winter when the water is cold is a great time to target them.  Pompano, Whiting and Bluefish are being caught off the beach.  Two hook bottom rigs are bringing those fish in for our shore anglers.  Bluefish are hitting silver spoons off the beach.  From all the reports we have been getting, fishing has been consistently great in the last few weeks!
Today we’re sending out a special thanks to Jim Stafford and his friend Garryn from Cocoa Beach, our featured angler of the week.  Garryn is quite the upcoming fisherman and has been named “King of the Jetty” by his fellow anglers.  Everyone who knows him says he’s on his way to becoming a legend at the inlet!  Jim tells us that he met Garryn and his family on the North Jetty and that Garryn has been giving him fishing tips.  We’ve included a couple more pictures here; Gordon Robinson of New York and Ike with his 60 lb. Black Drum, all caught off the North Jetty.
Another update from our friend Ed Killer at Treasure Coast Newspapers..  NOAA Fisheries has decided to open a season for Red Snapper this year for five days this summer.  July 12, 13, 14, 19 and 20 are the dates recreational anglers will be able to harvest one Red Snapper per person, per day.

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area


Southeast wind that is predicted will give everyone a chance to look for some pompano, whiting, croaker, and bluefish. The anglers fishing the bridges and flats in the area had a good week locating and catching the pompano and those of us that will be looking for that species should put a few in the cooler from the sand. It appears the strong winds that kept us off the beach last week from the northeast did not change the water clarity and as of yesterday the water was a nice color at most locations. The strong pompano bite usually changes to late afternoon in the spring and with the extended sunlight things should get good. A quick Fishbites tip to pass along is I have been hearing from numerous anglers about the good whiting and croaker action using the Bloodworm scent. This bait is known for catching Sea Bass and Ling in the New Jersey area and is now putting numbers of whiting and croakers in anglers coolers in our area. I have a couple of bags in my tackle bag and will be using some this weekend. The challenge for trying this bait is availability because I don't know if any tackle shops in our area have a big inventory. Fred has some on the shelf at The Snook Nook and Bass Pro has a limited supply also. A final note that I am happy to report is the increased presence of FWC officers in our area and an increase in tickets to the small group of fishermen that ignore regulations , especially those who target pompano. I am happy to see FWC on the beach and in the parking lots and for the 95 per cent of us that play by the rules, I am sure you are too. I take a minute when I see the officers to thank them for being there . 

Thursday, March 7, 2019

From Todd &Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

INSHORE-  Snook fishing prior to the little cold snap was very good.  A quick warm-up should have them biting good again in short order.  The Flair Hawk bite remains fair to good around the bridges, especially on an outgoing tide.  Docklight action is also very very good for catching numbers of snook right now.  Small white jigs and shrimp imitating lures are excellent choices for fishing snook around docklights.   Pompano fishing has been good inshore in the Stuart area, but slow in the local Juno/Jupiter area for the most part.  Fair number of jacks pushing around in the Loxahatchee River and ICW right now.  Hobe Sound Flats continue to produce mixed bag action on ladyfish, jacks, occasional trout or redfish, snook, sheepshead, and a few others.   

SURF/PIER-  Reports for the first part of the week were well...weak.  However, at time of writing the surf south of Jupiter Inlet has started to come alive.  Solid reports of Bluefish coming in from the Juno Beach Pier currently.  LOTS of blacktip sharks mixed in with the bluefish as well.  Pompano reports have also been on the rise with a few fish being caught south of Jupiter Inlet, and good numbers coming in from Hobe Sound.  Clams, Sandfleas, and FishBites remain the baits of choice for the pompano.  Looks like we could be in for some good fishing this weekend!

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

Surf fishing was pretty darn good this past weekend at a lot of different locations. Tiger Shores, Stuart Beach, Santa Lucea, and Bridge Road in Hobe Sound all had some great action for bluefish, whiting, croaker, bonefish, and jacks on Saturday and Sunday. I was not able to fish on Saturday but the reports I received from friends that were able to wet a line told of a fantastic afternoon pompano bite at Tiger Shores and Bridge Road. Fishbites and natural clam strips were the hot baits. The morning activity at most spots provided some action but nothing near to the numbers that were taken from 3 to 6 pm. I met my son Randy at Tiger Shores on Sunday morning and the pompano bite had slowed somewhat but we managed to put 11 in the cooler along with some bluefish, whiting, croaker, and had fun with some catch-and-release bonefish. I took a ride today to Hobe Sound after getting some reports about a great pompano bite there on Sunday afternoon. The results from today reinforce the fact that the biggest challenge with pompano fishing is not catching them, but finding them. I managed to put a couple in the cooler early, but that was the end of the activity. The bite totally shut down at most of the spots that produced on Saturday and Sunday and I ended up fishing all the way up north at Blue Heron and only put 5 or 6 whiting in the cooler. Fellow surf angler, Brian Morris, stopped by and reported some whiting and 1 pompano at Normandy beach but overall it was a very slow day. It looks like we are getting a cool front at mid-week that will probably make conditions a little tough on Wednesday, but the wind is forecast to back off at the end of the week and into the weekend. Fishbites, clam strips, and sandfleas should all be included in your bait supply as they produced all of the action this past weekend. 

Scouting Around Palm Beach And Martin County

INSHORE FISHING
In the St. Lucie River the pompano fishing has been fantastic. In the Hells Gate and Sailfish Flats areas, as well as along the bridges, anglers using shrimp on a jig head or goofy jigs are doing great.
There has been good numbers of pilchards and greenies around at the St. Lucie Inlet and some of the docks which has made for good snook fishing. Both pilchards and greenies are the go to baits. If you’re not catching your own check out Stuart Live Bait in Manatee Pocket to pick some up.
Along the beaches in the Jensen area there are pompano to be caught, but also plenty of whiting and croaker.
With the north winds on Wednesday and the northeast to east winds forecast for today, the pompano fishing should be good from the dredge on Jupiter Island south to the inlet. The winds should keep the water slightly stirred and ‘milky.’ Goofy jigs are working well with the key being to hop them along slowly and close to the bottom. If using natural bait, sand fleas and clams are producing good action.
Though there haven’t been any reports of the snook action going wild in the area, they are being spotted in good numbers around the inlet and along bridges and docks.
Fishing at the Boynton Inlet has been slow with light action on sheepshead and mangrove snapper.
Anglers working the Lantana Bridge have been doing well on large sand perch, black drum and sheepshead using cut shrimp, live shrimp and live crabs.
LAKE OKEECHOBEE
Though the action slowed down on Wednesday with the cooler weather it should pick right back up.
The bass fishing has been excellent just inside the mouth of the Kissimmee River. Anglers using live wild shiners and working the edges are having a blast. If you’re going to try and fool them rather than feed them, flippin’ Senkos has been the best bet lately.
The spec bite has backed off a bit, but should also pick back up with the warming trend.
                                                    

Saturday, March 2, 2019

From Capt. Joe Ward @ Capt. Joe's Bait & Tackle Ft Pierce

We will post when they get here. Inshore the sheepshead and black drum bite continues to be good along with a good croaker bite. There have been some keeper snook caught at the North Bridge, at the jetty and in the Ft. Pierce Inlet. The jetty has been producing the usual catches along with a few nice flounder. The surf is full of whiting. 

From Todd &Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

INSHORE-  Warm weather has kept the snook fired up.  Should continue to be good snook fishing; especially if we don't have too many late season fronts.  Throwing the flair hawk at night around the bridges is a solid choice for the snook, especially on outgoing tide.  During the day look for the snook to be laid up around dark bottoms and under good cover producing docks and seawalls.  Docklights in the ICW are also holding good numbers of snook as well.  Solid numbers of jacks around in the ICW and Loxahatchee River right now.  The jacks love to cruise along seawalls looking for easy meals.  Topwater plugs and live mullet are solid choices for the jacks.  The flats around Munyan Island continue to produce a nice variety of fish; jacks, ladyfish, snook, an occasional redfish or trout, and others are all around right now.  

SURF/PIER-  Rough weather and unfavorable wind kept area surf reports a bit quiet this week.  Better pompano reports coming from Hobe Sound/Jupiter, with a few coming in later in the week from south of Jupiter Inlet as well.  Sandfleas, clams, and FishBites remain the baits of choice for the pompano.  Bluefish reports are slowing down, but we should expect a push of big blues before too long.  Spanish Mackerel action remains fair to good at Peck's Lake depending on the day and conditions.  The Juno Beach Pier has been very quiet this week...hopefully that changes very soon!  Solid number of spinner/blacktip sharks around right now.  Lots of fun on big topwater plugs early/late in the day.  Also a solid bite on the sharks at night using fresh chunks of bait.  

                                      

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

 Pompano, whiting, croaker, blue runner, and bonefish all made a showing this weekend along our local beaches. I received a great report of a morning whiting bite from local surf fisherman, Brad Master, on Friday morning . Brad filled a cooler with whiting at Tiger Shores and the hot bait for his catch was Orange Shrimp Fishbites. I was unable to hit the beach on Saturday due to my work schedule but I was going to head to Tiger Shores on Sunday morning until I got some intel about some pompano activity that occurred at Bridge Road beach access in Hobe Sound on Saturday afternoon. Randy and I set up at first light at that spot and although the numbers were not there from the preceding day, there was no need to measure the pompano we caught there as they were all well over the legal minimum. The bite shut off there around 9 am so we made the drive to Tiger shores and had some action with a few more pompano, whiting, croaker, and a catch and release bonefish. Local anglers Chuck Frith and Barry Rashkin had steady action with the whiting and croaker also. EZ Flea, Orange Shrimp, Pink Shrimp, and Pink Crab Fishbites all produced strikes along with frozen sandfleas and clam strips. Reports I received from some of the beaches up by Fort Pierce Inlet were not very positive due to dirty water. The winds are forecast to pick up out of the northeast tomorrow morning and seas up to 8 feet are expected. Right now it looks like conditions will improve after midweek and it looks good right into next weekend. March and April are two of my favorite months to fish the surf and with Daylight Savings Time right around the corner the afternoon spring pompano bite can be fantastic. The first trough area of the beach is showing lots of life with the whiting and croaker and expect the snook to start making their presence known in this near shore area. 

Scouting Around Palm Beach And Martin County

INSHORE FISHING
There’s been a lot of sargassum along the beaches from Hobe Sound up to Jensen Beach recently making the surf casting difficult. It’s possible that some of the west winds forecasted for today may push some of it back out. If this happens, the pompano fishing should be really good as they’ve been there, but just not very accessible through the weeds.
In the Indian River, anglers are reporting catching black drum, sheepshead, pompano, redfish, snook and there’s even been a good showing of bonefish.
If targeting pompano, jigs in pink and chartreuse colors have been the ticket. The key is to make sure to use the appropriate weight to reach the bottom. Typically 3/8 ounce or half ounce will suffice. A good indicator your jigs are not making it to the bottom is if you’re catching nothing but ladyfish, jack crevalle and bluerunners. Those three tend to feed above the pompano.
At the St. Lucie Inlet there’s been good action still on bluefish and Spanish mackerel. Chrome or green spoons and jigs worked quickly are producing good results.
The docks on the west side of the river, north of the Jensen Causeway are holding redfish. Soft plastics and live shrimp fished on a quarter-ounce jig head will do the trick.     
LAKE OKEECHOBEE
With the strong winds the last two days the bass fishing backed off a little bit from the previous days with one guide saying he’d only caught 23 that day with largest in the seven-pound range. Before that, using live shiners and working the outside grass lines in the Buckhead Ridge area, he said his catch totals were much higher with fish up to nearly 10 pounds. The fishing should pick back up today and tomorrow with lighter winds and clearing water.

Sebastian Inlet Report

                                                       

SPANISH MACKEREL AND BLUEFISH GUARANTEED, SNOOK, REDS AND BLACK DRUM TOO


For those of you lucky enough to be out on the North Jetty around first light this morning, it was absolutely gorgeous and you were treated to a beautiful sunrise despite getting wet thanks to the Northwest winds blowing pretty good..

Talked to our friend Tommy this morning at Sebastian Inlet Bait & Tackle, and by all reports the fishing has been hot!  Still lots of Spanish Mackerel and Bluefish hitting every day, mainly on the ocean side of the North Jetty.  Use Got-cha lures and silver spoons.  Quite a few keeper Snook and Black Drum coming over the rails off the North Jetty and larger Reds too.   Sheepshead have been biting better west of the bridge in the channel, try live shrimp and sandfleas.  And, as Tommy and I were talking, two dolphins were doing some fishing of their own in the tidal pool.
A shout out and special thanks to one of our regulars – Allan Noel – who sent in these photos.  Check out the Snook, Redfish and Black Drum he caught on his fishing expeditions to the North Jetty