Friday, December 27, 2019

From Todd &Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

INSHORE-  Inshore bite has been pretty good as of late.  Catch and release snook fishing remains pretty solid with warmer outside temps overall.  The snook are feeding around docklights at nights and laid up around seawalls and under boat docks during the day.  The snook are also biting well around the bridges at night, especially on the shrimp jig (we have been hard at work trying to keep the shrimp jig bins full...pretty solid selection as of right now).  Sheepshead are biting around area bridges on shrimp and sandfleas,  along with a few black drum as well.  The Hobe Sound flats have had some live around, with a good mixture of ladyfish, jacks, snook, and few pompano around.  Also been a scattering of pompano being caught in the Loxahatchee River as well.  

SURF/PIER-  Conditions overall have had surf fishing pretty tough for the most part the past week.  A handful of pompano are being caught by those fishing through the nasty stuff, but it is tough overall.  The Juno Beach Pier has had a fair number of Spanish Mackerel around, as well as a few bluefish.  Bluefish action overall is off this season, so hopefully a few cold fronts will push some more this way.  Pompano action should improve with calming conditions coming up.  Spanish Mackerel action has steadily improved at Peck's Lake, but dirty water had them put off over the past week or so.  

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

Its a few days after Christmas and I hope everyone is having a great holiday season. I do have a positive surf report to post as my son Randy and friend Chris Battjer put 5 nice pompano in their cooler along with releasing a bunch of blue runners yesterday morning before the wind and swell started to pick up. It was a first light bite and at this time of year any day you can catch the top of the tide in the early morning, that's the time to be there. EZ Flea and Yellow Crab Fishbites were the baits that caught all of their fish. The bite only lasted about 45 minutes so right place at the right time, Stuart Beach , was the ticket. He did say beach erosion has become an issue at Stuart so be careful if you plan on fishing that beach in the upcoming days. Looking at the upcoming week the first day the big swell drops to under 7 feet is Saturday when it calls for 4 to 6 foot waves. Last month we were hoping for an increase in fishable days as we entered December and now as January is only a week away , lets keep that same thought. Personally, I will be out of the line up as far as being able to fish until after January 1 but I hope those of you that get to the beach will have some success. Lets hope the first days of 2020 brings lot of pompano into the area and I would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year . 

Monday, December 23, 2019

SHELLS FOR BAIT! - crazy fishing

Sebastian Inlet Report

BAD WEATHER AND ROUGHER SEAS PUTS A DAMPER ON FISHING
A shout out to our featured angler of the week – Melissa Pierce (and this adorable little guy!) – who has been fishing the inlet while the Flounder bite has been hot, she caught this one off the South shoreline with live mullet, she brought in this nice-looking fish with a little bit of help from the guy you see in the photo. 
The wet, gray weather and rougher seas have made fishing from the North and South jetties less pleasurable but we do have a few folks braving the weather.  Your best bet until the weather breaks is fishing from the shorelines or the T-dock on the South side.
Just off the phone with Tommy at Sebastian Inlet Bait & Tackle to get the latest news.  There are some oversized Reds and Sheepshead he’s seen.  Black Drum has been coming over the rails on the North Jetty.  Flounder has been biting West of the bridge and he’s seen a good bit of Catfish around because of the murky water.

Friday, December 20, 2019

From Todd &Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach


INSHORE:
  Been a handful of pompano pushing around in the Loxahatchee River and in the ICW up towards Hobe Sound.  Sheepshead are beginning to fill in in decent numbers around boat docks and bridges.  Catch and release snook fishing remains pretty good, especially around the bridges at night.  Shrimp jigs have been the ticket for the snook.  
SURF/PIER:  
Spanish Mackerel action has been fair at the pier.  Small metal casting jigs have been a good choice with the wind.  Bluefish action has been a bit spotty, but a few days of north winds should help improve that.  Pompano action has been better north of Jupiter Inlet this week.   Strong east winds will make conditions tough for surf fishing early in the weekend.

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

It looks like we are heading for another tough stretch of weather that is going to keep everyone off of the sand .The forecast calls for seas and surf to build to 10 feet through Thursday and stay at least 8 feet into Sunday. After looking at yesterdays 5 foot prediction I postponed another trip with Brian and Darcie from Darcizzle. I did take a ride up to the beach and found most accesses pretty empty of anglers. I threw the lines out and was able to hold the bottom with use of 5 ounce sputnik sinkers. Conditions were pretty challenging and after fishing a couple of hours the catch list was only 2 keeper pompano and a few whiting. I also threw back 4 or 5 undersized pompano . Reports from the Lagoon were pretty slow yesterday also for the folks jigging the goofy jigs. I am heading back to Tampa this morning and based on the forecast it doesn't look like I am going to miss much fishing time for the next couple of days. Tie some rigs, change some line, and pre cut some Fishbites so you will be ready to hit the surf when the next weather window opens up. 

From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart


The inlets have been fishing well, with good Snook fishing     ( season is closed ) on live bait and jigs, and the occasional large Redfish falling for the same. 
Flounder fishing has been consistent, with live shrimp and finger mullet producing the best. Surf fishing has been a bit slow, and the east winds will surely make it tough for a few days, but hopefully some more Pompano will move into the area after the front. Inshore, Seatrout fishing continues to be good, falling for everything from soft plastics, flies, and live shrimp. Redfish have been scarce, but there have been some around, and Snook continue to be found in pretty good numbers along shorelines and docks. Water clarity worsened a bit after the rains last week, but sight fishing opportunities are still out there, but you may have to do more looking to find clear water. 

Pompano Fishing: Homemade Rigging

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

THEY "STOLE" MY SURF FISHING SPOT! I tried to RUN THEM OFF AND I WON...S...

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

It looks like we are heading for another tough stretch of weather that is going to keep everyone off of the sand .The forecast calls for seas and surf to build to 10 feet through Thursday and stay at least 8 feet into Sunday. After looking at yesterdays 5 foot prediction I postponed another trip with Brian and Darcie from Darcizzle. I did take a ride up to the beach and found most accesses pretty empty of anglers. I threw the lines out and was able to hold the bottom with use of 5 ounce sputnik sinkers. Conditions were pretty challenging and after fishing a couple of hours the catch list was only 2 keeper pompano and a few whiting. I also threw back 4 or 5 undersized pompano . Reports from the Lagoon were pretty slow yesterday also for the folks jigging the goofy jigs. I am heading back to Tampa this morning and based on the forecast it doesn't look like I am going to miss much fishing time for the next couple of days. Tie some rigs, change some line, and pre cut some Fishbites so you will be ready to hit the surf when the next weather window opens up. 

Friday, December 13, 2019

SCAVANGED BAIT Catches EVERYTHING! Beach Fishing w/ Free Bait

EPIC Fish Haul...Sold for Hundreds! Catch n Cook

From Todd &Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

INSHORE-  Rising temps this week triggered a decent little snook bit this weekend.   Good timing since this is the last weekend to invite one of those slot size snook home for dinner for a while (Snook season closes 12/15).  The snook have been biting shrimp jigs around the bridges at night.  ALso, look for cocklight action to be very good for the snook as well.  Fishing live shrimp, DOA Shrimp, or Docklight Specials through the lights is a sure bet for action right now.  The Munyan ISland flats have been holding a little mixed bag variety of fish.   A few snook, trout, occasional redfish, jacks, and ladyfish are all hanging around.  Hobe Sound flats are coming to life as well.  Reports are good on pompano in Stuart (namely around the sailfish flats) as well, with Goofy Jigs being the lure of choice.

SURF/PIER-  The Juno Beach Pier has had a handful of Spanish Mackerel and small Kingfish around this week.  Small swimming plugs, diamond jigs, and crappie jigs are all good choices for the macs.  The kings are biting sardines on the trolley rig, with the best bite coming in the morning.  Pompano action has been hit or miss this week.  Sounds like the best pompano reports are coming in north of Jupiter Inlet for the most part.  Spanish Mackerel are beginning to fill into Peck's Lake in pretty good numbers.  Bluefish action remains a bit off.  

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

                                              
It looks like its going to be a great Saturday to spend some time at the Snook Nook Annual Tent Sale. The current forecast is for waves to hold at 6 feet through Saturday and to remain at 3 to 5 feet through Monday. I highly recommend that you come early for the best selection of from Penn, Fishbites, D O A , and a host of other sponsors that are participating in this event . I know Brett Burford plans on having the Fishbites area up and running at 930 am and the format is buy your Fishbites from the display area inside of the store and present your receipt to Brett at the Fishbite display area in the parking lot to get your free bags. In the previous promotions there has been a 20 bag limit to insure everyone can take advantage of this great sale. There should be a good supply of Yellow Crab and EZ Flea scents but they will be the first baits to run low so get there early to put some in your tackle box . Freddy will be giving away over $10000 dollars in raffle prizes and giveaways at the end of the day. Penn Fishing tackle has an incredible inventory for this sale and includes lots of Penn Longcast spinning reels and the new Squadron and Prevail Surf Rods that can put you in the pompano game immediately. I will be joining Penns top experts, Gary and Nick Z at the Penn display to answer and make recommendations that you might have about any of their fantastic products. Randy and I made up over one hundred Capt Paul Pompano and whiting and croaker rigs that will be available at the Fishbites display area inside of the store. I will be there all day to answer any questions you might have about tackle, baits, locations, and techniques concerning our local surf fishing. 

From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart


Fishing in the Indian River has been excellent for Sea Trout, with both numbers and size available, The water following the latest cold front is gin clear in most areas, and there’s plenty of nice fish on the flats and also along the drop offs. Soft plastics and flies such as shrimp patterns and Polar Fibre Minnows have been very effective, as well as live shrimp. Redfish numbers are decent, with most hanging around the shorelines, and falling for the same offerings as the Seatrout. There’s also some nice Snook around, and with the water warming back up a bit they are getting a bit more active, though the big boys are always tough to fool. Surf fishing has been up and down, with smaller Pompano being caught, along with Spanish Mackerel and Bluefish as well. There have also been a few Tarpon around in the Cove area in Vero, with a few being caught from the sand in the last week or so, a pleasant surprise for this time of year. Snook fishing in Sebastian Inlet at night has been really good, on both flare jigs and for those pulling plugs such as the Rapala Shad Rap. 

Sebastian Inlet Report





Fishing continues to be fantastic, and the question isn’t what’s biting…it’s What’s NOT Biting!  West of the catwalks, the Flounder bite has been hot and we see lots of anglers out there bottom fishing.  Sarah from Sebastian Inlet Bait & Tackle told us they are catching 2-5 pounders from the South shoreline, and recommended your best bet in reeling these in is live shrimp, finger mullet or jigging off the bottom.  We are seeing Snook and Redfish on the tide change again and live shrimp, finger mullet, top water lures or bucktail are working well.  Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish, Black Drum and Pompano are all around to be had…all the beach fish are here!  Use shrimp, clams and sandfleas for bait.  The Spanish Mackerel are hitting the Gotcha lures and spoons.

Thursday, December 12, 2019

This Saturday


Say It's Not So

             Jensen Causeway Closed To Fishing

Scouting Around Palm Beach And Martin County


INSHORE FISHING
In Jensen Beach, the mullet run is definitely underway. The area beaches and the bridges along the St. Lucie and Indian Rivers are chock full right now. On the beaches, anglers are catching tarpon, big jack crevalle and a good number of slot-size snook. For snook, live mullet, D.O.A. Bait Busters and Spooltek lures are getting the job done.
On the bridges good numbers of black drum and sheepshead are being caught. They are mostly being taken on live shrimp, fresh-dead shrimp and D.O.A. Shrimp lures.Along the beaches in Palm Beach, there has also been a good mullet run. Anglers looking for redfish, tarpon, jack crevalle and snook could score. Using a D.O.A. Swimmin’ mullet lure and working the outside of the schools should produce good results.Though Dorian did little to help the offshore bite off the Boynton Beach to Boca Inlet area, it did help create some fantastic inshore action.
Surf anglers at the Boca Inlet have been catching mutton snapper up to seven pounds using live finger mullet fished on the bottom.
Working the beaches from Lantana down to Gulfstream Park, surf anglers have had good action on bluefish, redfish, croaker, snook and jack crevalle.
The croaker are hitting shrimp and sand fleas while everything else is being taken using live and fresh-cut mullet, spoons, bucktail jigs and top water plugs.The Boynton Inlet has been packed with anglers catching snook, snapper, jack crevalle, redfish and croaker. Live and cut mullet, live pilchards and shrimp are all working well          Along the south wall of the inlet, flounder up to 19 inches have been caught during slack tide using two-ounce white jigs tipped with small finger mullet fished along the bottom.
The Intracoastal Waterway has been packed with mullet. Anglers looking to catch redfish, sea trout, snook, jack crevalle and barracuda are working the docks and flats using Cotee jig with gold flake tails or Livetarget finger mullet lures.
Lantana Bridge anglers have been catching small snook, jack crevalle, ladyfish, redfish and a few flounder using live greenies and mullet.
LAKE OKEECHOBEE
The bluegill bite has been excellent recently in the rim canal, J&S Canal, Henry Creek and Taylor Creek. Worms and crickets are the way to go.
The bass bite is still firing. It’s best in the early mornings and late afternoons. In the early mornings Skinny Dippers, swim jigs and spinner baits are best. After that switching to live shiners will keep things going. King’s Bar and Buckhead Ridge have been hot spots.

Monday, December 9, 2019

You CAN'T Buy This Fish... Catch Clean Cook

Say It's Not So""""""

     One Of The Hot Spots In Jensen....No More

From Capt. Charlie @Fishing Center-Fort Pierce

This year has flown by! Here it is December already and the Holidays are almost upon us. Both inshore and offshore fishing have provided anglers with many great fishing adventures. We managed the hurricane season with some luck. You can see the seagrass making a comeback to the Treasure Coast. Hopefully, this winter will be milder, the water quality improves, and the fishing is great for everyone.                Trout,redfish and snook will be targets throughout the winter. Snook season closes December 15th, but many anglers will still play catch and release with them. Fishing around bridges, docks and inlets can bring great action with snook hanging around the deeper waters of the river. Trout will tend to hang around the deeper cuts of the river. Move off to three to six feet of water for trout. Live shrimp on popping corks or DOA Deadly Combos will work the best for them.

Redfish can be found around local docks during the winter months and a live shrimp or DOA Shrimp can entice them into striking. Don't forget about the deeper cuts along the mangroves for redfish and snook in December. Using stealth is essential when fishing the shallow waters for redfish. We had very good success at finding the reds in shallow on sunny days on the grass flats. A mild winter will have them feeding in the shallows this month. It was a fantastic

Pompano are already arriving in the area and not only provide great fishing action, but fantastic table fare. Spanish mackerel and bluefish will continue to hang out in their favorite haunts of the river. Jack Crevalle will be traveling around in packs chasing bait all over the river. Flounder should arrive soon and hang around the inlets, docks and sandy flats of the river. Ladyfish is a great way to spend a few hours with the kids on the water. The bridges will be holding sheepshead, black drum, croakers and sand perch for those anglers. There is a good variety of fish to target on any given day in any kind of weather conditions.

From Todd &Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

INSHORE-  Snook season is winding down, so get after them now if your looking for one to take home for dinner.  Look for snook fishing to be best at night around bridges and docklights.  The shrimp jig is an awesome lure choice for the snook right now.  Sheepshead and black drum are showing up inshore in good numbers.  Live shrimp remains a top bait choice for them.  A handful of pompano are being reported inshore, but no big numbers to speak of. A few more good cold fronts could quickly change that.  

SURF/PIER- Pompano bite slowed a bit this week, but still a fair number being caught up to the north just a bit.  North winds in the forecast could help push a few more fish our way over the weekend.  Spanish Mackerel action has been good north of Jupiter Inlet, with Peck's Lake beginning to produce more consistent catches.  The Juno Beach Pier has also been producing a fair number of Spanish Mackerel, with a few kingfish in the mix as well.  Bluefish action remains a bit off, with fewer fish around than you would expect for this time of year.  

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

The pompano report from the beach is starting to show a little life in the past couple of days and the river action from the boats continues to be very strong. I spoke with friend and local surf fisherman Burry McGee mid week and he managed to put 4 nice pompano in his cooler after fishing at Blue Heron . I also received a report from another angler that said there were a few pompano caught yesterday at Tiger Shores. As far as the river is concerned Capt Justin Rieger from Just In Time Fishing Charters had fellow Snook Nook employees Kim and Nick out yesterday and they had their 18 fish pompano limit in no time jigging Goofy Jigs. Justin has a few open dates available in December and you can reach him at 678 779 9739 to book a trip. Conditions look pretty good for fishing the surf this weekend with high tide being late in the afternoon. My work schedule is going to lighten up a bit in the next couple of days so I will be giving the surf a good look . I saw the order that Fred and Woody from the Snook Nook have coming in from Fishbites for the big Tent Sale on December 14. How about 1500 extra bags of all favorite scents, including 300 extra bags of the hard to get Yellow Crab !! I also heard a rumor that they will have an extra supply of Capt Paul Pompano and Whiting and Croaker rigs. Looking at my log the pompano really turned on in the surf last year around the 12th of December and continued right through Christmas . The Tent Sale will be a great opportunity to get some great tackle, including a huge supply of Penn rods and reels,, Fishbites, and any other gear you might need to target the pompano, whiting, croaker, jacks, bluefish, and Spanish mackerel that should be on your catch list in the upcoming months.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Pompano

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

I am happy to report that the National Weather Service was a little aggressive with the forecasted swell situation along our beaches and with the help of the northwest winds that are coming on our surf is fishable. I was able to take a quick ride up to Blue Heron this morning and found the diminishing swell conditions. I did not have a long time to fish and the only bites I got were from a few whiting. Reports from other spots like Tiger Shores and Stuart were similar. The only positive pompano action I heard came from Round Island on the north side of Fort Pierce Inlet. You are going to have to bundle up tomorrow morning if you plan on fishing as the coldest air of the year is predicted to be upon us tonight. I hope to be able to fish again on Wednesday and will post a report if that happens. 

Sebastian Inlet Report



IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!


Our featured angler of the week – Belly Policarpio from Orlando.  Check out these beautiful Spanish Mackerel she and her husband caught off the North Jetty on a recent trip to Sebastian Inlet!  Belly tells us they hit the bag limit and it sure looks like it was a beautiful day to be out there.  Thanks for sending in your photo and story Belly.
Fishing has been G-R-E-A-T at the inlet with lots of different species for anglers to target this time of year.  If you are headed for the North or South jetties, we have been hearing reports of Snook, Redfish, Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish and Jacks coming over the rails.  Use live shrimp for the Snook and Reds – go visit Tommy at Sebastian Inlet Bait & Tackle at the base of the North Jetty and he’ll get you set up with those.  For the Spanish Mackerel, your best bet is Gotcha lures, and try silver spoons for the Bluefish and Jacks.  There is also a pretty good Pompano bite off the beach and jetties too.  Use sandfleas, clams or frozen shrimp.
Flounder are here with lots of folks bottom fishing West of the bridge to reel them in.  Frozen finger mullet or live shrimp will help you catch them and Thanksgiving to Christmas is the best time of year to target Flounder whether from a boat or from the southern shoreline of the inlet.  Try the T-dock too as a great spot for Flounder.  Know your FWC rules and regulations:
Snook
Size limit: 28 to 32 inches
Bag limit: 1 (saltwater permit required and season closes Dec. 15-Jan. 31)
Red Drum
Size limit: 18 to 27 inches
Bag limit: 1
Spanish Mackerel
Size limit: 12 inch fork length minimum
Bag limit: 15
Bluefish
Size limit: 12 inch fork length minimum
Bag limit: 10
Flounder
Size limit: 12 inch minimum
Bag limit: 10
Pompano (Florida)
Size limit: 11 inch minimum
Bag limit: 6

From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart


            The recent cold front has changed up the mix, clearing the water up even further, and the water levels have also dropped, making for some prime sight fishing conditions. Sea trout continue to be the focus, with both numbers and quality fish around. Soft plastics, live shrimp, and flies such as the Shrimp Tease fished along shorelines with current and drop-offs have all been effective. Redfish are also being caught in solid numbers on the flats and along shorelines up and down the IRL. Snook are around, but the cooler temps have them pretty lethargic right now. Sebastian Inlet has produced a lot of Snook and larger Redfish in the evenings, on flare jigs and live bait and the surf has produced quite a few Bluefish and Spanish Mackerel, along with a few Snook still. Spoons and metals have produced the best. Pompano action has been a little sporadic, but some good days have been had with sand fleas and clams, with the Cove area being about as consistent as anywhere.