Friday, February 19, 2021

Jetty Fishing with Live Shrimp

 


Scouting Around Palm Beach And Martin County

 Inshore

Along the beaches north and south of the Lake Worth Inlet, there are large numbers of spinner sharks all over the beach . Though they are best targeted with chunks of bait at night, there are surf anglers picking them up in low light hours at dusk and dawn using large popping lures.

There have been some massive schools of jack crevalle chasing bait just off Singer Island. They are just out of reach of the surf anglers, but captains can drive up to the schools and have a blast.

Working the sea walls from the Southern Boulevard bridge up to the power plant in Riviera Beach has been producing excellent catch-and-release action for jack crevalle and the occasional tarpon. Live goggle eyes are working best.

Lake Okeechobee

As the weather has stayed warm, the bass bite has continued to pick up. Capt. Larry Wright had one group into 14 fish during a half day charter on Tuesday with the biggest weighing in at a respectable 7 pounds, 14 ounces. Live shiners worked inside the grassline are working best. If going with an artificial though, chatter baits followed by top water lures and then flippin' creature style baits has been the way to go. The Indian Prairie area has been good

The spec bite is still fantastic! Using minnows and fishing in the river, Capt. Larry Wright had his clients into 24 fish by 9:20 on Wednesday morning.


The recent combination of warm weather, rain and a few overcast days has had the snakeheads, peacock bass and largemouth bass fired up in the canals around west Delray Beach and Boca Raton. Top water frog-style baits in white, black or green/brown have been working well. Look for overhanging branches or thick cover along the banks for best results

photo courtesy of  Hai Truong

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

It’s been a pretty quiet week for anglers fishing the surf here on the St Lucie and Martin County beaches . A few whiting, croaker, pompano , blue runners . bluefish, and bonefish made up the catch list from folks that sent me reports . I’ve had a pretty busy work schedule so I haven’t wet a line in over a week . The forecast for this weekend is anything but favorable with the surf starting to build on Friday afternoon. It looks like some pretty challenging conditions right into Monday . We need Mother Nature to get these conditions out of her system so anglers that are participating in next weekend Indian Riverkeeper Sandspike Shootout Surf Tournament will be able to bend some rods next Saturday and Sunday . Good luck to everyone fishing in the tournament and I hope the tournament will get our early spring surf bite off to a big start

From Todd, Trey & Nick @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

 INSHORE-  Snook fishing has started to improve with the warming weather.  The snook are biting live shrimp and shrimp imitating lures (DOA Shrimp, Savage Manic Shrimp, Vudu Shrimp, Etc) well around docklights.  The shrimp jig bite remains hot around the bridges, especially on outgoing tide.  During the day the snook remain locked pretty tight to seawalls and under boat docks.  Sheepshead and black drum are still biting pretty good in the ICW.  Fresh cut shrimp is the way to go.  Hobe Sound Flats continue to produce some nice mixed bag action on ladyfish, jacks, and assorted other stuff.    

SURF/PIER-  Slower week along the beach this week.  Bluefish action is till fair at night, with fresh cut bait being the way to go for them.  Blacktip/Spinner sharks also biting pretty good at night in the right areas.  Pompano action slowed this week; with the best reports seeming to come in from Hobe Sound and north.  Sandfleas, Clams, FishBites, and FishGum  remain the bait of choice for the pompano.  Spanish Mackerel action has remained pretty solid this week as well. 

Friday, February 12, 2021

Scouting Around Palm Beach And Martin County


 Inshore

In the St. Lucie River there has been an excellent bite for sheepshead and mangrove snapper around some of the older docks. Both are eating barnacles off the dock pilings are can be caught using shrimp on a jig head.

There have been a few good-sized black drum caught off the bridges spanning the St. Lucie and Indian rivers. They are hitting shrimp on a jig head.

Also along the bridges there has been some good pompano action during the outgoing tide. Goofy jigs or pretty much any pompano jig will work.

With the water temperatures rebounding, bigger snook are starting to congregate around the bridges, especially up around the north fork of the St. Lucie River. Some have even worked their way out of the inlet and onto the beaches. Yo-Zuir Crystal Minnows and big swimbaits are working. Some have even been caught on the beach with frozen shrimp by anglers who were targeting whiting.

Also along the beaches have been some monster jack crevalle. They're a little farther out in the green water and are hitting anything right now.

The snook are stacked up in the Lake Worth Inlet, but they have been lockjaw during the day with the super clear water currently in place. Anglers fishing at night, however, using Vudu artificial sardines and/or mullet are landing some nice ones.

Lake Okeechobee

With the warmer weather the past week, the bass bite has rebounded nicely. Anglers are having good luck working a bit deeper into the grassline around King's Bar, Buckhead Ridge and the Tin House Cove areas. Senkos are working well as is flippin' with creature-style baits. Though live shiners are also working, they have been tough to find lately.

The spec bite is excellent right now. Guys are getting their limits of the tasty panfish using both minnows and jigs. Hot spots have been Little Grassy, Eagle Bay, Buckhead Ridge and the river. Best depth in the river has been around 12 feet and it has been good day and night.

More freshwater

Anglers fishing the Loxahatchee Refuge conservation areas are still finding an excellent largemouth bass bite. Live shiners around heavy cover or blue or red flaked Senkos, fished wacky style, have been top producers

Calling all surf casters

Inaugural Indian Riverkeeper Sandspike Shootout will be held Feb. 27 and 28 at Dollman Park Beachside on Hutchinson Island. Though early registration is recommended and available online, day-of registration will be conducted on site with a strict 9 a.m. deadline. Weigh-ins will be 4:30 p.m. both days. This is an “on-foot” surf fishing tournament for pompano and whiting. Fishing the surf from a boat is strictly prohibited as is fishing in the Indian River Lagoon. Anglers are restricted to fishing two rods simultaneously though extra rods are permissible as backups. There will be great prizes for the top four pompano and top four whiting. There will also be a raffle.

From Todd, Trey & Nick @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach



INSHORE
-  Snook fishing has been fair to good depending on the day and spot.  The shrimp jig bite remains pretty solid, especially when you can manage to catch the tide right.  Orange, pink, and gold glitter shrimp tails have been the best bet for the snook for the most part.  Sheepshead have been biting well inshore.  
Sandfleas and live shrimp are a solid choice for the sheepshead, and also for black drum.  Pompano reports remain pretty good up on the Sailfish Flats in Stuart.  Doc's Goofy Jigs are a solid choice for the pomps.  The Hobe Sound flats are holding a good number of ladyfish and small jacks.  

SURF/PIER-  Surf fishing seemed to improve this week.  Bluefish, including some good size ones, showed up in better numbers.  While you can pick away at them during the day, the best action has actually been at night.  The Juno Beach Pier is still open at night and has been a great spot for the bluefish.  Fresh chunks of cut bait will be the best bet for the blues.  The spinner/blacktip sharks are here in good numbers as well.  If you find them in the right spot grouped up you can get the on topwater lures early/late in the day; but the best bet for them remains chunks of bait at night.  Pompano action was fair this week.  Best action on the pompano still seems to be up north a bit.  Croaker and whiting are biting small pieces of shrimp in close.  Spanish Mackerel action remains very good at Peck's Lake. 

Saturday, February 6, 2021

Tourney Time




 


From Todd, Trey & Nick @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

INSHORE-  Snook season opened on the slow side this week (Not surprising considering we saw our hardest front of the winter pass through).  Still a few snook around to be caught, just takes a little extra work to get em!  The shrimp jig remains a top choice for them at night around the bridges.  Present it properly (Swimming slowly with the tide or hopped off the bottom) with the current and the most stubborn of snook can't help but take a swipe at it.  Sheepeshead and black drum action remains pretty good in the ICW, and has been very good as you get up towards Stuart.  Scattering of pompano action inshore this week, but again better up to the north for the most part.  

SURF/PIER-  The Juno Beach Pier saw some pretty good action over the past few days.  Some big schools of jacks pushing through, and for the most part have been fairly willing to jump on a popper or GT Ice Cream in quick order.  Spanish mackerel continue to bite pretty good, along with a fair number of bluefish.  Pompano action remains a bit inconsistent, but enough around to make it worth trying for them.  It's super early in the season, but a dead sardine on the bottom could get you a snook bite or two as well.   


 

Thursday, February 4, 2021

Pompano Beach Fishing Pier pre-opening sneak peek

From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart / Vero Beach

 Good morning everyone, I hope you’re staying warm these days. The high winds we’ve had have kept most people in dry dock, but some have braved it and been rewarded. Snook fishing at night at the bridges and the inlet in Fort Pierce has been good since the season re-opened Monday, both on flare jigs and live bait, and Sebastian Inlet has also been productive. In the surf, there continues to be some Spanish Mackerel and Bluefish taking spoons, as well as some Pompano taking Fish Bites, sand fleas, and clams, particularly at Jaycee Park in Fort Pierce.



Scouting Around Palm Beach And Martin County

 

Inshore:

Though the fishing has been much slower in the St. Lucie and Indian Rivers with the cold weather the past week, there are some options. 

The snook bite can be good along the bridges. The northwest wind will cause a lot of bait to congregate in those areas and the snook are more than ready to take advantage. Try a Gulfstream Flair Hawk or any large profile swimbait like a Hogy or Storm.

Also along the bridges there is still a decent sheepshead bite. Shrimp or frozen sandfleas on a jig head have been working.

As the weather warms up on Friday and Saturday, there could be some nice action along the Sailfish Flats and the flats up near the power plant. Species that will likely be worth targeting will include pompano, mangrove snapper and bluefish. They will be hungry.

There has been a nice bite for Spanish mackerel around the Peck's Lake area and that should pick back up as the weather warms.

Like areas to the north, if you're looking for snook in the Jupiter area target the bridges. Not only does the deeper water provide them some respite from the cold, the concrete pilings will hold heat and make the area a bit warmer. If you're fishing a lure, remember to use a slower retrieve as the fish are a bit sluggish and it might take them an extra second to realize "Hey, I want that."

Though the fishing the past few days around the Boynton Inlet has been really slow with the cold weather, anglers should be ready for some decent sheepshead action when the weather warms on Friday and Saturday. Working the incoming tide around any of the area inlets should be the best time.

Lake Okeechobee:

With the strong northwest winds the past few days it's been difficult, if not even a bit dangerous, to get out on the lake.

Also, with the cold weather the bass bite has been slow on the lake.

The crappie bite, however, has been excellent. The key has been to find wind-protected areas or fish in the Kissimmee River. In the river, guys fishing at night with minnows under lights have regularly been catching their limit. Also, the anglers that have been able to get out on the lake are having good luck around Harney Pond and Indian Prairie also using minnows. Jigs are working around King's Bar, but only if you can find a spot that is wind protected.

More freshwater:

Though there has been a definite slow down in the fishing in some areas, the Water Conservation Area at the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge as well as many of the central Palm Beach County lakes and canals along the Turnpike did not get the message. The bass bite has been good early on top water lures and Yo-Zuri crystal minnows. Then switch to soft, creature-style baits like crawdads or Senko worms.

NOTE: All boaters should be on the lookout for manatees and extra cautious as there have been quite a few spotted in the Intracoastal Waterway the past week.