Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

  I am happy to report a pretty darn good pompano bite that’s been going on the past two days in Palm Beach County . Yesterday afternoon was very good south of us and this afternoon the bite is happening as I write this . The other part of this story is that we had some nice water and conditions up here on Hutchinson Island today but those fish that are down south just haven’t made their northern migration yet . Randy looked at a bunch of beaches and talked to a few friends that put some time in from Stokes to Blue Heron and it sounded like pretty slim pickings . The forecast for the beginning of the week is certainly not the best but it is good to know there’s a shot of fish south of us . I have had some calls about my pompano rig availability and I will be dropping off a bunch tomorrow morning at the Snook Nook and they will be getting another delivery Monday or Tuesday . If you aren’t local I sent a bunch to Fishbites in St Augustine at the end of the week and you can pick them up at their tackle store, Fishbites Trading Post in St Augustine or order them from their website. Let’s hope our conditions are fishable this week and those pompano south of us head our way .

From Todd, Eddy & Jeff @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

 INSHORE-  Snook fishing remains good over the past week.  The Loxahatchee continues to produce some good fish, especially on moving water early in the morning.  A decent push of springtime mullet and warm temps have the fish relatively fired up on bigger baits.  A mullet or loud topwater fished along seawalls with decent current flow are going to be a solid choice for cruising snook.  A few big jacks and the occasional tarpon mixed in as well.  Sheepshead action has slowed a bit, but still a fair number around.  A few more mangrove snapper reports sneaking in this week as well.  

SURF/PIER-  The Juno Beach Pier has had a pretty solid pompano bite this week.  Rough conditions, mixed in with a strong rip, made the pier a little better option than the beach.  The pompano seemed to bite a little better first thing in the morning; with a few midday flurries, and a evening bite as well.  Bright colored Doc's Goofy Jigs (Char, Pink, Orange) seemed to get the most bites; with a fair number of pomps falling to bait as well.  If the surf allows this weekend, should be a good number of pompano along the beach as well...it's that time of year!  Blacktip reports seemed to pick up a bit late last week into this week.  Again, conditions are the main thing working against us along the beach.  

Check It Out

 FWC statewide snook workshops start next week 

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is adopting a holistic management approach for snook that includes a review of several environmental and human factors including habitat, fishing effort and stakeholder feedback to evaluate the fishery at a more local scale. FWC staff is proposing to establish 10 new management regions with snook regulations based on the status of the fishery in each region. The public is encouraged to attend one of the FWC’s in-person workshops that are being held throughout the state. 

Below is a list of locations. Workshops will begin at 6 p.m. and conclude by 8 p.m. EDT. 

March 23, 6–8 p.m. 
Sebastian City Hall
1225 Main Street
Sebastian, FL 32958 

March 27, 6–8 p.m. 
South Florida Water Management District, Building 1
3301 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, FL 33406 

March 28, 6–8 p.m. 
Crystal River City Hall Council Chambers
123 N.W. U.S. Highway 19
Crystal River, FL 34428 

March 28, 6–8 p.m. 
Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Karen A. Steidinger Auditorium
100 Eighth Ave. S.E.
St. Petersburg, FL 33701 

March 28, 6–8 p.m. 
Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center Auditorium
300 Tower Road
Naples, FL 34113 

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

I still haven’t been able to get back on the beach I am happy to post a couple of reports that include sand fleas and pompano. It is probably the first time in some time that sand fleas have appeared on South Hutchinson Island in recent memory and it’s really not a coincidence that there have been some pompano caught also . The pompano bite hadn’t been epic but catches of 3, 4, and 5 fish from Blue Heron to Sailfish Point have been reported to me from friends that have fished the past couple of days. It’s encouraging to say the least and if the trend and results continue as we approach the Daylight Savings Time changeover on the 12th I’m hoping for a more consistent and “normal “ spring afternoon and evening pompano bite . Last spring the Electric Chicken Crab Fish bites was the hot bait so make sure you have some in your bait assortment . My friends that have caught some fish the last couple of days where using sand fleas tipped with Power lime Crab, EZFlea, Blue claw Crab , and Electric Chicken . Hopefully I’ll be back up on the sand later this week and get the opportunity to see a rod bend . Grab your Fish bites and include a sand flea rake in your gear this week. The low light periods of the day, dawn and dusk , will give you the best shot of raking some fleas. Good luck this week and catch em up .P.S. The Snook Nook has the biggest inventory of Fish bites that I can remember seeing . The hard to find Blue claw Crab, Purple Perriwinkle Clam, and the Power lime Crab are all in stock .

From Todd, Eddy & Jeff @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

 INSHORE-  Snook fishing was decent again this week in the Loxahatchee River, and some wind this weekend will likely keep it pretty good.  A decent number of springtime mullet pushing through, and the snook are keyed in pretty good on them.  Relatively warm weather has got the snook willing to eat the big baits, especially when presented to them along easy ambush points with a little current.  A few jacks and the occasional tarpon mixed in with the snook.  Sheepshead fishing has slowed a bit over the past few weeks; but did hear of a decent little handful being caught this week.  The warmer weather has a few mangrove snapper showing up already as well. 

SURF/PIER-  Super calm conditions early in the week made for slower fishing, but as the wind picked up a bit so did the fishing.  The Juno Beach Pier has had a few Spanish Mackerel around, with a white crappie jig being the main lure of choice.  Warm weather has a few more snook than usual already hanging around the pier as well.  A dead sardine fished patiently under the pier is the way to go for snook bites.  It's boring and a waiting game...but man can it be effective!  A decent scattering of bluefish around this week.  Pompano also were scattered in fair numbers up and down the line.  The spinner sharks have been around in decent numbers; but not locked in any one spot.  Singer Island does seem to be holding the best number of sharks.  

Sebastian Inlet Report

 North jetty: It's all about the snook, still. Quite a few fish have been caught last week and throughout the weekend at the tip of the jetty, and along the inside on both tides, incoming being the best as the water is higher. With the full moon being on March 7, it has the outgoing tide pretty low and the fish have moved out further and the boaters are slamming them! Had to reach them from the jetty. Big females are starting to bite now as the water has warmed up to where they like it. Spawning season for them is just around the corner and they are chewing. Live baits of choice have been croakers and pigfish; they have laid off the shrimp some, but are eating them. Other species being caught on the same baits are the redfish, some small and most are bigger bull reds. Remember, they are still catch-and-release. For those fishing shrimp and sandfleas there have been pompano and black drum still around with the cleaner water. Bluefish and jack crevalles are also present on the outgoing tide for those fishing silver spoons and gotcha lures. Along the rock shoreline between the jetty and catwalk on the incoming tide, and first of the outgoing there are some nice sheepshead still being caught on cut shrimp, also some smaller snook on live shrimp. 

South jetty:  Here is pretty much the same scenario: Snook and redfish on the incoming tide along the jetty and rock shoreline on all live baits. Most of the snook are smaller but there is a good mix of slot snook to be had. On the beachside of the jetty there have been pompano and black drum caught on shrimp and sandfleas when the water is clean. Also, goofy jigs are producing some pompano. Outgoing tide at the tip is all about the black margates, sheepshead and jack crevalle. Cut bait is doing the trick for them. 

Catwalk, south side: Incoming tide is still producing nice sheepshead around the pilings for those fishing cut shrimp and live fiddler crabs. Black margates are also in the mix of things. Not much else over here. 

T-Dock area: Here, things have picked up. Anglers are catching small snapper of different varieties on cut baits around the dock pilings. Incoming tide and the first of the outgoing are producing nice snook on all live baits. Boaters have been doing well, but also the shore anglers are catching their share as well. Spanish mackerel and jack crevalles are around for those folks fishing small jigs and silver spoons on both tides. 

Surf area, both side: If you can find clean water during high tide, pompano, whiting and lack drum are being caught on both sides of the inlet. The south side is the better bet due to deeper water. Sand fleas and fresh cut shrimp are doing the trick on these species. Just for fun, small bonnet head sharks are being caught in the area south of the inlet. 

That's it for this week folks. Things are changing, spring is coming, and the fish know it. Grab bait, get out to your favorite spot and possibly catch some nice fish.” —  Snookman

 

Snook-Nook Fishing Report

 Inshore Fishing Report

Snook season reopened on February 1st and there have definitely been some around throughout the river. We can expect the Snook fishing to continue to improve as we get into the spring. In the St. Lucie River, they have been caught on the docks as well as around the bridges. If you are fishing in those areas, they have been catching them on live pilchards and pinfish as well as live shrimp on a jighead. There have been some reports of some larger fish caught up in the North Fork of the river fishing live mullet and top water plugs on the seawalls. The Jensen Causeway has been providing action for anglers in the evenings and at night fishing live and artificial shrimp such as Thumper Shrimp and Monster 3x shrimp around the shadow lines. For the wade fishing guys, the Snook fishing on the west side of the river up by the power plant has been quite productive on artificial shrimp and DOA Cals. 

The wade fishing on the east side of the river has been yielding Redfish, Trout and Snook. Areas to checkout have been Little Mud and Bear Point. DOA Cals, artificial shrimp and topwaters have been the go to presentations up there. Along with those species, there have been plenty of Jacks and Ladyfish to keep you busy. 

We’ve still been seeing Sheepshead inshore around the inlet, the bridges and docks. If you are fishing docks for them, look for the docks with the most growth on them as those docks provide more food for the Sheepshead. We’ve been getting Fiddler Crabs pretty consistently the past few weeks and that would be your best option for targeting them. Fishing them on a jighead or with a split shot would be the best presentation if you are using them. Fishing shrimp on a jighead around structure has been producing Black Drum, Sheepshead, Croakers, Mangrove Snapper and a variety of other species. 

The Pompano fishing inshore has been pretty quiet the past couple of weeks. A few fish have been picked off at the Jensen and Stuart Causeways for those targeting them from land. We haven’t seen too many of them directly on the Sailfish Flats as of late, but some have been caught fishing in some of the deeper cuts around the islands and off the ends of the docks off Macarthur Blvd. Last year the Pompano made a strong push inshore in April so we hope to see them pushing in soon! 

Surf Fishing Report

The Pompano fishing has remained steady as of late with the majority of the action coming on beaches south of Jensen Public Beach. Be sure to check the color of the water before setting up as if it is too cloudy, chances are the Pompano won’t be biting. As we get into the spring bite, historically the afternoon bite becomes more productive. FishBites have remained to be the most consistent bait this year if you are targeting Pompano. The hot flavors have consisted of Powerlime Crab, EZ Flea, Electric Chicken Crab, Purple Clam and Blue Crab. We have already even seen some Permit being caught on the new Blue Crab FishBites, this is going to be one of the best times of the year to hook into a  Permit from the surf. We can expect to see the Whiting and Croaker bite to improve as we get into the spring months as well. Pieces of shrimp as well as Bloodworm and Shrimp FishBites will get the job done for them. 

Sebastian Inlet Report

  North jetty: Fishing here all last week was all about the snook. They were again putting on a show. Lots of fish being hooked and lost to the rocks as they like to run around the corner and cut you off. There were quite a few nice slot fish that were caught, but it was tough because of the crowd of anglers. Most fish were caught on the beach side of the jetty at high tide and on live shrimp and artificial shrimp jigs. Some were caught on the inside of the jetty inlet side, same baits. Also caught were some good-sized redfish which are still catch-and-release. They were being caught on the beach side also. The black drum that were being caught have mostly gone away as the water is warming up to where they don't like it. It is showing 75 degrees along the coast. There are nice sheepshead still being caught around the pilings and along the rock shore lines on the high tide on dead shrimp. When the water has been somewhat clean there are pompano, which were caught on dead shrimp also - beachside and inlet side on the high tide. Also, I saw a few nice spotted sea trout caught on live shrimp on the inlet side of the jetty on the outgoing tide. Some Spanish mackerel made a showing on Saturday on small jigs and silver spoons on the high tide. Saturday and Sunday were a bust.

South Jetty: Pretty much the same thing here: Snook and redfish on live shrimp and artificials on the incoming tide. When the water cleaned up last week, pompano were biting goofy jigs and cut shrimp on the high tide, beachside. Outgoing tide is producing some black margates, sheepshead, blue runners and jack crevalles on just about any dead bait fished. 

Catwalks: North side is still closed. South side is producing some nice sheepshead and black margates on cut shrimp fished around the pilings on the incoming tide where the current isn't so strong. 

T-Dock area: Back here there has been a smattering of species caught. Some nice snook during the day on live baits during the high tide, and the first of the outgoing before the tide gets ripping. Night fishing has been good for the bucktail fishermen on the outgoing tide. Also being caught back here are small mangrove snapper on cut baits around the dock pilings as the water has warmed up a bit for them. Spanish mackerel and jack crevalles are around for those anglers using small jigs and silver spoons on both tides. 

Surf area, both sides: North side, if you find a spot with clean water, the pompano are around along with some nice whiting. Cut shrimp and sand fleas are the bait of choice. Try to time your fishing with the high tide and falling high tide to give yourself more water and time to fish them. South side, same deal - you need to find the clean water for them. The water is deeper on this side so pretty much anytime is alright, but high is better. Also, there have been bonnet head sharks to keep things interesting. There have been smaller black drum around on this side. 

That’s it. Fishing has been mostly good and as the water continues to warm up it will only improve as the baitfish arrive. That will get draw the predators. Get out there and enjoy the nice weather and catch a big one, or just a few nice one.” 

From Todd, Eddy & Jeff @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

 INSHORE-  Snook fishing has been pretty good in the Loxahatchee River this week.  Been a pretty good number of mullet around and the snook are not too far behind them.  A live mullet fished along seawalls with some current will be the best bet for the snook, especially the bigger ones.  A walk the dog style topwater (Yo-Zuri Hydro Pencil is a popular one) will also get some attention early in the morning and late in the afternoon.  Snook action at night around the bridges has been fair.  Sheepshead action has slowed a bit this week, but still a few around.  The jacks are still in Palm Beach Inlet in fair numbers; and a little wind in the next few days could help fire them up a bit.   

SURF/PIER- The Juno Beach Pier has had a few Spanish Mackerel around.  Calm clearer conditions have the Macs dialed in on white crappie jigs.  When the bite gets tough add a super small piece of shrimp to the jig to attract a bite.  A handful of snook reports also coming in from the pier and along the beach as well.  It is a bit "early" for the snook on the beach; but calm warm conditions have them showing a little ahead of schedule.  Pompano reports were SLOW this week; but a little south wind in the forecast could help get them going a bit.  Sandfleas and Fishbites remain top bait choices for the pomps.  A few croaker reports coming in; but not in big numbers.  Singer Island has been holding the best number of Blacktip/Spinner sharks.  Doesn't seem like we have seen full on migration yet, but a fair number around for sure.  

This Shrimp Lure OUTFISH Live Bait (Sebastian inlet) {ThumperShrimp}

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

 It’s Tuesday morning and I haven’t been putting up a lot of posts because My fishing time has been limited because of a work schedule, taking it easy on my shoulder, and our new addition, our 10 week old Pomeranian, Cooper . I am hearing from a lot of of my fishing friends and this past week sounds like it’s been less than spectacular. The pompano they are catching seem to be in the afternoon which is the normal pattern for our spring bite that in past years hasn’t really kicked in until after daylight savings time which is March 12 this year . Martin County beaches have out produced our northern end beaches all week . Powerlime , Blueclaw Crab, EZFlea, and Electric Chicken have accounted for the majority of the bites . We had some pretty good fishing in January when traditionally is a lot slower than February so let’s hope the month of March kicks in a good bite . Even the whiting, croaker, Jack, blue runner , and ladyfish bite has been slow . I’m planning on getting out this weekend and giving it a look . Good luck to everyone and catch em up . A quick reminder that The Indian River 3rd Annual Sand Spike Shootout is fast approaching but there’s still time to register . It’s a pompano and whiting tournament on March 18-19 . Go to their website for all of the information and registration. This is a well run and organized tournament and a lot of fun . Mike Conner spent alot of time and effort to get this venue going and he has passed the reins over to Troy Brown who is really committed and is happy to answer any questions you might have concerning this tournament . Go to their site and get yourself registered .P.S. I’m pretty sure The Snook Nook is the only store in the area that has a full supply of Fishbites on their shelves including the new BlueClaw Crab .

From Todd, Eddy & Jeff @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

 INSHORE-  Starting to see a few springtime mullet (spring mullet are typically bigger in size and not in big schools like the fall) inshore and the snook and big jacks are not far behind.  Seawalls with current flow, and preferably good ambush points, will be key to finding the snook.  Lowlight periods and tide changes will produce the most action.  At night the snook continue to bite the shrimp jig well around the bridges.  If the warming trend holds they will start to key in more on bigger baits over the next few weeks.  Sheepshead action remains fair to good in Palm Beach Inlet.  Live shrimp remains the bait of choice for them.  Jacks are still cruising Palm Beach Inlet in good numbers as well. 

SURF/PIER-  Calm clearer conditions had the surf feeling almost like June this week instead of February.  Pompano reports were fair along the beach, with a decent scattering of pomps from south of the Juno Beach Pier up to Jupiter Inlet.  It wasn't huge numbers for anybody; but 2-3 fish with a few limits seemed to be the norm.  Sandfleas and Fishbites continue to be top bait choices for the pomps.  Best action remains early morning and late afternoon.  With the pompano of course come the sharks; so reel them in quick.  Not huge numbers yet on the sharks (spinner/blacktips), but the migration does seem to be slowing kicking off.  A popper early in the morning or late afternoon should get some attention, as should a fresh chunk of bait at night.  Bluefish action picked up locally this week.  Best bite on the bluefish has been coming at night (the surf and the Pier have both been producing) on cut bait.  It is still early for the snook, but those patiently fishing dead sardines under the pier have been getting a few bites.  Pretty solid biting on croakers this week, with small pieces of fresh shrimp being the best bet.    

Thumpershrimp challenge / fishing / micro jigging / pompano / crevalle j...

Sebastian Inlet Report

 The action is back and it's time to hook a snook

I’m happy to report that the fishing action has finally picked up again. To begin, most of the north jetty is NOW OPEN! Only the last 30 feet or so remain closed for repairs. Now we can get to the fish that the boaters have been enjoying for so long. Also, park services has completed rebuilding the north side cleaning station and it has reopened. Great news and thanks to Sebastian Inlet State Park for all its hard work in getting us back up and running. With all that good news, here is good news on the fishing.

North Jetty: Last Tuesday, when park services moved the barrier to the end of the jetty, the water was clean and calm and the fish were biting. I was there fishing and we caught just about everything that can be caught this time of year. Everything was caught on live and dead shrimp. We had a lot of nice snook caught, several of them were slot sized keepers but most were either too small or oversized. There must have seen about 20 or 30 fished hooked up, but many were lost on the rocks when they ran around the tip. Redfish were plentiful as well with most of them being between 20 to 34 inches. They are still catch-and-release only. Black drum, sheepshead and a few pompano and nice whiting were being caught as well. For those throwing silver spoons and small jigs the bluefish, Spanish mackerel and jacks were playing. All of these fish species were being caught on both tides and on both sides of the jetty. After Tuesday, for the remainder of the week the ocean swell and the winds picked up and dirtied the water. The bite slowed, but the fish were still there if you had decent shrimp. The weekend — especially Saturday —was a mess, but Sunday calmed down, cleaned up and the fish were back. Along the rock wall between the catwalk and jetty on the incoming tide anglers were catching some nice sheepshead, sea trout and small snook on live shrimp. 

South Jetty: The fishing has been slower as the water is shallower than the north side and the big swell we had last week and through the weekend put things on hold. Small snook and redfish were caught on live shrimp and the artificial shrimp jigs on the incoming tide, but it was wet fishing due to the wave action. Beachside, there were pompano and black margates caught at the tip on the outgoing tide — cut shrimp and sand fleas were the baits of choice. 

Catwalks: The north side is still closed. On the south side, anglers were catching sheepshead and black margates on cut shrimp and sand fleas around the pilings, both sides. 

T-Dock area: The catch here is pompano caught on both tides when the water is clean. Most were being caught on the small goofy jigs, but some were caught on shrimp. Also, there have been decent-sized Spanish mackerel and bluefish caught on small jigs and silver spoons. Sheepshead are also a good bet around the pilings with shrimp of live fiddler crabs. The boaters back here fishing the incoming and the first of the outgoing tide have been doing quite well with snook on live baits. 

Surf area, both sides: The surf was largely blown out last week and the weekend, but with the westerly tides, expect calmer seas and cleaner water. Look for the clean water and some deeper water and you should see some pompano and whiting show up again. Live sandfleas and fresh cut shrimp should do the trick. Possible some black drum as well as they migrate down the beach this time of the year. 

From Todd, Eddy & Jeff @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

 INSHORE-  Tough inshore fishing for the most part this week.  Palm Beach Inlet continues to hold a fair number of sheepshead, along with a pretty good number of jacks.  Snook fishing has been a bit slow.  A few snook to be found laying up along seawalls in the Loxahatchee River.  A live mullet fished patiently along walls with light current is the wway to go for the snook.  At night look for the snook to be keyed in on shrimp around bridges and docklights on outgoing tide.  Live shrimp, DOA Shrimp, and Vudu Shrimp are all a good way to go for the snook.  Munyan Island has had a few big jacks cruising around.  

SURF/PIER-  Pompano fishing was pretty good along the beach this week; with a fair number of fish coming from the surf south of Jupiter inlet.  Fishbites and Sandfleas remain the bait of choice for the pomps.  The Juno Beach Pier has had a few pompano as well; but the better action has come from the beach for the most part.  

The Juno Beach Pier has had a good bite on croakers over the past few days.  Small pieces of fresh shrimp is the way to go for the croakers.  Spanish Mackerel action picked back up at Peck's Lake this week; though it looks like it will be blown out for a few days with approaching weather.  

DOCK FISHING W/ NLBN 3''

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

According to the Jensen Beach webcam it’s blowing 21mph with gusts to 31 out of the Southeast. Another pretty tough week along our local beaches for anyone trying to catch a few pompano. There have been a few fishable days this past week but not a lot of bites . I took a ride on Wednesday and looked from Stuart to Fort Pierce but ended up fishing in the river . A couple of friends caught a few pompano down in Juno on Wednesday but the fishing was far from good . Just a heads up to anyone heading up to the beach in the next couple of days , there was a good bit of beach erosion from last weekend’s weather and there are some big cliffs and drop downs on a number of accesses from the Power Plant north . My son Paul Jr fished on the river on Monday and Tuesday and caught and released 5 undersized pompano and a big snook on a yellow goofy jig . We tried again on Wednesday and only managed 1 short pompano and 1 mackerel . I looked at the river this afternoon and the water was pretty murky. The water color on the beach has been pretty decent the last couple of days but that SE has made fishing a bit tough . We have another front forecast this weekend with some south, southwest, and west winds up to 25 and some rain so it doesn’t look like it’s going to be a Chamber of Commerce weekend. We need some fishable conditions so we can get out and find some of those silver speedsters . Hope everyone has a great Superbowl weekend, Good luck and catch em up .

Snook-Nook Fishing Report

 Inshore Fishing Report

Snook fishing is beginning to tick in the right direction with season reopening on February 1st as the water temperatures have been warming up a bit. As the water temperature warms up, Snook will be more willing to go after live baits and larger profile baits. With the cold water temperatures, they become more dormant and don’t exert as much energy to feed as they do in warmer temperatures. Fishing live shrimp and pilchards are great live bait options for them this time of year, for artificials, artificial shrimp and paddle tails will be your best choices. Look for them around the bridges and docks, on seawalls and sitting in deeper holes. 

Sheepshead and Drum have been caught around the bridges. You can catch them on shrimp on a jighead or if you are able to get your hands on some fiddler crabs, they have a tough time passing them up. Also if you are fishing docks, look for older pilings or channel markers with lots of barnacles and growth for a solid shot at finding some Sheepshead as they feed off of those pilings. A few Redfish have been caught at the Stuart Causeway on shrimp as well. 

The inshore Croaker bite has remained steady as well as anglers have been finding them schooled up around the bridges, on channel markers as well as at the Hole in the Wall. Live or frozen shrimp will get the job done for them. It is also a good time of year to check out the crab trap buoys and channel markers for Tripletail. 

The Pompano have started to show up inshore in better numbers. Anglers are finding them on the Sailfish Flats, the deeper cuts around the islands, the Crossroads and a few in the inlet. Those jigging the Jensen Causeway mosquito bridge have also been picking some off. Expect to run into some bycatch such as Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish, Bonefish, Jacks, Runners, Lady Fish and more. 

If you are looking to get into some Trout, anglers wade fishing on the east and west side of the river towards the power plant and Bear Point have been getting into them pretty consistently on DOA Cals as well as artificial shrimp.

Surf Fishing Report

Our surf fishing has been really good here the past few weeks as the cold fronts have pushed a lot of fish into our area. The Pompano bite has been quite productive, however it is extremely important to be reaching the fish as those who aren’t getting into them are most likely not getting their baits out far enough. On the high tides, they have been anywhere from 60-90yds off the beach while on the low tides they’ve been as far as 100yds from the beach. Having an 11’-13’ rod is crucial this time of year if you are really looking to find them and having a long cast reel will get you even more distance. FishBites have been the most productive bait by far, Powerlime Crab, EZ Flea, Electric Chicken Crab and Purple Clam have been the hottest flavors this season. Don’t be afraid to bring a few of those options with you and start with one flavor on each of your rods. When you start getting bites on a certain flavor, switch your other rods to the hot flavor to stay on top of them. There has been plenty of bycatch to go along with the Pompano including Bluefish, Bonefish, Runners, Whiting, Croakers and more. If you get to the beach early, it’s never a bad idea to have a rod rigged with a spoon to find some Spanish Mackerel and Bluefish as there has been a lot of life in the surf first thing in the morning!       

From Todd, Eddy & Jeff @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

 INSHORE-  Relatively mild weather this week helped the snook fishing improve a bit.  Still a pretty good shrimp jig bite around the bridges at night; especially on outgoing tide.  The Loxahatchee River has also been holding a pretty decent number of snook as well.  A live mullet fished along seawalls with dark bottom is going to be the best bet for the snook.  A little current (doesn't really matter incoming or outgoing) is also going to help drastically in the river.  Expect a few big jacks and a tarpon or two to be mixed in with the snook.  Jupiter INlet has been holding a few sheepshead this week, with live shrimp being the bait of choice to target them.  Palm Breach Inlet also has had a fair number of sheepshead around.   Palm Beach Inlet is also holding a good number of jacks.  A lot of the jacks are in the 2-4lb range, but some real bruisers mixed in as well.   Fair number of tarpon cruising around Palm Beach Inlet as well still.  

SURF/PIER-  The first part of the week saw a handful of pompano around.  It wasn't big numbers; but both the surf and the Juno Beach Pier had a few each morning.  On the beach it was primarily sandfleas and Fishbites, while Doc's Goofy Jigs still seemed to produce best from the pier.  As the week went on the pompano reports did slow down considerably.  A handful of Spanish Mackerel were caught later in the week.  Speaking of Spanish Mackerel: A rough ocean and dirty water has the Peck's Lake Mackerel bite all but shut down.  Spinner sharks have begun to show up in little better numbers along the beach.  Despite the rough ocean last weekend, the water locally ( Jupiter Inlet to Palm Beach Inlet) looks really fishy.  Hopefully the water stays looking good this weekend and a few more fish show up!  

The BEST Bait for SHEEPSHEAD ** ARE WORMS BETTER THAN CRABS??

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

 Anyone who has put some time in this week on South Hutchinson Island fishing the surf for pompano is probably asking, “where did they go ?” We had a pretty darn good January for the most part until the winds started to kick up last weekend but this week the surf laid down and the water cleaned up on the south end of the island . Unfortunately no one let the pompano in on it . 1 here, 2 there's, a couple of blue runners, jacks, and bonefish were the normal catch results all this week. Paul Jr and I fished the last few days and only managed a few pompano and they bit right after daybreak . The beaches up near Fort Pierce have had dirty water all week, so we only fished from Normandy south . Today we decided to try the River and the “alternative “ spot and actually caught some nice pompano. Catching them on jigs is a ball using a 3500 Penn Spin

fisher , a 7 foot light action Penn Batallion rod, and 15 lb braid . There are fish in the river . Fishing this weekend is going to be a challenge as we are forecast to get a big wind and rain event . This front will hopefully push those mackerel and pompano down our way as they have been in the Vero Beach area all week. I hope everyone has a great weekend and stay dry .

From Todd, Eddy & Jeff @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

 INSHORE-  Tough fishing inshore this week.  Snook season opened back up, but snook fishing as a whole remains a bit tough locally.  The shrimp jig is still producing a few bites around the bridges at night.  Look for outgoing tide to be best, especially in areas that have cleaner water.  That slightly dirtier water on outgoing tide is often the ticket to trick finicky snook.  During the day the snook will be laid up around seawalls and boat docks with dark mud bottom.  The dark bottom heats up quicker and the snook will be more active.  Sheepshead fishing remains fair.  Inshore reports have been a bit better than reports coming out of the inlets.  Although both Jupiter and Palm Beach Inlet have both been producing a few sheepshead.  Live shrimp is a top bait choice for the sheepshead.  Palm Beach Inlet continues to hold a pretty good number of jacks. A lot of them are in the 1-3lb range, with some bruisers mixed in as well.  Also a fair number of tarpon moving around Palm Beach Inlet as well.  

SURF/PIER-  Fishing was pretty slow both on the beach and at the Juno Beach Pier this week.  Despite nice calm conditions and good looking water the fish just didn't show in any numbers.  The pier produced a handful of Spanish Mackerel on crappie jigs.  A few jacks cruised through the pier as well early in the week.  A lone snook or two were caught by those very patiently fishing sardine chunks under the T.  Pompano fishing remains very slow locally.  Better pompano reports have been coming in from up northern (Hutchison Island and Fort Pierce)  beaches.  Spanish Mackerel have not been holding in Peck's Lake this week.  Hopefully a hard blow this weekend shakes things up a bit.  

Sebastian Inlet Report

 Hot off the press is “Snookman” Wayne Landry’s weekly fishing report, perhaps his shortest ever:

“Good morning all you fishing fans out there. I hope everyone enjoyed the weekend — the best you could with the weather we had. It wasn't very good for fishing, that's for sure. This week’s report is one that I really don't like to write because the weather was so bad from Thursday through the weekend. This is a rinse-and-repeat of last week’s report. Almost the same conditions as well.

The opening of snook season was a disappointment. With the water temps still being on the cold side (64 to 68 degrees) they just didn't want to bite. Snook prefer 72 and above to be active, plus there is no bait in the inlet for them to want to feed. Also, with the tide being an outgoing on most of the days last week, it’s tough for the jetty anglers to get to them. The boaters at the tip were catching some fish on live shrimp, but most were too small to keep.

About the only thing you could count on were the blues and jacks being caught on silver spoons everywhere in the inlet. That's it for now due to the dirty, rough and cold water. This week isn't looking any better as the winds and surf are going to remain up, and that's going to keep the water churned. If you go fishing this week, find a spot where you can get out of the wind and see what comes up to bite. 

Bridge Snooking #2

Bridge Snooking# 1

How to Catch Snook from a Bridge ft. Tom Lewis 

For You Sheepheaders "" Note The Bait""

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A episode on Snook Fishing Secrets

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How this TECHNIQUE will CHANGE your HOOKUP RATIO. The Sinker Guy Method...

Larry “fishman “ finch shows us how to hook our bait properly to target ...

Snook-Nook Fishing Report

Inshore catch lists can consist of Snook, Sheepshead, Black Drum, Croakers, Triple Tail, Pompano, Bluefish, Jacks, Spanish Mackerels and more! Shrimp is definitely the bait of choice this time of year with the cooler water temperatures. The fish tend to be more inclined to go after a slower presentation and sit tight to structure for warmth as well as sit in deeper holes and drop offs. You can fish the bridges for Drum, Sheepshead and Croakers with live or frozen shrimp on a jighead, typically either 1/4oz or 3/8oz depending on the current. You will want to fish your bait around the concrete fenders and let it drift alongside it with the current. When fiddler crabs are available, you can’t beat using them following the same method to get in on some Sheepshead action! 

Fishing around the Hole in the Wall and the Inlet is also a good spot to hit, you can anchor up and throw shrimp on a jig towards the shoreline to search for schools of Croakers and pick off Sheepshead and Drum as well as some Snook. You can also fish Pompano rigs with pieces of shrimp. You may go through a few catfish, but don’t let that discourage you as you have a solid chance at finding some Croakers, Sandperch, Bonefish, Drum and Pompano using this method. Not a bad idea to have a Pompano jig tied on a rod either to take some casts while you are waiting on a bite. 

Fishing docks is also a good place to look for fish. Try fishing the docks with deeper water as you may find more fish schooled up in some of the areas with deeper water. Channel markers are also a good place to look, you can find Sheepshead, Croakers, Drum and even Tripletail on them. 

Anglers have been able to pick off a few Pompano at the Jensen Causeway, and a few commercial anglers have been able to find some in the inlet. We should continue to see more Pompano showing up inshore as the water temperatures have dropped. Areas to look for them include the Inlet, Crossroads, Sailfish Flats, Jensen and Stuart Causeway. 

If you are looking to throw artificials, once again slower presentations are going to be the key. Fishing baits like artificial shrimp, Flair Hawks and slow rolling paddle tails are going to be your best bets if you are looking to catch Snook on lures. Anglers have been finding Snook on artificials at the Jensen Causeway at night pretty consistently here lately. There have also been a few Trout caught up around Bear Point and Middle Cove by anglers wade fishing. Topwaters in the morning along with artificial shrimp and live shrimp on a popping cork have produced the action for those anglers. 

Surf Fishing Report

The beach has been showing many signs of life this past week! Pompano, Bluefish, Whiting, Spanish Mackerel, Jacks and Runners have all been making the catch list. Beaches south of Jensen Public Beach have provided the most action for anglers here recently. It seems that the cold front we had during Christmas definitely moved some fish into our area. For those who are targeting Pompano, you will definitely want to come prepared with an 11’-13’ rod to reach them as the majority of Pompano have been caught roughly 70-100yds off the beach. Fishing with a longcast reel such as the Penn Spinfisher VI longcast will also add a little more distance onto your cast. We have some leftover surf combos put together at discounted prices from our tent sale that you can checkout as well if you are looking into a new surf combo. It is crucial to have the proper tackle in order to catch these Pompano. You will also want to come to the beach prepared with multiple rigs as the Bluefish and Mackerel may cut you off. The hot baits for Pompano have been the Powerlime Crab and EZ Flea Fishbites. Some anglers have been catching them on Sandfleas as well. For those looking for Capt. Paul Pompano rigs, he has been bringing them in on Thursday mornings, they don’t last very long on the shelves! It isn’t a bad idea to cast a spoon while waiting for a bite as well for the Bluefish and Mackerel. 

From Todd, Eddy & Jeff @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

 

INSHORE-  Snook season opens back up next week...good weekend to do a little scouting for them.  Overall snook fishing has been a bit slow, but those putting in the time have been finding a few in the usual wintertime hangouts.  The shrimp jig bite is still on at night.  Look for slightly cloudy water and fair tide movement (generally outgoing) for best luck on the snook.  A hand full of inshore pompano reports coming in from Hobe Sound and Lake Worth.  A bright colored Doc's Goofy Jig is the best bet for the pomps.  Small jacks, blue runners, and ladyfish will also jump all over a Doc's Goofy Jig.  Sheepshead reports slowed a bit this week, but still a decent number around.  Shrimp and sand fleas remain the best bet for the sheepshead.  

SURF/PIER-  Somewhat slow fishing this week both on the beach and at the pier.  A slow pick of pompano being caught, but no numbers to speak of.  From the beach it's been Fish bites, sand fleas, and clams.  From the Juno Beach Pier the same baits will work well, as will the Doc's Goofy Jig. Some good schools of jacks cruising the beach along Singer Island and Palm Beach Inlet.  Look for the jacks to be most active early morning and late afternoon.  The tarpon have also been hanging around Palm Beach Inlet in fair numbers.  No bluefish or Mackerel action to speak of this week; hopefully the front this weekend helps get some pointed in our direction.  

GIANT Speckled Trout- Indian River Lagoon Flats Fishing

Sebastian Inlet Report

 

 The charming and ever-present “Snookman” Wayne Landry, offers up this week’s fishing report:

Good morning, all you Sebastian Inlet lovers. I hope everyone had a great weekend! To begin, It have to say that the fishing has dropped off a bit at the inlet as a whole. Not too much going on after the big swells we had at the beginning of last week that dirtied up the water. Also, the water is still pretty cold, 65 to 68 degrees. But there are some fish biting if you can find clean water, and since the winds have been offshore the last few days the surf has calmed down considerably, so that's a plus. Here’s the scoop:

North Jetty: Early last week we were catching nice black drum, whiting, pompano, small permit, catch-and-release snook, all on live shrimp on the incoming tide. In an hour’s time on Tuesday, I caught two drum, a whiting, a snook and three jacks, then it all just stopped. The rest of the week it was stingrays, catfish, many small bonnet head sharks, and some small Atlantic sharp nose sharks. They were everywhere. After Wednesday, about the only thing I saw caught here were many tiny undersized bluefish and a few huge bull reds on the outgoing tide on Kastmaster spoons and jigs. Along the rock seawall between the catwalk and the jetty there were small snook and sheepshead being caught on live shrimp on both tides. The flounder fishing on this side I haven't seen or heard anything positive. 

South jetty:  The fishing has been much better, with several species being caught on both tides. Small catch-and-release snook have been biting just about everything you toss out there, live or artificial. Small black drum, sheepshead and some black margates are being caught along the jetty on the incoming tide, and at the tip on the outgoing, along with plenty of small bluefish. Flounder fishing here has picked up somewhat, with some fish I hear being caught on live finger mullet up to about seven pounds. Very nice fish. After the swell calmed down  midweek, there was a decent pompano bite on the beach just south of the inlet - live sand fleas was the bait of choice for them. 

 Catwalks, both sides: The north side is still closed. There was still a decent sheepshead bite at the south side on the incoming tide for those using fiddler crabs around the pilings. Not much else to report. 

Surf, both sides: After the swell calmed down on the north side, there were pompano, black drum and whiting caught on sand fleas and cut shrimp. Also,  there have been many small bluefish biting — some nice ones. They will hit just about anything you throw out bait wise, and silver spoons. The south side is pretty much the same, but with a few more pompano and some black drum and black margates mixed in. 

T-Dock area: It’s been pretty slow recently. About the only thing I saw or heard about were small Spanish mackerel and undersized flounder on small white jigs. Catch-and-release snook have also been present on the incoming tide along the shorelines on live shrimp. 

Well folks, that's all I have for this week. Not like it was, but that's what a weather change does for us this time of the year. You just have to pick a day, go fish and see what comes up. Have a great week, everyone!” — Snookman

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

 It is great to report about the ongoing pompano bite that we are experiencing here on the Treasure Coast . The last two January’s have been less than spectacular but this year we are seeing a nice spread of fish . The cold front on the Christmas weekend really put things into gear and it appears as if it is going to continue. I fished with Randy and Deb on Sunday and by myself this morning and went through some Fishbites on both days . Long time friend Chuck Frith set up right next to us yesterday and he also went home with some beautiful pompano . There has been a lot of life in the water with mackerel, bluefish, jacks, and a few whiting to go along with the pompano . I have to let everyone know about staggering the distances of your baits if you are fishing more than one rod . Yesterday our 60 to 70 yard rods caught as many pompano as our 100 yard setup’s. It was all about the Powerlime Crab Fishbites the last couple of days with the EZ Flea coming in second for the best producing scents and colors . Cut your Fishbites in a diamond shape to maximize the bait movement on the hook . Randy and I were using 3 ounce Sinker Guy Sputniks even in the calm waters the past couple days . These sinkers really keep your bait stationary and increases your chance of having that pompano hit it . After we got Randy his recreational limit for the freezer I worked on getting New England Seafood some of these great tasting fish for the retail market. They are in the display case on ice in the store and they do not get any fresher than the ones I dropped off today . The forecast calls for a slight uptick in the wind velocity this week but appears conditions should be fishable this week . I stopped at the Snook Nook this morning and they have a great inventory of Powerlime Crab Fishbites along with the new Periwinkle Purple Clam bait on the shelves. They also have an excellent inventory of Mark Burford’s Over The Bar Surf rods and this rod will put you in the game for catching pompano . The surf is alive so get out and bend a rod . Good luck this week and catch em up .

From Todd, Eddy & Jeff @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

 INSHORE- Sheepshead reports remain pretty good inshore right now.  Live shrimp is a reliable bait choice for the sheepshead.  Palm Beach Inlet has been holding a decent number, as have area bridges and boat docks as well.  Dock and bridge pilings with lots of growth (Barnacles in particular) on them are a great spot to start looking for the sheepshead.  The Munyan Island flats are holding a fair number of jacks, along with a stray pompano or two.  Catch and release snook fishing began to improve later in the week with warming weather.  Snook season is just around the corner...time to start looking around for them! 

SURF/PIER-  Good pompano fishing early in the week when the swell was up.  The Juno Beach Pier had a pretty good number of pomps caught; with most coming on bright colored Doc's Goofy Jigs and a few on bait.  A fair number of bluefish and jacks around early in the week as well with the swell.  Calmer conditions and south winds later in the week did slow things back down.  Conditions do look good for the fish to bite along the beach and at the pier on Saturday (At least in theory!).  Spanish Mackerel action slowed way down at Peck's Lake with dirty cold water pushing in.  Shark action along the beach improved a bit this week.  Fresh chunks of bait at night are the way to go for the sharks.