Inshore the snook fishing has been good around the islands and dock lights with live bait at night. The trout fishing has been good with a few nice fish around midway road to the south with top water and soft baits.
To the angler who loves to fish the beaches, shores, jetties, bridges and piers of Florida.
Thursday, May 4, 2017
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area
The east winds are subsiding and conditions look fishable for the remainder of the week along our local beaches. There should be some pompano swimming the second trough, but don't waste too much time if you are looking to catch a few in the upcoming days. Their northern migration is on and most likely by mid-month this fishery will become very spotty. The good news is those of us who enjoy catching snook in the first trough should see them in greater numbers every day, as they will be searching out the abundance of small whiting and croaker that populate the shoreline at this time of year. Live-lining a small croaker on a 3/0 circle hook will provide some great strikes. For those of you that like to catch your snook on artificials, a Yo Zuri crystal minnow or the new Live Target soft swim bait will be deadly early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Make your casts in a north/south direction as the snook will be tight to the shoreline in the first trough. Whiting, croaker, jacks, ladyfish, and blue runners will be available all day by fishing Fishbites, cut shrimp, and clam strips on a bottom rig.
This is a transitional month into the early summer species and techniques. I will be doing a Early Summer Surf Fishing seminar on May 20th at 2:30 pm at Bass Pro Shops in Port St Lucie. I will be discussing, species, baits, techniques, tackle, locations, and even a few recipes to use on some of these tasty fish that will be available. The admission is free and the location will be in front of the aquarium.
Sebastian Inlet Report
05-02-17 TUESDAY: FISHING IS A LITTLE SLOW
Winds have calmed down and are blowing out of the South at 3 mph, gusting to 8 and there is a light chop on the water. Winds will shift to the Northeast this afternoon bringing a chance of showers and scattered thunderstorms. There are no NOAA advisories this morning. Always check the NOAA forecast prior to boating as conditions can change quickly.
The bite has been on the slow side. Not a lot activity from either jetty but the Indian River is holding some real nice Trout, Snook, Reds and Jacks. Today would be a good day to get out and try a little surf fishing. Get out and enjoy the beautiful weather!
Our photo today features Lamont Willis with a beautiful Sheepshead he landed off the north catwalk.
Monday, May 1, 2017
How To with Big Dave's land based lessons. How to get tight!
Cubera snapper; what I've learned so far.
The cubera snapper is a fish surrounded by mystique. It is best known as an offshore reef fish capable of reaching monstrous size, over 100 plus lbs in some instances. Inshore, however, the fish are quite rare, often appearing solely as a by catch while snook fishing near inlets. These fish spawn offshore from July to September at night under a full moon, which is when offshore anglers target large fish with baits like live lobster, yellowtail snapper, grunts or blue runners. After the spawn, the fish disperse to parts somewhat unknown. The juvenile fish somehow find they're way to estuaries and brackish water creeks and river mouth's.
I still have a great deal to learn about the precise age and growth of these fish but I've observed a few things about their feeding habits. It would seem that the young fish are almost exclusively predators. Though occasionally they can be caught on shrimp it's most often anglers using small pinfish, mojara or mullet that run into the odd cubera. This rule generally applies to fish under about 10 lbs. Bigger fish definitely show a shift in diet. Those 15-20 lb fish seem to prefer larger mullet to roughly 8 inches, live grunts or, my favorite, fresh cut ladyfish.
In terms of precisely where to target cubera snapper, I've found that they can pop up anywhere at times though they do show a preference for deeper inlets and larger bridges with good depth and strong tides. A lack of heavy urban development and solution definitely helps. Also, I've noticed that any inlet that has a river or river's near by seems to produce more fish. I believe this is because the river is where the fish start their lives. Having a deep water inlet nearby is like having a conveyor belt carrying food to the young fish. It's in areas like these that numbers of cubera snapper sometimes take up residence. This offers patient and observant anglers a great opportunity to make these powerful fish more than just an incidental catch.
I'll get into how I like to target these amazing fish in a future post, until then, tight lines!
The cubera snapper is a fish surrounded by mystique. It is best known as an offshore reef fish capable of reaching monstrous size, over 100 plus lbs in some instances. Inshore, however, the fish are quite rare, often appearing solely as a by catch while snook fishing near inlets. These fish spawn offshore from July to September at night under a full moon, which is when offshore anglers target large fish with baits like live lobster, yellowtail snapper, grunts or blue runners. After the spawn, the fish disperse to parts somewhat unknown. The juvenile fish somehow find they're way to estuaries and brackish water creeks and river mouth's.
I still have a great deal to learn about the precise age and growth of these fish but I've observed a few things about their feeding habits. It would seem that the young fish are almost exclusively predators. Though occasionally they can be caught on shrimp it's most often anglers using small pinfish, mojara or mullet that run into the odd cubera. This rule generally applies to fish under about 10 lbs. Bigger fish definitely show a shift in diet. Those 15-20 lb fish seem to prefer larger mullet to roughly 8 inches, live grunts or, my favorite, fresh cut ladyfish.
In terms of precisely where to target cubera snapper, I've found that they can pop up anywhere at times though they do show a preference for deeper inlets and larger bridges with good depth and strong tides. A lack of heavy urban development and solution definitely helps. Also, I've noticed that any inlet that has a river or river's near by seems to produce more fish. I believe this is because the river is where the fish start their lives. Having a deep water inlet nearby is like having a conveyor belt carrying food to the young fish. It's in areas like these that numbers of cubera snapper sometimes take up residence. This offers patient and observant anglers a great opportunity to make these powerful fish more than just an incidental catch.
I'll get into how I like to target these amazing fish in a future post, until then, tight lines!
From Capt. Charlie @ Fishing Center - Ft Pierce
Finally, the windy months of March and April are almost behind us and we can look forward to the great fishing weather that May has to offer us on the Treasure Coast. Other than the usual windy days, it has been a pretty mild winter and spring has arrived. Look for warmer temperatures and little less blustery days. As the water temperatures climb, the fishing will steadily improve on the river. The water is already in the mid 70’s and that means the fish will be hungry. It will provide fantastic mornings for top water and lazy afternoons to drift the flats. May is one of my favorite months on the water!
Redfish will be our main target throughout the month of May. The past several years have bought us schools of slot sized redfish along the Indian River. Most of the fish we have caught have been in the 18 to 30 inch range. The mangroves have produced lots of redfish action again this year. They have been sunning on the flats and May gets their blood pumping and turns on the feeding. I always have three lures ready during May…DOA shrimp, CAL jerk baits and top water lures. Gold spoons and the DOA 2 ¾” shrimp will also be great additions to the arsenal when fishing for redfish. As the fish school up, look for them around the edges of the flats. Most of the river here on the Treasure Coast has been holding redfish and you should be able to find some on your favorite flats. I tend to enjoy the east side of the river, but we have found many on the west side as well.
Snook fishing in the early mornings will bring some rod bending action as they head up on the flats for an early morning or late evening meal. Top water lures (like the new DOA PT-7), Baitbusters and DOA shrimp are all great lures to tempt a snook into biting. We have been broken off numerous times by big snook under the mangroves. Docks will also hold snook lurking around for an easy meal. Live shrimp is hard to beat around the docks. In the inlet areas, try around the seawalls and bridges with live bait, Terror Eyz, feather jigs or deep diving plugs. I love early morning for great snook fishing opportunities! Snook season will close May 31st.
Trout will continue to feed on top water at first light and live shrimp on popping corks during the day. As the sun rises, they will head off the shallows to deeper water in the two to four foot range. We have had some nice gator trout of late and should see some still big trout throughout the month of May. I have had great success with CAL jerk baits and Deadly Combos this year in place of live shrimp. If you are using live baits, try big shrimp or pilchards on the flats. Both sides of the river have been productive in early mornings. Winter fishing for trout has been good this year and spring should continue to give you some great action.
Bridges will hold the usual sheepshead catch, while snapper will be moving into the river along with flounder. Jacks and ladyfish will be patrolling the areas and creating havoc all over the river. Beaches will produce whiting with still a few catches of Spanish mackerel and bluefish along with the usual whiting. Tarpon will begin their trek into the river and you can start looking for them in the St Lucie River, Big and Little Mud areas and the channels of the river. May is a great month to fish the Treasure Coast….plan on a trip out on the river soon!
Redfish will be our main target throughout the month of May. The past several years have bought us schools of slot sized redfish along the Indian River. Most of the fish we have caught have been in the 18 to 30 inch range. The mangroves have produced lots of redfish action again this year. They have been sunning on the flats and May gets their blood pumping and turns on the feeding. I always have three lures ready during May…DOA shrimp, CAL jerk baits and top water lures. Gold spoons and the DOA 2 ¾” shrimp will also be great additions to the arsenal when fishing for redfish. As the fish school up, look for them around the edges of the flats. Most of the river here on the Treasure Coast has been holding redfish and you should be able to find some on your favorite flats. I tend to enjoy the east side of the river, but we have found many on the west side as well.
Snook fishing in the early mornings will bring some rod bending action as they head up on the flats for an early morning or late evening meal. Top water lures (like the new DOA PT-7), Baitbusters and DOA shrimp are all great lures to tempt a snook into biting. We have been broken off numerous times by big snook under the mangroves. Docks will also hold snook lurking around for an easy meal. Live shrimp is hard to beat around the docks. In the inlet areas, try around the seawalls and bridges with live bait, Terror Eyz, feather jigs or deep diving plugs. I love early morning for great snook fishing opportunities! Snook season will close May 31st.
Trout will continue to feed on top water at first light and live shrimp on popping corks during the day. As the sun rises, they will head off the shallows to deeper water in the two to four foot range. We have had some nice gator trout of late and should see some still big trout throughout the month of May. I have had great success with CAL jerk baits and Deadly Combos this year in place of live shrimp. If you are using live baits, try big shrimp or pilchards on the flats. Both sides of the river have been productive in early mornings. Winter fishing for trout has been good this year and spring should continue to give you some great action.
Bridges will hold the usual sheepshead catch, while snapper will be moving into the river along with flounder. Jacks and ladyfish will be patrolling the areas and creating havoc all over the river. Beaches will produce whiting with still a few catches of Spanish mackerel and bluefish along with the usual whiting. Tarpon will begin their trek into the river and you can start looking for them in the St Lucie River, Big and Little Mud areas and the channels of the river. May is a great month to fish the Treasure Coast….plan on a trip out on the river soon!
Sebastian Inlet Report
05-01-17 MONDAY: BLUES, WHITING, JACKS, SNOOK, REDS AND SNAPPER
Winds are blowing out of the East-Southeast at 19 mph, gusting to 23 and there is a moderate chop on the water. NOAA is calling for small craft to exercise caution through this evening. We have a chance of showers this afternoon.
We had a wild, windy weekend and today we have more of the same. Fishing has been hit or miss for those windproof, patient anglers. Tommy Turowski at the Sebastian Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop reported a slower bite over the weekend. A few Mangrove Snapper have started to show up. Jacks, Reds and Snook and Trout are hitting in the river and a few Pompano, Whiting and Blues are being landed in the surf.
Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area
Today was a perfect example of how we have a great range of species available to catch along our local beaches. Our area of the Treasure Coast has a long list of beach accesses with free parking and beautifully maintained areas available for everyone to enjoy. Middle Cove was the spot that I returned to today and the catch list included pompano, whiting, croaker, blue runners, bonefish and a 20-pound permit!! You would be hard pressed to find another area of the state that has such a variety of species to catch in three hours of fishing. The beauty of surf fishing is that everyone can do it. A bag of Fishbites, a couple of rods and some tackle, a beach umbrella, a cooler, and you are in business. The pompano, whiting, and croaker all favored the clam strips today and the bonefish and big permit both hit on the Fishbites. The permit provided a 20-minute battle on a Penn Spinfisher 7500 longcast reel and a 12-foot Penn Prevail rod. I want to thank my friend Ron Robinson from Stuart, who assisted me in landing this fish. Ron is an excellent fisherman in his own right, and he actually went into the surf and grabbed the big permit by the tail and pulled it up onto the beach. You can fight a bigger fish like this on light tackle in the surf (the line test was only 15 pounds) because there aren't any obstructions for the fish to get caught up on. The fact that small hooks can catch big fish was proved today, as the permit hit a pompano rig with a number 1 circle hook. I have always said that Fishbites can catch anything - and today that statement proved more than accurate. The late spring surf fishing continues to roll along for those wanting to bend a rod and have some fun so good luck this weekend and catch em up.
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