Scouting Around - West Palm/Martin County Area

INSHORE

     There are a lot of whiting in the surf along Jensen Beach, and there are some nice pompano around. The fish are around throughout the day, but the best bite seems to be during the higher tides.

     In the Indian River, the east side has been producing the best action (thanks to the wind). The trout bite has been excellent on the east side, while nice flounder and big snapper are being caught around the mangroves and rock edges.

     Whiting, bluefish and Spanish mackerel are all biting along the beaches of Jupiter. Anglers seem to be having success all morning, day and night.

     Snook are still being caught around the bridges of the Intracoastal Waterway in and around Jupiter. The best bite is still at night, but there are plenty being caught during the day as well. Bluefish have also been chewing this week.

     Jacks are being caught in the surf from Palm Beach south to Boca Raton. They are also being reported at the county’s various inlets.

     Those fishing the bridges of the Intracoastal throughout central and southern Palm Beach County (especially at night) are reporting snook, mangrove snapper, ladyfish, sheepshead, black drum, and the occasional ladyfish.

FRESHWATER

     The bass bite is really picking up on Lake Okeechobee. This promises to be a good season on the “Big O,” and despite strong winds, good numbers of bass are being reported, including several large fish. It hasn’t been uncommon to hear about 6-pounders being reeled in during the past few weeks.

     The best action is still along the outside edges and back in the grass, although the wind has made it challenging to hold those spots at times. The key is finding clean water. That can be tricky when the wind is blowing, but it doesn’t take long once the winds lie down for the water to clear up again. East Wall, West Wall and Ritta Island have been hot spots recently.

     Anglers are having success with both artificial lures and large shiners, but shiners still get the nod at this time.

courtesy of The Palm Beach Post

Sebastian Inlet Report

                                      
01-06-16 WEDNESDAY: GOOD LUCK OUT THERE! 

We have rough conditions at the inlet this morning. Winds are blowing out of the East-Southeast at 17 mph, gusting to 25 and the water is choppy. Waves are crashing over the jetties so be sure to take wet weather gear if you head to the inlet today. NOAA has a small craft advisory in effect through late tonight.

For those who don't mind the conditions, some nice fish can be landed in the sloppy conditions. Reds, Snook and Tarpon can get worked up when it's like this but you might want to step up your tackle. A little heavier weight will help keep it submerged so you can bounce it off the bottom. Using noisy top water, chugging or popping baits can improve your chances when the water turns murky.
Our first photo today is from Richie Regateiro. Richie and his friend Peter Privitera landed several nice Sheepshead and Margate.

Charlie Achinelli of Sebastian landed the good sized Palometas in our second photo while fishing the beach before the conditions deteriorated. 

From Henry & Fred @ Snook-Nook - Jensen Beach

                                                          

River was limited to the east side, that is unless you like fishing a 3 foot chop that is the entire West side.  Little Mud creek has been a great starting point for anglers seeking Trout, Redfish and a place out of the wind.

Throwing soft plastic Gulp, DOA, and Monster 3X baits along the mangroves has been very productive.  The live shrimp are starting to plump up nicely, if your looking for bigger Trout go to a bigger Shrimp or a “Select” as we call it.

Free line or fish your shrimp under some sort of a popping cork, you pick your favorite as long as it makes some noise it will work.  As the wind settles and the water clears keep the leader to a minimum, sometimes 30lb is just too heavy,

a 24’’ stretch of 20lb fluorocarbon is a good start. Drum and Sheepshead have been keeping bridge anglers very busy, shrimp, fiddler crabs, clams and cut blue crabs will do damage.  Fish your bait right along the pilings with a jig head or a small egg sinker,

again a 20lb leader will suffice. Snook anglers season closed December 15th and will reopen February 1st, keep that in mind when handling the fish for release, a quick photo and safely back in the water he/she goes.  Bridges will be your best bet for big fish,

bucktail jigs, Bomber Windcheaters, and big swim baits will all get into the lower part of the water column where Snook seek consistent water temperatures. 

Sebastian Inlet Report

 01-05-16 TUESDAY: BLACK DRUM, POMPANO, SHEEPSHEAD, BLUE RUNNERS AND SPANISH MACKEREL 

As predicted, we have a blustery day at the inlet. Winds are blowing out of the Northeast at 27 mph, gusting to 33 and the water is rough. Waves are crashing over the north jetty from the ocean side and waters are rough on the ICW. NOAA is calling for a small craft advisory through Wednesday evening.

We received an update from returning snow bird Rich Blum who fished the north jetty yesterday morning. Rich reported a decent bite for Black Drum, a few large Pompano and Sheepshead, lots of Blue Runners and Spanish Mackerel. Rich went home with two nice Black Drum. Our first photo features Rich with one of his Drum. 
Photo two is also courtesy of Rich Blum and is of Mohammed with a good sized Black Drum. 

From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

The inshore bite has been great. There are some nice Snook and Trout being caught on the west side of the river south of Midway. 

Big Redfish are being caught in both Ft Pierce and Sebastian inlet. The Snook bite should be good by the bridges and inlet with this past cold front. A few pompano have been caught in Ft Pierce and Stuart.

Scouting Around - Stuart/Jensen/Ft Pierce Area

Happy New Year! In past several years, January has traditionally been a cold month around the Treasure Coast. Hopefully, 2016 will show us another mild winter and you won’t have to worry about the water temperatures as much this year. Fishing in deeper water will provide you with better results on most days. Working your lures and baits much slower will also give you a better chance at success. Fish tend to become lethargic in cold water and are slow in moving to strike at lures. Finding water that is a couple degrees warmer than the surrounding area can also give you an edge on finding fish. Water temperatures have been mild so far. We had great results last year on fishing deep sand holes on the flats that were being warmed by the sun. We will certainly be doing that again this year.

January is typically a windy month and it will continue the tradition if recent weather gives you an insight to the coming month. You might enjoy one or two days a week that is calmer, but expect it to be windy most days. The river can be rough some days, but you can still fish most days if you plan your trips carefully. It is a great month to fish in spite of weather conditions that might not be to your liking.

Bridges will continue to produce sheepshead, black drum, croakers, sand perch and bluefish. Most of the anglers on the catwalks prefer live or frozen shrimp for these fish. The inlet and turning basin will be full of bluefish, jacks and mackerel this month. Live or dead bait on a jig head will give you plenty of action along with silver spoons or shiny lures. Around seawalls, channel edges or deeper structure you can find grouper for catch and release action in January. Snook action around the jetties and bridges will be active mostly at night for anglers using feather jigs, Terror Eyz, Monster 3X and live bait. Snook closed on December 15th, so it will be catch and release for them. 

Redfish can be found around docks and sitting on the flats on warm, sunny days. Monster 3X, DOA shrimp, Terror Eyz or  jerk baits work great for wintertime fishing. We had fantastic results around mangroves for redfish last year. CAL paddle tails in the 411 color were a hit with the reds. Docks will be loaded with sheepshead in January with nice sized fish. They have moved in early this year and have been hungry! Pompano fishing will depend on water temperatures for their location, but they will be in the area throughout the winter. Surf anglers will be targeting these fish on days when the beach is fishable. Flounder should be found around the jetties on the beach side and on sand flats around the inlet. If you can find warmer water on the flats, you will most likely find trout feeding in those areas. Last year, we were rewarded many days as the sun would warm up a patch of water and get the fish actively feeding. Trout fishing in 2015 rewarded us with many big fish in the 25” to 30” range. Jerk baits and Top Waters were very successful on the trout, and 2016 should prove to be another good year. Ladyfish and jacks will be all over the river for fun action for the little ones.

January Tips: Dress for the weather. We might get one or two days each week that might be warmer, but most days will be on the cooler side. There can be a 30 degree swing in temperature on some days. Dressing in layers can keep you comfortable throughout the day in January. Once you become cold, it's hard to warm back up again. Keep yourself comfortable and enjoy some good fishing in January. Stay warm and safe and enjoy the winter!

Sebastian Inlet Report

                                   


01-04-16 MONDAY: SPANISH MACKEREL, BLUES, BLACK DRUM, REDS, C/R SNOOK, POMPANO, SHEEPSHEAD, JACKS AND FLOUNDER 

After record breaking temperatures, we are finally getting a little cool weather! This morning winds are blowing out of the Northwest at 6 mph, gusting to 10 and the water is calm. There have been some spotty showers this morning. NOAA is calling for the wind and seas to pick up this afternoon and has issued a small craft advisory through late Tuesday evening, particularly for the Gulf Stream. 

Over the weekend the predominate bite was Spanish Mackerel and Blues hitting spoons and gotcha lures, according to Tommy Turowski at the Sebastian Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop. A good variety of species were in play including some nice Pompano, Black and Red Drum, Jacks, Sheepshead and Flounder.


Our photos today are courtesy of Joey Tarasavage of Indian Harbour Beach. Joey and his friend Mike Gerlach, Jr. fished the inlet  and had nice luck with big Reds and Snook. The men used pinfish they netted at the inlet. Photo one features Mike Gerlach with a huge C/R Red he landed and released unharmed.

Photo two is of Joey Tarasavage with a 27.5" C/R Snook. Photo three is of a cast net full of pinfish. 

The FWC will be holding at snook symposium on Jan. 13, 2016 in Orlando. The day-long discussion is open to the public and will focus on snook management and research in Florida, including the results of the soon-to-be-released 2015 stock assessment, population recovery following the 2010 cold kill and opportunities for improving snook management. The symposium will be held at the Caribe Royale, 8101 World Center Drive in Orlando. Email Marine@MyFWC.com or call 850-487-0554 for more information.