Beach Fishing

Here's a quick tackle note to anyone who has tried or would like to try my Capt Paul Pompano or whiting and croaker rigs. The rigs consist of 100 per cent flurocarbon leaders, high visibility floats, genuine Mustad hooks, and heavy duty swivels and sinker snaps. In addition to being able to purchase them at the ever popular Snook Nook Bait and Tackle Shop in Jensen Beach, they will now be on the shelves at various Bass Pro Shop locations here in Florida. Plans are for the Port St. Lucie, Dania Beach, Palm Bay, and Daytona Beach locations to carry these rigs. Look for them to be on the shelves in the next two weeks.

Scouting Around Palm Beach/Martin County Area

There has been an excellent pompano run along the beaches from the Juno Pier to the Jupiter Inlet recently.

Most of the action is in the 20- to 25-foot range and just out of the reach of beach anglers, but boats cruising along the shore are having a blast catching them. They are mostly being taken using Doc’s Goofy Jigs.

In that same area, the ladyfish bite has been good as well.

Though not table fare like pompano, they put up a great fight, provide an excellent show and are incredibly fun to catch.

Along the Jupiter Inlet and into the Intracoastal Water and the Loxahatchee River there have been some bluefish, blue runners and jack crevalle. Spoons and top-water plugs have been working well.

At the Boynton Inlet anglers are reporting decent action on red snapper and sheepshead.

In the Intracoastal Waterway, on the flats just inside the Boynton Inlet, pompano are being caught on small white jigs tipped with shrimp.

There have also been a few tarpon rolling at the mouth of the inlet.

At the Lantana Bridge, slot size redfish, sheepshead and black drum are being caught.

The redfish are being taken on cut mullet fished on the bottom.

LAKE OKEECHOBEE:

The speckled perch bite has been good recently along the Government Cut and into the Kissimmee River. They are hitting on minnows.

The bass bite is good and they are still preferring live shiners over anything artificial.

If using artificial, however, Yamamoto Senkos have been working.

LAKE OSBORNE:

Fishing some of the canals near Lake Osborne, several anglers have been having blast catching clown knifefish.

This exotic species is native to Indochina and Thailand and puts up a good fight. They are being caught using live shad.

Remember, if you catch one, they are a nonnative, invasive fish and it is illegal to release it.

In the same area, sunshine bass up to seven pounds, along with largemouth and peacock bass are being caught.

All three are being caught on live shad, but the peacocks are also hitting top-water plugs.

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

It looked like the good pompano fishing in our area was all set to take off after the action on Sunday and Monday but once again strong easterly winds have found their way back into our forecast and that bite shut down today. Recreational limits were the norm on Sunday afternoon and all day Monday at Middle Cove beach access . Some fishermen I talked to had their six fish limit in less than an hour as the seasons first big body of pompano settled in at that location. Sandfleas were all along the edge of the surf and that undoubtedly was the factor that was keeping these fish there. Fishbites, clam strips, and natural sand fleas all proved to be the ticket to putting the pompano in the coolers. Big whiting and croaker were also taken and if the 20 to 25 knot winds had not come on today that bite would have continued. I was there this morning at dawn hoping for a repeat of the previous two days but Mother Nature was not going to allow that to happen. I managed a croaker and a few big whiting before the rough surf chased me from the beach. The good news is the fish are here and I am sure the folks that are planning on catching some delicious pompano in the surf or heading offshore to take advantage of the reopened Red Snapper season this weekend are keeping their fingers crossed for a break from the wind. I will be trying the next couple of days and will post conditions and results as soon as I return from the beach. Good luck and catch em up.

Sebastian Inlet Report

11-29-17 WEDNESDAY: REDS, SNOOK, BLACK DRUM, SHEEPSHEAD, SPANISH MACKEREL, FLOUNDER, TROUT, BLUES, LADYFISH, POMPANO AND PERMIT 

We have good news for our offshore anglers; a Red Snapper mini-season reopening has been approved! The reopening is due to the inclement weather that hampered offshore fishing during the November mini-season and is scheduled for December 8 - 11. There is a recreational bag limit of one per person per day with no minimum size limit, please check the FWC web site for commercial regulations. The 2018 recreational mini-season dates have not yet been announced. 
   Winds are blowing out of the Northeast at 9 mph, gusting to 12 and there is a moderate chop on the water. NOAA is calling for small craft to exercise caution, at least through 4:00 p.m. today. Always check the NOAA forecast prior to boating. 
  We're seeing the usual cast of characters make their fall appearances at the inlet. Reds, Snook, Black Drum, Sheepshead, Blues, Spanish Mackerel, Pompano, Permit, Ladyfish, Flounder, Trout and Jacks are all currently active and can be landed all over the State Park or in the Indian River Lagoon. Although the water remains murky, it hasn't interfered with the bite! Get out and wet a line!
  Our photo today features Mike Wallace of Palm Bay with a real nice Flounder he landed while fishing the south jetty rocks. Mike was using a mud minnow. We love to see those fall Flounder.

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