Ed Killer South Fla. Report

Soon, the big ball is going to drop in Times Square and we'll be changing the calendars from 2021 to 2022.

Regardless of what year it is, Treasure Coast anglers will be chasing their favorite targets. Mild weather and warm temperatures will mean more of the same action anglers have enjoyed through the bulk of December.

Pompano have been on the beaches along with whiting and croaker. Tripletail are being caught on the buoys. Cobia and mackerel are in 40-70 feet. Snapper and grouper can be caught in 70-100 feet of water. Redfish are chewing inshore

Closures in effect: Anglers are reminded about these fishery harvest closures currently underway and ones about to begin and end.

• Snook: The closure began Dec. 15 and runs through Jan. 31, 2022.
• Spotted seatrout: No harvest of trout is allowed in the waters of eastern central Florida, from Volusia to Palm Beach counties, from Nov. 1 though Dec. 31. Harvest will re-open Jan. 1, 2022.
• Grouper: Shallow water grouper are prohibited from harvest Jan. 1 through April 30, 2022. That includes gag grouper, red grouper, scamp and six other lesser species.
• Hogfish: No harvest of hogfish is allowed in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida from Nov. 1 through April 30, 2022. Harvest re-opens May 1, 2022.
• Inshore: Capt. Glyn Austin of Going Coastal charters in Palm Bay has been steering clients to catches of oversized redfish in the inlet. The big fish are coming into the inlet and feeding on live croakers and crabs. Drifting with the outgoing tide is a good way to catch these big fish. Flounder are being caught by anglers fishing with live mud minnows or gigging at night along the sides of the inlet near the rocks. Sheepshead are biting on pieces of shrimp.
• Freshwater: Bass fishing will be steady at Headwaters lake on wild shiners. Remember, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission just approved regulations that make it an all catch and release fishery for bass fishing and anglers must use a circle hook when fishing with live bait.

• Inshore: It's not quite cold enough to shut down the snook bite yet, but anglers are reminded that harvest is closed until Feb. 1. Live mullet cast under docks, around bridge pilings or under mangrove branches will yield snook. Redfish and trout are being caught on the points of spoil islands. 

  Surf: Santa Claus brought pompano for Treasure Coast anglers, said Paul Sperco of Port St. Lucie. Fishing on a Hutchinson Island beach, Sperco and another angler caught limits of pompano while fishing with Fishbites EZ Flea and Yellow Crab offerings. Spanish mackerel are also within casting range of 7-foot spinning rods rigged with chrome jigs. Reel fast to get bites from mackerel and bluefish.

• Inshore: There are tripletail and sheepshead being caught around the bridges and channel markers in the Indian River Lagoon and St. Lucie River. Snook are biting around the bridges, too. 

  Lake Okeechobee

  The level of the lake is still on the high side so anglers are finding bites along the vegetation lines on Observation Shoal, at Point of the Reef and near Horse Island. Fish are up in the weeds and can be hard to get to for anglers. Wild shiners are working, but so are lipless crank baits.

• story courtesy Ed Killer is TCPalm's outdoors writer. 

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

It’s New Year Eve and I want to wish everyone a Happy, Safe, and Healthy New Year . If anyone has fished some of the beaches on the north end of Hutchinson Island in the past few days then you have probably put some pompano in your freezer . I had the opportunity to fish for a few hours yesterday afternoon and was lucky enough to put 4 big pompano in my cooler . Electric Chicken and EZ Flea Fishbites were the baits that produced. If you target any of the northern beach accesses from Middle Cove to Fort Pierce Inlet , remember most of those beaches are relatively deep as compared to the ones to the south . I always fish at least one rod relatively short, from 50 to 60 yards because of the deeper water, even at low tide . Three of the four nice pompano were all caught on that short rod . Today I fished with longtime friends , John Daly and Chuck Frith , and we managed to put 8 nice pompano in the cooler and Chuck caught and released a beautiful permit to go along with our pompano. Green Crab Fishbites was the bait that fooled the permit and Chuck ended up 100 yards down the beach from where the initial bite occurred. It looks like we are going to see a weather and wind change as we head into 2022 and conditions are forecast to be a little challenging in the beginning of the week. I hope everyone enjoys the remainder of the New Years Weekend and again, Happy New Year .

From Todd & Eddy @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

 INSHORE-  Catch and release snook fishing has been a bit of a grind this week, but those putting in the time have been catching a fair number of them.  The Loxhatchee River has had a few fish, as has the ICW north towards Jupiter Island.  Live mullet fished around seawalls during the day is a good bet for the snook.  At night look for them to be keyed in on shrimp around docelights, bridge fenders, and shadow-lines.  A handful of pompano caught inshore this week.  It's not big numbers, but keep an eye out for them skipping up behind the boat.  When you see them they have been pretty willing to bite a Doc's Goofy Jig.  Sheepshead reports inshore have gotten much better this week.  Shrimp and sand fleas remain great bait choices for the Sheepshead.  

SURF/PIER-  Despite some awesome weather over the past week; the fishing has left a bit to be desired.  Overall action has been slow for the most part; with just enough action to make you have to keep trying!  Pompano bite has been almost non-existent this week.  Reports from Juno to Hobe Sound have all been pretty quiet on the pompano.  One here and one there on the pompano is probably one more than we've heard about most of the week.  Thankfully a fair number of croaker and whiting have been around to fill in some of the slack.  Small pieces of shrimp, clams, and Fishbites should do the trick for them.  Bluefish reports remain pretty slim.  Best action on the blues seems to be coming from Hobe Sound north, and will be best during very lowlight periods of the day.  Spanish Mackerel have been very hit or miss at the Juno Beach Pier, but a few have been caught this week.  Crappie Jigs (which we finally do have back in-stock!) have been the ticket for the Macs.  Spanish Mackerel action at Peck's Lake was slow to start the week; but seems to have gotten better and better as the week has gone on.  Blacktop shark action improved a bit this week on the beach.  Still a little early for the big numbers of them...but not long till they are here in full force!

Scouting Around Palm Beach And Martin County

 

Inshore

Working the channel markers and crab trap buoys in the St. Lucie and Indian Rivers has been producing a good bite for tripletail.

At the 10-cent bridge, anglers are reporting getting sheepshead, black drum and croaker using live shrimp on a jig head. 

There is a decent snook bite in the St. Lucie River and around the power plant. They seem to be preferring shrimp presentations, especially on cool mornings, but have been hitting small pilchards as well. D.O.A. shrimp or paddle tails have been used with success.

Spanish mackerel are being caught at the Stuart and Jensen Causeways and at the St. Lucie Inlet.

Along the Martin and St. Lucie County beaches, the pompano bite has been hit or miss. When they are hitting, it's Sandflea and Yellowcrab Fishbites.

Along the beaches in Jupiter, the Spanish mackerel bite is in full swing. Surf anglers and anglers working the near shore from boats are getting them on spoons and small jigs.

The pompano bite has been good with schools moving through in spurts. Working the beaches, the Jupiter Inlet and from the Juno Pier, anglers are finding Doc's Goofy Jigs to be the most effective bait. 

At the Boynton Inlet, anglers have been catching small mangrove snapper on cut mullet and snook on the incoming tides using small pilchards.

In the Intracoastal Waterway, concentrated between the Boynton Inlet and the Lantana Bridge and the Lake Worth and Southern Bridges, there have been Spanish mackerel and bluefish. They are being caught trolling spoons and on yellow jigs.

Lake Okeechobee

The spec fishing has been fantastic with the early mornings and late afternoons being the time to hit it. Right in front of the pier and the Indian Prairie Canal have been the hot spots. They are being caught on jigs with white lightning, fire and ice and lilly working best. Lots of anglers are getting their limits.

The bass fishing has been OK. It has definitely been easier to feed them than fool them as live shiners are working more than anything artificial. If going with an artificial, however, Senkos in dark colors have been providing some success. King's Bar, Tin House Cove and Monkey Box have all been good areas.

Report courtesy of Palm Beach Post

Sebastian Inlet Report

 

A bit slow, but look for one fish, two fish, redfish, bluefish

Look for sunny skies and a high of 76 degrees, east-northeast winds of a gentle 6 mph, and one to two-foot swells. 

Our trusty fishing guide, “Snookman” Wayne Landry, shares the final fishing report of 2021!

“Fishing is slow at the North jetty, but there are still plenty of small to medium-sized bluefish being caught on the outgoing tides at the end of the jetty on spoons and cut bait being tossed out in the channel area,” he says. “Also, some big redfish are being caught on the cut bait too- both sides and tides- but the fish are too big to keep.”

Jack crevalles are present, too, he adds.

“On the ocean side of the jetty there are still some black drum being caught on live and dead shrimp, along with a few sheepshead,” Wayne says. “The drum I saw caught were anywhere from 15 to 25 pounds, but most are smaller around the 15 to 20-inch size. Another species being caught is the Spanish mackerel, but they are small. Small white crappie jigs, spoons and diamond jigs are getting them to bite.”

The inlet is brimming with large black/roe mullet that can be caught by cast net. A wonderful fish to fry or smoke, the fish are so plentiful that folks are snagging them with small jigs fishing for pompano  Flounder fishing is slow, with only a few being caught - most are still small, between 14 and6 inches. 

Bluefish and jacks are hitting at the end of the South jetty on the outgoing tide with silver spoons.

The water has cleaned up and the pompano bite is going again in the surf area just south of the jetty,” Wayne says. “Sand fleas and cut shrimp will entice them. There also are still small snook being caught on the incoming tides along the wall with live baits. Again, many large lack mullet are here as well. The flounder bite on this side has picked up quite a bit, with many of the fish being caught between 16 and18 inches. Many small ones are being caught, but they have ‘grown up’ a bit. I talked to a few guys who have caught 15 fish in the last couple days, both tides. Bait of choice for them: mud minnows.” 

At the T-dock, anglers are throwing jigs and silver spoons to catch bluefish and jacks. “A few flounder are also back here as well along the shoreline on both sides of the dock area,” Wayne adds. “Use mud minnows and finger mullet, preferably the smaller ones.” 

Along the surf, catfish and stingrays are abundant, Wayne says, but if you can find clean and deeper water, the possibility of catching small black drum, pompano, and whiting are there. Sand fleas and cut shrimp are the bait of choice. 

“On a side note, the freshly-painted yellow lines painted on the North jetty designate a safe walkway for people walking the jetty,” Wayne says. “Only anglers and their poles are supposed to be in the area between the line and the railing. Carts, coolers, chairs and fishing accessories should remain only in the center of the jetty/yellow lines. These  lines were installed by the park service for everyone's safety and to create a clear pathway in the case of a medical emergency. A stretcher will not roll on the grates.”

Case in point: A woman recently tripped on coolers and tackle bags while fighting a fish, splitting her head open, Wayne says.

 “Enjoy these  balmy Florida winter days and catch some fish,” Wayne says. “Also, keep a camera ready for capturing the unexpected. Last week, I saw a huge hammerhead shark, a seasonal resident this time of year. It is about 12 to 14- feet long, but I didn't have my camera, so go getcha some. Happy New Year and tight lines, everyone."

One of These Catches Fish and the Other Doesn't!

Surf Fishing Tips From The Pompano Legend Larry Finch AKA The FishMan