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Friday, January 18, 2013

Sebastian Inlet Report

01-18-13 FRIDAY: BLACK DRUM, SHEEPSHEAD, BLUES, JACKS, SEA TROUT, POMPANO AND WHITING 

The north jetty has completely re-opened thanks the owners of "Liquid Addiction"', a new dive shop in Wabasso. They volunteered to dive for and recovered the lost grates. What an awesome job, our fishing hats are off to you! Many thanks!

It's cool and crisp at the inlet this morning. Winds are blowing out of the Northwest at 7 mph and there is a moderate chop on the water. There is a small craft advisory in effect through Saturday morning, which could continue through the long weekend. Always check the coastal forecast prior to venturing offshore. 

This week, we've seen Black Drum, Blues, Sheepshead, and Jacks off the jetties, Pompano and Whiting in the surf, Sea Trout and a few Flounder on the flats. Now that the north jetty is completely open, we will have room to spread out! Please read the Fishing Etiquette Page at the bottom of this page if you have any questions about fishing the jetties. Proper fishing etiquette is appreciated by everyone, particularly if you are using more than one rod. Please be able to tend the rod/s yourself, don't take up all the jetty space. If you are there early and have the jetty to yourself, its fine but once it starts to fill up, bring your rods in to a reasonable space so that others can fish. Thank you!

Know your sport, rules & regulations and how to use your equipment.
Know what fish are in season, what is out of season, bag limits and size restrictions.
Be prepared when going fishing – bring your own equipment.
Know the area you fish and how it’s fished – free-line, bottom fishing, etc.
Avoid putting fishing carts right up against railing – leave room for others to get around to fight a fish.
Avoid throwing a cast net over or between fishermen without warning. Yell “Fish On” when fighting a fish to alert others and avoid tangles. Pull in your line when your neighbor is fighting a fish. Don’t cast over someone fighting a fish.
Look behind you before casting to avoid hooking someone. Assist fellow anglers when needed. Don’t wade out between other fishermen, cutting them off. Anchor your boat far enough out so you don’t cut off shore fishermen. Release all unwanted fish – protect our resources for the future.
Don’t leave dead fish lying on the decks.
Don’t leave your trash and unused bait – use trash receptacles for trash – put unused bait back in the water.
Boats coming in and out of the Sebastian Inlet hug the north jetty for safe navigation not to cut you off.
The jetties are navigational jetties.
If you hook a bird, reel it in. Do NOT cut the line. If you aren’t sure how to free the bird, the Park Rangers and volunteers are trained to do so.
Please hold your catch and release fish properly when photographing. Support the fish under the jaw and belly. Do not place your hand inside the gills. Do not hold the fish vertically; it can damage its internal structure.
When bleeding your catch, always do it over the steel grates so the blood goes back into the water. If there are no grates, it is considerate to throw a bucket or two of sea water on the bloodied area to disperse the mess.
If your line gets snagged on the bottom, never cut the line at the reel. Tighten the drag and/or hold the spool and walk in the opposite direction of the snag in order to break the line at the leader. This will minimize the amount of “dead line” in the water which often creates more snags.
When cast netting live bait, primarily finger mullet and greenies, only take what you think you will use and quickly get the rest back in the water before they die. Our bait resources are not unlimited.
While there is no limit as to how many rods a person may use at once, Florida Administrative Code 68B-4.0086 says: “Hook and Line Gear: Tending Requirement: Beginning January 1, 1993, hook and line gear used in or on the waters of the State shall be tended. The term “tended” for purposes of this rule means that the person fishing the gear is physically present at the terminus of the gear”. This rule implies that one must be in control of one’s fishing rod/s at all times.

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