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Friday, August 29, 2014

Sebastian Inlet Report


08-29-14 FRIDAY: TGIF! MANGROVE SNAPPER, C/R SNOOK, SLOT AND OVERSIZED REDS, LADYFISH, TARPON AND JACKS 

We have a lovely morning at the Sebastian Inlet. We have a nice breeze blowing out of the South at 7 mph, gusting to 9 and the water has a light chop. The NOAA forecast is predicting 2 - 3' seas this weekend with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Always re-check before venturing offshore as conditions can change very quickly.

We have mullet everywhere, although they aren't the finger mullet we usually see during the fall mullet run, this is a good sign that it has begun, woo-hoo! There have been C/R Snook, slot sized and oversized Reds, big Jacks, Tarpon and a few Mangrove Snapper making appearances at the inlet. Snook season will re-open on Monday, Sept. 1st. If you are fortunate enough to land one in the slot of 28" - 32" you will need a Snook stamp on your salt water fishing license if you plan on keeping it. 

We received an update and our first two photos today from inlet regular Chuck Fischer of Satellite Beach. Chuck fished the north jetty yesterday morning and confirmed the blankets of mullet around the inlet. The early morning hours brought Jacks, Ladyfish and Reds to our north jetty anglers.
Our first photo features Larry Robison of W. Melbourne with a 24" slot Red. Larry also landed a 27.5" Red that was returned to the water, both were landed on mullet. The bag limit is one per person per day; slot is 18" - 27". 
Our next photo features Sonny Advincula of Kissimmee with some good sized Jacks he landed yesterday, he was also using mullet. 

Thursday, August 28, 2014

From Todd / Eric @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach


INSHORE- Snook season opens Monday, and the snook are around!  Look for the snook to have mullet on the brain, as a few schools of finger mullet are starting to trickle down the coast.  Topwater plugs (Like zara spooks) fished around mullet schools, seawalls, and other snookie hiding spots early and late in the day are a great choice this time of year.  Snook are also on the bridges and blasting mullet schools at night.  Fish a live mullet on the edge of the school or underneath to separate your bait from the others.  Big swimbaits, flairhawk jigs, and Spooltek swimbaits are all great lure choices around the bridges as well right now.  A few tarpon around, and some monster jacks cruising along ICW seawalls.  

SURF/PIER- Trickles of mullet coming down the beach are a sign of very very good things to come!  Look for snook, tarpon, jacks and sharks to be hanging around the mullet.  A silver spoon, Rapala X-Rap, or Windcheater are all great lures to throw on the beach right now for a wide variety of species.  Lots of blue runners around the pier right now.  Shouldn't be long before the surf gets going with lots and lots of action!

From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

Stuart
Inshore the snook fishing has been good around the inlet on the outgoing tide with live bait.There has been a few trout around Middle cove with a few big redfish mixed in soft baits and live shrimp have produced the best.

Sebastian Inlet Report




08-28-14 THURSDAY: CALMER CONDITONS, A FEW MANGROVE SNAPPER, JACKS, SNOOK AND TARPON 

We have much better conditions this morning. It's back to summer again. We have a very light breeze blowing out of the East-Southeast, gusting to 3 mph. Insect repellent would be a good idea if you head to the inlet. The water has a light chop and there's even a little surf, although it's closing out quickly. As always, use caution when casting into the surfing area when surfers are present.

Tommy Turowski at the Sebastian Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop reported a few Mangrove Snapper were coming over the rails this morning and schools of larger mullet are being crashed by big Snook, Jacks, and Tarpon. We haven't had a lot of folks out fishing the jetties the past couple of days due to the rough conditions, but things are looking up!

Our first photo is of more Blue Land Crab photos from Pam Winegar of Malabar. Photo two is of a very colorful Blue Land Crab.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

From Henry & Fred @ Snook-Nook - Jensen Beach


Lets see 90 is the tand it has been like this all week and yes I love it. Of course I am in side the Snook Nook with the air running hard but every once in a while I stick my head out the door and enjoy it for a moment and then I go back in side.  Big bright sun and the temp just makes you lazy and the same goes for the fish. 
Lots of bait fish, they like  the warm water but there is no one to bother with
them. The beach it is early that is when the tarpon and snook are in, you have to watch  the sun come up. Be ready with baits of all sizes, you never know what they feeding on but they are feeding. Thirty to fifty pound leader and lot of line  do not forget the water. Plenty of good size whiting with a mix of croaker for the day, a piece of shrimp will find them for you and do not forget your umbrella.
Fishing in the river there is plenty of fish but you have to fish early the coolest part of the day. Plenty of trout and reds from county line north take your pick east or west side but you should be eating breakfast before ten.  Sun comes out and the fish go deep or to the shadows, use a small jig to get their attention.  Plenty of snook and tarpon in the low light, play with your bait size you just don’t know when are what they are eating, but it is summer and it is hot and I love this place and do not forge the water.

Palm Beach Report


                                                photo courtesy of christinaweberfishing.com

INSHORE
Snook season opens on Monday and there’s good reason to expect a great season — the best we’ve had in a while! There have been so many snook around these past few months, which is encouraging, and the numbers should only increase.
Along the Treasure Coast, there are some snook, along with tarpon, on the beaches and at the St. Lucie Inlet. However, the best place to snag a snook right now is the bridges on the Indian River. Tarpon, however, are thick on the beaches, especially early in the morning.
The east side of the river has also been good for big snook and some trout.
Snook are being caught along Jupiter’s beaches and the Jupiter Inlet, as well as in the Intracoastal Waterway and Loxahatchee River. The river has actually been better than the Intracoastal and is also producing a good numbers of jacks and redfish.
The beach and inshore bite has been slow this week along central and southern Palm Beach County this week, but there are a few snook being caught in the surf and in the inlets, and you can always find them around the bridges in the Intracoastal.
There have been a lot of bait fish around the Boynton Inlet, which has attracted decent numbers of mangrove snapper and jacks. A few tarpon have been spotted rolling through the area as well.

FRESHWATER
If you want to catch bass on Lake Okeechobee right now, make sure you leave the dock well before sunrise. Ideally, you’ll have lines in the water before you even begin to see the sun. Once it’s up, you have two hours — max — of action.
It has been a little windy this week, making it a little more difficult to fish back in the grass, but nice bass are still being caught out in open water and along the edges.
Artificial lures are still working better than live shiners, but you really can’t go wrong either way.
 report courtesy of Palm Beach Post

Sebastian Inlet Report

08-27-14 WEDNESDAY: ROUGH CONDITIONS, BUT CALMING DOWN 

We have another windy morning at the inlet, it's blowing out of the North-Northwest at 17 mph and gusting to 21. The water is still rough and small craft should exercise caution. The conditions have calmed down a little, but Snook and Reds like it when it's rough, get out and have some fun trying to land one of these great fighting fish. We only have a few days left for Snook season to open, until then it is still catch and release. Snook season will reopen on Monday, Sept. 1st through Dec. 15th but getting one in the 28" - 32" slot will be the challenge. 

We've had some inquiries about all the Blue Land Crabs that have been scurrying around the inlet and highways. This is mating season and they are everywhere. It is illegal to harvest them between July 1st and October 31st. Harvest, possession, purchase or sale of eggbearing Blue Land Crabs is prohibited at any time. During season, they may be harvested by hand, landing or dip net; no use of traps, bleach or any chemical solution is permitted. During season, one may harvest 20 per person per day, no size limit. Use caution when driving near the inlet as they are crossing the road in scores.

Our photos today are courtesy of Pam Winegar of Malabar. Pam and her husband Richard were at the inlet this past weekend and witnessed hundreds of Blue Land Crabs everywhere. Pam sent in some real nice shots of the crabs.

Catch 365



08/26/2014
 

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Sebastian Inlet Fishing


08-26-14 TUESDAY: LOUSY FISHING CONDITONS TODAY 

We have another real windy day thanks to TS Cristobal which fortunately is staying far off our shores. We have very rough seas and there is a NOAA small craft advisory in effect through this evening. We don't have many wind-proof anglers out fishing this morning; winds are blowing out of the Northeast at 20 mph, gusting to 26. Conditions pretty much stink. 

We don't have much to report so we'll just go with what we have. Our photo today is courtesy of Oliver M. of Sebring. Oliver was fishing with his daughter Keomi on Friday and reported crystal clear water and lot of bait fish in the water. There was quite a spectacle with big Snook crashing through the schools of fish. The father-daughter duo landed their limit of Mangrove Snapper, averaging 11 - 12". Nice team work!

From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

Inshore there was reports of some redfish to the north around Queens Cove with a few nice trout mixed in. The snapper bite around the bridges has been good with little white baits and live shrimp.This windy weather should make the snook bite good just a few more days till season opens do not wait till the last minuet come on in and get jigs and get ready it should be a good season.

Palm Beach Report


INSHORE
     The best beach fishing along the Treasure Coast this week has been at Walton Rocks, where big numbers of snook have been caught. Tarpon and jacks are also biting.
     Whiting and croaker are pretty thick at all the beaches, and they are there throughout the day, although the best action is at high tide.
     There's plenty going on in the Indian River but it's a very early bite now. Very early! Schools of permit are showing up on the west side of the river, and there are big snook on the west side as well.
     Fishing the bridges at night has also been productive. Black drum, sheepshead, flounder, snapper and, of course, snook are all biting Shrimp seems to be working best.
     The beach fishing has slowed along Jupiter but there is a great snook and mangrove snapper bite at the Juno Beach Pier. Mangrove snapper are being caught at the jetty near the Jupiter Inlet.
     There haven't been many anglers fishing in the Intracoastal Waterway, but there are still snaook being caught near bridges and docks at night - that's the case from Jupiter to Boca Raton.
     The inshore action has been rather slow in central and southern Palm Beach County, but you can always try your luck at the bridges and docks. Some nice snook have also beein hooked in the area's channels and spillways.
     Remember, snook season opens on Sept. 1, so the wait is almost over.
                                                 photo courtesy of christinaweberfishing.com

FRESHWATER
     It's awfully hot on Lake Okeechobee this time of year, but if you get out on the water early enough - well before sunrise - you can catch quite a few bass. However, if you're still out there past9 a.m., you're probably wasting your time.
     Bass are biting out in the main lake early, but the later it gets, the more likely you are to catch them along the outside edges and back in the grass. Artificial lures are actually working a bit better than live shiners right now, but if you're out there at the right time and you set up in the right spot, you should have success either way.
     Guides are still putting their clients on about 20-30 bass on a morning trip, and there have been some bass over 5 pounds reported this week.


           Why corks work for speckled trout

Jerald Horst

“I started fishing with corks while I was perch fishing in lakes and ponds around my house when I was growing up,” chuckled Kerry Audibert. “And when we fished at my family camp, they all fished with corks unless they went outside to the rigs. Corks attract fish with their splash and their rattle.

“More important, you can cover more water more effectively with a cork than by fishing tight-line, I feel that speckled trout are suspended most of the time. You can adjust a cork to whatever level in the water column the fish are in by trial and error.”
And he said they work pretty much all the time.
"They are versatile in almost any conditions," Audibert explained. "Topwaters, suspending lures, Carolina rigs or tightlines are only useful under certain special conditions - ledges, oil platforms, etc.
"Even in those situations, I can use a sliding cork. I see more times that only a cork will work than any of the others. And a cork will work under more conditions than will other methods. No doubt you will catch the biggest fish on hard plastics, on topwater, but you won't catch as many fish. I can definitely also catch big fish under a cork."
Audibert is particular about his corks, but in a strange sort of way; he prefers generic corks.
"Most brand-name corks come with metal shafts through them, and you have to tie on to both ends of the cork," he said. "If you want to adjust your depth, you have to re-tie the cork."
His has specifics on the corks that he prefers:
• Snaps: The corks must be clip-on style. They can easily be removed from the line, and adjusting depth is less time-consuming than having to retie with other corks.
"Time is critical on the water," he stressed.
• Rattles: The noise helps draw the attention of fish. Buy corks with rattles.
• Shape: Audibert strongly prefers oval-shaped corks. He feels that chugging corks can scare more fish with their noise than they attract, although he allows that they might be useful in rough water. Also, chugging corks either have sticks through the center of them that tangle the line or they must be tied on the line.
• Color: In a word - orange. They are definitely more visible, he said, than lime green both in low-light conditions and the sunlight.

Sebastian Inlet Report

08-25-14 MONDAY: ROUGH CONDITIONS AT THE INLET 

Hang onto your fishing hats, the wind is blowing at 24 mph out of the Northeast, gusting to 29 and the waves are really churned up. The tropical depression that is headed this way is bringing us some much desired wind, but a little less would be appreciated. This morning it rained hard for about 20 minutes. Between the rain and the wind at least it is keeping the no see 'ums away. Perhaps the change in weather pattern will fire up the fish a bit.

Tommy Turowski at the Sebastian Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop reported that over the weekend the Mangrove Snapper bite picked up again. A lot of C/R Snook and Tarpon were in the water, Jacks, Blue Runners and a few Mackerel came over the rails of the north jetty. Whiting were being landed in the surf before it got too rough.

We received and update from Shaun Vasey who fished Friday morning's sunrise on the south beach. Shaun reported lots of mullet running the beach with Tarpon and Snook crashing the bait pods. He jumped three juvenile Tarpon before the sun came up, but that was about it. The mullet are a good sign, it could be the beginning of the fall mullet run, we'll take it!! 


Catch 365


08/19/2014

From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

Ft Pierce
Inshore the snapper fishing at the bridge has been good with live shrimp and little white baits.The snook fishing in the inlet has been steady with a few nice fish on live bait. The tarpon fishing has been steady in the inlet at night.



Friday, August 22, 2014

Sebastian Inlet Report


08-22-14 FRIDAY: TGIF!! 

The TIP of the north jetty will be closed today and several days next week. It will be open over the weekend. Repairs on the weather station are necessary; we appreciate your patience and will keep you advised of the closures. The south catwalk is closed for approximately the next 4 months for repairs. The north catwalk will remain open until the south catwalk repairs are completed, and then it will close for repair. 

We have another warm, steamy morning at the inlet. It's beautiful though, with a little breeze blowing out of the South-Southwest at 5 mph, gusting to 7 and the water is calm. 

We still have a lot of bait in the water and a lot fish, getting them to bite is the challenge. These hot, humid days are tough on our anglers. Fishing during low light periods or at night produces better results unless you are fortunate enough to get offshore and it looks as if the seas will cooperate this weekend. Always check the NOAA forecast before going offshore. Fishing the flats can be productive this time of year if you fish deeper holes or channels, under mangroves or docks. The Mangrove Snapper bite slowed down but we have a lot of C/R Snook in the water, along with Tarpon, Jacks, Bonito, Ladyfish, oversized and an occasional slot Red, Trout or big Permit. It's all about being at the right place at the right time.

Our first angler was definitely at the right place at the right time. Norris Gilmore landed the enormous Trout in our first photo today. Norris and his buddies were fishing with Capt. Peter Deeks with Native Sons Charters, in the Indian River near the inlet. They had great luck with Spotted Trout, big Jacks and hooked up with some huge Snook but were unable to bring any to the boat. The men did however; bring several real nice Spotted Trout to the boat, including this 13 lb. 7 oz. beauty! Norris landed this Trout about 10:00 a.m. using a croaker on the bottom. Norris and his buddies released all their fish for someone else to enjoy one day.

Thursday, August 21, 2014




Fishing with Jigs



Fishing with jigs is an effective, relatively simple, and very popular way to practice our sport. From simple lead heads with nothing attached but a hook to hand-tied lures with each eye and detail carefully hand-painted one at a time by a dedicated angler who makes their own artificials, the bottom-bouncing beauties will produce fish when nothing else will. In this simple article we're going to talk about jigs, what they are, the various styles you can purchase and try, and how to work them effectively.

Jigs bounce off the bottom, and are often struck when they're falling, not when they're actually bouncing on the bottom, where they generate a puff of mud or sand. It's that sound and visual that we feel draws the fish. They also work well with a piece of shrimp - or even a whole shrimp tail or live shrimp -- attached to the hook. They also work great sitting there with a piece of cut bait attached.
Jigs are basically a piece of lead – or increasingly non-lead materials – that is molded in a die onto the head of a standard (and normally very light wire) "J" hook. As is the case with any lure that is designed to keep moving as you work the lure, J-hooks are far more likely to set when you raise the rod tip than a Circle hook, which is best suited for live and/or cut baits.
When Jigs were first invented years ago, they were created with a lead head, painted eyes, and tails tied from the hair found on a deer's tail. Years of urine on the deer's tail hair bleached it as white as freshly fallen snow, and the manner in which the hair "breathes" when it is moved through the water makes it an irresistible attractor to predator fish. The proven lures work as well today as they did in ancient Rome, where we first heard of their use.
Jigs are designed to simulate a live baitfish or crab raising sand or mud on the bottom. Worked correctly they rise from the bottom, and falling back down creates a small puff of material from the bottom. The small cloud created by the angler-created cadence attracts fish as much as the sound they make as they bounce.

Feeling the Strike

When you're fishing with a live bait and a snook decides to hit it, it starts running from a few feet away, picks the bait up, and keeps running. If it's close to structure, it often expands its gill plates and literally sucks bait in. Either way, the way a particular fish strikes a lure differs from fish to fish, depending on the bait, where the fish is relative to where the bait is, and what it perceives the bait is going to do.
When you're fishing with a jig, there are two places a hungry or angry fish is going to be when it sees the jig. It's either above the jig and looking down, or it's below the jig and looking up.
If the fish is above the bait, it's most often going to strike the bait as it's falling. Examples are snook and speckled trout. A redfish on the other hand is normally feeding with it's mouth directly on or a few inches above the surface of the grass, the oyster bar, or rocky bottom. The same thing applies to offshore fish likely to hit a jig fished by bouncing it off the bottom. Grouper and snapper are examples. Like a redfish, they'll most often slam a jig when it hits (and stops) on the bottom: when it makes the cloud of dust or mud or shell from the bottom.

Working a Jig

Jigs have no action at all. Cast them out and leave them sitting there, and they do nothing. Let's look at what you need to do to add cadence – the 'dance' – to the lure.
  • You can use a jig as a weight and hook combination and simply cast it out and leave it sitting there. But to make it do anything more than sit there, try putting a chunk of cut bait or even a live shrimp – hooked at the tail – on the lure. Leaving it sit there will often result in a strike from whatever sees and/or smells the shrimp and the strange thing it's attached to. Amazingly productive for some fish like sheepshead, it is definitely a way to combine lures and natural bait and catch fish with a jig.
  • Cast the jig out and let it fall to the bottom. As soon as it hits the surface and starts to sink, start to count. The time it takes for the lure to drop to the bottom will tell you something about how deep the water is. Casting the same jig to a different place often results in a different count; the water is deeper if it takes longer and shallower if it takes less time. This sounds like common sense, but if you do not start the drop count, you never are completely aware of what is underneath the jig. A lot of times fish will strike as you drop the jig over a ledge, or pick it up from a trench or hole. Be aware of the feel of the jig.
  • Once it stops on the bottom, reel in and lift the rod. The higher you lift the tip of the rod towards the sky, the higher the jig bounces off the bottom, and the more impact it has when it drops.
  • Let the lure drop. The higher you lift the higher it lifts. The higher it is the longer it takes to drop back to the bottom.
  • Fish with different sizes if you do not get a strike quickly. If you're using a plastic tail or a pre-tied bucktail or feather jig, you might want to start with the lightest jig head that will sink to the bottom considering the tide. Heavier lures are easier to cast, too, so consider that when you're picking a jig.
  • Colors can make a difference; change colors often to draw a strike. There are times when fish will hit nothing but white jigs with root beer (a sort of dark red/chocolate color) tails. Other times they will only hit gold heads. A lot of people swear by bright pink heads with pearl tails. But definitely try different colors if the lure doesn't produce. Jigs are very productive, and if fish are feeding and you work them right, they'll draw strikes.
  • Try different speeds and retrieves. Remember, this isn't a swimming plug with special liquid weighting and a keel and action built in from the hooks up. This is a lure that does nothing if you do not add cadence. Work the jig different ways. Work it fast with short snaps and quick retrieves, and work it so slow it isn't even lifting off the bottom, instead dragging and acting more like a crab than an injured (and sinking) baitfish.
  • Change the "Lift". Sometimes bounce the lure high, and other times snap it only an inch or two off the surface. Think of that drawing showing it rising and pausing or dropping. Remember that many fish hit the lure when it's dropping, not when you're lifting it up from the bottom.
  • Take the slack out and then set the hook. If the lure is dropping at the strike, there's more slack in the line than you realize. Lift the rod softly till you feel the weight of the fish. Then set the hook. If you're fishing for soft-mouthed fish like Speckled Trout, do not set the hook, rather simply lift the rod gently to let the slack tighten and start reeling.
Jigs are arguably the most productive all-around lure. You can retrieve them so quickly they'll bubble and cause a wake at the surface; just keep the rod tip high and start snapping the lure as soon as it hits the surface. They can be retrieved and lifted quickly enough so they drop only part way into the water column, and can catch kingfish, mackerel, tuna, and probably a marlin if they're pulled at the right speed, worked properly, and put close enough to the fish so they're seen.
Cast the jig and let it fall to the bottom. Once it does, snap or gently lift the tip of your rod. The higher you lift it, the higher the jig bounces off the bottom, the further it falls when you pause the retrieve, and the harder it bounces when it hits the bottom again. It strikes the bottom and causes a slight cloud to appear, and makes noise. Remember that and you can apply dozens of difference "cadences" to the action (or non-action, more accurately) of the lure you're using. And remember to change color and weight as you're working what you know to be a fishy spot with these outstanding and proven productive lures.
Keep bouncing jigs. They'll make you a better – and definitely a more productive – angler.

From Todd / Eric @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach


INSHORE- Catch and release snook fishing remains the best game inshore.  Low light periods and nighttime are the time to look for the linesiders.  Try to fish the first of the outgoing tide for the best luck with the snook.  Small tarpon are hanging out in Lake Worth (mainly around Old Port Cove).  Look for the little tarpon to be active and rolling early and late in the day.  Small live baits and shrimp are a good choice to cast at the rolling baby silver kings.  Mangrove snapper fishing has been good at night around the bridges.  Small pilchards and live shrimp are the best bait choices for the snapper.
                          Photo Jayson Arman That's-R Man Land Based Charters 
SURF/PIER- Solid snook bite at the Juno Beach Fishing Pier going on.  LIve baits (especially big sardines) are getting the most bites, but lures may even get a few bites early and late in the day.  Bonita have been pushing some bait schools around the pier as well.  Rumors of big schools of glass minnows and a few mullet up north mean we can't be too far away from the start of the mullet run.  With northeast winds in the forecast this weekend, things may be starting to change

Land Based Tournament Time



Friday August 22 Beachwalker Land Based Fishing Challenge !!!! 10 bucks to join!!!! The money goes in a pool all money goes to the winner based on how many anglers there are. Can fish anywhere wade, bridge, dock. beach any where you can get wet. Just no boat!!!! Capt.Meeting is at hurricanes Jensen Beach at 7pm. Fishing begins right after and ends at 6 pm sunday night.

Sebastian Inlet Report

08-21-14 THURSDAY: MANGROVE SNAPPER, JACKS, BONITO, C/R SNOOK, REDS, LADYFISH AND MARGATE

We have another toasty morning at the inlet. The wind is barely moving out of the Southwest, but it is expected to pick up this afternoon which will give our jetty anglers a bit of a reprieve; not much, but every bit helps during the summer months. 

We have a large variety of bait fish in the water and a nice variety of fish that are pursuing them. Bonito, Jacks, C/R Snook, Mangrove Snapper, an occasional Permit, Black Margate, Reds and Ladyfish are all making appearances at the inlet.