Sebastian Inlet Report

01-30-17 MONDAY: SHEEPSHEAD, BLACK DRUM, FLOUNDER, POMPANO, BLUES, SPANISH MACKEREL AND SHARKS 

We have a cool, crisp morning at the inlet, it's a great day to get out and do a little fishing from the beach, jetty or a boat. We have West-Southwest winds barely moving, gusting to 2 mph and the water is calm. 

We had a real good Sheepshead bite over the weekend according to Tommy Turowski at the Sebastian Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop. Black Drum, Flounder, Trout and a few Pompano and Blues were hitting as well. One of the inlet regulars landed a 15 lb. Cubera Snapper, what a catch! Sharks have been real active as well. 
Our photos today are courtesy of Chris Meo of Tamarac. Chris and his son Connor fished the north jetty and had a great time. Chris landed a C/R Snook using frozen shrimp and Connor landed a real healthy Spanish Mackerel on frozen squid. Chris reported that others were landing Black Drum, Reds and C/R Snook. 

From Todd /Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

INSHORE:  Tough inshore fishing overall this week.  Snook season is almost here...the reports on them should increase over the next few weeks.  The Loxahatchee River and northern ICW have been holding a fair number of jacks, a few snook, and a scattering of pompano.  Still a few spotted seatrout and redfish around as well.  Live shrimp is a great bait choice inshore right now.  A goofy jig bounced along the bottom is also a good choice for mixed bag action.  Tip the goofy jig with a small piece of FishBites for even more fish catching potential.  Low light periods of the day remain the best bet.  Look for the fish to bite best with moving water as well.  

SURF/PIER:  Pompano fishing remains hit or miss, with a few good catches coming in this week.  Sandfeas, clams, and FishBites are the baits of choice for the pompano.  Some good pompano reports north of Jupiter Inlet, with a few coming in along Juno Beach as well.  Spanish Mackerel action is day to day at Peck's Lake.  Spinner sharks are beginning to show in fair numbers along Singer Island.  A few scattered reports of some snook along the beach and passing schools of tarpon.  Good numbers of croakers in the trough on small pieces of shrimp. 

  

From The Crew @ Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

Inshore the trout fishing is steady in 3 to 5ft of water with a few reds mixed in soft baits have produced the  best. The flounder bite has been good in the inlet on sandy bottom on live shrimp with a few flounder around the bridges. The south jetty has produced a few pompano,snook, and jacks with some flounder. 

Scouting Around Palm Beach/Martin County Area

INSHORE

     Just a reminder that snook season opens at midnight on January 31 (next Tuesday).

     Those fishing in the surf along Jensen Beach are catching pompano, and there are some nice whiting and croaker holding in the trough.

   The bridges of the Indian River are holding black drum and sheepshead, and big snapper and tripletail are biting around the docks in the St. Lucie River.

     There has been a great bluefish and ladyfish run along the beaches of Jupiter, and a few pompano were also reported.

     There are some pompano in the Intracoastal Waterway in the Jupiter area as well. 

                        

Jacks and "BIG"croaker are chewing around bridges and docks.

     Pompano were reported in the surf along Palm Beach along with big numbers of jacks.

     Jacks also seem to be everywhere in the Intracoastal throughout central and southern Palm Beach County.

     Fishing in the surf along Boynton Beach has been good for catching permit and pompano, and there’s a nice tarpon school just outside the inlet.

     There are tarpon inside the Boynton Beach Inlet as well, and sheepshead around the pilings. Black drum are holding around bridges and docks.

LAKE OKEECHOBEE

     The wind how certainly been howling on Lake Okeechobee this week which, depending on the direction it’s blowing, has made holding the outside edges and grass lines a bit tricky at times. This is unfortunate because that’s where some of the best bass fishing has been. 

     You can definitely target bass in other areas as well, as they are starting to move off the grass beds. The cooler weather has led to productive fishing throughout the day and is no longer limited to small windows in the early-morning and late-evening hours.

     Live shiners remain the bait of choice, but anglers are definitely having success with artificial lures as well.

  courtesy of Palm Beach Post

WPB Fishing Club Seminars

From The Crew @ Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

Inshore yesterday the trout bite was good to the north around Harbor Branch with a few reds and snook mixed in. Top water have produced well at first light  with soft baits producing well after the sun gets up. 

             

                  Pompano Rich Vidulich /Pompano Fishing Made Easy

The pompano bite has been good in the inlet and around J.C Park on the incoming tide little pink and white jigs and sand fleas have worked the best. Snook season opens soon and the snook bite has been good in the inlet on live bait and jigs on the out going tide. The south jetty in Ft. Pierce has had some pompano ,flounder, bluefish and a few jacks around live shrimp has produced the best.

Sebastian Inlet Report

                              

                                


01-25-17 WEDNESDAY: BLACK DRUM, SHEEPSHEAD, POMPANO, SPANISH MACKEREL, BLUES AND FLOUNDER 

We have a little chill in the air this morning. We had a lot of fog earlier this morning that has burnt off and exposed a beautiful day at the inlet. We have Southwest winds blowing at 2 mph, gusting to 6 and the water is calm. We should see real good conditions until late Thursday when it is forecasted to start deteriorating ahead of another cold front. Bring on the cold front, they always get the fish invigorated and moving around! 

We have a pretty good crowd out on the north jetty and that usually means the fish are biting. Word travels very quickly in the fishing world. We know Black Drum and Sheepshead have been the most prevalent catches at the inlet but Spanish Mackerel, Pompano, a few Blues and Flounder are biting as well. Every now and then a real nice Permit will show up. A variety of baits have produced results. It's a perfect day to get out and do a little fishing. 

Judging from the photos that were sent in during my absence, we had some pretty good fishing. Today's photos are courtesy of Meir Genoune of Boynton Beach. Meir, his sons Leore and Eytan and friend Chris McGregor decided to drive up to the inlet. The   men arrived around midnight and fished until 7:30 the next morning. Their numbers weren't large but the fish they landed were all quality. They caught a handful of big Reds on jigs, several small Snook using fresh shrimp and a 22 lb. Black Drum on a jig as well. An enormous Black Drum they estimated was between 55 - 60 lbs. was landed on a fresh clam and they ended their trip with a beautiful 15 lb. Permit. All fish were released to fight another day, except the Permit that they took home and shared. They are looking forward to their next trip to the inlet. 

Our first photo features Meir Genoune with a big C/R Red. Photo two is of Chris McGregor with a big C/R Red. Photo three features Eytan Genoune with the big 22 lb. Black Drum. Photo four is of Leore Genoune with a C/R Snook and the last photo is of that gorgeous 15 lb. Permit the men took home to share! 

From The Crew @ Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

The snook fishing has been good on the jetty with jigs and live bait on the incoming tide. The flounder bite has been good with a few nice ones around with jigs and live bait. The trout bite has been good in 3 to 5ftof water to the north and south with south baits on the out going tide. The has been a few pompano around the sailfish flats to the south and off J.C. Park in Ft Pierce on the incoming tide. 

                       

Sebastian Inlet Report

                             
01-24-17 TUESDAY: SHEEPSHEAD, BLACK DRUM, SPANISH MACKEREL, C/R SNOOK, REDS, POMPANO, FLOUNDER AND TROUT 

It's a gorgeous morning at the Sebastian Inlet. Winds are blowing out of the West-Southwest at 11 mph, gusting to 15. Westerly winds are keeping the waters fairly smooth this morning although NOAA still has a small craft advisory in effect through 11:00 a.m. today. Winds will shift to the Northwest this afternoon which will create a little more choppiness. Winds and seas will decrease tonight and into tomorrow but it will be short lived as another cold front will push toward us late Thursday and Thursday night and boating conditions will deteriorate again. 

Fishing has been hit or miss. The high winds have been keeping many anglers at home but others have braved the conditions and have been catching a good variety of species. We've been seeing and I've received photos of Black Drum and Sheepshead which seem to be the prevalent species which was confirmed by Sarah at the Sebastian Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop. Sarah also reported that shrimping is picking up! That is good for the shrimpers and could draw in some more fish for the anglers, win - win for everybody! We've seen some healthy Spanish Mackerel, good sized Flounder, Trout, catch and release Snook, Reds and Pompano. Get out and wet a line!
Our angler of day is George Kohlmann. George was fishing the north jetty  with his boys William and Dominic when they landed a large Black Drum. Photo two shows the fish much better. 

Seminar Time

If you want to learn how to catch quality sheepshead like this then you won't want to miss   Dave Hartwell (Big Dave's land based lessons. How to get tight!)  upcoming seminar! He'll be discussing how to put more and bigger Sheepshead on deck from a variety of different situations. These fish can be intimidating at first but with the right application of solid information, they can truly make a day in the water, one to remember! Come see him at TOTAL MD 8200 OKEECHOBEE BLVD in WEST PALM BEACH at 7 PM on January 25th! 

From The Crew @ Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

The pompano fishing has been good in the inlet on the incoming tide with a few flounder mixed in. The snook fishing has been good around the bridges and in the inlet with jigs and live bait. We just got in the new First light sweeper jigs in 3oz we should be getting the 1.5 and 2.0 in before season opens in a few weeks. 

               Nautical Flea Market 2017

From Todd /Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

                                                   
INSHORE:  Sheepshead remain around in good numbers, along with a few black drum.  Live shrimp is a good way to go, as are fiddler crabs if you can find them.  A few spotted sea trout and some redfish around the Munyon Island and Home Sound Flats.  Live shrimp is also a good choice for these guys.  Pompano are making a little showing inshore, with the Loxahatchee River holding a few.  Catch and release snook fishing is a bit hit or miss.  Season is coming up...time to go start finding out what they are doing!

SURF/PIER:  A few pompano around this week, but not in huge numbers.  Lowlight periods will be the key to getting a few pomp bites right now, especially with super calm clear conditions.  No big numbers of bluefish around, but a few are being picked away at Hobe Sound Beach.  Blacktip sharks are starting to show a little better, and should be here in good numbers very soon.  

Seminar Time

If you want to learn how to catch quality sheepshead like this then you won't want to miss   Dave Hartwell (Big Dave's land based lessons. How to get tight!)  upcoming seminar! He'll be discussing how to put more and bigger Sheepshead on deck from a variety of different situations. These fish can be intimidating at first but with the right application of solid information, they can truly make a day in the water, one to remember! Come see him at TOTAL MD 8200 OKEECHOBEE BLVD in WEST PALM BEACH at 7 PM on January 25th! 

Sebastian Inlet Report

01-17-17 TUESDAY: BLACK DRUM AND VARIETY OF OTHERS 

Is this fabulous winter fishing weather or what?! Temperatures will remain unseasonably warm until next week. The seas will calm down a bit through the weekend. Fishing is relatively good with a mix of Black Drum, Blues, Redfish, and occasional Snook and Flounder. Shrimp, clams, and spoons are the best bet right now. When a minor front appears next week, expect to see a few more Flounder.

Today's photo is provided by Brandon White. The night action on the jetty is courtesy of numerous Black Drum. 

Scouting Around Palm Beach/Martin County Area

INSHORE

Along the beaches in the Jensen Beach area, weight is still the key when casting out against the strong onshore flow. Heavy spoons, with five to six ounces of lead have been the call.

With those winds subsiding and the turbidity of the water settling, the action should pick up. Casting distance is key, with croaker and whiting closer in and pompano a little further out.

The early mornings should be good this weekend on the higher tide.

In the St. Lucie River, the east side has been the call as the land has offered a natural buffer from the wind.

With the wind subsiding, however, the west side around docks will definitely be worth checking out.

Off the beaches in Jupiter, bluefish and ladyfish have been biting using Fish Bites and dead shrimp. Some pompano have also been caught.

In the Intracoastal the sand perch and black croaker action has been consistent.

In the Palm Beach area, jack crevalle and Spanish mackerel fishing has been good inside the Lake Worth Inlet.

South County anglers are reporting some good early morning action on pompano and bluefish using goofy jigs and Got-Cha lures south of the Boynton Beach Inlet.

Fishing around the Lantana Bridge has been good for sheepshead and undersized black drum using live shrimp and small crabs. Moonfish and sand perch have also been hitting under the bridge lights at night.

                     photo courtesy of Rod"Gatorbait" Salser                       

LAKE OKEECHOBEE

The winds haven’t been too bad on the lake and the fishing has picked up. Smaller bass are being caught venturing out of the grass beds on the backside of the recent full moon.

Live shiners are still the call, but the artificial bite is definitely picking up. Anglers should target the outside grass line areas.

From Capt. Charlie @ Fishing Center - Ft Pierce

It's been a typical winter so far. Mostly mild temperatures with a day or two of cold fronts each week. Same goes for the winds. Look for windy days most of the week with one or two days when it calms down a little. Water temperatures have dropped this week with the last cold front, but some sunshine will bring it back up to the high sixties. The water has been murky the past several days after the cold front chopped things up a bit. It will clear up fast though.
Fishing continues to be good if you are looking for some of the wintertime catch of drum, sheepshead and assorted other fish. We have been catching some big sheepshead lately and you can find them around just about any structure this time of year. Drum will be hanging in the same places. Look for croakers around deeper cuts of the area. Snook fishing around the bridges and jetties has held up nicely for night anglers. We have been getting some nice trout in the deeper cuts on the river this week. Ron, Mike and Ray found a couple nice over 18". Al and Ryan found lots of sheepshead on their fishing adventure. Jacks are insane right now. It's hard to catch the other fish when they are tearing up the place, but they are fun.

It's important this time of year to dress in layers. With cold mornings and warm afternoons, you need to be able to cope with the temperatures and layering makes it easy to deal with. Don't forget sunscreen! It's easy to forget in winter, but you can get sun damage easily this time of year!

Scouting Around Palm Beach/Martin County Area

INSHORE

 In the Jensen Beach area, Fish Bites are still the call along the beaches. With pompano, whiting and croaker biting, anglers can at least be confident that the artificial baits will not fly off when casting into the strong onshore winds.

There are still some Spanish mackerel in the area, but again strong winds will limit tackle used. Anglers are having decent luck throwing relatively heavy Gator spoons without a swivel and reeling quickly to avoid get caught on the bottom. 

In the St. Lucie River, fishing on the east side provides a natural windbreak. Near the power plant, some of the mosquito ditches offer even greater wind protection and have been providing fun fishing for small tarpon, snook and more. 

Looking for some freshwater action in the Jensen area? Savannas Preserve State Park near Hawk’s Bluff has been good for bass.

Down in Jupiter good pompano, ladyfish, lake croaker and jack action has been reported in the Intracoastal from marker 41 to 44. Anglers using quarter-ounce Bucktail jigs with a piece of shrimp are having excellent luck.  

Using heavy spoons, the fishing for bluefish and Spanish mackerel has been good off of Jupiter Island.

Before the ocean became so rough anglers were also having a blast using top water plugs fishing for the two species off the island.

In the south county area, along the beaches out to 30 feet of water there have been bluefish, pompano, small permit, king and Spanish mackerel. Using live sand fleas or fresh cut shrimp is a best bet for the permit and pompano. Cut mullet fished on the bottom will work for the bluefish as well as casting Gator spoons into the surf.

LAKE OKEECHOBEE

The recent cold fronts have plunged areas of the lake down to 59 degrees. This has greatly reduced the action. Desperate anglers are still reporting that live shiners are the way to go.

From Todd /Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

INSHORE-  The interesting news around northern Palm Beach County this week on the inshore front remains the above average number of redfish hanging around.  Now we aren't talking schools of hundreds of fish to sight fish along the flats, but even a chance or two at a redfish is pretty cool for us.  A few spotted seatrout on the flats.  Lots of sheepshead around the docks and bridge pilings.  Live shrimp and sand fleas are solid bait choices for the sheepshead.  Catch and release snook fishing remains pretty good around the bridges at night.  

SURF/PIER-  It was a little slower week surf fishing wise due mostly to rough ocean conditions.  Pompano action remains a bit sporadic.  Seems to be a few more pompano north of Jupiter Inlet...and also more sharks, so reel em in quick!  Still a fair scattering of bluefish, jacks, and ladyfish scattered along the beach.  A heavy lure (Silver spoon, weighted plug, or big popper) thrown during low light periods of the day is a good choice on the beach right now.  Spanish mackerel also remain around in good numbers.

                           

Scouting Around Sebastian Inlet

                                                   


Winter appears to be over. That was a long one! Mid to upper 70's with moderate breezes and moderate 5 ft. seas expected through the weekend. Fishing should be steady but not really turned on. Expect a few Flounder, Blues, Whiting, Trout and Black Drum on clams of course. Shrimp and jigs are producing a variety of hookups. Blues are striking silver spoons. Occasional Snook are still taking bait.
Today's photo is showing Khoi Van with a nice catch and release Snook.

From The Crew @ Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

Inshore yesterday the trout bite was good to the south around middle cove. The pompano bite has been good on the incoming tide off J.C. park and also in the inlet on the incoming tide to. The south jetty has had a few bluefish and flounder around with some pompano mixed in. 

From The Crew @ Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

Snook fishing should be hot with the cold weather coming in. Try jigs and live bait in the inlet and fenders. The front slowed the inshore fishing for trout and redfish down some but there was some nice fish caught around round island on doa paddle tails. 

A few redfish and some trout were south near the power plant on gulp jerk shads.

From The Crew @ Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

Inshore the trout fishing has been good on soft baits with a few nice fish around on top water at first light. The flounder and pompano bite has been good around south jetty on the incoming tide. We just got in the new 3oz Sweeper jig from First light in and we should have 1.5 and 2.0oz in before season opens back up in February.

From Todd /Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

INSHORE:  The inshore flats around Munyon Island, Hobe Sound, and even the Loxahatchee River are starting to come alive with a variety of species.  Sheepshead, ladyfish, jack, snook, and even the occasional redfish are poking around the flats right now and have been very willing to eat a live shrimp.  Snook fishing has been fair around the bridges.  The bridges are also holding a nice number of sheepshead and black drum or two.   

SURF/PIER:  Pompano fishing improved a little this week, with some fair catches coming in north of Jupiter Inlet.  Spanish mackerel fishing remains strong off of Peck's Lake.  Bluefish action should improve this weekend with the passing cold front.  Also just about time to see a big push of blacktip and spinner sharks around. 

Scouting Around Sebastian Inlet Area

                                           


Well, summer is about to end at the inlet. Be prepared for Winter 2017 coming in with a blast of cold air and wind this weekend. Winds will be 25 mph and gusty, switching from the southwest to northeast to north over Saturday and Sunday. Seas will be 7 to 10 feet. It will be wet and cold on the jetties. The good news is that dramatic weather changes can turn slow fishing conditions around. Watch for Flounder to follow after the front moves through. A variety fishing action can be expected in the meantime using shrimp and clams.
Photos today show that persistence pays. Ivan Pumarada stayed until sunset and found great action with a nice Jack and Redfish. Then he landed a nice 16 inch Sheepshead. 

From The Crew @ Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

Inshore the trout bite has been good to the north around Harbor Branch on the west side of the river with a few reds mixed in. The snook bite at the bridge and jetty has been good on the outgoing tide. The flounder bite has been good around the south jetty on the incoming tide live shrimp have produced the best. 

From Capt. Charlie @ Fishing Center - Ft Pierce

January Fishing Forecast

Happy New Year!  In past several years, January has traditionally been a cold month around the Treasure Coast.  Hopefully, 2017 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.  Using the right ramps can make your day a little easier in dealing with the weather.  There are many ramps around the area that allow you to launch depending on wind direction.  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 and live bait.  Snook closed on December 15^th, so it will be catch and release for them. 

Redfish can be found around docks and sitting on the flats on warm, sunny days.  The new 2 ¾” DOA shrimp, Terror Eyz or CAL 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 2016 rewarded us with many big fish in the 25” to 30” range.  CAL jerk baits and Deadly Combos were very successful on the trout, and 2017 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

                     




















 


                      
01-03-17 TUESDAY: HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

It's a gorgeous morning at the Sebastian Inlet. Winds are blowing out of the South-Southeast at 7 mph, gusting to 10 and there is a light to moderate chop on the water. There is a slight chance of showers today.

Fishing has been on the slow side but there are fish being landed in all areas, just not in huge numbers. Sheepshead, Jacks, a few Blues, some decent sized Flounder and some Reds and Snook are being landed. 

Our photos today are courtesy of Ryan Roberson. Ryan and his son Matthew fished the south side on and went home with two beautiful Flounder. Ryan is featured in our first photo with his Flounder that was landed off the catwalk using finger mullet. Photo two features Ryan Roberson with a real nice Flounder he landed off the south side rocks, west of the bridge using a Gulp shrimp/jig head. 

From The Crew @ Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

The Pompano fishing on the beach has been good as well as on the Sailfish flats, Stuart causeway and Jensen beach causeway have had Pompano on them too. Nighttime Snook fishing in Ft. Pierce has been good at the Jetty with many good sized fish being caught on Flair hawks. The Dock lights in Stuart have had many big Snook on them, White Deceivers and small mirrolures have worked the best.