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.

How To Clean Snook Boneless Fish Fillets Cheeks Throat Backbone Meat

How To Fillet Grouper Boneless Fillets Cheek Meat Backbone Throat

Big Bank Grouper In Shallow Water Cobia From Bridge

Happy Snooksgiving - Snook Fishing

Sebastian Inlet Report

                                

                                  

11-27-17 MONDAY: SNOOK, REDS, SPANISH MACKEREL, POMPANO, PERMIT, JACKS AND BLUES 

We had a gorgeous Thanksgiving weekend and the crowds at the inlet were intense. People were lined up and down the jetties trying their luck, a lot of boats were out and anglers lined the beaches north and south of the inlet. What a weekend! Fish were cooperating and a good variety of species were landed all over the Park. The surf was decent and surfers were attempting to catch that wedge at first peak while dodging flying fishing gear. Please remember that people go to the State Park for different reasons, everyone has a right to be there and working together is the best solution. Anglers please do not throw lures at passing boats and show courtesy to those surfing the north side. 

Anglers landed a lot of Snook, Reds, Jacks and Black Drum. A few Spanish Mackerel and Sheepshead were active and Sheepshead were landed from the T-Dock. Anglers fishing the beaches landed some nice Pompano and Permit and those fishing the rocks west of the bridge had decent luck with Flounder. Now is the time to get out and enjoy the gorgeous weather and great bite!

Jonathan Reese and his son Brenden have been fishing the inlet together the past ten years and the father and son duo spend 100 - 125 nights fishing although they prefer early morning for Flounder. They fished with childhood friends of Jonathan's who were visiting from Maryland. They caught loads of fish including big Reds, Sheepshead, Barracuda, Mangrove and Mutton Snapper and small Flounder. They returned all under and oversized fish but managed a few nice keepers as well. All of our photos today are courtesy of Jonathan. Nice catches gentlemen!

Absolutely Crushing Snook At The Spillway!!!

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

Its Thanksgiving afternoon and it is nice to be able to report that some fish made it to the cooler this morning. I started at dawn at Middle Cove Beach and the water was a very dirty brown. Unlike this past week where the water was dirtier to the south , as I moved down A1A, it started to clean up a bit. My son Randy and I ended up at Stuart beach where there was no brown water and the first cast with a sand flea scented Fishbite produced a 13 inch croaker. The bite wasnt off the hook for the next two hours but we ended up catching and releasing seven pompano from 8 to 10 inches long, keeping a 15 incher, and putting six big whitng in the cooler also.There was other action also with blue runners and jacks and in the end it was nice just to see the rods bending. Clam strips and Fishbites accounted for all of the activity. Seeing the blue runners and jacks figure into the mix is a good sign because if these species are showing there is some bait in the area and that will get our early winter surf fishing back on track. Look for some increased action with pompano, bluefish, spanish mackerel ,whitng, and croakers in the upcoming days.Find any trace of cleaner green water and there should some of these species willing to take your baits. Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend and get out to the beach.Good luck and catch em up

"Shop Till You Drop"

                               

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Lots of good stuff !

 

Scouting Around Palm Beach/Martin County Area

INSHORE

The beaches in the Jensen area are still a bit lackluster for fishing right now.

The St. Lucie and the Indian River, however, are still firing.

Anglers using live shrimp on quarter-ounce jigs are cleaning up!

Pompano, sheepshead, tripletail, bluefish and Spanish mackerel are all being caught around the docks, seawalls and channel markers.

The power poles spanning the river have also been good.

The redfish bite is still excellent. Though there haven’t been as many big ones the last week, there are still plenty of slot size fish being caught.

At the Boynton Inlet anglers have been catching pompano.

Anglers fishing the Lantana Bridge are reporting catching good-size croaker as well as pompano and sheepshead.

The pompano are being taken on live sand fleas and peeled shrimp and the sheepshead are being caught using clam strips.

 LAKE OKEECHOBEE:

Out on the lake the bass bite is still excellent and best using live shiners.

If going with artificial, however, Rat-L-Traps and Zoom Super Flukes are working well.

The Harney Pond and Long 

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Lots of good stuff in the works!

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

Its 430 Thanksgiving morning and I am starting to put my gear together to head out and hopefully find some conditions that will prompt me to take my rods off of the truck. I spent yesterday morning looking for that opportunity and it did not happen. Dirty off colored water was spread out from the south end of Hutchinson Island to all the way up past Fort Piece Inlet to the Vero Beach area. I started at Tiger Shores beach and looked at Bryn Mawr, Bob Graham, County Line, Normandy, Middle Cove, Blue Heron, South Beach, Porpoise, Navy Seal, Avalon, and finally stopped my drive at Round Island State Park, where I ran into local regular Barry Richards, who was making this northward drive just like I was. The water color on the beaches in the Fort Pierce area were somewhat better than the all of the areas south of Fort Pierce Inlet but still left alot to be desired. I never wet a line but I did receive a text from Barry who had 2 shark bite offs and he finally quit fishing at Round Island when the weeds took over. On an encouraging note , it looked like the water was starting to clean up on South Hutchinson Island yesterday afternoon as I kept looking at the webcam shots as the afternoon wore on. Hopefully a couple of tide changes and the predicted wind shift to the south and southwest will improve our chances. The waders and folks fishing the river in their boats are catching trout, redfish, snook, ladyfish , jacks ,and pompano so if these conditions persist thats always an alternative. The local bridges are producing ladyfish, bluefish, jacks and some pompano also. Either way I hope everyone has a safe and healthy Thanksgiving . Good luck this weekend and catch em up.

Scouting Around Sebastian

 REDS, BLACK DRUM, SNOOK, POMPANO, SPANISH MACKEREL, BLUES, TROUT, SHEEPSHEAD AND MORE! 

We have a beautiful morning at the inlet. Winds are blowing out of the North-northeast at 8mph, gusting to 10 and there is a moderate chop on the water. The forecast is for a mostly sunny day today with showers and thunderstorms predicted for Thursday and Friday. A cold front is predicted to move in over the weekend which could dry things up and give the boaters an opportunity to get off the dock. Always check the NOAA forecast prior to boating.
  We're seeing some nice catches in the Lagoon including good sized Spanish Mackerel, Pompano, Bluefish, Big Jacks, Reds, Snook, Sheepshead, Black Drum and Trout. Most of those species can be landed off both jetties the T-Dock, beaches, inlet rocks and shoreline as well. Fishing is at its peak this time of year, get out and wet a line!

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

I hope everyone who has been waiting for conditions to improve took advantage of the light west winds, sunny skies, and reduced wave heights that we had along our beaches yesterday. The water color was not the best along south Hutchinson Island at beaches like Tiger Shores, Bob Graham, Stuart, and Santa Lucea and the beast combination of small surf and cleaner water seemed to be north of the Fort Pierce Inlet. I received a call Saturday night about the clean green water in that area and headed that way in the dark yesterday morning. My first stop was the beach access adjacent to the Navy Seal Museum in Fort Pierce and conditions looked great. I set my pompano rods out but weedy conditions within the first half an hour chased me from that spot. I moved a little further north on A1A to Round Island Park and found that water very clean and no weeds. I set up on the south end of that area feeling confident that the pompano were going to provide some great action. 

After 20 minutes simultaneous hits on two rods turned out to be rod benders as '' the men in the gray suits'' (blacktip sharks) bit off both of my rigs. Unfortunately for those of us that were fishing that area, these bites continued on almost every cast and one by one the pompano seekers left the beach. I will say the show that these great game fish was spectacular and if you have never hooked a spinner or blacktip from the beach they are spectacular. They jump, leap, and twist as they go airborne and anyone who likes to target these sharks can find them right now at that location. Gear up your tackle because 25-pound pompano leaders rigged with number 1 circle hooks are no match. Use gear and tackle that are heavy enough to get them to the beach in a reasonable amount of time so you can release them to swim away without any chance of damage to the fish. The large concentration of the sharks usually signals conditions and water temperature that are favorable for schools of mackerel and pompano to be in the same area but yesterday if you were a spanish mackerel, or a pompano, you would not have stood a chance the unbelievable numbers of these sharks would have chased you from that beach. The winds are forecast to ramp up on Monday and Tuesday this week, but starting Wednesday and into Thanksgiving weekend things look good. It might get a little damp but the surf should be ok to wet a line. I will be fishing Wednesday and Thursday and will post the results and beach conditions those evenings. Have a great Thanksgiving and try to get out and catch a fish. Good luck and catch em up.

From Capt. Charlie @ Fishing Center - Ft Pierce

Beautiful fall weather along the Treasure Coast has been a welcome change from the heat of summer. Mild temperatures and sunny days make for fun fishing adventures. Water temperatures are in the mid to high seventies and the fish have been biting most days. The water in Fort Pierce has been clearing up gradually in spite of Taylor Creeks draining into the river. Enjoy the change of seasons and get out fishing soon!

Redfish have been around the inlet, docks and mangroves lately. The larger fish have been in the inlet. Snook fishing at night remains good for anglers. Trout have been hanging on grass flats north of Fort Pierce. Try the trusty DOA shrimp for best artificial results. Snapper and sheepshead are under docks north and south of Fort Pierce. Croakers have been in deeper water and are nice sized. Pompano are moving into the area and it should be a good season for the pompano fishermen. November should prove to be an awesome month to fish!

Sebastian Inlet Report

                                 
11-20-17 MONDAY: SPANISH MACKEREL, POMPANO, REDS, SNOOK, BLACK DRUM, BLUES AND JACKS 

The wind is back and so is the bite. We have Northeast winds blowing at 17 mph, gusting to 21 and the water is choppy. Over the weekend the wind settled down but the bite turned off. We received a couple of updates from inlet regulars who reported the slow bite. Tiffany Kelley of Ocoee was on the north jetty Saturday from 6:00 a.m until 2:00 when they went over to the T-Dock and it was slow there as well. She saw a few Pompano and Jacks, Snook were hit or miss. There was a 30 minute flurry of activity when a school of Reds came through and the same with Black Drum, just a short window and they were gone. Tiffany said it was such a beautiful day; they still had a great time! 
   We have heard from a few folks who've been fishing the Indian River Lagoon and have had success with good sized Pompano, Spanish Mackerel and Bluefish! 
   Tony Skinner and his son of Orlando came over to fish the inlet and although the wind and spray were gnarly, they toughed it out, took about and hour to net some bait south of the inlet and they finally got to fish. They fished the catwalk and about an hour after sunset, Tony landed a short Snook that was returned. A fat little mojarra made a nice meal for the 30" slot Snook in our first photo. 
Al Rodriguez is featured in our second photo today. Al landed this huge C/R Red from the north jetty. 
Photo three features Allyn Toth with her very first Bluefish she landed in the IRL on a Vudu mullet. 

Best Snook Fishing Lures Places To Catch Season Locations

From Todd /Trey/ Paul @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

INSHORE:  Snook fishing has stayed good despite the dirty water.  Most are bridges have been holding snook at night, especially on the outgoing tide.  Flair hawks and shrimp jigs have been very productive lures for the snook.  

The dirty water has had other inshore action a bit on the slow side.  Mixed reports of some tarpon and jacks around, but nothing to consistent.

   SURF/PIER:  Less than ideal conditions and dirty water kept surf reports to a minimum this week.  It's a tough week when the catfish are biting at the pier!  If the water cleans back up expect a push of both spanish mackerel and bluefish, and possibly some pompano.  We will try to keep the report updated as things hopefully improve.

Sebastian Inlet Report

                               

11-17-17 FRIDAY: REDS, BLACK DRUM, POMPANO, SHEEPSHEAD AND JACKS 

We have high winds to contend with at the inlet this morning. Winds are blowing out of the North at 20 mph, gusting to 25 and the water is choppy. NOAA is calling for small craft to exercise caution. Boating conditions are predicted to improve through the weekend but seas may remain high. Always check the NOAA forecast prior to boating. Our small inlet can be tough to navigate. For boating tips please see the upper right hand corner of this page. You will also find FWC regulations, catch and release handling and photographing and jetty etiquette. Knowing these things can improve your fishing experience as well as those around you.
  The fish have been biting in spite of the rough waters, if you're brave enough to toss a line out. Drum have a tendency to like the churning conditions, both Red and Black. Black Drum love the stinky baits, including dead shrimp, fresh clams or artificials tipped with the same. If using fresh clams, PLEASE toss your clam shells into the water. One of our favorite fall and winter species are becoming active, Sheepshead are being landed from both catwalks and the T-Dock. Sheepshead love structure and fishing near pilings, fenders and docks can be productive this time of year. Use any type of crustacean for this delicious species. As our water temperature begins to drop we can expect to see the big Blues moving in as well. 
  Our photos today are courtesy of Tyrone of Palm Bay. Tyrone and his three sons fished the north jetty and even with the strong winds and large clumps of seaweed in the water, they managed to land a few nice fish using sand fleas. Son, 8 year old Malachi is featured in our first photo with his largest catch to date, a 27" slot Red. Excellent job Malachi! Our second photo features 10 year old Elijah with a 12" Pompano, very nice! The last photo if of all three boys discussing their fishing techniques. Thanks Tyrone, we love to see young men out fishing and learning environmental stewardship!

Talk-N-Tarpon At Whites Tackle Stuart

Scouting Around Palm Beach/Martin County Area

With winds forecast to blow out of the east-northeast at 15 to 25 mph this weekend, the ocean might be a bit rough for most boaters and anglers.

The good news is that fishing in the St. Lucie and Indian Rivers is still firing.             

Working the channel markers, boat docks and bridge pilings, anglers are having a blast catching sheepshead, drum and tripletail. Jigs tipped with shrimp are working well.

Up around Middle Cove and Bear Point there has been good action on redfish and trout. There is some grass in the area and, though they’re not gator-sized, trout in the 15- to 25-inch range are being caught.

The East Mosquito Bridge is heating up for pompano.

Along the beach in Jupiter and at the Juno Pier the fishing has been good for bluefish, ladyfish, pompano and especially Spanish mackerel.

On the pier, anglers are using spoons and Got-Cha lures for Spanish mackerel, while those working the beaches are have good luck using popping corks combined with Clarkspoons.

If looking to avoid the wind, the Loxahatchee River and the Intracoastal Waterway have been good for redfish, jack crevalle, snook and tarpon.

Along the beaches in the Boynton area, anglers are catching bluefish, jacks, pompano and Spanish mackerel from the south end of Manalapan to about a half mile north of the Boynton Inlet.

LAKE OKEECHOBEE

The bass bite is still good with live shiners working better than artificial baits.

If going with artificial, however, Rat-L-Traps and jerk baits are proving effective.

The speckled perch bite has definitely picked up. Anglers fishing the area around King’s Bar and Taylor Creek are having good luck.

From The Crew @ Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

Inshore the snook fishing has been good in the inlets and bridges at night with jigs and live bait. The trout fishing has been good with a few trout to the north around Queens cove on live shrimp and soft baits. The pompano bite has been good on the incoming tide in the inlet with jigs and sand fleas. 

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Sebastian Inlet Report

                              

11-15-17 WEDNESDAY: SNOOK, REDS, JACKS, POMPANO, SHEEPSHEAD AND BLACK DRUM 

We are still experiencing high winds and rough waters at the inlet. Winds are blowing out of the North-northeast at 23 mph and gusting to 26. NOAA has a small craft advisory in effect through Thursday evening. Poor to hazardous boating conditions for small craft will continue through the week. Winds should begin to subside on Saturday although seas are forecasted to remain high. Boaters may have a slight chance of getting out on Sunday but always check the NOAA forecast prior to boating as conditions can change very quickly. 
  We received an update from Tiffany Kelley of Ocoee who confirmed the rough conditions on Saturday. Tiffany and Felipe Gonzalez drove over from Ocoee to fish the north jetty. They saw Reds, Snook, Jacks, Lookdowns, Black Drum and Pompano coming over the rails. Tiffany landed a Snook that was just shy of the slot and returned it after a quick photo. Rain was coming down off and on all day but the afternoon turned very rough and she said it looked like a scene out of "Deadliest Catch"! It was tough keeping their footing as the waves crashed over the jetty and she only got one photo before she had to put her phone away to keep it dry. The bite was good, so they stayed until the Park closed the jetty then moved to the T-Dock where they landed Sheepshead and Jacks. After a few hours of fishing in heavy rain, they packed up around 8:00 p.m. and took home a nice variety of species. 
  Photos two and three feature Allan Noel of Melbourne with a couple of nice catches he landed November 5th. Although conditions were rough and seaweed was thick, the bite was good. Allan landed the nice 21" Black Drum in photo two and the 31" slot Snook in photo three. 

Fishing Rocks Inshore Snook Jacks Grouper Lady Fish Using Lures

From The Shore

The land based angler will be very happy with the variety of fish that shows up in November. Pompano and flounder will be showing up around our jetties and beaches in good numbers. It’s pretty hard to beat a double hook surf rig. Make sure a little yellow float above the hook and a piece of fish bites tipped with fresh clam is something you’re using on the beach. Fishing around the jetties can be a different story. Fishing for the flounder and other species a live shrimp with a ¼-ounce or 3/8-ounce T&A jig head will definitely be my bait of choice. If I am going to use an artificial lure my choices would be a ¼-ounce Bass Assassin jig head with a Bass Assassin Sea Shad. Drunk Monkey or Panhandle Moon with be my color of choice for the flounder. The artificial lure of choice for the pompano will be a ¼-ounce or a 3/8-ounce pompano jig from T&A Jigs. Pink and chartreuse will be my color of choice.

Now getting into the river. The mullet will still be around, just maybe a little harder to find. But that could be a good thing. Now that the fish don’t have as many options of food, the angler’s chances of catching a good quality fish goes way up. Using top water lures at first light will be very exciting because this time of year I find that I catch quite a few red fish on top water lures, which is always an awesome way to start your morning. Once the sun pops up, you want to go to a darker Bass Assassin lure. This time of year, I find myself using a little bit bigger bait. The Bass Assassin Die Dapper is a little bit bigger then the Sea Shad. And I normally get better quality fish on the bigger bait. Snook will also be on the menu, but remember that season closes in December. Look for them to be just as active as the red fish blowing up on your top waters multiple times before they finally grab it and the drag starts screaming off your reel. Don’t forget to always pinch their tail. The legal-size limit and bag limit is one fish per person per day and the fish has to measure 28-inches to 32-inches with a pinch tale on the East Coast of Florida.

Also, don’t forget to have fun on the water because it is called fishing and not catching. Learning something every time and meeting new people is always something that makes a good day of fishing.

courtesy of & Jayson Arman That’s R-Man Land Based Fishing Services for coastalanglermag.com 

Gerald Goebel with a nice keeper redfish caught on a top water lure along the west side of the Indian River Lagoon first thing in the morning, while fishing with Jayson Arman of that’s R-Man Land Based Fishing. Photo credit: Jayson Arman.

Sebastian Inlet Report

                                                         
11-13-17 MONDAY: REDS, JACKS, SPANISH MACKEREL AND POMPANO 

We had a pretty rough weekend at the inlet for fishing and boating. High winds sent waves crashing over the north jetty and through the grates; the State Park made the decision to close the jetty to fishing Saturday and Sunday evenings for public safety. Keep in mind that if north jetty is closed, there are still plenty of places to fish at Sebastian Inlet!
  In spite of the blown out conditions, fish continued to bite. Big Reds were hitting as were Spanish Mackerel, big Jacks and few Pompano were in the mix as well. 
  Our angler of the day is Johnny Fernandes of New Bedford, MA. Johnny landed this big Jack off the north jetty. Johnny can't wait to get back to the inlet for more fishing! 

Scouting Around Palm Beach/Martin County Area

With winds forecast to blow out of the east-northeast at 15 to 25 mph this weekend, the ocean might be a bit rough for most boaters and anglers.

The good news is that fishing in the St. Lucie and Indian Rivers is still firing.

Working the channel markers, boat docks and bridge pilings, anglers are having a blast catching sheepshead, drum and tripletail. Jigs tipped with shrimp are working well.

Up around Middle Cove and Bear Point there has been good action on redfish and trout. There is some grass in the area and, though they’re not gator-sized, trout in the 15- to 25-inch range are being caught.

The East Mosquito Bridge is heating up for pompano.

Along the beach in Jupiter and at the Juno Pier the fishing has been good for bluefish, ladyfish, pompano and especially Spanish mackerel.

On the pier, anglers are using spoons and Got-Cha lures for Spanish mackerel, while those working the beaches are have good luck using popping corks combined with Clarkspoons.

If looking to avoid the wind, the Loxahatchee River and the Intracoastal Waterway have been good for redfish, jack crevalle, snook and tarpon.

Along the beaches in the Boynton area, anglers are catching bluefish, jacks, pompano and Spanish mackerel from the south end of Manalapan to about a half mile north of the Boynton Inlet.

LAKE OKEECHOBEE

The bass bite is still good with live shiners working better than artificial baits.

If going with artificial, however, Rat-L-Traps and jerk baits are proving effective.

The speckled perch bite has definitely picked up. Anglers fishing the area around King’s Bar and Taylor Creek are having good luck.

report courtesy of Palm Beach Post

From Todd /Trey/ Paul @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

INSHORE-  Snook fishing remains the best game in town, especially around the bridges at night.  The shrimp jig bite is really firing up as the weather cools and the mullet continue to thin out.  That said, the snook are still responding well to the end of the season run of mullet so keep some X-Raps or Yo-Zuri's in the bag in case a school of mullet swims by.  Some big jacks are cruising seawalls in the ICW early in the morning.  Munyon Island and the Home Sound Flats are beginning to come to life with cooler water temps.  Mostly jacks and ladyfish now, but a few spotted sea trout are starting to filter in as well.

                             

SURF/PIER-  Surf fishing continues to be very good.  Lots of Spanish Mackerel around, including some really nice ones.  Lots of good lure options for the Macs right now including; Gotcha plugs, X-Raps, Spoons, Diamond Jigs, and the bobber rig with a Clark Spoon.  All those lures are also effective for the large numbers of bluefish that are around.  Scattering of pompano around; with the pomps biting on a day to day basis.  One day it's a hot bite on the pomps, the next they are nowhere to be found.  Still a few snook mixed in with all of the fall species surprisingly, as well as some redfish.  Good action, well worth going if you have a chance! 

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

It seems like this is the same information that I posted last week and I am sure its going to sound very familiar. There are definitely some fish migrating into our area and the key again today was to find the cleanest water. I had some friends that fished on the southern end of Hutchinson Island at Tiger Shores, Santa Lucea, and Stuart beach, but that action proved to be slow with a couple of whiting and jacks proving to be the only species taken. I found some cleaner green water at Middle Cove Beach and fished with Chuck Frith of Jensen Beach. We were lucky enough to put a few big pompano, whiting and bluefish in the cooler, along with playing catch-and-release with some nice jacks and ladyfish. Fishbites and clam strips produced all of the bites at this spot and the fish were staying out in the second trough, 70 - 90 yards off of the beach. The bluefish activity was picking up steam when we left the beach and I am sure cut mullet fished on a bottom rig would have produced those bites all afternoon. As November moves along the ticket is still going to be fishing in cleaner green water, so look before you get situated with all of your gear. This weekend is not going to be kind to anyone looking to bend a rod whether you are going to target the surf or head offshore in a boat. The wind is forecast to come from the north on Friday at 20 knots and the increase to 20 - 25 knots on Saturday into Saturday night. I really feel bad for all of the folks that were planning on targeting red snapper over the weekend as that fishery will shut down again Sunday night. There are plenty of mackerel, bluefish, and pompano being caught north of Vero Beach in the surf and as those schools head down the coast, our fishing will only get better. 

Scouting Around Sebastian

                             


It's a beautiful morning at the Sebastian Inlet. Winds are blowing out of the North-northwest at 3 mph, gusting to 5 and there is a light chop on the water. We have good conditions for boating today but a cold front that is moving down the state Friday morning will cause seas to build, creating hazardous boating conditions for the weekend, particularly small craft. By Veteran's Day wind gusts could be as high as 30 mph. It looks like the Red Snapper will be safe the last three days of the season. 
   Tommy Turowski at the Sebastian Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop reports a very good bite at the inlet. In spite of all the wind, rough conditions and seaweed this week, the fish kept on biting. A very good variety of species have been landed from the jetties, beaches, T-dock, shoreline and Indian River Lagoon. Species include Snook, Reds, Black Drum, Spanish Mackerel, Jacks, Lookdowns, Spotted Sea Trout, Pompano, Permit and even a few Blues. We have great fall fishing at the inlet, get out and have some fun!
   Our photos today are courtesy of Tiffany Kelley of Ocoee. Tiffany and her boyfriend Felipe Gonzalez love to come over and fish the inlet and many times they stay an entire weekend.Tiffany reported and fantastic day on the north jetty. There were lots of Reds coming over the rails along with Pompano, Permit, Snook and Blues! The couple used live shrimp and did quite well. Tiffany has been trying to land a slot Red for years and it finally happened, she landed the 24" keeper in our first photo. Photo two features Felipe with a 32" slot Snook and the final photo is of Tiffany with a 14" Permit. Great catches Tiffany and Felipe!


SISP info: Surf Fishing Workshop November 18th from 1:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. Surf fishing class designed to introduce anglers to the basics of surf fishing. Discussions center on the equipment needed to enjoy a productive surf fishing day at the beach. Topics include rod and reel selection, standard pompano rig, choosing bait and more. Anglers should bring a pen/pencil and something to write on.
Meet at the Sebastian Fishing Museum. 

How Skinny Water Became Skinny....Interview with Vince Segura of Skinny Water Culture.

Barefoot Wading In A Cypress Swamp!

From Capt. Charlie @ Fishing Center - Ft Pierce

November is always a fun month to enjoy the fishing along the Treasure Coast. We are in the middle of our winter transition and you can also count on cooler temperatures that will start the thermometer sliding when it comes to the water temps as well. The days will remain nice and warm, but the nights will become cooler this month. It’s time to change your fishing tactics out on the water. We enjoyed a very mild winter this past year and hopefully it will be the same again this winter. The fall mullet run will continue into November and bring lots of action to the inlets, rivers and beaches throughout the area. The water on the Treasure Coast still remains dirty in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma and the effects of the drainage and run off into the area. 
Trout will continue to be a target of many anglers. The trout bite will be good on the flats, but you must move to the deeper areas as the temperatures cool the water down. Look for them to be in three to six feet of water this month. My favorite lures are DOA shrimp or Deadly Combos when trout fishing. Don’t forget to fish the sand holes and drop offs on the flats. Many sand holes are much deeper than the flat and you can expect some nice fish to be hiding in them waiting for that easy meal to drift by. Harbor Branch is especially productive for me during this time of year as well as the Midway Road area. The pompano are beginning to return to the river and will be a favorite target for anglers throughout the winter. When fishing the surf, use sand fleas or clams and the same in the river. Don’t forget to try a Doc’s Goofy Jig for the pomps. Many are located when they skip behind the boat wake. Keep your eyes open for them.

The snook bite will continue to be good, especially at night. The inlet, jetties, bridges and docks around the river will be holding snook. Lighted docks are very popular when night fishing. Live baits, Bait Busters and Terror Eyz are very popular for snook fishing. Don’t forget the spillways when the water is running over them. They can be another very productive area for snook. Redfish can be found hanging under mangroves during the day and will strike a DOA 2 ¾” shrimp or CAL jerk bait. You might also find some hanging under some of the docks around the river. Look for them in shallow water as long as the sun keeps the temperatures warm. I love the CAL grub tails this time of year around the mangroves. A gold spoon can be another good lure in winter for hooking up on a redfish. We had a record year for over slot redfish this year. The population continues to grow in our area.

Docks and bridges will hold black drum, sheepshead and the sand perch should also show up this month. Live or dead shrimp always works best on these fish. I love fishing docks this time of year. You just never know what might be lurking under one. I fish my lures from up tide of the dock, so that it will stay under the dock. You only have to twitch it and can fish it much longer that way. It’s always a challenge in getting a fish out from under one, but the excitement is well worth it. You should still find some flounder around on the sand flats of the inlet and river. The mackerel, bluefish and jacks will fill up the inlet this month. Most shiny lures will work on these predators. You can also find them hanging in the channels up around Harbor Branch. It might be breezy out there…..but the fish will be feeding!

Sebastian Inlet Report

                                
11-07-17 TUESDAY: A GOOD VARIETY OF SPECIES ARE BITING! 

It's a real nice morning at the Sebastian Inlet. Winds are blowing out of the North-northwest at 12 mph, gusting to 14 and there is a light to moderate chop on the water. Conditions are beginning to calm down and we should have decent boating conditions until Friday when it starts to deteriorate once again. We also have a chance of showers this afternoon.
  We're seeing a good variety of species at the inlet. Snook, Reds, Black Drum, Jacks, Spanish Mackerel, Pompano, Lookdowns and a few Blues are beginning to make an appearance. Get out and wet a line!
  We received an update from Allan Noel of Melbourne who fished from the north jetty Sunday and Monday. Allan did quite well both days, in spite of the rough conditions and seaweed in the water. He landed two slot Snook, keeping only one and returning the other, a 21" Black Drum and a 27" slot Red on Sunday. Yesterday he reported quite a few Pompano and Lookdowns. 
 Our first photo features Allan with the 27" slot Red he landed using live shrimp and photo two is of one of two slot Snook he landed from the north jetty as well. 

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

Things are starting to develop along our local beaches. Pompano, whiting, and bluefish are all showing up in the daily catches and this should only get better. Diversity was the key word on Wednesday when my son Randy, long-time friend Chuck, and myself caught pompano, whiting, sail catfish, bonnet head shark, sheepshead, blue runners, jacks, palometa, bluefish and one snook. The location was Tiger Shores Beach and the successful baits were sand flea scented Fishbites, clam strips, and cut mullet for the bluefish. I fished Stuart Beach today and caught pompano, big whiting, and bluefish. The water had more green to it than the dirty brown color we have had for the past month and that’s the key to finding the action right now. I highly recommend checking the color of the water before you unload all of your gear and look at a few spots before you set up. Tiger Shores, Stuart Beach, and Santa Lucea have had some decent water the past three days and I plan on hitting one of those spots tomorrow morning. EZ Flea Fishbites, clam strips, and cut mullet or jacks will all get you some activity. High tide will be in the 8 - 9 am time frame so target the morning to increase your chances. The north to northeast winds predicted this weekend should be moving more schools of our winter species into the area.