Tuesday, February 27, 2018

RUN OFF BARRAMUNDI FISHING- INSANE BARRAMUNDI STRIKE- 5.5 INCH WESTIN SH...

Buggs Fishing Lures

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

                          

"The whiting are biting" battle cry, made famous by the number one outdoor columnist in the southeast, Ed Killer, from TC Palm publications, is certainly being heard along our local beaches. These hard pulling tasty fish are being caught everywhere along the Treasure Coast. All of the reports I received from this past weekend support that statement and it really didn't make any difference as to what beach you fished. We are starting to see some spring patterns developing for the whiting and croaker fishery as they are still being caught on the long rods set up for pompano, as well as folks that are fishing light tackle 20 to 40 yards from the beach. I joined my son Randy and his father in law Barry Rashkin on Sunday morning for a short period of time hoping to land a few pompano. The water was somewhat off color so the pompano bite did not happen, but the whiting more than made up for their absence. When I had to leave to prepare for a seminar presentation in the afternoon, we had about a dozen nice whiting in the cooler. After I left my expanded family made a move to Tiger Shores Beach and they added another 13 nice whiting. Barry topped the day off with a nice pompano he caught on a Fishbite. It seems there were a few pompano everywhere but not a lot in any one location. I spoke with some fellow anglers that fished the Hobe Sound beaches and they reported a few pompano along with lots of nice whiting. We are expecting a front to come through the area the latter part of this week and that might translate into some good pompano numbers. The forecast through Friday looks like we are going to have some nice conditions to fish the beach. The northerly 15 to 20 knot winds are expected to start Friday night. The chances of bending a rod look pretty good this week with pompano and lots of whiting looking to provide the action. EZ Flea and Orange Clam Fishbites, clam strips, and natural sand fleas will put fish in the cooler. Good luck this week and catch em up.

Sebastian Inlet Report

                                                       

SNOOK, JACKS, SHEEPSHEAD, BLACK DRUM, AND POMPANO

Winds are blowing out of the Southwest at 5 mph, gusting to 9 and there is a light to moderate chop on the water.  The forecast is for winds to shift to the Southeast this afternoon, bringing us a slight chance of showers.
The bite has been fair.  Tommy Turowski at the Sebastian Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop reports that over the weekend the dominant species were Snook, Jacks and Sheepshead.  A few Pompano and Black Drum rounded out the mix.  The Flounder never really showed up for long this season but we still have a shot at them, let’s keep our fingers crossed.
Our photo today is from the archives and features retired SISP employee, Barbara Courtney.  Barbara is featured today with a real nice Flounder she landed during a better run a years ago.  

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

After cancelling a surf charter for this morning due to the 25 knot east and southeast winds I took a ride up to the beach to see how diffulcult the conditions were. The areas I looked at on Hutchinson Island were totally unfishable. I proceeded to take a ride to Bridge Road Beach in Hobe Sound and found the wind just as strong in that area. The one feature of a few beach areas in Hobe Sound is the outer bar is much more pronounced and built up in a few spots and will actually knock the big waves down as they build from the easterly winds. This has made the offshore or second trough much deeper than it was before Hurricane Irma. The surf was still up considerably but with the use of the 5-ounce sputnik sinkers I was able to put a couple of baits out to see if any pompano, whiting, bluefish, jacks, or blue runners were going to show in these stirred up conditions. Believe me, cancelling the charter was the right call because on most days with these conditions bites are far and few between. but I guess nobody told the species listed above because they were all active and biting in the few hours that I fished. 15 whiting, 3 pompano,and 2 bluefish found the inside of my cooler and I released jacks and blue runners. A good sign along the Hobe Sound beach was the abundance of sand fleas that were evident along the shore line. Orange Clam Fishbites with clam strips was the hot bait for the whiting and the pompano. Our beach depths,cuts, and overall characteristics change constantly so looking for deep water areas will increase your success on days like today.
                                   

Sebastian Inlet Report


 Winds are blowing out of the East-Southeast at 15 mph, gusting to 19 and there is a moderate chop on the water.  NOAA is advising small craft to exercise caution.
The north jetty was crowded with anglers fishing in the churned up conditions yesterday.  The bite was on the slow side and not much came over the rails in the morning hours.  A few Snook were landed but none were in the slot.  A couple of Whiting, small Sheepshead and one slot Red was landed in the early morning hours. Anglers were trying a variety of baits.
Our angler of the day is James Taylor.  James landed the enormous Black Drum in the photo off the north jetty Saturday night.  James said the fish weighed over 50 lbs.!  He was using clams for bait.  What a beast!

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Braid Vs Mono

How To with Big Dave's land based lessons. How to get tight!

No matter where you fish or what you're after, you need to dedicate your time and effort to learning the fishery. Knowledge can make or break your day. Absorb everything, ignore and exclude no part of the experience. Take you're time, explore, experiment and allow yourself to come up empty because that's how you learn.

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

                       

Beautiful weather and great surf fishing has been the theme for this Presidents Day holiday weekend. Reports from a number of beaches along Hutchinson Island on Saturday had the whiting, bluefish, and pompano being taken both on the morning and afternoon tides. The biggest challenge of a number of folks looking to bend a rod was trying to find a parking place at various locations. Bob Graham and Bryn Mawr beach areas had a pretty decent pompano bite while to the north, Middle Cove yielded pompano, bluefish, and whiting. Mike and Tania Schulze from Ft Pierce joined my son Randy and I this morning for a surf fishing charter and their first attempt at landing a pompano from the sand. After a quick orientation of casting methods, drag settings, and bait presentation they were off and running and had a nice catch of nine pompano, bluefish, and blue runners. They also got to witness a speedy shark make one of their hooked pompano into a noon time lunch. In the calm clear water this occurence was spectacular. The pompano were favoring plain Fishbites today in the Orange Clam and EZ Flea scents. We also managed to catch a couple on clam strips tipped with Fishbites and the outgoing tide proved to be the time when the bite was at its best. The attached photo only shows eight of the nine pompano because one was hiding in the bottom of the cooler when we spread the fish out. If you are heading out tomorrow, Monday, check any of the beaches from Santa Lucea north and as long as the water stays the nice color it has been, the opportunity to put a few fish in the cooler could come from most any location. 

Wanted to post a quick seminar update about upcoming dates.I will be heading to Dania Beach Bass Pro Shops next Saturday, the 24th to do Surf Fishing For Pompano Seminar at 1:30 and 3:00 . The Seminar that precedes mine at 12 noon is being presented by nationally -renowned ,Emmy nominated television host, professional angler, and 3 time World Sailfish Champion, Peter Miller. Peter is the host of the popular TV show Bass2Billfish that appears on NBC Sports and the World Fishing Network on a weekly basis. The Dania Beach Bass Pro Shop is a beautiful facility ,complete with everything from fantastic merchandise , a huge aquarium , and a fantastic restaurant . The address is 200 Gulf Stream Way,Dania Beach 33004. The phone number is 954 929 7710. On Sunday , the 25th, I will be back at Bass Pro Shops ,Port St Lucie to do a general overview seminar on surf strategies, tackle, and what species to target at different times of the year.This will start at 3:30 in front of the aquarium. Finally , on Saturday March 3 , I will be in Daytona Beach at the Daytona International Speedway doing the surf fishing portion of George Poveromos Saltwater Sportsman Magazine National Seminar Series event. This is the longest running and most widely attended Seminar program in the country and it is my understanding there are still a limited amount of tickets left .You can click on NationalSeminarSeries.com or call 800-447-7360 for tickets.

Sebastian Inlet Report


                   

REDS, SNOOK, SHEEPSHEAD, BLACK DRUM, POMPANO, BLUES AND WHITING
Winds are blowing out of the East at 16 mph, gusting to 18 and there is a moderate chop on the water.
Over the weekend there was a decent bite and steady action according to Tommy Turowski at the Sebastian Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop.  Big Reds, Snook and Sheepshead were the most dominant species.  A few Black Drum, Blues, Pompano and Whiting rounded out the catches.  Live shrimp was working for most species. 
Our photos today are courtesy of Trina and Ponce Perone.  Trina and Ponce made the drive over from the west coast to fish the inlet and weren’t disappointed.  Our featured photo is of Trina with a big Black Drum.  Photos below are of Ponce with a nice sized Black Drum and Trina with a couple of Sheepshead.  

Friday, February 16, 2018

From Todd &Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

             
photo courtesy of Jayson Arman

INSHORE-  Warming weather has the snook fishing really heating up.  Good number of snook around the bridges at night, and locked tight to seawalls and under boat docks during the day.  Live shrimp is still a solid choice for the snook, but bigger baitfish are going to start to come into play as well.  Flair hawk jigs and bigger swimsuits will also remain solid baits for the snook.  Action around Munyon Island remains good with a nice mixture of species around.  Some sheepshead still biting around area bridges on fresh cut shrimp.


SURF/PIER-  Pompano action was fair this week.  Some anglers tracked down good numbers, while others picked away at one here and there.  Sandfleas, clams, and FishBites are the top bait choices for the pompano right now.  Good number of bluefish around as well as some Spanish Mackerel.   The spinner sharks have started to show up in pretty good numbers as well.  Late winter/early springtime action in full effect right now...should be a good weekend to go give them a shot on the beach! 

Sebastian Inlet Area

                 

          THE BITE IS PICKING UP!

The Sebastian Inlet State Park is executing a prescribed burn on the Southeast side of the inlet today.  Access to the south beach will be limited.
Winds are blowing out of the South-Southwest at 7 mph and gusting to 10 this morning, there is a light chop on the water.  Waters are warming up due to the nice weather we’ve had all week.  It looks like the weather is going to cooperate and our boaters are going to be able to get offshore weekend!
The bite has been picking up gradually as the water warms up.  Tommy Turowski at the Sebastian Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop reports the action has been steady. Quite a few Snook have been coming over the rails, many are oversized, some are under and a few have been in the slot of 28” – 32”.  Black Drum have been active as well as Sheepshead, Pompano, Reds, Blues and small Jacks.  Thanks Tommy!
photo courtesy of Joey Antonell @ h2o vinyl designs


Scouting Around Palm Beach / Martin County Area

Along the beaches in Jupiter, anglers have been having good luck catching pompano, Spanish mackerel and bluefish.
For pompano the key has been finding that seafoam green water. Remember to use a colorful lure like a Doc’s Goofy Jig or bonefish jig, as they have poor eyesight.
The Intracoastal Waterway in the Jupiter area has been a great bet recently. One angler fishing between channel marker 42 and 44 reported catching pompano, croaker and jack crevalle. All were caught using Doc’s Goofy Jigs.
There have also been some snook around and, although they are not in season, are still a blast to catch.
Mullet are working best for snook, but if you can’t find them, lures that look like mullet like an X-Rap are also good.
                       
The Lake Worth Inlet has been fantastic lately for jack crevalle. These hard-fighting, rod benders are occasionally being located in the thousands and are hitting with great consistency on live shrimp on a bucktail, and jig.
In addition, large schools of sheepshead have traveled underneath the jacks.
Bluefish, jack crevalle and pompano have dominated the surf for anglers fishing the beaches in South Palm Beach, Lantana, Boynton, Gulfstream and Delray.
Pompano have been hitting sand fleas or Doc’s Goofy Jigs during the first 2 to 3 hours out of the outgoing tide while jacks and bluefish have been hitting top-water lures and spoons early in the morning until about 10 a.m.
Boynton Inlet anglers have caught sheepshead up to 10 pounds using live crabs off the north jetty.
Jack crevalle, spots and snook have fed on live shrimp fished on the bottom.
There have been a few flounder up to 7 pounds caught off the south wall at the inlet by anglers slowly bouncing half- to three quarter-ounce green jig heads tipped with live shrimp off the bottom during the last half-hour of incoming tide.
Reports of bonefish up to 10 pounds being caught and released on the flats just northeast of the inlet have been reported. They were caught on 9-weight flyrods using EP Ghost Shrimp and Christmas Island Special fly patterns. Using the same flies also caught spotted seatrout and mangrove snapper around docks along Manalapan and Hypoluxo Island.
Using jig heads tipped with live shrimp has been providing good catch and release action on small snook, ladyfish and drum under the Lantana Bridge.
LAKE OKEECHOBEE
The speckled perch bite has been excellent lately. The best action on these tasty pan fish has been just into the Kissimmee River and along the pass and they are hitting on minnows and jigs.

The bass bite has picked up with the warmer weather. They are being taken mostly using live shiners, but working the grass areas and lilly pads with artificial frogs and speed worms has been producing as well.
report courtesy of Palm Beach Post
 

Thursday, February 15, 2018

Capt C.A. Signature Knots

From The Crew @ Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart


Inshore the pompano bite has been steady in the inlet and J.C Park sandflease have produced well and the new Mr. Pompano soft sandflea jigs have been working good to we have plenty so stop on in and check them out. The snook bite has been hit or miss around the bridges and in the inlet on both incoming and outgoing tides. 

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Mono Leader Vs Fluorocarbon Leader

Sebastian Inlet Report


                                   


BLACK DRUM, SHEEPSHEAD, REDS, POMPANO AND JACKS


Winds are blowing out of the North at 12 mph, gusting to 13 this morning and there is a light chop on the water.  We have a foggy morning at the inlet and it’s predicted to stick with us through mid day when winds are forecasted to shift to the East.  There is a slight chance of showers.
The north jetty was crowded with anglers yesterday.  It was a glorious day with lots of sunshine and a nice breeze.  Quite a few boats were anchored out off the tip off the jetty but from what we could tell, they weren’t having any more luck than the shore based anglers.  The bite was fair and a few real nice fish came over the rails.  The Sting Rays have thinned out; only one was landed in the morning hours.  Several anglers were having luck with Snook but unfortunately, one gentleman kept landing undersized (5) and one kept landing oversized (2), all which were safely released.  A real nice Pompano in the 20” range was landed, some small jacks, a few nice Black Drum, a couple of Sheepshead and a few slot Reds rounded out the mixed bag. Anglers were using a variety of baits including live and dead shrimp, sand fleas and clams and some were using artificials.
Our featured photo today is of John Day of Columbus, OH.  John and his lovely wife were fishing the north jetty when he landed his beautiful 26” slot Red using live shrimp.  Our second photo is of the big Pompano that was landed yesterday and the last photo is of an angler pulling in an oversized C/R Snook.

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

                     
Hobe Sound continues to be the area to target if you want to put together a nice catch of tasty pompano. I fished by myself today and wound up with a limit plus of pompano, blue runners, jacks, and bluefish. The nice part of the body of pompano that are currently along the Hobe Sound beaches is that you don't have to worry about catching and releasing fish that are under the 11 inch minimum size. All of the ones I was lucky enough to catch today were well above that minimum mark. EZ Flea Fishbites was the hot bait today as most of the pompano preferred the artificial bait over the clam strips and sand fleas. The bluefish schools were somewhat thinned out over some previous days and here is a little tip for when they show up in big numbers: remove your clam strips and natural sand fleas from your bait spread for a period of time and fish with the artificial Fishbites. They will still hit the Fishbites but the natural scent of the clam strips and sand fleas will keep the bluefish schools in the area you are fishing. I certainly do not want to give anyone the idea that bluefish are not a fun gamefish to do battle with, but if you are targeting pompano, the blues can chase the pompano from the area. Blues definitely put up a great fight and if put on the grill when they are fresh they can provide a great dinner. Our winter surf fishery is definitely in high gear when you can catch a nice recreational limit and play catch-and-release after you achieve your limit. Factor in the other species like bluefish, whiting, croaker, jacks, and blue runners that are presently available to us and it all adds up to a rod-bending day on the sand. Weather looks good for the rest of the week so good luck and catch em up.

Sebastian Inlet Report

                                                                                           Winds are blowing out of the South-Southeast at 8 mph, gusting to 12 and there is a moderate chop on the water.  We have a slight chance of showers this afternoon.
Tommy Turowski at the Sebastian Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop reported an incredible Saturday over the weekend. All kinds of species were hitting most of the day.  Sunday the wind picked up again and shut down the bite.  This morning we have a lot of anglers on the north jetty hoping to get some of that Saturday action back into play.  It’s a lovely day to just get out and enjoy the beautiful weather!
Our photos today are courtesy of Rich Blum.  Rich is back for the winter and his son Brian was able to come this past weekend from Huntersville, NC to do some fishing.  Rich said the bite really turned on midmorning Saturday as did the competition for space.  The dominant species were Black Drum.  Rich said at least 30 came over the rails while they were there.  Most of the drum were over 28”.  Rich landed the good sized Drum in our photo after losing two.    Sheepshead, Snook, Whiting and Pompano were in the mix as well.  Brian’s Snook was 33” and had to be gently released but he was thrilled to have landed it!  The men were using a variety of baits, shrimp for the Snook and clam and shrimp combos for the Black Drum.  

Monday, February 12, 2018

TRASH FISH Catch & Cook: LADYFISH...

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

A little more wind from the southeast today stirred things up a little bit but the water was beautiful in Hobe Sound and the pompano, whiting, blue runners, and more bluefish than you can count provided non-stop action from the Bridge Road beach access. I fished with the regular assotment of EZ Flea and Orange Clam Fishbites, clam strips, and sand fleas. The Bridge Road beach areas have undergone a lot of bottom changes since last year and I was able to find some areas that had plenty of water - even at low tide, and that's where these fish were holding. I talked to local surf regular, Barry Richards this afternoon, he fished locally at Tiger Shores and caught jacks and ladyfish. Barry said the water was somewhat off color. 
                                               
Warm temperatures, good surf conditions, pompano, whiting, croaker, bluefish, and jacks prowling the local beaches all add up to some great surf fishing. Today was definitely a Chamber of Commerce day in our area and the good news is the fish were caught from Hobe Sound to Stuart Beach in perfect conditions. I fished with my son Randy and his in-laws, Bonnie and Barry Rashkin from Palm City and Marty Barlow from Port St Lucie, and everyone contributed to a nice cooler of all the above species - with the exception of the jacks that were all released. We fished at Stuart Beach but talking to some friends who fished in Hobe Sound, they also experienced the same type of activity. Fishbites, clam strips, fresh shrimp, and sandfleas were the baits we used with great success. Use the long rods to reach the pompano, but the whiting and croaker can be caught on light tackle 10 - 20 yards from the edge of the surf. Target the hours around the high tide mark if you want to be successful fishing the first trough. The 80 degree tempertures are forecast to carry through the weekend so get out and enjoy some of this great fishing.

Sebastian Inlet Report

                                        
Winds are blowing out of the East at 8 this morning; gusting to 10 and the water has a light to moderate chop.  A front moved through yesterday afternoon that created dense sea fog which enveloped the inlet anglers but it’s long gone.  It’s hot and sunny at the inlet this morning.  NOAA is advising small craft to exercise caution.  Tommy Turowski at the Sebastian Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop reports the bite from the north jetty yesterday included a few Snook, some Sheepshead, one Pompano and a couple of Blues.  Earlier in the week it was all about Sting Rays and big Sharks.  This morning there has been Pompano activity.  Sportswriter and fishing Guru Ed Killer reports a steady Trout bite for anglers fishing the early outgoing tide at the inlet.
Our photo today is courtesy of Patrick Monaghan of Melbourne Beach and features Augusto Rozados of Hollywood, FL.  Augusto fished the north beach, Wind, weeds and waves created a challenge for surf fishing.  Augusto had landed only two Whiting for the day’s effort but a little change in luck brought in his nice Pompano using sand fleas.  A couple of short Pompano were landed and returned. 

Friday, February 9, 2018

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

                               
Warm temperatures and fishable conditions look to be on tap this week along our local beaches. It is nice to be able to say that we are going to have a stretch of days where the wind forecast doesn't have the number 20 in it when it comes to predicted speeds. I fished on Monday at Bridge Road beach access in Hobe Sound and put some nice pompano in the cooler along with catching and releasing lots of bluefish. EZ Flea Fishbites caught all of the pompano while clam strips accounted for the bluefish. The bluefish bite was up and down the entire beach and the folks fishing cut mullet and fresh jack chunks were constantly hooking up. I spoke with some friends who fished Santa Lucea and Stuart Beach and they all reported steady action with bluefish, whiting, and a few pompano. Target the hours around the high tide mark this week and with the spread of fish we are seeing, the chances of bending a rod are excellent. Fish bites, Clam Strips, Sand fleas, and any type of cut bait should all be in your bait selection to take advantage of this great winter fishery.

From Todd &Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

INSHORE-  A bit spotty on the inshore front this week.  Snook fishing has been good, with the bridges producing some decent catches at night.  The flats around Munyon Island and Hobe Sound have been producing a mixed bag of species.  Sheepshead have been biting around the bridges on fresh shrimp.  A few reports of some pompano around in the Loxahatchee River and ICW.  Other inshore action remains spotty.
                         
​photo courtesy of Pompano Rich


SURF/PIER-  Pompano fishing has been good over the past week, and should remain good for the near future(as long as the sharks don't scare everything off!).  Sandfleas, clams, and Fishbites are the baits of choice for the pompano.  Best pompano action has been north of Jupiter Inlet, with some fair catches also coming at the Juno Beach Pier and along Juno Beach.  Low light periods of the day are best for the pompano.  Spanish Mackerel and Bluefish remain scattered up and down the beach in fair numbers.  This week saw a nice push of Spinner Sharks along the beach as well.   The spinner sharks are great fun on light tackle, especially on topwater lures.


From The Crew @ Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart


                          

Inshore the trout and reds have been around the spoil islands to the north of north bridge soft baits and copper spoons have produced the best. The snook bite has been ok on the jetty and the bridges with a few nice fish around on the outgoing tide on jigs. 

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Sebastian Inlet Report

THE BITE HAS BEEN FAIR

We have a lovely morning at the Sebastian Inlet.  Winds are blowing out of the East-Southeast at 8 mph, gusting to 9 and there is a moderate chop on the water.  The short-lived cold front that pushed through yesterday afternoon is long gone and seas are beginning to subside.  We should have a couple of nice days for our boaters Wednesday and Thursday but by Thursday night an East-Northeast wind surge will cause seas to start building again through Friday, just in time for the weekend.  This is the forecast but it can change; always check the NOAA forecast prior to boating.
Tommy Turowski at the Sebastian Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop reported the weekend was just fair.  A few Snook and Reds were landed and a smattering of Blues and Black Drum came over the rails.  Quite a few Sheepshead were landed, they seemed to be the dominant species.  Some Pompano and Whiting were landed in the surf.  

Friday, February 2, 2018

Back BUSTING Fish Make GROWN Men CRY! - EPIC Topwater Popper Fishing!

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

 It's Friday and we're looks like two great days to hit the beach. This past Monday was very fishable and pompano, whiting, jacks, and bluefish were caught at Bob Graham, Tiger Shores, and Stuart beaches on Hutchinson Island and the Bridge Road Beach in Hobe Sound produced an all morning Pompano bite. Look for this action to pick right back up on Thursday as long as the clean water that was with us in the beginning of the week returns.Fishbites, clam strips, and natural sand fleas all produced on Monday. Do not be afraid to take a look at a few beaches if your initial location has some off colored water on Thursday. 

If anyone missed the Surf Fishing for Pompano Seminar at Bass Pro Shops in Port St Lucie on January 20 and 21, I have been asked to do another presentation at Bass Pro Shops in Dania Beach on February 24 at 130 PM. This Bass Pro Shops is one of the larger stores in Florida and has aisle after aisle of great merchandise plus The Islamorada Fish Company Restaurant , all under one roof. If anyone wants further information please feel free to contact me on this page or call the Dania Beach Store at 954-929-7710

From Capt. Charlie @ Fishing Center - Ft Pierce

While winter is still around the Treasure Coast and weekly cold fronts will continue to bring cool nights and lots of windy days to the area, fishing will still be good out on the water. It has been a tough winter so far with all the rain, winds and cold. Water temperatures can dictate where and how you might fish on any given day this month. January was a much warmer month this year. When the water is cold, fish the deeper cuts and drop offs of the river. Sunny days will bring fish up in shallower waters to feed and the bite can really get hot out on the flats.
The trout bite picks up very nicely in February. 2017 proved to be the year of big trout in the Fort Pierce area. I anticipate that 2018 will be another big fish year around the area. CAL jerk baits and Deadly Combos are exciting ways to trout fish with artificial lures, while live shrimp on popping corks are the ol’ standard way to trout fish out on the river. Redfish can be found in shallow flats around mangroves and islands. We had a fantastic winter bite in 2017 around the docks and mangroves for redfish. On warm sunny days, the reds will sit around the mangroves and soak up the sun. Finding some along the mangroves will bring some good rod bending action to anglers this month. DOA shrimp and CAL jerk baits can find some hungry reds hugging the mangrove lines when fished very slowly. Docks are a great way to find plenty of fish waiting for something tasty to drift under them.

Sheepshead will be plentiful around the river and the larger fish will be coming into the river to breed. They showed up early this year and January has been a great month for them. Live or dead shrimp around bridges, docks and structure can provide lots of action in addition to some great tasting fish. Sand perch and croakers should also be hanging around the inlet and bridges during February. Pompano around the surf and on the deeper flats of the river can be taken on CAL grub tails, Doc’s Goofy Jigs and shrimp or clams. Bluefish, mackerel and jacks will continue to haunt the baitfish around the jetties and turning basin. Small, shiny lures will keep you busy. There should be some flounder around the back sides of the jetties and on sand flats around the inlet area.

February is a transition month on the river. Winter has been challenging this year on the Treasure Coast. We have enjoyed more normal winter weather and the fish bite has been good for us. Winds will still be blowing and the water will begin to gradually rise in temperature. Fishing your lures slowly will certainly give you more action on the river. Fish tend to be sluggish in the colder water. Working your lures or bait slower along the bottom will give the fish more time to react to it and will result in more bites for anglers. 

From Todd &Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

                        
INSHORE-  Snook season is back open, and the slot size fish have been around.  Look for the bridges to produce at night; especially on outgoing tide.  Flair Hawks, Shrimp Jigs, and medium sized swimbaits have all been good choices for the snook as of late.  A nice live shrimp is also pretty hard for the snook to pass up as well right now.  Fair reports of sheepshead and black drum around the bridges.


SURF/PIER-  Pompano have been showing on and off at the Juno Beach Pier over the past week.  Doc's Goofy Jigs have been the lure of choice, while clams and sand fleas are doing the trick bait wise.  Some bluefish and Spanish Mackerel around, as well as a fair number of jacks.  Sounds like the sharks are starting to show in a  little better numbers as well.  Could be a fishy weekend along the beach...go if you get a chance!