To the angler who loves to fish the beaches, shores, jetties, bridges and piers of Florida.
Thursday, March 29, 2018
Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area
Pompano, whiting, croaker, bluefish, and jacks were all on the catch list this weekend, as well as today, but the great springtime surf fishing is going to be on hold for the next few days. Winds are forecast to pick up through midweek and the big swells that we experienced prior to this last spell of great weather are coming back. Hopefully as we approach the holiday weekend the swell will subside and the bite will continue. Middle Cove, Bob Graham, Tiger Shores, and Bridge Road beach in Hobe Sound are all locations that have been producing fish. It was a family fishing weekend with my wife Deb, step-daughter April Tweed who was escaping the cold in Pennsylvania, my son Randy, his father-in-law Barry Rashkin and Randy's friend Craig Kaufman visiting from NJ. Everyone contributed to our nice catch of pompano, whiting, croaker, bluefish, and jacks.
I took a quick trip to Hobe Sound Monday morning based on some intel about the pompano bite. The information was accurate as I was able to put a limit catch of nice sized pompano together before the wind picked up around noon time. EZ Flea Fishbites and clam strips were the hot baits over the last few days, along with some fresh cut shrimp that produced most of the whiting. Once the wind and the swells back off things should pick right back up as we approach the weekend.
I took a quick trip to Hobe Sound Monday morning based on some intel about the pompano bite. The information was accurate as I was able to put a limit catch of nice sized pompano together before the wind picked up around noon time. EZ Flea Fishbites and clam strips were the hot baits over the last few days, along with some fresh cut shrimp that produced most of the whiting. Once the wind and the swells back off things should pick right back up as we approach the weekend.
Sebastian Inlet Report
THE BITE IS SPORADIC
Our photo today comes from the north jetties inlet regular Tony Swiderski of Sebastian landed this oversized Snook free lining live shrimp. He estimated it was around 34”. He didn’t take the time to measure it, this nice breeder was returned to the water quickly and unharmed.
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Friday, March 23, 2018
From Todd &Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach
INSHORE: Snook fishing remains very good inshore right now. The snook are biting live shrimp at night around bridges and docklights, and live mullet around docks and seawalls during the day. The snook maybe a bit sluggish after the front so be prepared to slow things down. Some big jacks are cruising the ICW. A noisy topwater plug along a seawall is a god way to go to get the big jacks fired up. The Sheepshead have been biting around area bridges and boat docks on live shrimp and sandfleas. Overall pretty good inshore fishing right now.
SURF/PIER: Pompano fishing was fair this week; both from the pier and beach. Doc's Goofy Jigs are catching them from the pier, while sand fleas and clams are the way to go from the beach. Some large bluefish around right now. Spoons and topwater are a good choice for the bluefish. Scattered spanish mackerel around. Lots of sharks along the beach right now, including some full size ones! Could be a pretty good weekend on the beach fishing wise this weekend!
From Capt. Charlie @ Fishing Center - Ft Pierce
Looks like winter has to show up just one more time to cool things down. Just when you thought Spring had arrived...boom...it's another cold front. It won't last long and this should be the last one...I hope! Winds have been prevailing most days with one or two mornings each week that give you some light winds to get around the river and enjoy the fishing. The water has been pretty dirty most days near the inlets. Look for cleaner water to find the best fishing.
Try docks for redfish, sheepshead and snapper this time of year. Channel edges will hold sheepshead, drum and snapper.
There are croakers and sand perch in the river now. I enjoy the winter and spring bite because there are a good variety of fish to target. The cold front should help improve the pompano and croaker bite for us. It a wonderful time of year to enjoy the fishing. Just plan your trip around the winds!
Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area
Although we won't have the flat, calm surf conditions of last weekend, the outlook to bend a rod looks great along our beaches. Spanish mackerel, pompano, whiting, croaker, bluefish, ladyfish, jacks, and sharks continue to be caught at numerous locations and I don't see this action backing off. I started off this morning at the south end of Hutchinson Island and was greeted by a stiff northeasterly wind that was gusting up to 20 knots. I checked Fletcher Beach Access and spoke with an angler who had put a couple of pompano in his cooler before the wind picked up. Heading north I checked Normandy but did not like the conditions and drove up to Middle Cove where the action had been so good during the early part of the week. Five ounce pyramid and spider sinkers were the key to holding the bottom in the four foot surf, and my first cast with a rod rigged with EZ Flea Fishbites produced a pompano very quickly. The action slowed and the only bites I got were from a bluefish and a ladyfish. After the tide turned at about 12:30 the action turned on. Five more nice sized pompano, bluefish, blue runners, and whiting were all added to the catch list as the tide started to drop. The falling tide in the afternoon has been the prime time for the pompano bite in the last couple of weeks so if you can't spend all day on the beach try to target this time slot. Fishbites and sandfleas were the best baits today and it was nice to see some of these large pompano re-appear. Reports of 12 and 13 inch pompano were the norm during the past week but today the bigger ones took center stage. I got a text from Hayden Murphy, who is a big time river angler at 5 pm; he had just released a nice spinner shark at Middle Cove and reported the schools of mackerel were up and down the beach. This should be a great surf weekend whether you are going to target whiting and croaker in the first trough, set up the long rods for pompano, or get the heavy tackle out and play catch-and-release with the spinner and blacktip sharks.
Sebastian Inlet Report
BLUES, SPANISH MACKEREL, JACKS AND A FEW SNOOK, REDS AND SHEEPSHEAD
Winds are blowing out of the North-Northwest at 9 mph, gusting to 15 this morning and there is a moderate chop on the water. Conditions are much calmer than yesterday but will remain choppy through today. The forecast is for the wind to start calming down even more over the weekend.
Tommy Turowski at the Sebastian Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop reported that Bluefish and Spanish Mackerel were biting all day in the rough conditions yesterday. Blues were jumping all over the place and they were being landed in good numbers. This morning the Mackerel have disappeared but Blues and Jacks are active. A few Snook, Reds and Sheepshead have been in the mix as well.
Our angler of the day is inlet regular Mark. Mark landed this huge 22” Black Margate from the north jetty. Mark was free lining live shrimp fishing for Snook but ended up with this instead. We rarely see them this size, nice catch Mark!
Thursday, March 22, 2018
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area
I hope everyone that likes to fish our local beaches has been able to take advantage of the conditions and the action that has been ongoing for the last few days. The fishing has been excellent and the weather even better. The weekend saw sunny skies, light winds, and a calm sea along our entire surf line. Pompano, whiting, bluefish, croaker, spanish mackerel, blue runners, jacks, tarpon, and sharks all made their appearance. The great news was that the action was spread out from Fort Pierce to Juno, based on where I fished and reports that I received. I fished at Middle Cove Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and today. The action tailed off for today's fishing but the previous 3 days were fantastic. I was able to put a limit catch of pompano in the cooler on Saturday using the usual assortment of Fishbites, clam strips, and sandfleas - but the life in the water was the real story. Tarpon, spanish mackerel, and bluefish could be seen chasing bait and rolling the entire morning. The fisherman that were casting spoons were constantly hooked up with the mackerel and bluefish. For those of you that are casting metal to get in on the mackerel fishing, remember you can't turn the reel handle fast enough. A super fast retrieve will result in more strikes. The tarpon were there from first light to about 8 am when those pods diminished. Sunday proved to be a repeat of the prior day, as Randy and I each limited out on the pompano. Even after I left, Randy caught and released as many spanish mackerel as any one would want. The sharks started to show on Sunday as we lost a few pompano to them, but on Monday they arrived in big numbers. I had a charter on Monday with Rick Garrad and Bud Adams from Stuart, and the morning started out with a steady pompano bite along with some blue runners hitting their lines. As the morning wore on Rick and Bud were becoming experts in the long distance casting aspect and I am sure we would have put limit catches together but the sharks had a different idea. After 10 am we lost pompano after pompano to the aggresive sharks and it became impossible to get one into the beach. At one point croakers were jumping onto the sand along the first trough to escape from the sharks that could be seen cruising up and down the beach. The mackerel and bluefish crowd had another day of great fishing as well. This morning the water started to get a liitle off-colored and the bite slowed down. I only caught two pompano at Middle Cove and then added three more after a move to the south end of Stuart Beach. The front that is moving through our area tonight is probably going to make conditions pretty diffulcult for the next couple of days; however the extended forecast looks good for the end of the week into the weekend. Additional reports from the Hobe Sound area were of a continuing pompano bite with some mackerel and bluefish joining the action. This springtime surf bite should pick right back up after this weather moves through so get out and have some fun. Good luck and catch em up.
Sebastian Inlet Report
THE BITE HAS BEEN ON THE SLOW SIDE
We have a glorious morning at the inlet. Cool breezes, blue skies, white fluffies and fairly decent conditions near shore. Winds are blowing out of the North-Northwest at 8 mph, gusting to 14 and the water is calm, for now. Winds will increase through the day today and NOAA has a small craft advisory through Thursday morning. Gale warnings are in effect from 4:00 p.m. today through Thursday evening.
We’ve received several updates from inlet regulars. Rich Blum of Vero Beach reported the past three days have been pretty slow for him, only one Sheepshead for all of his efforts. Mike Ricciardi of Vero Beach fished most of the day on Monday and reported a slow day for him as well. About a dozen Snook came over the rails with two or three slot fish in the bunch. A couple of C/R Reds, five or six Sheepshead and only three Black Drum. Spanish Mackerel were plentiful, but small. Mackerel were running in the 12” – 15” range. Thanks Rich and Mike!
Our featured angler today is courtesy of Rich Blum and is of Sammy of Morocco. Sammy landed this real nice 22” Pompano off the north jetty. Our additional photos are courtesy of Tim Hessing of Stuart. Tim landed the four nice Pompano. He reported about 40 poles lined up on the beach but only he and one other angler were landing anything. He confirmed with the other successful fisherman that they were both using frozen sand fleas on gold hooks, for some reason they wouldn’t touch fresh fleas on silver hooks! The two large Pomps were females full of roe which he smoked and it was delicious.
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Scouting Around Palm Beach / Martin County Area
INSHORE:
In the St. Lucie River the snook fishing has been decent. There are good numbers of fish, but most are smaller with a few slot-size mixed in.
In the river there currently are good numbers of bonefish as well as redfish.
Along the beaches in Juno up to Hobe Sound the pompano fishing has been decent. Best results are being had using Doc’s Goofy Jigs, Fishbites and sandfleas.
Also along the beaches the croaker and whiting bite has been consistent.
In the Jupiter area, anglers looking for snook are having the most success night fishing by the dock lights along the Intracoastal Waterway and Loxahatchee River.
LAKE OKEECHOBEE:
Though the recent cold snap has slowed the bass fishing down a bit, anglers are still catching them using live shiners, rubber worms and flipping.
The speckled perch bite has also slowed down. The Government Cut and the Kissimmee River areas are the best spots with minnows and jigs the best baits.
Sebastian Inlet Report
BLUES, SNOOK, REDS, POMPANO, SHEEPSHEAD AND BLACK DRUM
We have overcast skies at the inlet this morning. Winds are blowing out of the North-Northwest at 6 mph, gusting to 11 and conditions are calm for the time being. Winds will begin to increase this afternoon into Tuesday and we will see numerous showers and possible lightning storms tomorrow ahead of a cold front. The front will bring us high seas through late week.
The north jetty is crowded with anglers this morning, it looks like a holiday weekend out there! Yesterday some Blues in the 10 – 15 lb. range moved in although not in huge numbers, but enough to get our attention. Silver spoons are a good bet for the species but they will strike just about anything put in front on them. Be sure to add a strong leader, their teeth are sharp and cutoffs are common. Blues are a lot of fun to catch with their strong runs and jumps. Snook, Reds, Pompano, Sheepshead and Black Drum were also in the mix over the beautiful weekend. Get out and try your luck!
Our angler of the day is Sally Baughman of Jackson Hole, WY. Sally is back for the winter months and spending as much time on the north jetty as possible. She landed this nice slot Snook and a Black Drum, using live shrimp.
Monday, March 19, 2018
Friday, March 16, 2018
Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area
Conditions along our area beaches are going to be as nice as we have seen in some time this weekend. Calm surf and clean water is back and all we need is for the pompano, whiting, croaker, jacks ,and bluefish to cooperate. The large body of pompano seem to be holding in the Hobe Sound -Juno Beach area but hopefully some of those fish will move north into the Hutchinson Island area. I had to cancel another charter trip yesterday morning due to the rough surf and dirty water conditions but fished Middle Cove Beach in the late afternoon after the conditions improved . The bite was not outstanding but I managed to put a few pompano and whiting in the cooler. The report from the Juno Pier area yesterday was of a pretty good continuing pompano bite. The weekend looks great so get your Fishbites,Clam strips , and sand fleas and hit the local beaches.Good luck this weekend and catch em up. If you are fished out by Sunday afternoon come to my Surf Fishing for Snook Seminar at Bass Pro Shops at 2 pm.
From Todd &Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach
INSHORE- Snook fishing remains the main game in town right now. The bridges continue to produce a decent bite at night, while docks and seawalls continue to hold the snook during the day. The springtime mullet are still coming through; so the snook are not afraid to eat a big bait right now. Sheepshead, black drum, and even a few redfish are hanging out in the ICW and Loxahatchee river right now and are eating live shrimp pretty good. The tarpon are in Palm Beach Inlet, along with some schools of big jacks.
SURF/PIER- The Juno Beach Pier saw some good action this week on big bluefish and good numbers of pompano as well. The bluefish were chomping big topwater plugs and diamond jigs, while the pompano were eating sand fleas and clams the best. The blacktip sharks were not far behind either the blues or the pompano. Good if your into shark, bad if your trying to get dinner to the beach! Along the beach, the pompano action has been very good. Early morning and late afternoon produced the best bite on the pompano. Sandfleas, clams, and fishbones were the baits of choice for the pompano. Croaker and whiting have been biting in the first trough. Some schools of big jacks moving along the beach as well.
Sebastian Inlet Report
Spanish Mackerel, Black Drum, Sheepshead, Pompano, Snook, Reds and Blues
It’s a beautiful morning at the inlet. Winds are blowing out of the North-Northwest at 8 mph, gusting to 10 and there is a light to moderate chop on the water. We have a real nice weekend forecasted and it looks as if our boaters are finally going to get a break and get off the docks.
Tommy Turowski at the Sebastian Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop reports that the bite has picked up. Spanish Mackerel starting showing up yesterday in decent numbers and size. Gotcha lures are always a good bet when targeting the species. A wire leader is recommended to prevent break offs from their razor sharp teeth. These fish are a lot of fun to catch, if you can! Snook, Reds, Black Drum, Sheepshead, Pompano, a few Blues and Jacks are in the mix as well. Get out and wet a line this weekend!
Mike Ricciardi of Vero Beach fished the north jetty Wednesday and sent in an update and today’s photo. He reported a cold, windy day on the jetty and he lost two Black Drum due to line breaking. Mike was using live shrimp which worked well. He managed to bring two Black Drum, 23” and 27” over the rails along with a 16” Pompano. Several oversized Reds were landed and released by other anglers and quite a few Blues were caught on lures during the outgoing tide.
From The Crew @ Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart
Inshore the snook bite has been steady with a few fish around the inlet and bridges on jigs. The trout fishing has been steady with a few fish to the south around middle cove soft bait like D.O.A have worked the best. The pompano bite has been good around J.C park and the inlet on the incoming tide with jigs and sandflease. The weather is looking great for the weekend hopefully everyone can get out!
Thursday, March 15, 2018
Talk Time With Paul Sperco
Paul will be be presenting a Seminar this Sunday at Bass Pro Shops in Port St Lucie at 2 pm . The topic for this event is Surf Fishing for Snook. I will be covering all of the usual areas like tackle, locations,baits, times to fish, and even a recipe or two. This is a popular fishery and will be getting better and better as our waters warm.
From The Crew @ Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart
Inshore the snook bite has been good with some fish around in the inlet and around the bridges on live bait and jigs. The pompano bite has been good on the beach and in the river on the incoming tide around J.C Park with sandfleas and little jigs in green and pink.
Sebastian Inlet Report
SLOW BITE………
Winds are blowing out of the West-Northwest at 6 mph, gusting to 10 and there is a moderate chop on the water. Conditions are looking much better at the inlet but NOAA is calling for small craft to exercise caution due to the northwest winds. Winds will shift to the North this afternoon.
We received an update from Mike Ricciardi of Vero Beach who fished the north jetty on Monday afternoon from 1:00 – 4:30. He didn’t have good news. The bite was incredibly slow, so slow that he didn’t even get a bite the entire time! A good group of inlet regulars were out and the story was the same up and down the jetty, very few fish. Mike saw 2 undersized Black Drum that were landed and returned, 1 short Snook and 1 Snook that was in the slot. That was the grand tally for Monday afternoon. Hopefully with conditions starting to settle down, we’ll see it pick up. Thanks Mike!
Or angler of the day is David Guttmann of Orlando with a real nice 20” Sheepshead he landed off the north jetty.
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area
The Pompano bite has turned on big time for anyone who has been fishing from the Hobe Sound to Juno beaches. As the big swell we had been experiencing finally started to diminish, the water cleaned up and the wave action backed off. The Pompano started chewing over the weekend and this could be the start of the springtime run that we see in March and April. Like I mentioned in a previous post, Randy and I made the drive to Bridge Road access in Hobe Sound on Sunday and although there was still some swell activity the pompano made a great showing. Orange Clam Fishbites and clam strips produced the majority of the limit catches we put in the cooler and the bite really turned on as the tide turned to the incoming stage. Traditionally the afternoon bite in the spring is usually the most productive for those who target the Pompano and believe me, we left them biting. Right now the size of these fish is impressive and you won't have to measure the majority of the ones you are catching. I spoke with a couple of commercial Pompano fisherman and they said the bite was fantastic right up until dark. I returned by myself today and started fishing after noon time and had no problem in getting my limit of six and then stayed for a short time and played catch-and-release. EZ Flea Fishbites, clam strips, and natural sand fleas all produced today. Daylight Savings time is going to increase our fishing time and with the body of fish that are holding in the Hobe Sound area this great activity should continue. Please use some surf fishing beach etiquette and give the folks fishing in your area at least 30 to 40 yards between your setup and theirs. This area is pretty popular at the moment and these fish are moving up and down the beach so you will get an opportunity to bend a rod.
To Book A Surf Fishing Trip With Paul Give Him A Call At
(609)-903-8243
FISHING CONDITIONS:
Juno Pier FISHING REPORT: Call (561-855-6185) and Press 1.
For those that have a long drive to the pier and want to know the conditions such as water color, surf height and such you can take a sneak peak at some of the local webcams:
Conditions @ Juno Pier http://www.surfline.com/surf-report/juno-pier-florida_5611
Conditions @ Jupiter Inlet http://www.evsjupiter.com
Conditions @ Palm Beach Inlet http://video-monitoring.com/beachcams/lakeworthinlet/
Conditions @ Fort Pierce Inlet https://visitstlucie.com/fort-pierce-inlet-webcam/
Conditions @ Sebastian Inlet http://www.sebastianinletcam.com/
Sebastian Inlet Report
BLACK DRUM, SNOOK, REDS, BLUES, SPANISH MACKEREL AND JACKS
THE SEBASTIAN INLET STATE PARK HAS BEEN CLOSING THE NORTH JETTY PERIODICALLY FOR PUBLIC SAFETY PURPOSES. PLEASE CALL 321-984-4852 FOR INFORMATION ON CLOSURES.
We have overcast skies at the inlet this morning. Winds are blowing out of the West-Southwest at 9 mph and gusting to 13. Winds and seas will increase this afternoon ahead of a strong cold front. NOAA has multiple advisories in effect. A small craft advisory is in effect from 10:00 a.m. through this afternoon. A gale warning is effect from this afternoon through late tonight. Conditions are going to get rough and the Sebastian Inlet State Park may decide to close the north jetty to fishing, call ahead.
Over the weekend we had a fair bite according to Tommy Turowski at the Sebastian Inlet Bait and Tackle Shop. A variety of species were landed but many in low numbers. Snook, Reds, Black Drum, Sheepshead, Blues, a Pompano or two, Spanish Mackerel and Jacks all made appearances at the north jetty.
Our first angler of the day is Vero Beach’s Mike Ricciardi with the 28” Black Drum he landed on Thursday. Nice one Mike! The Black Drum bite was good from mid-morning until 2:00 p.m. Fifteen to eighteen Black Drum came over the rails, at least 1/3 were over 24”. Mike landed one that was 28” using dead shrimp although anglers were catching them on dead and live shrimp. Snook began to bite after the tide change along with a few large Jacks. Anglers using sand fleas were having good luck with Sheepshead.
Our second angler of the day is Ryan Kriminger of Orlando. Ryan fished the north jetty on Saturday when he landed the 38 lb. Tarpon in our photo, using live shrimp. Ryan reported a consistent Snook bite, oversized and in the slot for anglers using live shrimp. Ryan landed an 11” Flounder that he returned and a 20” Sea Trout near the Tide Pool. Ryan released the Tarpon unharmed right after the photo.
Monday, March 12, 2018
Friday, March 9, 2018
From Todd &Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach
INSHORE: Inshore reports were a bit slim this week. Snook fishing remains fair for those really putting the time in. The bridges are producing some good fish at night on flair hawks and shrimp jigs. Both incoming and outgoing tide seem to be producing some snook. During the day the snook remain locked in tight along seawalls and boat docks looking for springtime silver mullet headed back north. Also cruising the seawalls will be some large jacks. Tarpon are still hanging around Palm Beach Inlet. Other inshore action remains a bit spotty.
SURF/PIER: Large swells had the beach (and even the Juno Beach Pier) pretty much entirely shut down from fishing. A few pompano were caught Wednesday afternoon. A few bluefish were caught on the pier using cut bait as well. Looks like conditions should be a little better this weekend for better fishing. Water clarity has looked surprisingly good, so should it become fishable we should be in for a good pompano bite. Still a good number of blacktop sharks around as well.
Scouting Around Palm Beach / Martin County Area
INSHORE:
With the large swell offshore the last few days, most anglers have stayed inshore to get their fix.
This has not been a bad thing as there is plenty of action.
In the Jensen Beach area, there has been good fishing along the docks in the St. Lucie River. Anglers have been getting snook and sheepshead using shrimp on jig heads.
There have also been a few large schools of jack crevalle moving through the area. Anglers working the seawalls are having good luck targeting them.
Up in the Jupiter area there have been good numbers of pompano, snook, ladyfish, jack crevalle and croakers in the Intracoastal Waterway and up into the Loxahatchee River.
Anglers fishing at night along the dock lights are having decent luck catching snook using live shrimp and the pompano are hitting on Doc’s Goofy Jigs.
Just inside the Lake Worth Inlet, west of Peanut Island, there are still large schools of jack crevalle.
Anglers have also been finding lane snapper, grunts and porgies on the Rybovich Reef just off the Rybovich Marina and Sugar Sand Reef just north of the Blue Heron Bridge near the Sugar Sand Condominiums. Small shrimp are working.
There have also been a few tarpon lurking around The Sailfish Club’s docks.
In the Intracoastal Waterway from Marker 42 to the Boynton Inlet one captain reported catching an 8-pound Cubera snapper on cut ballyhoo and decent action slow-trolling for jack crevalle.
There have also been some large schools of mullet spotted which likely indicates the spring run is starting.
LAKE OKEECHOBEE:
Though still good, the bass fishing has slowed down a bit with the recent cool fronts. Live shiners are working best, but if going with artificial Senkos have been good.
The speckled perch are still biting, but have moved a bit deeper into the river. There has also been good action on them in the King’s Bar and Eagle Bay areas.
The brim and bluefish bite has picked up and has been good in the rim canal.
report courtesy of Palm Beach Post
Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area
Its Friday morning and the although surf is starting to subside it still may be a few days before we can go set up a few rods along the beach. The huge swells of this past week are starting to lose some size but the water clarity is going to be a challenge as the sand and sediment needs to settle and some clean water needs to reappear. The beaches have definitely changed as to depths, troughs, and overall erosion factors. I am going to start looking today and can hopefully pinpoint a few areas to target when it becomes fishable. The winds are forecast to go from northwest, north,northeast, and the southeast through Saturday night and then back to southwest,west,and northwest again as we head into next week. The westerly direction will definitely knock the near shore wave heights down and hopefully the pompano, whiting, croaker, bluefish, and jacks will be in a chewing mood. Its going to get better and the springtime surf bait should turn back on.
Thursday, March 8, 2018
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
Sebastian Inlet Report
THE BLACK DRUM BITE PICKED UP, SHEEPSHEAD, JACKS AND SNOOK
THE SEBASTIAN INLET STATE PARK HAS BEEN CLOSING THE NORTH JETTY PERIODICALLY FOR PUBLIC SAFETY PURPOSES. PLEASE CALL 321-984-4852 FOR INFORMATION ON CLOSURES.
We have a wet morning at the inlet and overcast skies ahead of a cold front that is predicted to move through this afternoon. Winds will shift to the Northwest this afternoon, keeping seas hazardous for small craft. NOAA has a small craft advisory in effect through 4:00 a.m. Friday morning.
We received an update and our featured photo today from Mike Ricciardi of Vero Beach. Mike and his neighbor Bob Green fished the north jetty yesterday and reported a good Black Drum bite. Mike was late, arriving at 1:30 and fished until 4:30. Although seas were high, westerly winds kept waves from crashing over the jetty and it was a beautiful day overall. Mike landed a 22” Black Drum on the tide change from incoming to outgoing. Bob landed a nice 26” Black Drum earlier on the incoming. Mike also landed a 20” Sheepshead and a 20” C/R Snook on dead shrimp. After the tide turned a lot of Jacks and Catfish came over the rails.
Our second photo today is of Rich Perlee of Melbourne. Rich and a friend fished the north jetty last Tuesday and although the bite was slow, Rich took home this good-sized Pompano he landed on dead shrimp.
Our last photo is David Guttmann of Orlando. David fished the north jetty was able to take home this 18” Black Drum along with a nice 20” Sheepshead.
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Monday, March 5, 2018
From Capt. Charlie @ Fishing Center - Ft Pierce
March has arrived on the Treasure Coast and, traditionally, we can expect windy conditions along with some rain clouds most days. It might dictate where and when you can get on the water, but at least we aren't cutting holes in the ice to fish! Water temperatures will continue to rise and the fish will be actively feeding on the flats. Winter was a little cooler for us in February. March brings the transition into Spring and things will warm up again. Take advantage of the good days and get out fishing soon!
As the sun warms up the water again, look for fish to travel into the shallows to feed. Trout will continue to be most prevalent in the deeper grass flats in two to four feet of water. Those anglers using live shrimp on popping corks, Deadly Combos, CAL jerk baits and top water will have the best chance at hooking up with a trout. I like to fish the edges of the shallows where the water drops off to these depths. You can find trout in four to six feet of water and they will move onto the shallower flats to let the sun warm them as the day goes on. Depending on weather conditions, there are many areas to fish. Round Island, Bear Point and Harbor Branch are always popular to fish in March.
Redfish will get more active this month and you can find some tailing on the flats in early mornings. Top water, DOA 2 ¾” shrimp, CAL grub tails or gold spoons are good choices for finding a spot tail on the flats. Don't forget to fish around the mangroves also. So far this winter, there has continued to be a good redfish population around the river and the fishing has been fantastic for them. I tend to like the east side of the river for redfish, but you can find them on the west side also. Work your baits slowly along the bottom for best results. This has been a good winter to allow us to enjoy a good redfish bite around the docks and mangroves with nice sized slot fish. Learn to read the water so you don’t miss what is happening around you.
Anglers will continue to target snook around the inlets, docks and bridges on the Treasure Coast. Live bait always works best, but feather jigs, TerrorEyz and DOA Bait Busters can also get you hooked up. Most of the action will be at night with best results on the high ends of the tides. As the water warms up around the area, the snook action will liven up also. Those fishing the flats can also find snook feeding early or late in the day. Fish the mangroves during the rest of the
day. There has been a very good juvenile snook population on the flats this year. Top water, twitch baits, TerrorEyz or CAL jerk baits can do the trick in March on the flats.
The pompano bite has been better this year once the water cooled down. It takes cooler weather bringing them into the area. Whiting, Bluefish and pompano will be hanging around the beaches this month. The inlet will be holding Spanish mackerel, jacks and bluefish. Jack Crevalle and ladyfish continue to haunt the river and provide fun catch for all. Bridges should give up catches of sand perch, sheepshead and black drum on live or dead shrimp. This year has been the best sheepshead bite in many years. They are not only tasty, but put up a good battle for anglers.
Spring is just around the corner on the Treasure Coast. It won't be long! Take some time to check all your equipment now and be ready as the weather improves to get out on the water. Make sure your reels are in good working order. Check your rods for broken or cracked tips and guides. How old in that line?? Get ready now on some of these windy days ahead, so you will be ready to head out to the water soon!
As the sun warms up the water again, look for fish to travel into the shallows to feed. Trout will continue to be most prevalent in the deeper grass flats in two to four feet of water. Those anglers using live shrimp on popping corks, Deadly Combos, CAL jerk baits and top water will have the best chance at hooking up with a trout. I like to fish the edges of the shallows where the water drops off to these depths. You can find trout in four to six feet of water and they will move onto the shallower flats to let the sun warm them as the day goes on. Depending on weather conditions, there are many areas to fish. Round Island, Bear Point and Harbor Branch are always popular to fish in March.Redfish will get more active this month and you can find some tailing on the flats in early mornings. Top water, DOA 2 ¾” shrimp, CAL grub tails or gold spoons are good choices for finding a spot tail on the flats. Don't forget to fish around the mangroves also. So far this winter, there has continued to be a good redfish population around the river and the fishing has been fantastic for them. I tend to like the east side of the river for redfish, but you can find them on the west side also. Work your baits slowly along the bottom for best results. This has been a good winter to allow us to enjoy a good redfish bite around the docks and mangroves with nice sized slot fish. Learn to read the water so you don’t miss what is happening around you.
Anglers will continue to target snook around the inlets, docks and bridges on the Treasure Coast. Live bait always works best, but feather jigs, TerrorEyz and DOA Bait Busters can also get you hooked up. Most of the action will be at night with best results on the high ends of the tides. As the water warms up around the area, the snook action will liven up also. Those fishing the flats can also find snook feeding early or late in the day. Fish the mangroves during the rest of the
day. There has been a very good juvenile snook population on the flats this year. Top water, twitch baits, TerrorEyz or CAL jerk baits can do the trick in March on the flats.
The pompano bite has been better this year once the water cooled down. It takes cooler weather bringing them into the area. Whiting, Bluefish and pompano will be hanging around the beaches this month. The inlet will be holding Spanish mackerel, jacks and bluefish. Jack Crevalle and ladyfish continue to haunt the river and provide fun catch for all. Bridges should give up catches of sand perch, sheepshead and black drum on live or dead shrimp. This year has been the best sheepshead bite in many years. They are not only tasty, but put up a good battle for anglers.
Spring is just around the corner on the Treasure Coast. It won't be long! Take some time to check all your equipment now and be ready as the weather improves to get out on the water. Make sure your reels are in good working order. Check your rods for broken or cracked tips and guides. How old in that line?? Get ready now on some of these windy days ahead, so you will be ready to head out to the water soon!
Scouting Around Palm Beach / Martin County Area
As the water has warmed up the snook fishing has picked up. They are moving away from structure and out of the holes in search of prey. Males should continue working their way towards the inlet as April approaches with many of those fish being the coveted slot size.
Though forecast to be pretty rough along the beaches this weekend, as March moves on the pompano will begin migrating back north and will be considerably bigger than when they moved from north to south through the area.
Fishing the flats in the Intracoastal Waterway just north of the Boynton Inlet, anglers have taken a few bonefish.
LAKE OKEECHOBEE:
Fishing for speckled perch is still good. The top spots right now are King’s Bar, Eagle Bay and the Buckhead area. They are hitting on jigs and minnows.
The bass fishing has been good as well with live shiners working well. If going with an artificial bait speed worms and spinner baits have been working. Best bets for bass recently have the Pass, King’s Bar and Eagle Bay areas.
From Todd &Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach
INSHORE: Snook fishing continues to dominate the inshore scene right now. Springtime mullet continue to push through and the snook (especially the bigger ones) are keyed in on them. The bridges are holding snook at night, especially on the outgoing tide. Flairhawk jigs and big swimbaits remain solid bait choices for the snook right now. The Loxahatchee River has been holding some large jacks and juvenile tarpon. Be prepared to cover some water to find them. Sheepshead have been biting around boat docks and bridge pilings. Look for pilings covered in barnacles to be holding the most sheepshead. Palm Beach Inlet has been holding a good number of jacks and tarpon as well. The jacks aren't overly particular about what they eat...the tarpon like live shrimp!
SURF/PIER: Pompano fishing improved over the past few days, with some good catches coming from the Juno Beach Pier to Jupiter Inlet. Sandfleas, clams, and FishBites remain the baits of choice for the pompano. Hopefully conditions don't go away to quick and the pomps hang around for a bit. Scattered bluefish and mackerel have been hanging around, but not in huge numbers. Croakers are biting in the first trough on fresh cut shrimp. The blacktop sharks are around in good numbers and very willing to bite a fresh chunk of bait. 
Sebastian Inlet Report
FAIR BITE
Winds are blowing out of the North at 17 mph, gusting to 20 and there is a moderate chop on the water. A cold front is predicted to sweep through this afternoon bringing with it more wind and high seas. Conditions are going to get rough, you can take boating out of your weekend plans. Hazardous boating conditions will continue through early next week. NOAA has a small craft advisory in effect from late tonight through Sunday evening. Hopefully our surfers will get some decent waves out of this weather event. Pray for surf because fishing is probably out!
Yesterday the bite was slow but a few nice fish came over the rails. Early in the morning hours a few nice Snook were landed but almost all were oversized and returned. Walter Manning of Palm Bay landed a 15” Flounder on a Gothca lure, of all things! He also landed two oversized Snook that had to be returned. A couple of Black Drum, Sheepshead and one 18” Pompano came over the rails before noon. It was a gorgeous day and the surf was good, a few surfers were out taking advantage of the clean conditions.
Our angler of the day is Walter Manning of Palm Bay with his Flounder.