Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

The excellent surf action from the early part of the week has given way to 20 to 25 knot Southeast winds and 5 to 7 foot seas. The winds are forecast to back off on Friday evening and hopefully we can get back to the beach on Saturday. As far as the last couple of days, I cancelled my scheduled charter on Wednesday due to the high wind forecast. I took a ride up to the beach to hopefully rake some sandfleas and was surprised to find the beach almost fishable. The beach that I had been fishing in the middle of Hutchinson Island was too rough to fish or rake sandfleas so I took a ride north and was shocked to find the parking lot at Middle Cove empty. If anyone has fished this beach in the past couple of weeks you know the crowd it has been attracting and finding a spot to fish has been tough. I took a couple of rods and sandflea rake and headed up to the surf line. I threw a couple of rods out in a building easterly wind and I guess the pompano and whiting didn't read the marine forecast. I was lucky enough to beach 20 nice pompano and a half a dozen whiting in a couple of hours. The winds finally got too sporty and I packed it in but what a great bite. A 10 to 15 knot easterly wind will create conditions that are favorable for the pompano to feed. The surf and wave action stirs up the bottom and uncovers the crabs, clams, and sandfleas that this fish loves to feed on. The pompano hit both plain EZ Flea Fishbites and natural sandfleas tipped with small pieces of Pink Shrimp and Pink Crab Fishbites. Its anyones guess where the pompano will reappear after the wind subsides but look for clean water and that area should produce. Bluefish, mackerel, whiting, croaker, jacks, and blue runners will be in the mix also. 

From Todd &Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

                                                        
Munyan Island and the Hobe Sound Flats are starting to come to life with an assortment of species.  The sheepshead and black drum are starting to bite in better numbers, as are a few spotted seatrout and redfish.  Ladyfish and jacks are also around in good numbers.  Scattered reports of a few pompano around inshore as well.  Snook fishing has been fair, but cooler weather has slowed that down a bit.  Remember snook season is closed, so its catch and release fishing only for about another month or so.  

Surf/Pier-  Strong east winds have made surf fishing tough overall.  Bluefish action remains the main game in town.  Topwater plugs, heavy spoons, and diamond jigs are solid choices for the bluefish.  Shark action remains good on the beach for those looking for something bigger to pull on.  Pompano action has been slow south of Jupiter Inlet, and only fair to the north.  Spanish Mackerel action has been good at Peck's Lake.  

Surf Fishing. Are You Doing it WRONG?

From Capt. Joe Ward @ Capt. Joe's Bait & Tackle Ft Pierce

                          photo courtesy of Dave Hartwell @ Zombietide Fishing                                         

The inshore fishing has been good the last 3 or 4 days. Tons of sheepshead around just about any structure you can fish. Same for the black drum. The snapper have been along the channel edges and are taking small live shrimp. There are still catch and release snook around but most have been on the small side. They have gotten a few reds along the docks of North Indian River Dr. The macks and blues have been at the jetty and in the surf. In the surf there has also been whiting and pompano.

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

(12-24-18 Report)

Bluefish, mackerel, whiting, jacks , and of course pompano have been on everyone's catch list. The pompano fishing on the weekend was hit and miss on Hutchinson Island,but it seems a new body of fish have moved into our area. I fished on Saturday and Sunday at a couple of beaches near Fort Pierce Inlet and only managed to catch a handful of keeper pompano. Today was a different story. My son Randy and I started up that way but ended up moving just South of Herman's Bay beach access and were able to put together a big catch. The highlight of the day was Randy catching and releasing a nice permit on a EZ Flea Fishbite. EZ Flea and Pink Shrimp were the two scents that were hot today. We also caught some nice pompano on frozen sand fleas that were tipped with a small piece of Fishbite. By putting a 1/2 inch piece on the hook after securing the sand flea will not only help the sand flea stay on when you cast, it will keep you in the game in the event that a crab or small fish nips the bait off of your hook. I talked to friends who fished at Normandy, Tiger Shores, and Hobe Sound beach accesses over the weekend and they all had one fish in common - bluefish. Spoons and cut bait worked equally as well and they bit all day. I have to highlight the importance of reaching the pompano if that is your targeted species. Anglers that were fishing right along side of us today kept coming over and asking what we were using for bait. I did explain to the folks that the bait wasn't the problem, they were just not reaching the area of the trough where these fish were stacked up. Long rods and LongCast spinning reels or conventional casting setups are what's needed to get the job done. Good luck this week and catch em up.

Scouting Around Palm Beach And Martin County

The beaches in the Jensen Beach area are thick with Spanish mackerel, bluefish and pompano right now.

The Spanish mackerel and blue fish have been mixed in together and are both being taken on Gulfstream Flash Minnows. Bluefish are also being caught on chunked mullet. The key to using a Flash Minnow is to move it quickly.

The pompano are more towards the north end of the area with some of the best areas being around Middle Cove.

From Jensen Beach down to Hobe Sound there has been a good bite on whiting. Anglers working the first trough and using either small pieces of frozen shrimp or shrimp-flavored Fishbites are having a blast.

                            

In the St. Lucie and Indian Rivers the drum bite has picked up. Using live or frozen shrimp and working the area bridges has been producing good results.

Anglers working the flats in the Indian River up towards Fort Pierce have been catching good numbers of flounder.

The snook bite has become extremely slow with the recent cold weather.

Along the beaches in Jupiter there has also been good numbers of pompano, Spanish mackerel and bluefish. All three are being caught using sand fleas, clams, Fishbites and Doc’s Goofy Jigs.

LAKE OKEECHOBEE

The winds have made things a bit tough on the lake the last few days. Anglers fishing for bass should look for areas shielded from the wind and use live shiners as the artificial bite has been a bit rough lately.

The bass bite should pick up as the next full moon approaches.

All

From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! Fishing in the IRL for Redfish has been really good, with plenty of clean water around. Fish have been falling for soft plastics, such as the DOA CAL jigs and Gulp baits, and fly fishers have scored with Tarantula Kwans and Shrimp Tease flies. Sea Trout fishing has been very good, with fish being caught around the spoil islands and drop offs on Live Target Shrimp, Rapala X-Rap Subwalks, and Yo-Zuri 3D Inshore Twitchbaits. Surf fishing has slowed down over the last few days, but there are still some Bluefish being caught on spoons, and the occasional Pompano caught on sand fleas. Water in the inlets has been exceptionally clear, making Snook a bit tough to fool, but there have been a few Redfish and Bluefish around. Offshore

Dear Santa....Mullet Run Juno Beach 2018 (Drone)

Looking Back.....Mullet Run 2018 Juno Beach Tarpon Hysteria (Drone)

2 Record BREAKING Fish in 1 Day! Catch Clean Cook (GIANT Flounder)

Our Baits got DEMOLISHED... (Pier Fishing)

DEADLIEST Lure on the Pier...Catch n Cook

Surf Fishing for Dinner - catch and cook

Sebastian Slay Feast! Pt. 1 (Inshore Kayak and Wade Fishing)

Let The Sight Fishing Begin!!! Sebastian Slayfest Pt.2

From Todd &Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

   INSHORE- Fishing around Munyon Island improved greatly over the past few weeks.  Spotted Seatrout, Snook, and even a small handful of redfish have filled into their wintertime hangouts on the grassflats.  Live shrimp, DOA shrimp, and Gambler Little EZ swimbaits are all good choices right now.  The Hobe Sound flats are also holding a good number of fish right now, with reports of ladyfish, jacks, snook, trout and other species all coming in.  Nighttime snook fishing around the bridges is good, especially on an outgoing tide.  

Surf/Pier- Surf fishing remains very good, with a mixed bag of fish are being caught by those putting the time in.  Bluefish, Spanish Mackerel, jacks, and spinner sharks are scattered up and down the beach.  Tossing a large silver spoon or big popping plug is a good way to find them.  Pompano fishing remains a bit spotty south of Jupiter Inlet.  If pompano is the desired species...head north.  Good numbers of blacktip sharks around if your looking for something bigger to pull on.

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

The early winter surf fishing continues to be excellent along local beaches in our area. The current forecast is for some pretty sporty weather Thursday and Friday but once this system gets through conditions should bounce right back. Bluefish, mackerel, whiting, jack, blue runner, croaker, and of course pompano were active the last four or five days. As has been the case the last couple of weeks, the bite was spread from Fort Pierce to Jupiter. The bluefish and mackerel bite has been excellent from dawn to 9 am every day. Spoons and top water plugs are providing non-stop hook ups during this time frame. Randy and I fished up near Fort Pierce Inlet on Sunday and he had a ball casting a spoon to one mackerel after another. I fished Bridge Road on Monday and the bluefish were bending rods up and down the beach. After the sun gets up, a chunk of mullet fished on a fish finder rig will get strikes all day. The best whiting and croaker reports I received came from Santa Lucea, Stuart, and Tiger Shores beach accesses. Coconut, Blue Heron, and Middle Cove beaches produced some great pompano action. The afternoon bite from 3 to 5 pm has been on fire and recreational limits are being caught by a lot of folks. I fished with my wife Deb one afternoon and we had our twelve fish limit plus in a little over two hours. EZ Flea, Pink Crab, and Orange clam Fishbites, along with some live sandfleas were the baits that proved successful. 
                        
Remember, if you aren't getting the pompano, you probably are not reaching them or you are fishing in the wrong color water. I do not take my rods off of my truck until I take a look at the surf conditions. Dirty water will not produce pompano bites. Find the "clean green" or "powder blue" color and you will most likely find the pompano. I strongly recommend a long rod in the twelve-foot range along with a reel like the Penn Spinfisher V Long Cast to put you in the game. If you want to catch them you have to reach them. I will be doing a Pompano Seminar sometime during the month of January at Bass Pro Shops. I do not have the exact date but once it is set I will post it here. This is the largest attended Seminar of the year and I cover everything from tackle, rigs, baits, locations, casting techniques and recipes for those of you that will be attending.

Scouting Around Palm Beach And Martin County

INSHORE FISHING:

In the Indian River and along the beaches in Jensen the pompano bite has been fantastic.

Anglers using Doc’s Goofy Jigs and small bucktails are catching their limits working the Hell’s Gate, Sailfish Flats and Crossroads areas of the Indian River.

On the beaches, clams combined with Fishbites have been working well.

There are still black drum being caught by anglers working the channel edges, docks and bridges along the Indian and St. Lucie Rivers.

Some good size snook are being caught along the seawalls up in the St. Lucie River or fishing at night.

The Spanish mackerel bite is still on fire in the Peck’s Lake area. Asked how the action was for them, one charter captain joked “as much as you want.” Using Gulfstream Flash Minnows or white and chartreuse mackerel tubes has been working well recently.

Along the beaches north of the Boynton Inlet large jack crevalle have been chasing bait schools. Surf fishermen using large blue/silver popping plugs are having a blast catching and releasing fish up to 20 pounds.

Sheepshead and mangrove snapper have been hitting live shrimp around both jetties at the inlet.

Lantana Bridge anglers have reported catches of sheepshead, mangrove snapper and a few sea trout using live shrimp.

                                             

                               photo courtesy of Hai Truong @ www.HaiTruongFishing.com

LAKE OKEECHOBEE:

With the cold weather the bass fishing has been a bit slow That should change as the temperatures come up over the next few days. The bite will be best from mid-day on as the water warms up a bit. For hot spots, fishing on the southern end of the lake was excellent for the Roland Martin Marine Center tournament last weekend. Anglers using white swim jigs were having the most success. Also, the Harney Pond area has been good recently flippin’ and pitchin’ creature baits.

The crappie bite in the Kissimmee River has been hit or miss the last week. Anglers fishing in depths of 4 to 8 feet are having the best luck.

LAKE IDA AND LAKE OSBOURNE:

There has been good action on largemouth and peacock bass, black crappie, bluegill and clown knifefish.

The bass bite has been good early in the morning using Storm top water popping plugs in blue/orange or green/yellow patterns. Switch the Gambler or Bass Assassin twicthbaits or swimming shad in gold shiner, pumpkinseed or cane toad colors later in the day.

Minnows or small shad fished on 1/8 to 1/4 oz jig heads have been producing crappie and clown knifefish in the deeper areas of the lakes.

Fly fishing for bluegill, stumpknockers and smaller bass has been fun using Bumble Bee poppers, gnat flies and 1/2″ long epoxy minnow flies around grassy shorelines.

From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

With this cold front the bridge Snook should be chewing from Stuart to Ft. Pierce, Flair hawks and big swimbaits with a slow retrieve will get those big fish to eat. There have been plenty of Pompano and Spanish Mackerel to go around in Stuart, they’re a great way for the whole family to catch some fish!

Florida Pier Produces *HUGE* Fish!!! (Juno Pier Snook Fishing)

2 Record BREAKING Fish in 1 Day! Catch Clean Cook (GIANT Flounder)

TENT SALE Tomorrow December 15th

Its time for everyone to circle December 15 on your calendar and make sure you head to The Snook Nook for their Annual Tent Sale and Customer Appreciation Day. Fred Caimotto, owner of the Snook Nook, told me the deals are never going to get better on every item in the store and there will be thousands of dollars in raffle prizes during the course of the day. I will be there all day if anyone has any questions about our local surf fishing and some of the best captains that fish the river, inshore, and offshore are all participating. Gary Zeidman and son Nick from Penn will be in attendance also and the deals on Penn products are going to be incredible. Those of you that missed the Fishbites Buy 2 Bags and get one free promotion at Bass Pro in October are in luck as Billy Carr and Brett Burford from Fishbites, are also going to be on site and will be conducting the same program all day at the event. Get there early to take advantage of all of the deals that will be available. Hope to see you there.

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

Its been a pretty difficult week for anyone trying to fish the surf but conditions look like they will be changing as we head into the weekend. The predicted windshift to the southwest on Saturday and northwest on Sunday and Monday should get everyone back into the game. The pompano, whiting, croaker, jacks, bluefish, and mackerel should all be available to bend some rods. There is some rain predicted for Saturday so stop by the Snook Nook and pick up some extra Fishbites during the Buy 2 get 1 free promotion along with any other tackle you might need during their Annual Customer Appreciation Tent Sale.Billy Carr and Brett Burford from Fishbites will be there with plenty of product and will be available to talk about the entire line of great baits they offer. As previously mentioned I will be there most of the day to answer any questions you might have regarding the great surf fishing that is happening right now. 

From Todd &Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

INSHORE-  Wintertime inshore action in the ICW and Loxahatchee river has started to improve.  Black drum, sheepshead, and a few redfish are starting to hold around boat docks, bridges, and seawalls in better numbers.  Live shrimp is the bait of choice, and they can be presented well on a jighead (The yellowtail candy jighead works well for this).  Takes a little searching to find the best numbers of these guys, so don't be afraid to bounce around a bit looking for them.  Generally speaking, they will be grouped up in fair size schools.   Snook season closes December 15th, so only a couple more days to try and find one.  The bridges at night remain a top choice for getting a snook bite or two, especially on outgoing tide.  

SURF/PIER-  Surf fishing action remains very good.  Bluefish, jacks, and sharks are making up a bulk of the action along the beach.  Large topwater popping plugs, GT Ice Cream lures, and diamond jigs are all great lure choices, especially during lowlight periods of the day.  Sharks are biting chunks of fresh bait very well at night.  Pompano action has been a bit spotty, but good reports north of Jupiter Inlet continue to come in.  Sandfleas, clams, and fishbites remain the baits of choice for the pompano.  Spanish Mackerel action has really started to get going at Peck's Lake.

Scouting Around Palm Beach And Martin County

INSHORE FISHING:

Anglers working the beaches in the Jensen area are having an absolute field day catching pompano. They are hitting on sand fleas, clams and sand flea-flavored Fishbites combined with clams. Many anglers are easily catching their limits.

In addition to pompano, there has also been good action on whiting.

Looking for some Spanish mackerel? Head over to Peck Lake. It’s loaded right now. A shop owner reported that two commercial fishermen, using two rods, brought in 1,300 pounds on Tuesday.

Along the beaches in Jupiter there has also been a good Spanish mackerel run going on. They are being caught on Clarkspoons, green and chartreuse glass minnow jigs and silver Got-Cha lures with single hooks.

The bluefish are running, especially in the Hobe Sound area. They are being caught using spoons.

In the Loxahatchee River there has been a decent redfish bite. They are being taken by anglers working the bridges and docks.

Around Peanut Island, the docks near The Sailfish Club and just inside the Lake Worth Inlet there have been good numbers of jack crevalle, sheepshead, some small barracuda and tarpon. Best bets are live shrimp.

From Lantana Public Beach down to Ocean Ridge Hammock Park, surf anglers have reported catches of pompano, permit, and whiting while fishing both live and cut shrimp, live sand fleas and small crabs.

Sheepshead up to eight pounds are being caught on live crabs around the north jetty of the Boynton Inlet. Mangrove snapper and snook have been hitting live shrimp at night.

There have been jack crevalle, sheepshead, mangrove snapper and small sharks being caught around the Lantana Bridge. The sheepshead are being caught using oysters, clams and small crabs. Cut mullet and chunks of jacks have been producing the sharks.

LAKE OKEECHOBEE:

The bass bite has been decent lately with live shiners definitely working better than artificial baits. The King’s Bar area to Tin House Cove has been best.

The spec bite has been good in the Kissimmee River at night with minnows working well.

Along the rim canal there has been a good bite for bluegill and cichlids.

LAKE OSBOURNE:

Freshwater anglers have reported catches of clown knifefish, peacock bass, sunshine bass and largemouth bass using both live shad or shiners as well as artificial lures in Lake Osbourne, Lake Ida and the major adjoining canals. Fly fishing black/chartreuse poppers or casting loud surface plugs around the shorelines have been producing explosive hits by the bass averaging two to four pounds. Fishing the afternoon with slow moving jerk baits, worms and crawfish jigs have also been producing some nice bass.

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

              
There is only a few days left before the annual Customer Appreciation Tent Sale at The Snook Nook on Indian River Drive in Jensen Beach. The event will start this Saturday, December 15 and run from from 9am to 6 pm. Fantastic deals that only happen once a year will be available on products from Penn, D.O,A., Gulfstream Lures , and Costa Sunglasses just to name a few. One of the highlights will be Billy Carr and Brett Burford from Fishbites will have their own tent and offering a buy 2 bags and get one free promotion on their fantastic baits . Those baits are producing pompano, whiting, bluefish , and mackerel bites along the surf and I do not plan a days fishing without having a few bags in my tackle box. I will be in attendance all day at this event and be happy to answer any and all questions you might have about the great surf run that is happening now. Gary and Nick Zeidman from Penn Reels, Capt Pat Price from Daymaker Charters, and Capt Mark Dravo from Y B Normal Charters will also be in attendance . Fred is also raffling off $10000 dollars in prizes and giveaways during the course of the day!! This event is unbelievable so don't miss it. Hope to see you there.

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

                                                

The big pompano bite that we were experiencing last weekend and in the early part of this week has definitely slowed down, but fish are still being caught along our local beaches. Recreational limit catches were the norm this past week and with another front making its way into our area this evening look for the pompano action to pick back up in the next few days. The whiting, croaker, mackerel, and bluefish action is pretty good from Ft. Pierce to Hobe Sound. I fished with my son Randy this morning and we were lucky enough to put together a limit catch of pompano, but the bite was very slow. In between the pompano bites whiting, croaker, and mackerel kept us hopping from rod to rod. All of the fish were taken on the long rods from 70 -100 yards from the beach. EZ Flea and Green Crab Fishbites, along with some live sand fleas produced all of the strikes. I am seeing some folks using 2 and 3 ounce pyramid sinkers on their pompano rods but with the current wind and current conditions present, the 4 ounce pyramid, or 4 ounce spider sinker should also be in your assortment. If your baits are being dragged along the bottom due to current and wind, you are reducing your chance of putting together a good pompano catch. This fish prefers a stationary bait presentation so make sure you are holding the bottom. Bite detection is another factor that contributes to a successful day and by keeping your line tight from the tip of the rod to entry level in the water will allow you to stay on top of the bites. Remember, pompano have the tendency to pick up your bait and swim towards the beach after the hook up. A slack line usually means you missed one or you currently have one on. Good luck this week and catch em up.

Wade Fishing the Indian River (Relearning The River)

New Record Fish! - PB Snook - catch and cook

TENT SALE

Its time for everyone to circle December 15 on your calendar and make sure you head to The Snook Nook for their Annual Tent Sale and Customer Appreciation Day. Fred Caimotto, owner of the Snook Nook, told me the deals are never going to get better on every item in the store and there will be thousands of dollars in raffle prizes during the course of the day. I will be there all day if anyone has any questions about our local surf fishing and some of the best captains that fish the river, inshore, and offshore are all participating. Gary Zeidman and son Nick from Penn will be in attendance also and the deals on Penn products are going to be incredible. Those of you that missed the Fishbites Buy 2 Bags and get one free promotion at Bass Pro in October are in luck as Billy Carr and Brett Burford from Fishbites, are also going to be on site and will be conducting the same program all day at the event. Get there early to take advantage of all of the deals that will be available. Hope to see you there.

From Todd &Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

INSHORE-  Tough week overall on the inshore side of things.  Snook fishing was a bit off, with some fish being caught around the bridges.  Hobe Sound Flats seem to be holding a nice mixture of species  still; including a few trout, redfish, snook, sheepshead, and snapper.  Live shrimp is a hard bait choice to top right now for a good mixture of species.  Other inshore action remains a bit on the tough side.                   
SURF/PIER-  Bluefish and jacks continue to make up a bulk of the action along the beach.  Lowlight periods will be best with a decent bite early in the morning and again late in the afternoon.  Spoons and noisy topwater lures continue to produce well.  Spanish Mackerel are filling in nicely at Peck's Lake.  Clark Spoons and Flash Minnow Jigs are the top lure choices for the macs.  Pompano action has been spotty south of Jupiter Inlet, with some scattered catches coming in.  Pompano action has been fair to good along Jupiter Island/Hobe Sound.  The Juno Beach Pier was hot near the end of the week with some bonita, big macs, kingfish, and others being caught; along with a nice showing of wintertime sardines (don't expect that to last too long).  

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

              

The temperatures have cooled off but the last few days of pompano fishing is red hot. I fished at Bridge Road in Hobe Sound on Monday morning and ended up at Middle Cove in the afternoon and ended up with a big pompano catch from both locations. These are nice fish in the one to two pound range and limit catches are the norm not the exception. As usual EZ Flea Fishbites is the hottest scent that are catching these fish with Orange Clam and Pink Shrimp also producing..Natural sandfleas are also producing bites at all locations. Yesterdays action was as good , if not better than Mondays bite from all the anglers that I spoke with. Tiger Shores and Stuart beaches along with Middle Cove all produced action yesterday. Anyone looking to throw some spoons or hard baits should head to to Hobe Sound as the bluefish, jacks, and mackerel were being caught all morning in that area on Monday. I fished up by Fort Pierce Inlet this morning and put pompano up to 3 pounds in the cooler along with some big whiting before the wind and waves chased me off the beach. The winds are forecast to back off the next couple of days so pick a beach and get in on this great fishing. 

From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

                                          
                                            photo courtesy of The Indian River Pescador

There have still been a pile of Redfish in ft. Pierce through Vero. The Seatrout fishing on the flats in Ft. Pierce has been great as well. The Pompano fishing is great right now, from the beach or the bridges you’re bound to catch a few. Bluefish and Spanish Mackerel have been on the beach thick and you will also find them in the river. With this cold front the Snook and Tarpon fishing at Sebastian Inlet has been fantastic with Flairhawks. This is the last week of Snook Season so get in your final slot fish before its too late, 

Sebastian Inlet Report

                                               


We’ve seen a bunch of folks successfully fishing for Flounder during multiple Inlet visits this week so get out there!

A special shout out to our featured angler of the week Jacob Carpenter of Tavares, Fl with this 40” Red he caught on the inlet side of the North Jetty on a Sand Perch. We’re told that Jacob has been an avid Bass fisherman for years, and Tiffany and Felipe Gonzalez of Ocoee, regulars who spend almost every weekend on the North Jetty, got Jacob to come with them one time and he was “hooked”.  Jacob fishes the inlet all the time now.  Pictured here is his first Red ever!  Felipe Gonzalez caught a nice slot Snook in the same spot on a live Mullet.  “The Snook bite was slow, but the Reds were hot and huge.”

How to fillet sheephead by David Hartwell - Dexter Outdoors

From Capt. Charlie @Fishing Center-Fort Pierce

Winter conditions have been mild so far in December.  We have had a few cold days, but overall it has been very good weather.  We can expect our weekly cold fronts to move through and cool things down for a few days.  Water temps have been in the mid seventies and that helps bring in the winter fish and plenty of action for anglers on the Treasure Coast.  Enjoy the fishing this month!

 I am seeing pompano, sheepshead and mackerel arriving every day.  It's always good to see these fish coming into the river again.  

                             

Look for mackerel around the inlets and turning basin hitting small shiny lures.  Drum and sheepshead have been plentiful around docks, bridges and channel edges.  Snook have been around the inlet areas as well as bridges and docks.  Redfish on the flats and mangroves can be found with DOA shrimp.  The trout bite has been improving north of Fort Pierce on the grass flats towards Harbor Branch and Queen's Cove.  DOA Deadly Combos are great tools to find the trout.  Pompano have been scattered, but more are arriving every day.  It should be a good pompano season this year.  Jacks, ladyfish and blue runners have been thick in the channels and inlet areas.  If your just want some rod bending action, especially for the kids, get out and enjoy the fishing this month!

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

                                                     
Warm temperatures, nice surf conditions, and a whole bunch of fish traveling up and down our beaches made for a great Sunday in our area. I fished with my wife Deb, my son Randy and the rest of his family, and we were running from rod-to-rod all day. Whiting, mackerel, bluefish, ladyfish, blue runner, and lots of nice sized pompano kept us busy for the entire time we were on the beach. The highlight was the abundance of keeper sized pompano! That action was not only at Middle Cove and Blue Heron Beaches to the North, but also on the Hobe Sound beaches to the South. The key to the pompano success is using the right equipment that allows you to reach the second trough where these fish are located. 12-foot rods with Long Cast Spinning reels or conventional reels like the Penn Squall 15 will put you in the right zone. EZ Flea, Orange Clam, and Pink Shrimp Fishbites were the hot artificial baits, while blanched sand fleas also produced numerous fish. The stage of the tide didn't really make any difference today as the bites were continual. When you have this many species in the strike zone, make sure you have enough cut Fishbites and sandfleas ready to use in your bait bucket as you will run through them quickly. The next couple of days look great as far as surf conditions and with this last body of nice sized pompano having moved down the coast, the surf action should be great. 

From Capt. Joe Ward @ Capt. Joe's Bait & Tackle Ft Pierce

                   
One of our customers caught a 22 inch flounder at the jetty on Saturday. More reports about the black drum bite. They are along the channel edges and around the docks along South Indian River Dr. The sheepshead are in the same areas in good numbers too. The snook are in the Inlet on the tide changes. Just a reminder - snook season will be closed from December 15th to February 1st. Still some small pompano in the surf to the south if the Inlet.

From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

Inshore the snook bite has been good around the bridges on live bait with a few tarpon mixed in. There was a few good reports of some nice trout and a few reds around bear point soft baits have produced the best! 

How to catch tons of whiting surf fishing Florida

These Fish are CRAZY and DELICIOUS!

BIG FISH on Tiny Baits!

Fishing the First Cold Front - Got 'Em!

From Todd &Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

INSHORE:  Snook fishing remains good at night around the bridges at night, and along seawalls during the day.  The Flair Hawk bite is really starting to get going for the snook.  The Hobe Sound Flats have been very active as of late.  Good numbers of ladyfish, a few pompano, a few seatrout, and others are around now.  Sheepshead and black drum are slowy starting to take up their winter time homes in the ICW.  

SURF/PIER:   Fishing remains very good along the surf with a nice mix of species around.  Bluefish remain the most consistent producer up and down the line.  Noisy popping plugs, GT Ice Cream, Diamond Jigs, and heavy spoons are all good choices for the blues.  Look for the bluefish to bite best in the morning and late in the afternoon.  Pompano action has been fair to good.  Been a very day to day kind of bite, but when you catch it right a limit isn't out of the question.              
The spinner sharks and large schools of jacks have been moving around on the beach.  Spanish Mackerel action has started to fire up at Peck's Lake, with a good number of fish starting to fill in.  Clark Spoons and Glass MInnow Jigs are a great choic for the macs.  

From Capt. Charlie @Fishing Center-Fort Pierce

Nice weather continues along the Treasure Coast this week. Temperatures have become milder and the water temps are in the mid 70's this week. Winter fishing should prove to be an awesome bite this year. Some of the winter fish have already started to arrive to the area. It can be challenging with the weather, but productive if you use it to your advantage. Look for some windy days ahead and enjoy the fishing this winter!

The black drum have been coming in strong and bite has been good for us most days. Nolan had a good day with his dad and they landed 12 drum that were all in the slot size. We ended up with a few sheepshead, one nice triggerfish, a big mackerel and lots of snapper to finish off a good day on the water. All fish were released this week. We lost several good fish that broke us off or threw the hook. Most of our fish have come from channel edges and docks this week. Look for redfish around docks as well this time of year. Snook fishing has been good mostly at night. Pompano will be showing up soon and anglers will be happy about that. The mackerel have been coming in with the tides and been decent sized lately. You can find jacks and ladyfish in many places. There have been whiting in the surf this week. Perfect for the kids!

As winter sets in and we get the weekly cold fronts, make sure you are changing your fishing habits to fit the conditions. Water temperature will help show you where you might fish. A couple degrees in temperature can mean the difference having a successful day. Wintertime fishing is very good in our area, but you must watch the conditions and plan your fishing carefully.

From Capt. Joe Ward @ Capt. Joe's Bait & Tackle Ft Pierce

The black drum bite is getting better and better each day. Good number of sheepshead are here too. A couple of smaller trout came from Bear Point yesterday. A few flounder came from the jetty. Redfish and snook were in the Inlet yesterday. Also, snook around the North Bridge and in the Turning Basin - fish the last hour of the out going and first hour of the incoming tide for your best results.

From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

                                     photo courtesy of  Dave Hartwell @Zombie Tide Fishing                 

With the cooler temps we’ve received, the Spanish Mackerel and Bluefish bite in the surf has been very good, with most fish falling to spoons and bright jigs. There are still a few nice Snook being caught from the beaches, as well as more Pompano being caught on sand fleas and clams. The Indian River is definitely clearing up, and the higher water levels have quite a few fish hugging the mangroves, both Redfish and Snook. With and abundance of Pilchards around, plugs like the Mirrolure Mirrodine and flies such as the Polar Fibre Minnow have been doing the heavy lifting. Snook in the inlets have been a bit tough on artificials, but live pinfish and pigfish have been effective. Quite a few Redfish have moved into Sebastian Inlet, as well as some Tarpon, with flare jigs working well.

Sebastian Inlet Report

FLOUNDER, SNOOK AND REDFISH…GET OUT THERE!
We keep getting reports that fishing has been great all over the inlet so plan your trip.  Flounder is running on the backside of the inlet, west of the bridge.  Out on the North jetty, lots of slot Snook, Redfish and Drums with a few Spanish Mackerel and Bluefish mixed in.  Sheepshead are also starting to bite throughout the inlet.  Go see Tommy at Sebastian Inlet Bait & Tackle for the latest and all the supplies you need!

The NOAA forecast calls for Northwest winds through Wednesday up to 20 knots and seas peaking at 8 feet.  Winds shifting North Wednesday overnight and Thursday dying down to 5-10 knots with calmer seas.  East winds Thursday overnight and Southeast winds on Friday.  Expecting cooler temperatures so the fishing will continue to get better and better during the week.  Check out our webcam for current conditions.

A hearty congratulations to our out-of-town angler featured this week, Dennis Adams from Cincinnati, Ohio!  He caught this 31’ ¾” slot Snook on live jumbo shrimp .

Big Snook On Mullet , Subscriber Danny Lands a MONSTER on Live Bait

TENT SALE

                                             

Its time for everyone to circle December 15 on your calendar and make sure you head to The Snook Nook for their Annual Tent Sale and Customer Appreciation Day. Fred Caimotto, owner of the Snook Nook, told me the deals are never going to get better on every item in the store and there will be thousands of dollars in raffle prizes during the course of the day. I will be there all day if anyone has any questions about our local surf fishing and some of the best captains that fish the river, inshore, and offshore are all participating. Gary Zeidman and son Nick from Penn will be in attendance also and the deals on Penn products are going to be incredible. Those of you that missed the Fishbites Buy 2 Bags and get one free promotion at Bass Pro in October are in luck as Billy Carr and Brett Burford from Fishbites, are also going to be on site and will be conducting the same program all day at the event. Get there early to take advantage of all of the deals that will be available. Hope to see you there.

Winter Time Flounder Tips

Multi-Species Wade Fishing

Black Friday Fishing Deal I Couldn't Resist

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

Its early Monday morning and looking at this mornings weather report it looks like the surf is laying down to a point where its going to be fishable today. The big swell that has been with us the past few days is diminishing if you have the chance to wet a line today get out and try it. Middle Cove Beach access looked like an interchange on the Turnpike yesterday morning with cars and trucks pulling in and out with anglers hoping to bend a rod and then going over the dune line and finding out the big waves were still with us. The next front is forecast to move our way late Tuesday into Wednesday with Northwest and North winds up to 25 knots on Wednesday. The late part of the week looks good with North/Northeast/and Easterly winds of only 5 to 10 knots. We should be seeing more schools of pompano, bluefish, and mackerel making their way down the coast with each passing front. I am fishing today and Wednesday and hopefully will be able to post some positive reports during the week . Good luck and catch em up.

Now Open

                   The closes B&T shop to the inlet