Piscifun Carbon X Saltwater Field Test and Review

Secret To Catching Sheepshead With Live Shrimp (INSANE ACTION)

Snook on Top

South Florida Beginning Fishing 101...(Two Extremely Useful Bottom Rigs)

The SECRET to Catching Juno Pier SNOOK...in March

Sunday Snook Ideas?!?!?! (General Snook Patterns/Behavior)

Cubera Snapper {Catch Clean Cook} Family Dinner

Catch, Clean, Cook - Black Drum Danco Knives

From Todd &Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

INSHORE-  Snook fishing continues to improve with the warming weather.  As the water inshore begins to warm back up a bit the snook will begin to become more and more active.  Snook reports are improving at night around the bridges.  Look for outgoing tide to be the best tide for the snook; with flair hawk jigs and SpoolTek swimbaits being top lure choices.  Snook, mostly smaller ones, are also around the docklights in good numbers.  Live Shrimp, DOA Shrimp, and Vudu Shrimp (see a pattern here...) are good choices around the docklights.  Look for the snook to bite best on the top of the outgoing tide, but that may vary depending on where your fishing.  Other inshore fishing reports were a bit slower this week.  Has been a few jacks cruising around inshore, but no big numbers yet.  Area bridges are producing a good number of sandperch on pieces of fresh shrimp.  The Hobe Sound Flats in the ICW are still holding a nice assortment of fish as well.  

SURF/PIER-  Good pompano fishing this week north of Jupiter Inlet.  Top producing baits have been sandfleas, clams, and FIshbites.  The Juno Beach Pier continues to produce a few kingfish each morning, with Rapala X-Raps being a great lure choice for that.  Spinner/Blacktip sharks remain around in good numbers for those looking for something a little bigger to pull on.  Good numbers of bluefish and jacks scattered up and down the beach as well. 
There was one lucky angler who caught a nice Permit on shrimp and a Juno Pier rental Rod/Reel talking about beginners luck.   
  

Sebastian Inlet Report

                                        

FISHING IS SPECTACULAR, WEATHER IS GREAT…GET OUT THERE!

A special shout out to our angler of the week Luis Galdamez of Davenport, Florida – one of the friendliest guys we know!  Fishing off the North Jetty last month to celebrate his birthday with friends, Luis caught a massive 45” Black Drum with cut shrimp on a 7’9” rod with a Okuma 4500 spinning reel and a 20-pound test power pro line and 30-pound test leader/circle hook #2.  

We keep hearing that the fishing has been spectacular so get out there and stop by the Sebastian Inlet Bait & Tackle shop on your way to the North Jetty to say hello to our friends Tommy and Sarah!  They’ll give you the skinny on what’s been coming over the rails and spots at the inlet where the bite is good.  We are still seeing Redfish, Blues, Spanish Mackerel, Snook, Black Drum and Sheepshead, and some shrimping off the catwalks at night have been paying off.

                        

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

Although the big numbers of pompano were still pretty scarce on Monday morning, the local surf bite fishing can best be described from Ed Killers quote, " The whiting are biting!!". I fished at Blue Heron yesterday and the water was very off-colored but there was a hint of green about 75 yards from the beach. The bite was so good on the nice sized whiting that I eventually was only fishing 2 rods because keeping up with 4 rods was impossible. If you want to target the whiting stagger your casts at 50, 60 and 75 yards until you find what depth they are holding in. At this time of year the biggest whiting will be holding in the deeper water at most spots and once you figure out that distance from shore you can fill the cooler quickly. Unlike the pompano that will usually stay hooked after they take the bait, whiting and croaker stand a pretty good chance of throwing the hook if you don't put immediate pressure on them. Fishbites and clam strips were my bait choices and it only took a shortened day to fill the cooler. Looking at the webcam today, Tuesday, it looks like the water has cleaned up at a few spots but I have not heard from anyone who was out today . It looks like the wind is going to ramp up a bit for the next couple of days and then back off as we near the weekend.

From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

Good morning! Fishing in the Indian River has remained very good, with plenty of Redfish around shorelines, as well as some healthy looking Seatrout. Gulp Shrimp, soft plastic jerk baits, and flies such as Kwans and Rattle Shrimp have done damage on both species. There are also plenty of Pompano around, mostly on the flats and spoil islands, and mostly falling for goofy jigs. Snook are starting to get active with the warmer temps we are getting, mostly around docks deeper shorelines. There has been a bit more activity in the surf, with Pompano fishing improving, mostly on sand fleas, and a fair number of Bluefish and Spanish Mackerel taking spoons and jigs.                                  

                                         photo courtesy of Gulfstream Lures               

Sebastian Inlet is yielding plenty of Snook and some big Redfish on flare jigs, while the Snook bite in Fort Pierce Inlet has been slow. There have been plenty of Bluefish and Spanish in Fort Pierce to take up the slack.

Scouting Around Palm Beach And Martin County

In the Indian and St. Lucie Rivers, the snook bite has picked up with the warm weather. Though there are some shorts being caught, there are plenty of slot-size fish as well. The oversized fish should start moving into the area in the next few weeks.

There are still pompano being caught at the St. Lucie Inlet as well as Sailfish Flats.

Just north of the Boynton Inlet, Spanish mackerel up to eight pounds have been caught by anglers fishing and trolling along the surf. Surf casters throwing three- to four-ounce Gator Spoons during the morning hours did well this past Sunday and Monday. Also, anglers trolling two-ounce yellow bucktail jigs and six-inch Yo-Zuri Minnow lures between 12 to 25 feet between the inlet and the Lake Worth Pier have been doing well.

Anglers working the docks on the west side of the Intracoastal Waterway north of the Boynton Inlet have been catching redfish on quarter-ounce jig heads                                       Lantana Bridge anglers have been experiencing great fishing for sand perch using peeled shrimp. A few pompano were also being caught by those targeting sand perch. Snook and black drum have been hitting live shrimp fished around the bridge fenders at night.

Florida hopes to stop anacondas, other exotics before they gain foothold

LAKE OKEECHOBEE

The bass fishing has picked up quite a bit in the past two weeks. Both live shiners and artificial baits are working well. The Tin House Cove and North Shore areas have been hot spots with guides getting their clients into some big fish in the seven- to nine-pound range.

The spec fishing has also picked up with anglers faring well fishing jigs in the reeds. Indian Prairie and the Kissimmee River are the go-to spots right now.

Five MUST HAVE Lures for the Juno Beach Fishing Pier

Beginner FISHING 10... (Extremely Versatile Bottom Rig)

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

                            
Lots of pompano, many that had to be released, whiting, croaker, and blue runner have been bending the rods this President's Day Weekend along Hutchinson Island. My personal fishing time has been limited to a couple of hours the last couple of days due to work obligations but the catch-and-release pompano bite was non-stop at Blue Heron Beach on Saturday morning. The good news was that 40 or so fish bit constantly for a couple of hours but the bad news is there were only a few keepers in the mix. EZ Flea and Orange Clam Fishbites tipped with salted clam strips were the baits that produced the majority of the action. I received a call from friends Chuck Frith and Marty Barlow who were fishing at Tiger Shores and the were experiencing the same type of undersized pompano action along with putting a few nice croakers in the cooler. They did speak to an angler who reported some larger pompano being taken in the afternoon at the Normandy Beach the previous day. Yesterday morning I met my son Randy at Blue Heron and although the pompano had thinned out, the whiting were still biting on the long rods. We made a return trip to Tiger Shores in the late afternoon where the whiting action was excellent. I got some help from my granddaughter Ashley, who reeled in the whiting on the long rod we were fishing. This was a team effort as I held the rod and she cranked them in. These fish were caught both on the long rods fished in the second trough 70 to 90 yards off the beach and on the short rods right in the first trough. Cut shrimp tipped with Shrimp Fishbites was the hot bait for the near shore action. Randy's father in law, Barry Rashkin, put a nice keeper pompano in the cooler during the afternoon. The stars of the afternoon were the schools of the spinner sharks leaping out of the water 150 to 200 yards off of the beach for the entire afternoon. They were there in huge numbers and there were times when 3 or 4 would go airborne at once. Hopefully some larger pompano will show up this week, so our keeper numbers should increase. Nice conditions and lots of action made for a great Weekend surf bite. 

From Capt. Charlie @Fishing Center-Fort Pierce

February has been a warm month with some record highs in many areas of the Treasure Coast. It has been a mild winter so far and Spring is almost here already. Water temperatures are in the low to mid seventies and the fish have been biting. Windy conditions are the norm this time of year so plan your fishing accordingly. Look for the rest of February to continue with these conditions. 

                                     

Variety has provided us with some awesome days lately. I guess the best bite has been sheepshead which is typical this month. John, Wayne and Carroll were out with me this past week and found them cooperating. The guys caught over thirty sheepshead and most of them in one spot. Tim and Emily were out with me also and found a good assortment of fish in spite of the winds picking up that afternoon. Some nice drum along with sheepshead, lots of bluefish & mackerel and many other fish to make for a fun fishing day. Lillian, Mary and my wife, Eva, joined me for a quick morning trip. Again the variety makes for some fun fishing. The croaker bite has picked up with some nice sized fish out there. Great eating and they give a good fight. 

Look for structure to be very productive this month. Sheepshead, drum, snapper and lots of other fish can be found around bridges, docks and channel edges. Bluefish, jacks and mackerel will be coming in with the tides and chasing bait. Tim and Emily caught lots of them on bare jig heads. Snook have been biting around the jetties, bridges and sea walls this week. Our trout have been in deep cuts this week. Redfish are hanging around mangroves and docks. The pompano are still in the river on the grass flats in three to five feet of water. 

Conditions and Times to use a Flairhawk for Snook Fishing

From Todd &Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

INSHORE-  Snook fishing has been pretty good this week, especially at night around the bridges.  FlairHawk Jigs are a solid lure choice right now, especially on outgoing tide.  Docklights in the ICW are also holding a good number of snook, but most of the fish are on the smaller size.  Live shrimp are a solid choice for the snook when fishing around docklights.  The sheepshead are in Palm Beach Inlet in fair numbers right now, and biting live shimp.  Hobe Sound Flats are still producing a nice assortment of fish.  Live shrimp, Vudu Shrimp, and Doc's Goofy Jigs have all been good choices in Hobe Sound.  No reports to speak of from Munyan Island, but the time is right for some fish to be around...could/should be worth checking out!

SURF/PIER-  The Juno Beach Pier continues to produce a few kingfish almost every morning on X-Raps or trolley rigs.  Scattered Spanish Mackerel are also mixed in at the pier.   Pompano action has been fair this week, and conditions look right for them to bite this weekend.  Doc's Goofy Jig remains the lure of choice for the pomps on the pier; while sandfleas, clams, and fishbites will be the top producers from the beach.  Blacktip/Spinner Sharks are around in good numbers for those looking for something bigger to pull on.  The sharks will bite loud noisy topwater plugs a lot of times early in the morning, and are wrecking pieces of fresh bait at night.  Lots of fun from the beach if you've never caught them before!

Sebastian Inlet Report

                                            

              FISHING HAS BEEN OFF THE CHARTS!

By all reports that we are getting, fishing has been amazing!  Saturday was out of this world, says our friend Tommy at Sebastian Inlet Bait & Tackle.  Mostly Bluefish and Spanish Mackerel, but anglers were bringing everything over the rails: Snook, Reds, Drum and Sheepshead!  One fisherman caught an Ocean Sunfish, which we hear is very rare, but couldn’t reel it in.  Lots of people watching saw him give it a good run.  There are some good options in catching bait fish, some big greenies and pinfish are around.  The Shrimp have been running at night – sporadically.  Catwalks are your best bet for Shrimp.

Here’s our angler of the week – Feroze Khan – Feroze and his brother caught this awesome Redfish on the North Jetty.

From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

Tougher conditions today will give way to some nicer days coming toward the weekend. Fishing inshore has remained good, with Pompano being caught on the flats in numerous places north and south, predominantly on goofy jigs. Redfish continue to be active, with lots of fish around, hopefully the next few days will give them a bit of a break and they’ll get a little less spooky. Trout catches continue to be good, with fish on the spoil islands and shorelines, mostly being taken on Gulp Shrimp and Yo-Zuri 3D Suspending plugs. Fishing the inlets for Snook has been solid on flare jigs and Hogy swimbaits, and Sebastian is still producing some big Redfish as well.                 

How to Fish a Spooltek and Flair Hawk Jig! ft. Ben Begovic

Beginner FISHING 101...(Getting Started-Rod/Reel)

POMPANO FISHING: Easy Trick To Keep Sand Fleas Alive For Days

How to cast a baitcaster (with NO BACKLASH)

Top 5 Surf Fishing TIPS

When to throw the Flairhawk (aka SNOOK JIG)

Sebastian Inlet Report

                                            
                                         photo courtesy of Big Dave Hartwell


We have seen some massive Redfish and Black Drum come over the rails in recent weeks off the North Jetty, and our friend Tommy at Sebastian Inlet Bait & Tackle is seeing Bluefish and Spanish Mackerel, doing well on live and cut bait.  Flair jigs are working great for the oversized Reds during the day and at night, use them for Snook.  Spoons are also working well for mainly Blues and Reds.  Best live bait options are shrimp and sandfleas.

Mirrolure Pro Tip Episode 2 (Suspending Baits)

Great South Florida Winter Snook Lure

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

The surf conditions seem to be holding as predicted with 2 to 3 foot seas forecast right into the weekend but the weeds that have been rolling in since yesterday are making the surf fishing almost impossible. I took a ride yesterday morning and headed south to Hobe Sound based on some intel I received on Sunday night and I did not have to deal with the mats of weeds. The pompano made a brief appearance but the bite was over by 9 am. I managed to put 5 in the cooler along with releasing some blue runners and bluefish and was headed home early. The spinner sharks kept my catch to only five as they did bite off another four pompano I had hooked . The light easterly winds are predicted into Friday night when it will shift to the northeast and increase Saturday and Sunday. Sunday and Monday look like unfishable days with the surf building to 7 to 8 feet. We can only hope for some type of current and wind shift that will get rid of all of the weeds that are piling up on the local beaches. The pompano bit the EZ Flea and bright yellow Clam and Crab Scented Fishbites again on Monday . Hopefully we can find some gaps in the weeds the next few days and catch the pompano, bluefish, bluerunners, whiting, and ladyfish that are swimming along our beaches. If anyone has any questions about locations, techniques, baits , or tackle about fishing the surf this month , I will be in the studio this week with Fred from the Snook Nook and doing the South Florida Fishing Report on 94.3 WZZR .I Heart Radio, Saturday morning from 6 to 8 am. The number to call is 877 927 6969. We will be happy to answer all of your questions . 

Scouting Around Palm Beach And Martin County

                                     

INSHORE FISHING:

In the St. Lucie and Indian River the name of the game right now is pompano. The bite is fantastic! A guide working with three clients a few nights ago said they caught their limit of 18 fish in under an hour. The hot spots in the river have been Hell’s Gate and Sailfish Flats. Best baits have been pompano jigs or shrimp on jig head.

Along the bridges there is still a good bite on black drum and sheepshead.

Looking for snook? Fishing the dock lights at night has been working well lately.

On the beaches, the pompano action has been nearly as hot as the river. For bait, cut clams or sandfleas combined with clam Fishbites is working.

LAKE OKEECHOBEE:

The bass bite has definitely picked up. Anglers working the Kings Bar, Nubbin Slough, Henry Creek and Harney Pond areas are having good luck using Skinny Dippers and Big EZs in dark colors. The bite has been in around 2 feet of water. Take care when setting up in these shallow areas.

The spec bite is also picking up. In the Kissimmee River from the bridge to the lake, anglers are faring well drifting minnows in 8 to 12 feet of water. At night the Indian Prairie area has been best for specs.

BEST BAIT COMBO for Pier Fishing! Sebastian Pier, Florida

NEW Extremely REALISTIC Live Target Croaker Review

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

Well , it was pretty good at a number of locations on the south end of Hutchinson Island like Santa Lucea, Fletcher and parts of Stuart Beach. Pompano, bluefish, mackerel, whiting, jacks, ladyfish, and even bonefish were all on the catch list. I fished in the Stuart Beach area with my son Randy and his friend Chris Battjer from Palm City and all of the above species were taken. Fishbites, EZ Flea, Orange Clam, and the new chartreuse Crab scent all caught fish along with clam strips and blanched sand fleas. Chris was throwing the spoon that put the mackerel and jacks on the beach. The pompano bite was excellent as we had steady action on that bite from first light until 10 am. I received reports from this area to Hobe Sound and it sounds like the bite was good everywhere. The upcoming week looks good as far as the weather and if today was any indication the chances of putting some fish in your cooler is pretty good. High tides will be in the morning so target your trips to start from 8 to 10 am. Good luck and catch em up.

From Capt. Charlie @Fishing Center-Fort Pierce

Hard to believe that Valentines Day is just around the corner… Don’t forget your sweetheart and enjoy the fishing this month. Winter is well established, and you can expect weekly cold fronts to blow through the area bringing windy days and cool temperatures with them. Water temps will fluctuate this month and you must adapt to the changes for better success. 
                          The trout bite has picked up and we are seeing more sea grass growing on the flats. I like to use a DOA Deadly Combo when looking for sea trout. Look for redfish around docks and mangroves. We have already had good success finding redfish this year and it should prove to be another banner year for them. Snook fishing will be best at night around the bridges and jetties. Live bait or a DOA Bait Buster will be good choices.

Sheepshead are plentiful this month. You can find them along with black drum and snapper hanging under docks or along channel edges. Live or dead shrimp always works well. It has been a good bite so far. Pompano can be found along beaches, in deeper areas of the grass flats and in channels. Doc’s Goofy Jigs are great for pompano with live shrimp and sand fleas good choices, too. Mackerel, jacks, bluefish and ladyfish will all be coming in with the tides and small shiny lures will work best for them.

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. Be willing to fish deeper water if the temps drop below 68 degrees. 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 Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart

Inshore the snook bite has been good around the bridges at night with a few big guys around on the outgoing tide. The live bait fishing in the inlet has been good with a few snook and reds drifting pin and pigfish on the outgoing tide. The trout bite is steady to the north around Vero with a few reds mixed in. The pompano bite is still steady on the incoming tide in the inlet and off JC park. 

Juno Bait Owner Todd Talks about his GO-TO Lure for well....almost every...

The SECRET is OUT..........................................................

Amazing Method for Saltwater Bridge Fishing in Florida!

Plenty of Snook Under Small Bridges, Catching Them on Swimbaits

No more Snags with this Float Fishing Rig!

You're Probably Fishing This INCREDIBLE Lure Wrong

From Todd &Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

INSHORE-  Snook season opens tonight at midnight (2/1) for the east coast, and reports sound pretty good overall.  Winter snook fishing is always a little bit tougher, but those putting the time in are finding a fair number of willing fish around.  The bridges will be a good starting spot, especially on an outgoing tide.  A shrimp jig is a good lure choice, as is a flair hawk.  The snook won’t be super active, so presentation of the lure and patience is key in getting the bites.  The Hobe Sound Flats (west side of ICW between Mile Marker 40-44) continue to hold a nice mixed bag variety of species.  A few spotted seatrout, occasional redfish, ladyfish, pompano, jack, and small snook are all hanging around the flats right now.  Pompano action slowed a bit in the Loxahatchee River this week, but a handful of fish have been caught throughout the week on Goofy Jigs. 
 
SURF/PIER-  A large swell made fishing tough early in the week, but overall things seem to be picking up.  The Juno Beach Pier has been producing a fair number of bluefish, a few pompano, scattered Spanish Mackerel, some kingfish, and plenty of blacktip sharks.  Fishing from the surf was a bit slower this week, but pompano reports north of Jupiter Inlet have started to improve (still a bit spotty south of Jupiter).  Bluefish are biting fairly well in Hobe Sound.  Plenty of sharks moving along the beach for those looking for something a little bigger to pull on!  Super Bowl Weekend tends to really mark the kickoff (pun intended) of the full on spinner/blacktip migration for South Florida. 
 

Juno Bait Owner Todd talks about the BEST Pompano Jig on the market!