To the angler who loves to fish the beaches, shores, jetties, bridges and piers of Florida.
Friday, January 31, 2020
Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area
Two high school buddies, Phil Whitcomb and Mike Young, on their first pompano fishing trip. It must be that old " Summit High School " luck as they filled the cooler. They each got their recreational limit and after I got my six fish they headed off to enjoy a South Florida afternoon. Reports today were excellent from Santa Lucea, where friend and local surf angler, Chris Battjer, put 5 nice pompano in his cooler during the short time he had to fish. I fished by a couple of friends, Brad Master and Marty Barlow, and they had no problem in catching their limits. I got reports from Hobe Sound to Fort Pierce and it sounds like we have a pretty nice spread of pompano along all of our beaches. The Yellow Crab Fishbites bait was on fire today along with the normal EZ Flea scent. I did see some folks that did not do as well as they could have and the main reason was they just weren't reaching the fish. Penn Longcast reels on 12 foot surf rods will put you in the zone where these fish are schooling up so if you want to be successful try this equipment and I guarantee you will take some home.
From Todd &Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach
Surf/Pier- Surf fishing remains a bit off for the season, but 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 action improved this week, with some catches coming both north and south of Jupiter Inlet. Sandfleas and clams remain the top bait choice for the pomps. The bluefish were around in better numbers this week, which is an encouraging sign. Spinner sharks are around in solid numbers.
Scouting Around Palm Beach And Martin County
Inshore fishing:
Along the beaches in the Jensen area there has been a nice pompano bite. Though it can be good one day and not as good the next, they are definitely moving through. They are mostly being caught on live sand fleas and on green or yellow crab Fishbites. There are schools of Spanish mackerel moving through as well and there have been concentrations of them in Peck’s Lake. They are mostly being taken on spoons, Flash Minnows, Got-Cha plugs or anything else shiny and fast.
At the bridges spanning the St. Lucie and Indian Rivers there has been good action for snook, black drum and sheepshead.
Up around the power plant they have been catching sea trout. No gators, but some nice fish.
Along the beaches from the Jupiter Inlet north through Hobe Sound there has been a nice pompano bite. From Jupiter Inlet south, however, all the way to the Juno Pier the water has mostly been too murky from the recent dredge and beach renourishment. Anglers in the Loxahatchee River are also catching pompano, as well as jack crevalle and a good number of snook. Anglers going after snook are having good luck working the dock lights at night.
Lake Okeechobee:
The spec bite is still fantastic! Anglers using jigs, and minnows like jigs, in the grass are catching their limits. Best spots have been at Little Grassy in front of the pier along with Kings Bar and Third Point. The Kissimmee River has also had an excellent bite at night. The bass bite has been a little slow, but is still consistent in the Indian Prairie, North Shore and Kings Bar areas. Live shiners are working much better than any artificial baits right now.
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart
Fishing up and down the Indian River has been solid, with cleaner water abounding after the cooler weather we’ve had. Pompano have been around the inlets in good numbers in Ft. Pierce and Stuart, mostly taking goofy jigs along the flats.
Seatrout continue to be active as well, mostly caught on soft plastics and shrimp, with some larger ones being caught of late. Snook in the IRL have been a bit lethargic of late, but some warmer temps should lead to some good opportunities as there has been some nice fish around. Snook fishing in the inlets with flare jigs and live bait has been good ( Season re opens Saturday AM ), and some Tarpon have been around at night on the outgoing as well. Surf fishing is calming a bit as well, and the cooler temps will only help the Pompano fishing.
Monday, January 27, 2020
Friday, January 24, 2020
Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area
Ed Killers headlines in the post below kind of sums everything up for those of us that are wanting to bend a rod along our local beaches. At least the wave forecasts are back in the single digits from today through Tuesday and I plan on starting to look at some spots on Sunday. Hopefully the big winds from the last few days pushed some of the mackerel and pompano schools into our area and those fish make an appearance. I heard from a fellow commercial angler who was up in Daytona last week visiting a buddy and he spent Thursday afternoon on the beach . He managed to catch 30 pounds of pompano and a cooler full of big whiting in just a couple of hours. I am keeping my fingers crossed the water temperatures dropped in that area and those fish are heading our way. I also want to send a thank you out to all of my great customers that I have been forced to cancel our beach charters in the last couple of months and once things settle down I will do my best to get you rescheduled. Maybe things will really turn on and the wait will have been worth it. As soon as I get out I will post a report on fishing and beach conditions because I am sure there have been some changes . The Snook Nook and Fishbites website have a good supply of pompano rigs at the moment as Randy and I haven't had much to do other than tie rigs!! Good luck and catch em up as soon as the surf becomes fishable. The Snook Nook still has a supply of Yellow Crab Fishbites as of yesterday so make sure you stop in and grab a bag or two.
From Todd &Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach
SURF/PIER- Conditions are looking a little better for the upcoming weekend, which could hopefully lead to some of the better surf fishing we've seen this weekend. A few days of north wind will hopefully push a fair number of Mackerel, Bluefish, and Pompano down this way. Presently the water is a bit muddy, but as it clears up a bit the fishing should improve. It's also about time for blacktip season to really get rolling...we'll have to see if that happens!
Scouting Around Palm Beach And Martin County
Inshore fishing:
Looking to avoid the heavy seas off of the Palm Beach area? Targeting jack crevalle just inside the Lake Worth Inlet could be a fun alternative.
Surf anglers working the beaches from Lake Worth Beach to Lantana and from the south side of the Boynton Inlet to Ocean Ridge Hammock Park are catching whiting, pompano and a few permit. They are all being caught using cut shrimp on pompano jigs, poached sandfleas and crabs cut into quarters.
Anglers at the Boynton Inlet have been getting sheepshead on the incoming tide using clams and small live crabs.
Lake Okeechobee:
Though it’s been a bit cold and windy the past few days, the bass fishing has been good. Using wild shiners has been good pretty much anywhere on the lake the past week. Guide Ryan Eckman helped one of his clients land an 11-pound, four-ounce monster just before the cold snap. They were using wild shiners and fishing just past Indian Prairie. Though not as consistent there is a bite using artificial baits. Anglers using soft plastic swim baits, especially in copperfield and houdini color patterns, are having some good luck around Tin House Cove and Fourth Point and on the east side near the J&S Canal and Henry Creek.
The crappie fishing has been excellent from the mouth of the Kissimmee River to the Kissimmee Bridge. Anglers using minnows and working depths from eight to 12 feet are having a blast. There has also been a bite using jigs around Kings Bar and Buckhead Ridge.From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart
Inshore yesterday for the few people that managed to get out there was a few trout and reds to the north around the spoil islands soft baits and live shrimp have produced well. The pompano bite is still steady south of the City Marina and off JC Park on the incoming tide. The snook bite has been steady and should pic up with some cool weather and a north, north east wind for those of you avid snook fisherman the Treasure Coast Snook Challenge is Feb 1st its for a good cause to hope everyone can fish. There also has been a good sheephead and drum bite around the bridges with live shrimp.
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Friday, January 17, 2020
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Sebastian Inlet Report
SHEEPSHEAD, BLACK DRUM, REDFISH AND FLOUNDER ON THE LINES
It is a beautiful day out at the Sebastian Inlet right now and now that winds have slowed, fishing is picking up again with the calmer seas. Tommy tells us he’s seen a lot of big Sheepshead anglers have been reeling in on the North Jetty. Black Drum have been hitting pretty good too. Just check out last week’s featured angler for verification on that… Small shrimp, clams and sandfleas are your best bait for both.
Redfish have been biting too on shrimp. Some larger ones so remember your FWC size limits and practice safe catch and release. Spanish Mackerel are here and Bluefish are just beginning to show up. Use your Gotcha lures, spoons and bucktails to reel them in and try fishing the South Jetty.
There is still some Pompano to be had, hitting mostly on sandfleas, clams and frozen shrimp. West of the bridge, the Flounder action has still been hot and Tommy has seen some as big as 5lbs.
A special call out to our featured angler of the week, a regular on the North Jetty that some call the “King of the Jetty” for his fishing knowledge and skill. We are talking about our young friend Garryn, of course! Garryn was fishing with his mom and a friend who regularly sends in photos on the North Jetty. Together, they caught 8 Black Drum. Garryn caught the bag-limit of 5 and mom caught 3. “Great day on the pier!”
From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart
Inshore yesterday the trout bite was good up around Vero with a few nice reds mixed in D.O.A CAl’s have produced well in the New Penny and Root beer color . The flounder bite in the inlet on the incoming tide with live shrimp and little finger mullet. The pompano bite is still steady of J.C park and the Sail Fish Flats on the incoming tide with jigs and sand fleas .
From Capt. Charlie @Fishing Center-Fort Pierce
January should provide anglers with lots of exciting action this year. Fishing in deeper water will provide you with better results on most days. Working your lures and baits much slower will also give you a better chance at success. Fish tend to become lethargic in cold water and are slow in moving to strike at lures. Finding water that is a couple degrees warmer than the surrounding area can also give you an edge on finding fish. Water temperatures have been mild so far.
Redfish can be found around docks and sitting on the flats on warm, sunny days. Try a DOA shrimp around mangroves and docks for reds. The trout bite has greatly improved this past year and it should continue to get better. Snook season is closed for now and it will continue to be catch and release. Bridges, docks and the inlets will be the best opportunities to catch snook this month.
Friday, January 10, 2020
Thursday, January 9, 2020
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
Monday, January 6, 2020
Friday, January 3, 2020
Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area
From Todd &Trey @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach
INSHORE- The fishing inshore has been pretty good as of late, and should continue to improve. Wintertime sheepshead and drum are beginning to show up inshore. Live shrimp are always a solid bait choice for them, as are fiddler crabs if you can find them. Mixed in with the drum and sheepshead have been a few redfish. Catch and release snook fishing remains pretty solid inshore as well. The snook continue to bite the shrimp jig very good at night around the bridges. Hope Sound Flats are holding a nice mixed bag of species. The jacks, ladyfish, snook, trout, and pompano are all making a showing in the Marker 40 to 44 range.
SURF/PIER- Spanish Mackerel action has really started to pop off at Peck's Lake over the past few days. Flash minnow jigs, Gotcha Plugs, and Clark Spoons should all do the trick on the Macs. Chumming with glass minnows also really helps fire up the Mackerel. The Juno Beach Pier has also been seeing a fair number of Mackerel, with small X-Raps and crappie jigs being the lures of choice. Pompano reports remain pretty good north of Jupiter Inlet, with Hobe Sound continuing to produce some good catches. Bluefish action remains a bit slow. Hopefully some coming January cold fronts help fire up the blues. Pretty good number of sharks along the beach currently.
SURF/PIER- Spanish Mackerel action has really started to pop off at Peck's Lake over the past few days. Flash minnow jigs, Gotcha Plugs, and Clark Spoons should all do the trick on the Macs. Chumming with glass minnows also really helps fire up the Mackerel. The Juno Beach Pier has also been seeing a fair number of Mackerel, with small X-Raps and crappie jigs being the lures of choice. Pompano reports remain pretty good north of Jupiter Inlet, with Hobe Sound continuing to produce some good catches. Bluefish action remains a bit slow. Hopefully some coming January cold fronts help fire up the blues. Pretty good number of sharks along the beach currently.
Sebastian Inlet Report
On the North Jetty, we hear that Pompano, Black Drum, Sheepshead, and some Bluefish, Spanish Mackerel and Jacks have been coming over the rails. Pompano fishing from the beach has also been great. Use sand fleas, clams and frozen shrimp to target them. Use your lures for the Bluefish, Spanish Mackerel and Jacks.
We saw a ton of boats in the inlet channel West of the bridge bottom fishing for Flounder so the bite must be good, and finger mullet or mud minnows are your best bet on bait if you can find them. Live shrimp will do the job too.
Now that the weather has taken a turn for the better (much better!), it was beautiful at the inlet this morning. Not too hot, not too cold with a nice ocean breeze.
Check out this Black Drum our featured angler of the week caught night fishing the North Jetty byJerry Hunley!
Scouting Around Palm Beach And Martin County
Inshore fishing:
In the north fork of the St. Lucie River there has been a decent snook bite. They are mostly going after live shrimp, pilchards and mullet. Up around Bear Point, anglers are still catching good numbers of sea trout using artificial shrimp and working the grass beds. Working the flats around marker 42 in Hobe Sound, there has been good action on ladyfish and pompano.
In the north fork of the Loxahatchee River, around Tequesta Drive Bridge, there has been a decent bite for both mangrove and lane snapper. There are also some small snook in that area as well as good size schools of bait.
Lake Okeechobee:
The bass bite has been picking up a bit in terms of numbers the past week. Though not a lot of giants are being caught, there are plenty of From Tin House Cove down to Indian Prairie the bass have been hitting soft plastic swim baits in black and blue colors. Around Observation Shoal and the West Wall area they’ve been hitting Houdini-colored swim jigs. 
The crappie fishing is still excellent. Anglers are catching them at night under lights using minnows in the Kissimmee River. They are also getting good numbers working the round reeds by King’s Bar using yellow/white and chartreuse/white jigs.
The crappie fishing is still excellent. Anglers are catching them at night under lights using minnows in the Kissimmee River. They are also getting good numbers working the round reeds by King’s Bar using yellow/white and chartreuse/white jigs.