To the angler who loves to fish the beaches, shores, jetties, bridges and piers of Florida.
Thursday, February 25, 2021
Wednesday, February 24, 2021
Tuesday, February 23, 2021
Monday, February 22, 2021
Friday, February 19, 2021
Scouting Around Palm Beach And Martin County
Inshore
Along the beaches north and south of the Lake Worth Inlet, there are large numbers of spinner sharks all over the beach . Though they are best targeted with chunks of bait at night, there are surf anglers picking them up in low light hours at dusk and dawn using large popping lures.
There have been some massive schools of jack crevalle chasing bait just off Singer Island. They are just out of reach of the surf anglers, but captains can drive up to the schools and have a blast.
Working the sea walls from the Southern Boulevard bridge up to the power plant in Riviera Beach has been producing excellent catch-and-release action for jack crevalle and the occasional tarpon. Live goggle eyes are working best.
Lake Okeechobee
As the weather has stayed warm, the bass bite has continued to pick up. Capt. Larry Wright had one group into 14 fish during a half day charter on Tuesday with the biggest weighing in at a respectable 7 pounds, 14 ounces. Live shiners worked inside the grassline are working best. If going with an artificial though, chatter baits followed by top water lures and then flippin' creature style baits has been the way to go. The Indian Prairie area has been good
The spec bite is still fantastic! Using minnows and fishing in the river, Capt. Larry Wright had his clients into 24 fish by 9:20 on Wednesday morning.
The recent combination of warm weather, rain and a few overcast days has had the snakeheads, peacock bass and largemouth bass fired up in the canals around west Delray Beach and Boca Raton. Top water frog-style baits in white, black or green/brown have been working well. Look for overhanging branches or thick cover along the banks for best results
photo courtesy of Hai Truong
Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area
From Todd, Trey & Nick @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach
INSHORE- Snook fishing has started to improve with the warming weather. The snook are biting live shrimp and shrimp imitating lures (DOA Shrimp, Savage Manic Shrimp, Vudu Shrimp, Etc) well around docklights. The shrimp jig bite remains hot around the bridges, especially on outgoing tide. During the day the snook remain locked pretty tight to seawalls and under boat docks. Sheepshead and black drum are still biting pretty good in the ICW. Fresh cut shrimp is the way to go. Hobe Sound Flats continue to produce some nice mixed bag action on ladyfish, jacks, and assorted other stuff.
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
Tuesday, February 16, 2021
Saturday, February 13, 2021
Friday, February 12, 2021
Scouting Around Palm Beach And Martin County
Inshore
In the St. Lucie River there has been an excellent bite for sheepshead and mangrove snapper around some of the older docks. Both are eating barnacles off the dock pilings are can be caught using shrimp on a jig head.
There have been a few good-sized black drum caught off the bridges spanning the St. Lucie and Indian rivers. They are hitting shrimp on a jig head.
Also along the bridges there has been some good pompano action during the outgoing tide. Goofy jigs or pretty much any pompano jig will work.
With the water temperatures rebounding, bigger snook are starting to congregate around the bridges, especially up around the north fork of the St. Lucie River. Some have even worked their way out of the inlet and onto the beaches. Yo-Zuir Crystal Minnows and big swimbaits are working. Some have even been caught on the beach with frozen shrimp by anglers who were targeting whiting.
Also along the beaches have been some monster jack crevalle. They're a little farther out in the green water and are hitting anything right now.
The snook are stacked up in the Lake Worth Inlet, but they have been lockjaw during the day with the super clear water currently in place. Anglers fishing at night, however, using Vudu artificial sardines and/or mullet are landing some nice ones.
Lake Okeechobee
With the warmer weather the past week, the bass bite has rebounded nicely. Anglers are having good luck working a bit deeper into the grassline around King's Bar, Buckhead Ridge and the Tin House Cove areas. Senkos are working well as is flippin' with creature-style baits. Though live shiners are also working, they have been tough to find lately.
The spec bite is excellent right now. Guys are getting their limits of the tasty panfish using both minnows and jigs. Hot spots have been Little Grassy, Eagle Bay, Buckhead Ridge and the river. Best depth in the river has been around 12 feet and it has been good day and night.
More freshwater
Anglers fishing the Loxahatchee Refuge conservation areas are still finding an excellent largemouth bass bite. Live shiners around heavy cover or blue or red flaked Senkos, fished wacky style, have been top producers
Calling all surf casters
Inaugural Indian Riverkeeper Sandspike Shootout will be held Feb. 27 and 28 at Dollman Park Beachside on Hutchinson Island. Though early registration is recommended and available online, day-of registration will be conducted on site with a strict 9 a.m. deadline. Weigh-ins will be 4:30 p.m. both days. This is an “on-foot” surf fishing tournament for pompano and whiting. Fishing the surf from a boat is strictly prohibited as is fishing in the Indian River Lagoon. Anglers are restricted to fishing two rods simultaneously though extra rods are permissible as backups. There will be great prizes for the top four pompano and top four whiting. There will also be a raffle.
From Todd, Trey & Nick @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach
SURF/PIER- Surf fishing seemed to improve this week. Bluefish, including some good size ones, showed up in better numbers. While you can pick away at them during the day, the best action has actually been at night. The Juno Beach Pier is still open at night and has been a great spot for the bluefish. Fresh chunks of cut bait will be the best bet for the blues. The spinner/blacktip sharks are here in good numbers as well. If you find them in the right spot grouped up you can get the on topwater lures early/late in the day; but the best bet for them remains chunks of bait at night. Pompano action was fair this week. Best action on the pompano still seems to be up north a bit. Croaker and whiting are biting small pieces of shrimp in close. Spanish Mackerel action remains very good at Peck's Lake.
Saturday, February 6, 2021
From Todd, Trey & Nick @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach
SURF/PIER- The Juno Beach Pier saw some pretty good action over the past few days. Some big schools of jacks pushing through, and for the most part have been fairly willing to jump on a popper or GT Ice Cream in quick order. Spanish mackerel continue to bite pretty good, along with a fair number of bluefish. Pompano action remains a bit inconsistent, but enough around to make it worth trying for them. It's super early in the season, but a dead sardine on the bottom could get you a snook bite or two as well.
Friday, February 5, 2021
Thursday, February 4, 2021
From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce / Stuart / Vero Beach
Good morning everyone, I hope you’re staying warm these days. The high winds we’ve had have kept most people in dry dock, but some have braved it and been rewarded. Snook fishing at night at the bridges and the inlet in Fort Pierce has been good since the season re-opened Monday, both on flare jigs and live bait, and Sebastian Inlet has also been productive. In the surf, there continues to be some Spanish Mackerel and Bluefish taking spoons, as well as some Pompano taking Fish Bites, sand fleas, and clams, particularly at Jaycee Park in Fort Pierce.
Scouting Around Palm Beach And Martin County
Inshore:
Though the fishing has been much slower in the St. Lucie and Indian Rivers with the cold weather the past week, there are some options.
The snook bite can be good along the bridges. The northwest wind will cause a lot of bait to congregate in those areas and the snook are more than ready to take advantage. Try a Gulfstream Flair Hawk or any large profile swimbait like a Hogy or Storm.
Also along the bridges there is still a decent sheepshead bite. Shrimp or frozen sandfleas on a jig head have been working.
As the weather warms up on Friday and Saturday, there could be some nice action along the Sailfish Flats and the flats up near the power plant. Species that will likely be worth targeting will include pompano, mangrove snapper and bluefish. They will be hungry.
There has been a nice bite for Spanish mackerel around the Peck's Lake area and that should pick back up as the weather warms.
Like areas to the north, if you're looking for snook in the Jupiter area target the bridges. Not only does the deeper water provide them some respite from the cold, the concrete pilings will hold heat and make the area a bit warmer. If you're fishing a lure, remember to use a slower retrieve as the fish are a bit sluggish and it might take them an extra second to realize "Hey, I want that."
Though the fishing the past few days around the Boynton Inlet has been really slow with the cold weather, anglers should be ready for some decent sheepshead action when the weather warms on Friday and Saturday. Working the incoming tide around any of the area inlets should be the best time.
Lake Okeechobee:
With the strong northwest winds the past few days it's been difficult, if not even a bit dangerous, to get out on the lake.
Also, with the cold weather the bass bite has been slow on the lake.
The crappie bite, however, has been excellent. The key has been to find wind-protected areas or fish in the Kissimmee River. In the river, guys fishing at night with minnows under lights have regularly been catching their limit. Also, the anglers that have been able to get out on the lake are having good luck around Harney Pond and Indian Prairie also using minnows. Jigs are working around King's Bar, but only if you can find a spot that is wind protected.
More freshwater:
Though there has been a definite slow down in the fishing in some areas, the Water Conservation Area at the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge as well as many of the central Palm Beach County lakes and canals along the Turnpike did not get the message. The bass bite has been good early on top water lures and Yo-Zuri crystal minnows. Then switch to soft, creature-style baits like crawdads or Senko worms.
NOTE: All boaters should be on the lookout for manatees and extra cautious as there have been quite a few spotted in the Intracoastal Waterway the past week.