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.