Ed Killer South Fla. Report

Soon, the big ball is going to drop in Times Square and we'll be changing the calendars from 2021 to 2022.

Regardless of what year it is, Treasure Coast anglers will be chasing their favorite targets. Mild weather and warm temperatures will mean more of the same action anglers have enjoyed through the bulk of December.

Pompano have been on the beaches along with whiting and croaker. Tripletail are being caught on the buoys. Cobia and mackerel are in 40-70 feet. Snapper and grouper can be caught in 70-100 feet of water. Redfish are chewing inshore

Closures in effect: Anglers are reminded about these fishery harvest closures currently underway and ones about to begin and end.

• Snook: The closure began Dec. 15 and runs through Jan. 31, 2022.
• Spotted seatrout: No harvest of trout is allowed in the waters of eastern central Florida, from Volusia to Palm Beach counties, from Nov. 1 though Dec. 31. Harvest will re-open Jan. 1, 2022.
• Grouper: Shallow water grouper are prohibited from harvest Jan. 1 through April 30, 2022. That includes gag grouper, red grouper, scamp and six other lesser species.
• Hogfish: No harvest of hogfish is allowed in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida from Nov. 1 through April 30, 2022. Harvest re-opens May 1, 2022.
• Inshore: Capt. Glyn Austin of Going Coastal charters in Palm Bay has been steering clients to catches of oversized redfish in the inlet. The big fish are coming into the inlet and feeding on live croakers and crabs. Drifting with the outgoing tide is a good way to catch these big fish. Flounder are being caught by anglers fishing with live mud minnows or gigging at night along the sides of the inlet near the rocks. Sheepshead are biting on pieces of shrimp.
• Freshwater: Bass fishing will be steady at Headwaters lake on wild shiners. Remember, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission just approved regulations that make it an all catch and release fishery for bass fishing and anglers must use a circle hook when fishing with live bait.

• Inshore: It's not quite cold enough to shut down the snook bite yet, but anglers are reminded that harvest is closed until Feb. 1. Live mullet cast under docks, around bridge pilings or under mangrove branches will yield snook. Redfish and trout are being caught on the points of spoil islands. 

  Surf: Santa Claus brought pompano for Treasure Coast anglers, said Paul Sperco of Port St. Lucie. Fishing on a Hutchinson Island beach, Sperco and another angler caught limits of pompano while fishing with Fishbites EZ Flea and Yellow Crab offerings. Spanish mackerel are also within casting range of 7-foot spinning rods rigged with chrome jigs. Reel fast to get bites from mackerel and bluefish.

• Inshore: There are tripletail and sheepshead being caught around the bridges and channel markers in the Indian River Lagoon and St. Lucie River. Snook are biting around the bridges, too. 

  Lake Okeechobee

  The level of the lake is still on the high side so anglers are finding bites along the vegetation lines on Observation Shoal, at Point of the Reef and near Horse Island. Fish are up in the weeds and can be hard to get to for anglers. Wild shiners are working, but so are lipless crank baits.

• story courtesy Ed Killer is TCPalm's outdoors writer. 

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

It’s New Year Eve and I want to wish everyone a Happy, Safe, and Healthy New Year . If anyone has fished some of the beaches on the north end of Hutchinson Island in the past few days then you have probably put some pompano in your freezer . I had the opportunity to fish for a few hours yesterday afternoon and was lucky enough to put 4 big pompano in my cooler . Electric Chicken and EZ Flea Fishbites were the baits that produced. If you target any of the northern beach accesses from Middle Cove to Fort Pierce Inlet , remember most of those beaches are relatively deep as compared to the ones to the south . I always fish at least one rod relatively short, from 50 to 60 yards because of the deeper water, even at low tide . Three of the four nice pompano were all caught on that short rod . Today I fished with longtime friends , John Daly and Chuck Frith , and we managed to put 8 nice pompano in the cooler and Chuck caught and released a beautiful permit to go along with our pompano. Green Crab Fishbites was the bait that fooled the permit and Chuck ended up 100 yards down the beach from where the initial bite occurred. It looks like we are going to see a weather and wind change as we head into 2022 and conditions are forecast to be a little challenging in the beginning of the week. I hope everyone enjoys the remainder of the New Years Weekend and again, Happy New Year .

From Todd & Eddy @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

 INSHORE-  Catch and release snook fishing has been a bit of a grind this week, but those putting in the time have been catching a fair number of them.  The Loxhatchee River has had a few fish, as has the ICW north towards Jupiter Island.  Live mullet fished around seawalls during the day is a good bet for the snook.  At night look for them to be keyed in on shrimp around docelights, bridge fenders, and shadow-lines.  A handful of pompano caught inshore this week.  It's not big numbers, but keep an eye out for them skipping up behind the boat.  When you see them they have been pretty willing to bite a Doc's Goofy Jig.  Sheepshead reports inshore have gotten much better this week.  Shrimp and sand fleas remain great bait choices for the Sheepshead.  

SURF/PIER-  Despite some awesome weather over the past week; the fishing has left a bit to be desired.  Overall action has been slow for the most part; with just enough action to make you have to keep trying!  Pompano bite has been almost non-existent this week.  Reports from Juno to Hobe Sound have all been pretty quiet on the pompano.  One here and one there on the pompano is probably one more than we've heard about most of the week.  Thankfully a fair number of croaker and whiting have been around to fill in some of the slack.  Small pieces of shrimp, clams, and Fishbites should do the trick for them.  Bluefish reports remain pretty slim.  Best action on the blues seems to be coming from Hobe Sound north, and will be best during very lowlight periods of the day.  Spanish Mackerel have been very hit or miss at the Juno Beach Pier, but a few have been caught this week.  Crappie Jigs (which we finally do have back in-stock!) have been the ticket for the Macs.  Spanish Mackerel action at Peck's Lake was slow to start the week; but seems to have gotten better and better as the week has gone on.  Blacktop shark action improved a bit this week on the beach.  Still a little early for the big numbers of them...but not long till they are here in full force!

Scouting Around Palm Beach And Martin County

 

Inshore

Working the channel markers and crab trap buoys in the St. Lucie and Indian Rivers has been producing a good bite for tripletail.

At the 10-cent bridge, anglers are reporting getting sheepshead, black drum and croaker using live shrimp on a jig head. 

There is a decent snook bite in the St. Lucie River and around the power plant. They seem to be preferring shrimp presentations, especially on cool mornings, but have been hitting small pilchards as well. D.O.A. shrimp or paddle tails have been used with success.

Spanish mackerel are being caught at the Stuart and Jensen Causeways and at the St. Lucie Inlet.

Along the Martin and St. Lucie County beaches, the pompano bite has been hit or miss. When they are hitting, it's Sandflea and Yellowcrab Fishbites.

Along the beaches in Jupiter, the Spanish mackerel bite is in full swing. Surf anglers and anglers working the near shore from boats are getting them on spoons and small jigs.

The pompano bite has been good with schools moving through in spurts. Working the beaches, the Jupiter Inlet and from the Juno Pier, anglers are finding Doc's Goofy Jigs to be the most effective bait. 

At the Boynton Inlet, anglers have been catching small mangrove snapper on cut mullet and snook on the incoming tides using small pilchards.

In the Intracoastal Waterway, concentrated between the Boynton Inlet and the Lantana Bridge and the Lake Worth and Southern Bridges, there have been Spanish mackerel and bluefish. They are being caught trolling spoons and on yellow jigs.

Lake Okeechobee

The spec fishing has been fantastic with the early mornings and late afternoons being the time to hit it. Right in front of the pier and the Indian Prairie Canal have been the hot spots. They are being caught on jigs with white lightning, fire and ice and lilly working best. Lots of anglers are getting their limits.

The bass fishing has been OK. It has definitely been easier to feed them than fool them as live shiners are working more than anything artificial. If going with an artificial, however, Senkos in dark colors have been providing some success. King's Bar, Tin House Cove and Monkey Box have all been good areas.

Report courtesy of Palm Beach Post

Sebastian Inlet Report

 

A bit slow, but look for one fish, two fish, redfish, bluefish

Look for sunny skies and a high of 76 degrees, east-northeast winds of a gentle 6 mph, and one to two-foot swells. 

Our trusty fishing guide, “Snookman” Wayne Landry, shares the final fishing report of 2021!

“Fishing is slow at the North jetty, but there are still plenty of small to medium-sized bluefish being caught on the outgoing tides at the end of the jetty on spoons and cut bait being tossed out in the channel area,” he says. “Also, some big redfish are being caught on the cut bait too- both sides and tides- but the fish are too big to keep.”

Jack crevalles are present, too, he adds.

“On the ocean side of the jetty there are still some black drum being caught on live and dead shrimp, along with a few sheepshead,” Wayne says. “The drum I saw caught were anywhere from 15 to 25 pounds, but most are smaller around the 15 to 20-inch size. Another species being caught is the Spanish mackerel, but they are small. Small white crappie jigs, spoons and diamond jigs are getting them to bite.”

The inlet is brimming with large black/roe mullet that can be caught by cast net. A wonderful fish to fry or smoke, the fish are so plentiful that folks are snagging them with small jigs fishing for pompano  Flounder fishing is slow, with only a few being caught - most are still small, between 14 and6 inches. 

Bluefish and jacks are hitting at the end of the South jetty on the outgoing tide with silver spoons.

The water has cleaned up and the pompano bite is going again in the surf area just south of the jetty,” Wayne says. “Sand fleas and cut shrimp will entice them. There also are still small snook being caught on the incoming tides along the wall with live baits. Again, many large lack mullet are here as well. The flounder bite on this side has picked up quite a bit, with many of the fish being caught between 16 and18 inches. Many small ones are being caught, but they have ‘grown up’ a bit. I talked to a few guys who have caught 15 fish in the last couple days, both tides. Bait of choice for them: mud minnows.” 

At the T-dock, anglers are throwing jigs and silver spoons to catch bluefish and jacks. “A few flounder are also back here as well along the shoreline on both sides of the dock area,” Wayne adds. “Use mud minnows and finger mullet, preferably the smaller ones.” 

Along the surf, catfish and stingrays are abundant, Wayne says, but if you can find clean and deeper water, the possibility of catching small black drum, pompano, and whiting are there. Sand fleas and cut shrimp are the bait of choice. 

“On a side note, the freshly-painted yellow lines painted on the North jetty designate a safe walkway for people walking the jetty,” Wayne says. “Only anglers and their poles are supposed to be in the area between the line and the railing. Carts, coolers, chairs and fishing accessories should remain only in the center of the jetty/yellow lines. These  lines were installed by the park service for everyone's safety and to create a clear pathway in the case of a medical emergency. A stretcher will not roll on the grates.”

Case in point: A woman recently tripped on coolers and tackle bags while fighting a fish, splitting her head open, Wayne says.

 “Enjoy these  balmy Florida winter days and catch some fish,” Wayne says. “Also, keep a camera ready for capturing the unexpected. Last week, I saw a huge hammerhead shark, a seasonal resident this time of year. It is about 12 to 14- feet long, but I didn't have my camera, so go getcha some. Happy New Year and tight lines, everyone."

One of These Catches Fish and the Other Doesn't!

Surf Fishing Tips From The Pompano Legend Larry Finch AKA The FishMan

How to Catch Monster Snook

Van Staal In The House

 

Van Staal on your list??

Come to the Snook-nook Tent Sale, see a full range of Van Staal and talk to reps and find out that there is No Limitations with Van Staal

Dear Santa You Can Find "ALL" My Christmas List Items At The "SNOOK-NOOK" Tent Sale

 

Sale on Saturday, December 18th from 8am-8pm!

Here is a list of some of the deals that you will find this year!

-Huge Savings on ALL Penn Products.

-Up to 300yds of Free Spiderwire Braid with the purchase of a Penn Reel or Combo.

-Huge savings on Fenwick, Ugly Stik and Berkley rods.

-20% off Lamiglas and Redbone Rods.

-$20.00 off all Crowder, Star, St. Croix and Bull Bay Rods.

-$10.00 off all Tsunami Rods.

-Up to 300yds of Free Braid with the purchase of a Tsunami Reel.

-Huge savings on hundreds of custom combos.

-Buy 2 Get 1 Free: FishBites, Monster 3x, Gulp, Berkley Powerbaits, DOA and Gulfstream Lures.

-Buy 3 Get 1 Free: No Live Bait Needed paddle tails and Rapala.

-10% off Fish-N-Mate Carts.

-$10.00 off Engel Live Bait Coolers.

-Discounted Ready 2 Go Assorted Lure boxes filled with a variety of baits that make great stocking stuffers.

-Up to 300yds of Free Spiderwire braid with the purchase of a Van Staal.

-Discounted Shimano TLD spooled combos.

-Hundreds of discounted lures including the new Spoolteks in 8”, 7”, 5.5”, Rapala, Tsunami Tidal Pros and more.

-Discounted tools including fillet knives, pliers, shears and more.

-Discounted 12’ Surf Combos, Rod Racks, Braided Line, Sabikis, Apparel.

-Closeout pricing on select rods and reels.

Prices you will have to see to believe!

As always with a purchase of $100, you will receive a free limited edition Snook Nook event shirt. With every $100 spent, you will also receive a raffle ticket to be eligible to win thousands in raffle prizes. Raffle prizes range from fishing charters, rod/reel combos, rods, tackle packages, sunglasses, gift cards and much more!

We are stocked up on product here at the Nook including some of the harder to find items! Feel free to reach out to us to see if we have what you’re looking for!

Whether you are looking to stock up on tackle, looking for last minute stocking stuffers/gifts, or even outfit your boat, our staff and reps will be ready to assist!

Snook-Nook Fishing Report

Surf Fishing Report

 The cold fronts we have been getting the past few weeks have pushed a lot of our winter species into our area. The majority of surf anglers are out chasing Pompano on the long rods. Most of these fish have been caught 70-110yds off the beach. You will want to fish a 10-12ft rod to allow you to get the distance on your cast to reach the deeper troughs where the Pompano are cruising. FishBites remain to be a favorite bait option for those targeting Pompano. It is always a good idea to have a couple flavors with you when hitting the beach to see what they are keyed in on. Yellow Crab and EZ-Flea have been two of the hottest flavors lately. Anglers are also fishing with clams, sandfleas and pieces of shrimp to get the bite. You can fish a piece of one of those baits along with a piece of FishBites on your rig as well to ensure you have bait on your hook!

There have been Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish and Jacks cruising the beaches as well. Anglers have been picking them off on spoons, Gotcha Plugs and Gulfstream Flash Minnows. It is always a good idea to have a 7′-8′ rod rigged up with one to get in on some action while you are waiting on a bite!

Inshore Fishing Report 

There have still been plenty of Snook caught in our area. A lot of fish have moved up into the St. Lucie River. We have also heard about Snook caught up on the flats around the power plant as well as around the causeways. With the cooler water temperatures, a lot of these fish will be more inclined to feed on a slower presentation such as a shrimp, either live or artificial. However it is still tough for them to pass up a live Pilchard or Croaker! A lot of Snook have been caught in the dock lights at night and some quality fish have been caught rolling jigs and swimbaits on the bottom around the bridges. Just a reminder that Snook season closes on December 15th.

The Sheepshead have been showing up inshore around structure such as bridges, docks, channel markers, rock piles and underwater mangroves. Live shrimp on a jig or fiddler crabs are perfect ways to target them. Have heard about some Black Drum showing up around the bridges as well. More of these fish will continue to show up as well.

Fishing channel markers with shrimp this time of year is always a great idea. You may find Triple Tail, Sheepshead, Drum, Croakers and even Flounder. Flounder season reopened on December 1st.

Some Pompano have been picked off by those jigging on both the Jensen and Stuart Causeways, on the Sailfish Flats and in the inlet. We have not experienced a hot run on them inshore yet, but it should be any day now! Spanish Mackerel have been caught in the inlet and around Jensen Causeway as well.

Freshwater Fishing Report- Capt. Angie Douthit

Fishing Lake Okeechobee has been somewhat steady for both bass and crappie bite.  The water level has remained a little bit higher than this time last year making some areas to get to the fish a little tougher, knowing the lake and how to access these types of areas is key to sometimes more and bigger bites.  When fishing for bass lately it’s been a mixture of using live-bait (wild shiners) and artificial lures.  The artificial lures that have been producing bites are worms; slow-working top water lures, swim jigs/baits; rattle traps/spinner baits on the outside edges mainly; flipping/pitching into isolated grass clumps near pre-spawn lake locations.  Lure colors are: June bug; Red bug; Watermelon/Red; White; Black/Blue and Crawdad color patterns.  For the Crappie trips, I solely use tube jigs or something very similar and fish the crappie off the beds in certain areas of the lake.  This type if fishing for Crappie is fun and productive.  You get to see different parts of the lake, take in the beautiful scenery such as Manatees; Bald Eagles; Limpkins; Snail Kites and other wildlife that we are Blessed to enjoy! Crappie fishing and Bass fishing are found Sometimes within the same location throughout the Lake.  Whether fishing Lake Okeechobee has always been on your bucket list or you’re a repeat yearly customer of mine, there is always something new/exciting to experience while fishing out on the big O.  Areas that have been hot lately for Crappie has been the Grassy area (located North of the Kissimmee river); South-end of Kings Bar; Hendry Creek area; Kissimmee River along the river drop-off on both sides; some parts of Dupree Barr and Observation Shoal and a few areas within the Monkey Box area.  Areas for Bass has been somewhat the same but have a look at the Indian Prairie/Tin House areas.    

From Todd & Eddy @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

 INSHORE-  Catch and release only now; but inshore snook fishing remains very good.  During the day look for the snook to be tight to seawalls and under boat docks.  Areas with good current flow (And current breaks) and ambush points will be ideal starting points.  At night the snook have been around the bridges and under docklights.  The snook have largely switched to a shrimp diet, so keep that in mind when picking lures.  

The sheepshead and black drum continue to show up in their usual winter time spots as well in the ICW and Loxahatcheee River.  Live shrimp will be a top bait choice for both.  The Hobe Sound Flats continue to come to life with cooling temps.  Ladyfish, jacks, occasional pompano, small snook, possible sea trout, and a host of other are in that mile marker 40-44 range.  

SURF/PIER-  Surf fishing was a little slower overall this week.  Pompano reports fell off drastically again.  Those putting in the time on the beach picked away at a few, but no big numbers this week.  Bluefish remain scattered up and down the beach in fair numbers.  Best bite on the bluefish has been very early morning and late afternoon.  The blues are also biting well at night on cut bait.  Spanish Mackerel (that had been at the Pier and scattered along the beach, but not so much anymore) are at Peck's Lake in big numbers.  A little chum and some spoons is all you need for fast action on the Spanish Mackerel.  Sharks have remained around in good numbers.  

Ed Killer South Fla. Report

 Time to let 'em go again, boys and girls. 

Snook, that is. Twice a year — for three months in the summer and for six weeks in the winter — snook are afforded protection from being invited home (unwillingly) for dinner. The winter closure is necessary because snook are a tropical fish species susceptible to cold weather and low water temperatures. When the water gets too cool, snook get sluggish. When it gets into the 60s, snook will stop feeding altogether. If the water temperature gets into the 50s, it can actually kill snook.

It's been awhile since we saw that, but when we did, it was catastrophic. It was January 2010 and temperatures across Florida remained below 50 degrees for 10 consecutive days. Snook seemingly froze. Suddenly, from Titusville to Flamingo, including the Keys, snook which couldn't escape to deeper, warmer water began floating up dead. It created a moratorium on harvest for the next year and longer in half of Florida. It's been awhile since we had a good old fashioned hard freeze. Sometimes that can be a good thing.

This winter is scheduled to be a La Niña winter. That means warmer and drier than normal. I doubt any snook will freeze to death this year.

Closures in effect:  Anglers are reminded about three fishery harvest closures currently underway.

• Snook: The closure begins Dec. 15 and runs through Jan. 31, 2022.
• Spotted seatrout: No harvest of trout is allowed in the waters of eastern central Florida, from Volusia to Palm Beach counties, from Nov. 1 though Dec. 31. Harvest will re-open Jan. 1, 2022.
• Hogfish: No harvest of hogfish is allowed in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida from Nov. 1 through April 30, 2022. Harvest re-opens May 1, 2022.

For complete fishing regulations in Florida go to MyFWC.com.

Indian River County

Inshore: Big redfish are feeding on crabs during the outgoing tides and can be caught on crabs or live croaker. Snook are staged on the reef around the jetty in Sebastian Inlet, and are also being caught around the bridges in Vero Beach and on mangrove points south of town.

Freshwater: Bass fishing is steady at Stick Marsh and Headwaters Lake on lipless crank baits, spinnerbaits and wild shiners. Anglers fishing for specks are finding a slow bite in the canals and near the culvert pipes using minnows and small jigs.

St. Lucie County

Inshore: Trout can be caught around the mangrove points in 2-4 feet of water Snook action has been hit and miss around structure on jigs. Tripletail can be caught around crab trap pots with live shrimp. If you snag the line, remember it's illegal to handle the trap. 

Surf: Anglers are doing their due diligence for pompano and whiting. Calm shorebreak early in the week enabled a few to get caught at Hutchinson Island beaches. It may not be great conditions the next few days to surf fish for pomps.

Martin County

Inshore: Tarpon fishing is steady on live mullet in and around the waters of the St. Lucie Inlet and Crossroads. Snook can be caught around the bridges. Sheepshead and black drum are being caught around the Roosevelt on clams and oysters. 

• story courtesy Ed Killer is TCPalm's outdoors writer. 

Sebastian Inlet Report

 Our trusty fishing guide, “Snookman” Wayne Landry says the talk at the North Jetty has turned from black drum and sheepshead (although they’re still being caught) to snook.

“The bite has been going on for just about a week now, with many snook being caught on larger live shrimp if you can get them,” Wayne reports. “The snookies are being caught on both tides, incoming on the ocean side and outgoing on the southeast tip of the jetty. If you are going to fish for them, bring a big bag of patience as it will be crowded. The snook season closes December 14 and will be closed until February 1.”

Wayne says to fish the outgoing tide with about a half ounce or so of weight to get the bait down, and on the ocean side use about a quarter ounce or less split shot to get the shrimp to drift properly. Most of the fish being caught are between 28 to 30 inches, with many being too small or beyond slot.

Wayne adds: “The black drum, sheepshead and a few pompano are being caught as well on dead shrimp and sand fleas, if you can get some. The bluefish and Spanish mackerel have vacated the area, but there are still stragglers around. You can get them with small jigs, gotchas and spoons. The flounder bite has still been slow with many fish being under sized with just a few keepers being caught.”

The snook bit is also decent at the South Jetty, but most are  small plus you can't keep them.

“Most are being caught on large live shrimp on the jetty and along the rock wall on the incoming high tide,” Wayne says. “The bigger fish are being caught at night on bucktail jigs with many oversized. The tip of the jetty is still producing sheepshead, small snapper, black margates and sand perch.”

The beach area just south of the inlet has been producing fair numbers of nice pompano for those using cut shrimp and sand fleas. Most of the fish are between 12 to 14 inches. The flounder bite over here is still slow. Most caught are too small to keep (14 inches is the minimum).

“There have been some three to six-pound flounder I have heard being caught, so they are there,” Wayne says. “You just have to put in the time in the right spot. Live shrimp, finger mullet and mud minnows are the best baits.”

Fishing at the T-dock has been slow, with only a few bluefish and jack crevalle being caught on spoons and cut bait, Wayne says.

“There have been some flounder caught back here as well, but not in any numbers yet to speak of,” he says. “Small groupers and sheepshead can be caught on dead baits along the rocks and pilings for something to do.” 

Wayne says the surf is clean and mostly calm, with angler catching pompano, whiting and occasional bluefish. Use shrimp for the pomps and whiting; spoons and cut bait for the blues.

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From Todd & Eddy @ Juno Bait -Juno Beach

INSHORE-  Nice mixture of action inshore these days.  Snook fishing has still been good, although passing cold fronts will make it a little tougher.  Snook action at night around the bridges will remain good, especially on the outgoing tide.  Shrimp jig, Flair Hawk, and NLBN Swimbaits all remain good lure choices for the snook.  The winter time shrimp bite inshore (Sheepshead, Black Drum, Croakers, Etc) is finally starting to get going good.  Look for boat docks with deep water close by to be top spots.  Use a light fishfinder/slide rig or a small jighead for best action.  Typically a little current will help get the bite fired up a bit.  

​
SURF/PIER-  Spanish Mackerel action has been very good over the past week.  The Juno Beach Pier has been very solid for the Macs, and Peck's Lake is also starting to fire off pretty good.  All the usual lures (Crappie Jigs, Got-Cha Plugs, Clark Spoons) will be solid choices for the Mackerel.  The best Mackerel bite tends to be early in the morning and then again late in the afternoon, but they can also be picked away at throughout the day generally.  Pompano fishing also has been pretty good this week.  Sandfleas remain the top bait, and also incredibly hard to come by.  Clams, FishBItes, and FishGum are all also working on the pomps.  Doc's Goofy Jig is the top lure choice for the pompano on the pier and in the boat.  Bluefish action remains fair to good as well.  As is generally the case this time of year...the sharks are here in good numbers and ready to test your tackle! 

Check this out on Costal Angler Mag

 

Best Lure To Use For Fishing In Colder Water During Winter [Power Prawn ...

Ed Killer South Fla. Report Ed Killer South Fla. Report

Pompano are running the beaches and lagoon; Redfish are in Sebastian Inlet

 Temperatures in the 80s. Sunny skies. Light winds. 

Is winter on its way? Maybe not. But some of the fish are moving as if it is.

Pompano, perhaps one of the most popular catches swimming in Treasure Coast waters, are starting to show up in numbers high enough for anglers to enjoy catching a few of them.

On the beaches, around the inlets and in the Indian River Lagoon, anglers are finding a few for the dinner table. If we're lucky, they'll stick around awhile and we can enjoy catching the tasty table fare all the way until Easter.

Closures in effect:  Anglers are reminded about three fishery harvest closures currently underway.

• Flounder: Harvest of flounder re-opened Dec. 1.
• Spotted seatrout: No harvest of trout is allowed in the waters of eastern central Florida, from Volusia to Palm Beach counties, from Nov. 1 though Dec. 31. Harvest will re-open Jan. 1, 2022.
• Hogfish: No harvest of hogfish is allowed in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida from Nov. 1 through April 30, 2022. Harvest re-opens May 1, 2022.
• Snook: The closure begins Dec. 15 and runs through Jan. 31, 2022. Anglers have about two weeks to harvest legal-sized snook.

• Indian River County

  Inshore: Pompano can be caught around the spoil islands and along the edges of the channels. Use 1/4-ounce or 1/8-ounce jigs in white, pink or chartreuse, or artificial shrimp jigs to get bites. The best fishing is during the incoming tide.

  Lakes: Anglers fishing at Headwaters Lake and the Stick Marsh are catching bass to 6 and 7 pounds using wild shiners. Fishing with jigs will also produce catches in deeper spots. Fish spots where there is moving water to find bass eager to bite.

• St. Lucie County

  Inshore: Snook are still biting around docks, seawalls, in the Turning Basin, around the bridges and along the jetties at the inlet. Use First Light jigs in chartreuse or live shrimp. Flounder can be caught around the jetty and bridges, too, using live shrimp on a sliding sinker rig or a finger mullet on a naked jig head.

  Surf: Paul Sperco of Bass Pro Shops fished with Gary Faircloth of Port St. Lucie to catch limits of pompano Nov. 29 from Hutchinson Island. They were using the Fishbites EZ Flea and also caught bluefish and jacks. The day prior, Sperco landed his pomps using the Fishbites Yellow Crab.

• Martin County

  Inshore: Snook, sheepshead, croaker, black drum and snapper are all being caught around the area bridges on shrimp-tipped jigs and live shrimp. Anglers are jigging from the low bridges at Jensen Beach and Stuart causeways to see if there are pompano running yet.

• Lake Okeechobee

  Speckled perch fishing has been getting better with the longer, cooler nights. Use small jigs and live minnows and fish over ledges, brush piles and rock piles. Bass fishing is good around Point of the Reef.

• story courtesy Ed Killer is TCPalm's outdoors writer. 

Sebastian Inlet Report

 

Cooler water draws in black drum, sheepshead

Our fishing guide, “Snookman” Wayne Landry, reports that fishing has picked up slightly at the North Jetty now that the water has calmed down, but it is still a bit dirty.

“The water temps along the coast are at 68 degrees in our area,” he says. “This has invited some of our cold-water species to pick up the bite! The talk of the jetty and that I have seen is the black drum showing up. Most of them are small, around 2 to 4 pounds, a nice size for eating, and they eat well. Minimum size on these are 14 inches total length and a max of 24 inches with a bag limit of 5 per person per day. The other species I saw was the sheepshead. Most of them were in the 12 to 14-inch range with a minimum size limit of 12 inches, fork length, and a daily bag limit of 8 per person per day. These are being caught on live and dead shrimp. Sand fleas and fiddler crabs work too if you can get them.”

The finger mullet have mostly gone, Wayne adds, (but there are still some around inside the inlet) and that has led to the mackerel bite slowing.  Mackerel can still be caught, but he cautions that they are small, between 14 and 18 inches. There are a few bigger ones around – along with bluefish – but not many.  

“The snook bite over here has slowed down due to the colder water and the boaters are still getting oversized ones farther out from the jetty,” Snookman says. “Some are being caught on the jetty, but very few and they are smaller ones. Big reds and jacks are being caught by boaters drifting the inlet with live baits on both tides.” 

Smaller snook are being caught on the South Jetty along the rocks to the catwalk. One of Wayne’s lady angler friends got a slot fish and saw several other slots as well, most being smaller non-keepers. The bait of choice is live finger mullet and paddle-tail swim baits fished slow. Other species over here have been bluefish, some smaller mackerels and whiting. Big jacks and large redfish are possible as this side was loaded with lots of black mullet. she told Wayne.

At the T-dock, Wayne says the fishing is slow unless you know the good spots.

“Spanish mackerel, bluefish and jacks are present but they are a good cast out away from the pier with spoons and jigs,” he says. “The other chatter I am hearing is about flounder. Cooler temperatures are drawing flounder in, but those that are caught must be returned because the season is closed for them until Dec 1st. Live finger mullet or mud minnows is best for them. Slot limits on flounder are 14 inches total length and a daily bag limit of 5 per person per day.”

“With the surf calming down and the water cleaning up some, expect to see whiting, drum, bluefish, mackerel and possibly some pompano to show up, and even a flounder is possible on small live baits, both sides of the inlet,” Wayne says. “The mackerel can be caught on spoons and jigs, and the others on dead and live shrimp.”

Wayne’s recommendation: “The weather is supposed to be mild all week and pretty calm windwise, so go get some bait or your favorite artificials, find a good spot to hang out, wet a line and enjoy the outdoors at the ocean. This time of year, you never know what is going to turn up on your hook.” 

From Whites Tackle - Ft Pierce -Vero Beach/ Stuart / Jupiter

Surf fishing is starting to rebound from the higher winds, with Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish, Jack Crevalle, and the occasional Snook being caught, mostly on spoons. Pompano numbers are slowly improving as well. mostly on clams, Fish Gum, and Fish Bites. Snook fishing in the inlets has been slow, likely due to very clear water. Inshore, the cooler temps have ushered in better Seatrout fishing, mostly along the spoil islands, using live shrimp and soft plastics. Snook fishing is still pretty good as well along the shorelines, but higher tides have made it easier for them to be out of reach on some shorelines. 

Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area

 Had a great trip today with Gary Faircloth from Port St Lucie . Gary is an accomplished angler who has participated in the SKA Tournament trail series over the years and won the Indian River Keepers Sand Spike Shootout pompano division this past February with a 5 lb pompano . We did not get any 5 lb pompano today but Gary did catch a recreational limit of 6 nice pompano along with lots of bluefish and jack crevalle. He made my job pretty easy with his casting ability and the way he can handle a 13 foot surf rod. The pompano today bit after the tide bottomed out and the incoming tide cycle started . EZ Flea Fishbites was the bait that produced today and I cannot stress the fact that you should keep a few scents in your tackle box. Yesterday Yellow Crab was the bait that I caught all of my pompano on and today it was all EZ Flea. There was alot of running to the rods today as the bluefish and jacks kept us busy in between the pompano bites. The upcoming forecast for a light northeast wind should make for some great conditions right into the weekend. Good luck this week and catch em up.

Scouting Around Palm Beach And Martin County

 

Inshore

The snook bite remains good in the St. Lucie River, especially around the dock lights at night. Though many have moved farther up into the river, there are still some being caught around the Jensen and Stuart Causeways as well as up around the power plant. Though live baits are still getting hits, because of the cooler water, live shrimp, which offer a slower presentation, are working slightly better. 

Also in the St. Lucie River, sheepshead are being caught around structure using either live shrimp on a jig or fiddler crabs.

Black drum are being caught around the bridges.

On the beaches of St. Lucie and Martin Counties, the pompano action is still good. Again, it's for the long rods as most of the fish are being caught 70 to 110 yards from shore. Fishbites in yellow crab and E-Z flea flavors are working best.

Though the Peck's Lake area in Stuart is loaded with Spanish mackerel right now, it's not the only game around. Anglers are finding good numbers of them from the Lake Worth Inlet north through Jupiter. They are being caught trolling spoons in 20 to 30 feet of water and are congregating along the bait rocks. They are also being found by watching for color changes, birds and schools of minnows. Remember to use a trolling spoon (not a casting spoon) like a Clarkspoon or a drone spoon small enough for Spanish mackerel.

When you do catch a few of those tasty Spanish mackerel remember to get them on ice, with a bit of salt water mixed in, immediately to preserve them. Also, remember, unless you're going to smoke them, they are best eaten the day they are caught so only take what you need.

Finally, this time of year, it pays to have your gear set up and ready as in addition to Spanish mackerel, there are plenty of other species cruising down the coast including bluefish, ladyfish, jack crevalle and even cobia along the beach.

At the Boynton Inlet, anglers working the south jetty are reporting catching some impressive flounder. Up to five pounds, they are hitting live shrimp on a half-ounce jig head during slack tide.

In the Intracoastal Waterway, there has been a plethora of different species to target. Pompano, bluefish, Spanish mackerel, sand perch, sheepshead, jack crevalle and snook are being caught from the Boynton area to the Flagler Bridge. 

For the bluefish, Spanish mackerel and jack crevalle, trolling spoons or yellow feathers are working.

Live shrimp, sand fleas or clams have been producing strong responses from the sand perch, sheepshead and pompano around the bridges, docks, seawalls and area flats.

The snook are hitting live mullet, live sand perch, greenies or shrimp fished around bridges at night and during the early morning hours.

Lake Okeechobee

The bass bite has been slow on the lake the past week. They are mostly being caught by anglers working the outside grassline at first light using wild shiners. For artificial, Senkos in blue or black have been producing some action.

The spec bite has been a bit hit or miss the past few days. One day anglers are getting 30, the next five. It has been best at first light and right at dark. Minnows are working best in the river and jigs in the grassy areas in the lake.