Fishing started off really well with all sorts of different species caught. The north side of the inlet was again the hot spot, but the rest of the inlet was kind of dirty and slow. However, the north side was clean until Thursday when the winds switched to SSE, picked up and made it a dirty mess again! Snook, black drum, pompano, whiting, redfish, bluefish, jack crevalle, blue runners and even some sea trout (which are still closed until January 1.) were caught. Weather conditions will deteriorate by Wednesday, with the NNE winds clocking at 20 to 30 mph, and the seas picking up to around 8 to 11 feet. Fighting fish from the jetties could be treacherous, so be careful.
North jetty: Fish are biting on the high tides here. That sandbar on the north side of the jetty keeps it shallow on the low tide phases. Black drum, pompano redfish and whiting have been caught by anglers using live sandfleas or fresh-cut shrimp on the bottom. Inside the jetty, there have been a few nice keeper snook caught on big live shrimp. Snook season closes Friday (December 15) at midnight. Also, there have been redfish and black drum in the mix, as well. The outgoing tide at the tip has been producing two to three-pound bluefish on silver spoons and cut baits. Blue runners and jack crevalle are in the mix, along with cubera snappers for those fishing big live baits at the base of the rocks at the tip.
South jetty: Early last week when the water was clearer, snook and redfish were playing for those fishing live pins and pigs or big live shrimp. Most of the snook were too small to keep, but there were some slots mixed in. Outgoing tide at the tip is still all about the black margates, spot tail pins, blue runners and a few bluefish. Cut baits will do the trick for those species. The flounder bite over here has not produced yet, due to the roughed up and dirty water — plus everyone is still fishing for snook before the season closes on Friday (see above).
T-dock area: Fish remains slow here. Dirty water and the lack of baitfish have kept the predator fish away. Incoming tide along the shoreline is still producing snook, and catch-and-release redfish for those using live baits. Spanish mackerel and bluefish are possible for those tossing silver spoons and small jigs to the channel area. The flounder bites have largely been from anglers fishing from boats. I did see a few caught over the weekend in the two to three-pound range. Live finger mullet or mud minnows are the baits to use, but they will bite live shrimp as well — as will every other fish in the water.
Surf area, both sides: The north surf just north of the jetty was producing decent numbers of pompano, whiting and black drum early last week before the winds and surf picked up, suppressing the action. While the water was calmer and clearer, Spanish mackerel and bluefish were around for those tossing silver spoons into the surf.
The south surf has been a dirty mess for the most part; it never cleaned up regardless of the tidal direction. So, there wasn’t much happening in this area except for catfish, stingrays and a few sharks to keep things interesting.
That's it for today. As I stated earlier, fish before Thursday as that's when messy conditions are expected to arrive and remain through the weekend. Stay safe and be well, everyone." - Cheers. Snookman.
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