To the angler who loves to fish the beaches, shores, jetties, bridges and piers of Florida.
Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Saturday, November 2, 2024
Say It's Not So--- The South Side Is Going To Be PACKED
Sebastian Inlet’s storm-battered north jetty will undergo significant repairs and improvements beginning in November.
The Sebastian Inlet District anticipates that construction of the first phase of the 2024/25 North Jetty Revetment Improvement Project will begin on November 4. Plans call for rehabilitating approximately 190 linear feet of revetment structure with four-foot diameter granite boulders and constructing a steel, sheet pile seawall with a concrete sidewalk deck along portions of the jetty damaged by storms.
The project could require up to eight months to complete. During this time, public access to the north jetty will be unavailable as this will be a fenced-off "hard hat" construction site. The planned jetty improvements are part of the District’s responsibility to maintain inlet infrastructure, navigation, and enhance public safety.
Also, the webcam will be unavailable until the project is complete.
Note: Although the project is located within Sebastian Inlet State Park, the Sebastian Inlet District is the responsible entity.
Sebastian Inlet Report with The Snookman
Good morning, Sebastian Inlet fishing fanatics. I hope everyone had a great weekend! Here we go with this week’s ‘what's biting at the inlet.’ This is your last week to get your ‘north jetty fishing mojo’ out of the way before the extended closure! And for you folks that have asked me, and those that are wondering about fishing the seawall and rock area between the bridge and jetty, per my conversation with the district, that ENTIRE area will be fenced off as a "hard hat/safety vest" construction zone, no public access whatsoever. It will be a NO TRESPASSING area for public safety. (Project details and FAQ are here.
Just wanted to keep you all posted and aware, and safe. Now, on to the fishing:
North jetty: There has been a rather good bite on the north side of the inlet, with several species caught. The north jetty has been the hotspot for snook. Live finger mullet fished in and just outside the surf break have been the ticket for nice slots being caught, and quite a few undersized snook caught, as well. Also, I saw a couple of big redfish caught as well. The main topic has been the jack crevalle, bluefish, and Spanish mackerel; they have been pretty much out of control. All shapes and sizes are being caught, with the Spanish mackerel being the sought after species. Some were in the jumbo class at three to four pounds! Live greenies and finger mullet being the ticket for bait. Several anglers were lucky enough to catch their limits with the mackerel. I received a report that on Sunday the black drum appeared with several nice fish caught on live shrimp on the incoming tide, along with quite a few slot snook as well. Along the seawall and rocks on the incoming tide there has been a decent bite on smaller snook on live baits, pigs and pins and shrimp. Most have been too small to keep. Also there have been a few mangrove snapper still around, and a couple of sheepshead and black margates.
South side: Here, it has been slower due to the roughed up, dirty and weedy water, but on the incoming tide when it does clean up a tad, snook have been biting. Live baits and plastic swimbaits are doing well, with most fish being undersized, some make it in the slot range. Other species that make it interesting are redfish, blues and big jacks. Any bait will work for them.
T-Dock Area: Fishing has been hit-or-miss. Snook have been around on the incoming tide on live baits, also some redfish are mixed in with them to keep it interesting, as well as the large jacks chasing the mullet schools in the inlet. For those fishing greenies and tiny white jigs there have been some nice Spanish mackerel around, not a lot, but enough to keep you fishing.
Surf area, both sides: Th surf for the most part has been all washed out from the winds and waves, and the massive amounts of the sargassum weed the storms have blown in, so that's been a bust.
That's all I have for this week. Expect high winds and big swells to arrive this week; just like last week. If you go out on the jetties, please be careful as it can get pretty nasty out there. Have a great and safe week!” — Snookman.
Friday, November 1, 2024
Snook-Nook Fishing Report
Our annual Customer Appreciation Tent Sale is approaching and is scheduled for Saturday, December 14th from 8am – 6pm! This year will be extra special as we celebrate our 75th Anniversary! Make sure to save the date to cash in on the deals of the year! This year will feature more deals than ever, more tent space than ever including the debut of the ‘Closeout Cove’ tent where you will find savings of up to over 50% off, find savings store-wide, buy 2 get 1 free promos, buy 3 get 1 free promos, free braid promos and much much more! We will have more companies on hand than ever this year including; Penn, Shimano, Daiwa, Quantum, Tsunami, Van Staal, Fishbites, No Live Bait Needed, Thumper Shrimp, Yo-Zuri, Gulfstream Lures & more as the list continues to grow! This is the perfect opportunity to pick out Christmas gifts, get your first rod & reel combo or even outfit a boat with the opportunities to save hundreds! You will find savings from your favorite brands on rods, reels, combos, lures, tackle, tools, beach carts, coolers and more, there will definitely be something for everyone!
As always with a purchase of $100, you will receive a limited edition Snook Nook event shirt and with every $100 spent you will receive a raffle ticket toe enter to win well over $10,000 in prizes ranging from inshore and offshore charters, rods, reels, rod & reel combos, tackle packages, gift cards and more! Hands down our best lineup of raffle prizes to date! The first 75 people in line will also receive a special gift and have the opportunity to enter into a separate raffle with the grand prize of a $750 Snook Nook gift card amongst other prizes. Stay tuned for more details and announcements as we get closer to the big day. Follow along with us on Facebook or Instagram @thesnooknook for the latest updates. Looking forward to seeing everyone there!
Inshore Fishing Report
Our fall mullet run is coming to an end here on the Treasure Coast as we are seeing fewer and fewer schools of them. We will begin to transfer into our fall and early winter bite as the water temperatures begin to cool down a bit which can be really good for the fishing. The fish will tend to feed a little bit more and you will get more opportunities at getting on a bite throughout the day with the cooler temperatures. Those looking to target Snook and Tarpon will still have their opportunities and we will begin to see more of our fall/winter species moving our way with each cool front such as Black Drum, Redfish, Sheepshead, Triple Tail, Croaker, Pompano, Spanish Mackerel and Bluefish.
Snook fishing has been on the slower side over the past two weeks, granted we do have to look at a few factors that have been causing that. Even though we were not directly affected by Hurricane Milton, we still did get a lot of rain and that rain from inland eventually made its way to us. The amount of freshwater inshore has slowed the Snook bite down, but the fish still do need to feed so you will find your opportunities if you put your time in. The freshwater is finally starting to make its way out so we should be back to normal here soon. The early morning bite before the sun gets high as well as at night have seemed to provide the best opportunities for Snook. If you are out early before the sun rises fishing the dock lights or out late at the causeway fishing the shadow lines, don’t be afraid to tie on your favorite artificial shrimp and give it a few casts. The Snook fishing at the Jensen Causeway has been pretty good at night and in the evenings as the water quality has been really good up our way. Thumper Shrimp and Vudu Shrimp have been some of the go to choices lately. Slow rolling paddle tails and fishing jigs will work as well. As we begin to get greeted with some cooler temperatures, the Snook will begin to be more inclined to go after baits with a slower presentation such as a shrimp. On the warm days and as the sun gets a bit higher on the cooler days, they will still be willing to feed on live bait with no hesitation such as Pilchards, Pinfish, Croaker, Mullet, etc. A good majority of the Snook have moved away from the inlet and can be found throughout both the Indian and St. Lucie River around structures such as docks, bridges, sea walls and mangroves. There have also been Snook caught by those fishing the flats north of the power plant and the numbers of fish in that area will continue to increase. Snook season is still open all month if you are looking to harvest a slot size fish between 28-32”, the season closes on December 15th.
If you’re looking to hook into a Tarpon, there have been some north of the Jensen Causeway around Nettles Island, around the Roosevelt Bridge with a few fish still showing up around the Jensen Causeway. Live mullet or crabs will get the job done for you on them! The night time fishing at the Roosevelt has provided the most opportunities.
A lot of anglers look forward to this time of year for our Sheepshead and Black Drum fishing. The Black Drum bite is starting to pick up around the bridges and at the power lines that go across the river from the power plant, you can find them on docks as well. You can fish live shrimp, pieces of shrimp or chunks of crab on a jighead or knocker rig to target them. The Sheepshead will typically be found in some of the same areas that you will find the Black Drum. Look for structure with heavy barnacle growth on them and you will typically find some Sheepshead crunching on those barnacles. The same baits and presentations will work for Sheepshead, but Fiddler Crabs are one of the best baits you can throw at them and we will try to have a steady supply of them throughout the season, but it does get difficult to get them when it gets colder as they are caught in northern Florida as well as Georgia. Fishing the channel markers is also a great strategy to catch Sheepshead, Black Drum, Triple Tail, Croakers and more. Bouncing from channel marker to channel marker with a shrimp on a jig head can lead you to a variety of fish to put in the cooler and can be fun for everyone on board. Some channel markers also have debris that has gotten stuck around them such as lost crab traps that make for excellent structure to fish. While you’re checking out the channel markers, don’t be afraid to look at the crab trap buoys to see if you can spot some Triple Tail floating in the current.
Some Spanish Mackerel have begun showing up around the Jensen Causeway already, anglers have been catching them on small pilchards, shrimp and spoons. We can expect to see more showing up with more cold fronts and you will be able to find them inshore around the bridges and in the inlet. We typically get into our better numbers of Spanish Mackerel towards the end of the month and into December as you will see anglers heading to Pecks Lake to fish the schools of Mackerel there. A few Pompano have been picked off by those jigging on Jensen Causeway east side relief bridge. They have been picking at them for a few weeks now and that bite should only pick up as more Pompano begin to migrate down our way. There have also been some Trout and Redfish caught north of the power plant by those fishing the flats. If you haven’t gone up that way in a while, it’s definitely worth the trip to look as there has been a good amount of grass that has come back on the east side of the river.
Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area
I do not think that anyone who fishes the beach on the east coast of Florida is going to be sad to see the month of October end . Milton, a 7 to 10 day hard easterly and north easterly wind event , and overall just crappy conditions made this month one to forget . The end of daylight saving time traditionally kicks off our winter season on the beach and the good news is it sounds as if there were definitely some pompano caught last weekend up in the St Augustine and Jacksonville area . Fishbites Shoreline Surf Fishing Tournament is being held this weekend at the Melbourne location and their Jensen Beach tournament is on November 16 . You can still sign up for this weekends event by going to The Fishbites Shoreline Showdown Surf Fishing Tournament website and register . The November 16th Tournament is being hosted by the Snook Nook in Jensen Beach . These are the last two legs of this series with the Championship being held in St Augustine on December 7 in St Augustine . If anyone is in need of bait to have for these venues , I have two suggestions for you . The Snook Nook is fully stocked with every Fishbites bait this is made and there is not another tackle store in the area with their selection . The other point is the sandflea population has never been healthier in the 14 years I have lived here , so grab a rake and get some bait . I took a trip up today and found them at numerous beaches up and down South Hutchinson Island . The bags of fleas that are in the picture attached to this post were the result of about an hour and a half this morning at only 2 beach accesses . I never went further than Herman’s Bay to the north and I talked to a friend of mine that got a bunch at Santa Lucea to the south . A sandflea tipped with a piece of a Fishbites bait can be deadly . It hasn’t seemed to matter when you hit the beach looking for the sandfleas, they have been staying up all day . All we need now is this weeks wind event to end and we should bend some rods . Good luck and catch em up.
From Todd @ Juno Bait Crew-Juno Beach
INSHORE- It's windy inshore and fishing in a 20mph wind is hard, but the snook are biting. The mullet schools have really started to thin out, but the snook are taking advantage of the ones hanging around. Early morning and late afternoon look for snook to be laying along seawalls and under boat docks waiting for mullet to be swept to them with the tide. Loud noisy topwater lures are a great choice in this situation. Try to present the lure as a disoriented or injured mullet coming down the seawall with the tide. Remember also a 20mph wind can create it's on current on top, so use the wind to your advantage when possible. At night the snook have been stalking bridge shadow lines. A flair hawk jig or bigger body swimbait is a great way to go in this situation. The snook have also started to eat the shrimp jig, but hare still jumping on the bigger baits as well.
SURF/PIER- The surf report is like the Halloween offshore report...fishing and weather so bad it's downright SCARY!!! Not much to write about as fishing has been very tough. A few days the weather wasn't as bad produced a fair whiting/croaker bite on the pier, along with a few ribbonfish. Overall fishing remains very tough. But when the weather breaks watch out...the fishing is going to be on fire!!!
Friday, October 11, 2024
Snook-Nook Fishing Report
Inshore Fishing Report
Our annual fall mullet run has brought along some great fishing inshore over the past few weeks. Snook, Tarpon, Jacks, Sharks and a variety of predators have been putting on a show feeding on the schools of bait. We have had very strong numbers of mullet schools pushing through our area and we should continue to see some schools continuing to push our way as we get into October as there have still been steady reports of schools north of us. Mullet schools have been prevalent throughout the day, but it seems the best of the action has been at night and early in the morning with the bite slowing down a bit as the sun gets higher. For those that are targeting Snook, the low light conditions will play to your advantage as the Snook will use the shadow lines from dock lights and bridges to ambush the mullet or whatever bait is pushing through. Making your bait stand out in the school is key to getting the bite when the bait is prevalent, many anglers will prefer artificials such as paddle tails, jerk baits and top waters depending on the situation that you are fishing. Don’t be afraid to use bigger profiles as well as surface baits that make commotion on the surface to make your presentation stand out. Fishing your lure on the edge of the bait pods can result in more bites as well. Some of the most popular artificials we have been selling this month have included; NLBNs, JYG Pro SWYMs, Hogy Pro Tail Paddle Tails, Yozuri Crystal Minnows, Fingerlings, Top Knocks & Hydro Pencils, Rapala Xraps & Skitterwalks. If you do prefer fishing a live mullet, adding a small cork to slow the bait down or trimming the tail fins will give your bait a more injured presentation making an easier snack for the fish. For those Snook fishing inshore during the day, there has still been action. Locating schools of bait in areas such as canals, on seawalls, along mangrove lines or near any ambush point or structure will be keys to your success. This is one of the best times of year to fish the sea walls even if you aren’t seeing any bait around. Larger mullet in the 6-10” range are one of the best bait choices if you’re hunting for big Snook. You will want to keep that mullet tight to the seawall for the Snook as when the bait comes off the wall a few feet you will start running into more Jacks.
There have been a lot of Tarpon around inshore with a lot of them being in the triple digit class! Look to find them up by the power plant, around the bridges, in the crossroads, in the inlet as well as up in the North Fork. Fishing larger live mullet, floating crabs around the bridges or using mullet heads on the bottom for some of the lazier fish are all effective options for those looking to use natural bait. Those targeting them with artificials have had success throwing larger swimbaits and straight tails such as the 8” NLBNs and larger Hogy Protails. The purple or black colors have been some of the hottest models for those Tarpon fishing.
For those who want to catch a Redfish, we see them quite often around the Stuart Causeway in October. They can be caught with shrimp on a jig head, cut mullet and live Croakers. You may run into some Black Drum as well fishing shrimp on a jig head around the bridges this time of year as our Black Drum fishing starts to heat up. Those fishing the flats to the north have had success catching Snook, Trout, Redfish and Tarpon. Pitching lures like DOA Cals or Thumper Shrimp into the pockets of the mangroves is an effective strategy. You can also fan cast out on the flat with either top water plugs before the sun gets high or cover water with a DOA CAL. If you are heading to the north, stone crab season opens up in October and that means everyone will be putting out their traps. All those crab trap buoys are great areas to look for Triple Tail. We typically see better numbers of Triple Tail caught after stone crab season opens up. You can free line a shrimp or fish one on a jig head and pitch it to them if you see one. As we begin to get some cool fronts and north winds which we usually start seeing in late October, we will begin to start seeing some of our migratory fall/winter fish making an appearance such as Sheepshead, Black Drum, Croakers, Spanish Mackerel, Pompano and Bluefish. October always brings us a nice variety of opportunities inshore with the mullet run and early signs of some of our migratory fall/winter fish!
Surf Fishing Report
Those who were looking for the mullet run action from the beach definitely had some shots at action! A lot of anglers were able to take advantage of some great Tarpon fishing from the beach both on artificials and live bait. There have been Snook, Jacks, Sharks and a variety of other predators feeding on the schools as well. We’ve had some Pompano action over the past few weeks from the beach with some keepers hitting the sand. Last month there were a lot of shorts caught and this month the short fish have all been pretty close to being keepers. It is still pretty early for the Pompano so the fishing will only improve as we get into the fall. If you are fishing multiple rods, it is a good idea to stagger your casting distances to locate where the fish are feeding. EZ Flea, Electric Chicken Crab and Pink/Flesh FishBites have been producing bites along with sand fleas. These fish are coming from the north so don’t be afraid to hit some of the beaches to the north even up towards Vero if you’re looking for some Pompano action. There has been some good Permit fishing from the beach too and they can be caught the same way as Pompano. While it is tough to specifically target them, they have definitely been around. The beaches around the power plant will typically give you a better shot at hooking one, but they can be caught all over Hutchinson Island. There have also been some Whiting and Croakers mixed in for our surf anglers too
From Todd @ Juno Bait Crew-Juno Beach
INSHORE- Snook fishing was very good ahead of the storm. The snook have been feeding on mullet during the day. Seawalls, boat docks, and other prime ambush points will be the best places to target the snook. At night the snook have been hanging around the bridges in good numbers. Flair Hawk Jigs and bigger body swimbaits are the best bet lure wise for the snook. Both incoming and outgoing tide should produce bites (It's unlikely that we will have a crystal clear incoming tide this week). This is the time of year you expect to see a few redfish mixed in with the snook as well. It's by no means a huge number of reds, but if you're going to catch one in Palm Beach County it is likely to be in the middle two weeks of October.
SURF/PIER- The Juno Beach Pier will remain closed through at least Friday with very heavy surf forecasted (See below). If the forecast holds and the surf falls over the next few days, we could see the Juno Beach Pier really fire off. The hope will be that the snapper push back in with the swell. Early in the week the pompano made the first good showing of the season at the pier. Most of the pomps were short; but a few keepers did come over the rail. The pompano were biting Doc's Goofy Jigs, JYG Pro Micro Jigs, and Fishbites well. Expect a nice push of pompano after this north swell. Bluefish have started to show up as well. Spanish Mackerel action has been a bit spotty, but still some around. The bluefin showing up has not chased all the snook off the beach; but it won't take ling for that to happen. The beach did have a lot of mullet (mostly scattered and not in big pods) as Hurricane Milton pushed offshore, with some big tarpon around. As the swell comes down we should see some more mullet pushing down the beach.
Thursday, October 10, 2024
Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area
"A few days old"
Headed back up to the beach this morning hoping the pompano that did not make an appearance yesterday would show today . Unfortunately some blue runners, jacks, and ladyfish were the only species that decided to hit the EZ Flea and Electric Chicken Fishbites on my long rods . I was fishing the same beach access in Jensen Beach that we fished yesterday and decided to try Plan B and put some more of those nice whiting in the cooler like we did yesterday. Water color was still good, tide was incoming, and the surf was calm . Well guess what ? Nobody was home . After an hour and a half the catch consisted of 1 whiting and 1 croaker . I had a friend of the family with me so it was time to make a move and we headed just a bit north. It turned out to be the right move as we found the whiting and a few croakers and filled the cooler . The bite was actually better than yesterday and our bait choice was EZ Flea and Orange Clam Fishbites tipped with a small piece of shrimp. The beach we fished yesterday had a very pronounced first trough and the whiting stayed in the same general area of 10 to 15 yards from the beach, even on the falling tide . If you fish a beach that has a shallower drop off and is relatively flat, make sure you lengthen your casts and bait placement as the tide falls . We started catching in the near shore area but by the time we left the fish kept moving off and the 30 to 35 yard off area was where the fish ended up . Unfortunately the forecast is for that building swell starting Friday and it might be a bit dicey fishing the beach this weekend. The beach accesses from Normandy south to Stuart beach can all produce some great fall fishing for whiting, croaker, palometa, jacks, snook, ladyfish, and threadfins in that first trough . Keep in mind that stretch of accesses will produce great fishing around the high tide mark as they are not as deep as the beaches from Middle Cove to Ft Pierce Inlet . Even if you are going to target the fall pompano this year bring a light spinning rod to catch the “groceries” if the pompano don’t cooperate. Good luck and catch em up
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
Learn From The Best
September , October, and November are shaping up to be busy Seminar months . Here is a list of dates and locations . September 27. - Bass Pro Shop , 2250 Gatlin Blvd , Port St Lucie 34953. 630 pm . Theme - Surf Fishing the Fall Mullet Run . This will be a mini seminar with a Questin and Answer period at the conclusion . The next three I will be teaming up with the Fishbites crew of Billy, Brett, and Liam as they will be onsite doing their “ Buy 2 bags -get a 3rd Bag free “ promotion . These are full seminars and the theme will be Surf Fishing for Pompano . I will cover tackle , baits , techniques, and some additional species that will be on your catch list in the fall and early winter . If you pre register your name will be put in a hat for a drawing for a package of all 9 of the Captain Paul Pompano Rigs that we sell and some additional free bags of Fishbites . Here are the dates and locations : October 5 - Bass Pro Shop 1880 Checkered Flag Blvd , Daytona Beach, Florida 32114 2 pm . October 12 - Bass Pro Shop 750 Bass Pro Dr NE , Palm Bay , Florida 32905 2 pm . November 12 - Bass Pro Shop 2250 SW Gatlin Blvd , Port St Lucie Florida 34953 2 pm . Handouts and a question and answer period will all be part of this venue . Fishbites will set up their area for the Buy 2 - get a 3rd bag free promotion from 12 noon to 4 pm . To register for these events and drawing please text me your name and phone number to 609 903 8243 or email the same info to dsperco@yahoo.com . Please include which seminar you will be attending .You must be present to claim your prize and the drawing will be at the conclusion of the seminar . The dates and locations are all aligned with Fishbites Shoreline Showdown Tournament Series in Melbourne and Jensen Beach . The Melbourne tournament is October 19 and the Jensen Beach event is November19th . A total purse of $ 15000 dollars per event will be given out to the winners . Make sure you pre register for the seminar and register for these great tournaments that are being put on by Fishbites . Just click on the Shoreline Showdown tournament website to enter . There’s a lot of information in this post so if you have any questions feel free to call me at 609 903 8243 . Thank you, Capt Paul
Sebastian Inlet Report with The Snookman
Our fishing guide, "Snookman" Wayne Landry, describes how an influx of stormwater runoff from the recent rainstorms slightly diminished the fishing action:
"The intense snook action from a week ago has cooled down quite a bit from what it was. I spent the last three days there and didn't see a whole lot being caught with the snook. They were there, but just didn't want to play. I'm believing that all the rain runoff water coming from the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) in the Indian River Lagoon was the main culprit: an excess of tannic acid-stained freshwater from the ICW. Snook prefer clean, salty ocean water, unless they are from the ICW, and they can tolerate the difference. On the other hand, the fishing at the inlet remained rather good on the high tide periods — lots of baitfish still around too. So here we go with the action spots.
North jetty: Most of the action has been on the early and late evening incoming tides. After the water clarity improves, a strong NE swell continues to mess things up. There are a decent amount of mullet on this side, along with the greenies, so bait is plentiful. The hot action has been the Spanish mackerel for the last three days! Many have been caught on free-lined greenies and the smaller of the finger mullet. Some were caught on the small white crappie jigs, but the hot bait were the greenies. Most everyone was catching them on the beach side of the jetty, with many anglers reaching their limits of 15 per person! Most of the fish were in the 14 to 15-inch size, but I saw several fish pushing the 3 to 4-pound range. As I stated earlier, the snook bite on live shrimp has slowed, with most of the fish caught on live mullet at the surf area at the beginning of the jetty. There were very few out at the rock pile where they were before. I saw several catch-and-release redfish caught though; enough to keep anglers interested. Big jack crevalle also were out there in the mix on the live mullet. The cubera snapper bite has also dropped off, I didn't see, or hear of any all weekend. The mangrove snapper bite has abated as well, with only a handful caught that were big enough to go home. I also did see a couple of small black drum caught on the incoming tide — live shrimp. The outgoing tide has been a mess due to the aforementioned tannic freshwater. The boaters off the tip in the cleaner water weren’t even catching fish.
South jetty: Over here it is the same deal: Incoming tide, if you can find cleaner water, there may be snook and redfish around. Live mullet, pigs and croakers. The mangrove snapper are still around, but you have to hunt for them with the dirty water. Outgoing at the tip, the nasty tannic acid-stained fresh water has brought the action to standstill. Just a few catfish and puffers.
T-Dock Area: Back here, same thing: river runoff has killed the fishing. It looks as dark as the Swannee River. Even on the incoming high tide it doesn't have a chance to clean up enough, so there hasn't been very many folks back here fishing, there's baitfish around, just no fish willing to play.
Surf Area, both sides: The north side surf on the rising and falling high tide periods — early morning late evening — has been fairly good. Look for mullet schools coming down the beach and fish them. There have been a lot of snook being caught, along with redfish and big tarpon. If you find mullet, cast net or fish them, or you can use 3 to 5-inch swim baits to attract a bite. Most of the snook have been too big to keep, but there have been slots mixed in with them. I also heard about blacktip and spinner sharks. It is that time of year for them to arrive with the influx of all the mullet coming down the beach. For those fishing shrimp, there have been pompano, black drum and whiting at the jetty. They should be a possibility along the beach as well. The south side surf has been a total washout with the big swell and all the fresh water coming out and flowing down the beach southward. There are mullet running southward along the beach, so big tarpon and quite possibly the sharks will be present, but not much else.
That's all I have for this week's installment of the inlet happenings. Like I mentioned, the fishing is good, but has dropped off a bit from what it was. It will pick up when the water cleans up. Have a great week, everyone.”
— Snookman.
From Todd @ Juno Bait Crew-Juno Beach
INSHORE- Mullet reports increased inshore this week. Not full on mullet run yet, but it does seem to be getting going. The mullet tend to move (or at least show themselves on the surface) best during lowlight periods, at night, and/or when boat traffic is light. When the mullet are up on top (especially if they are showering , and fish are exploding through them) it's the time to fish a topwater lure or flatline a live mullet on the edges of the school. When they aren't as active getting a bait below the school tends to be a good way to go. Primarily it will be snook in the mullet pods; with tarpon, jacks, sharks, and even the occasional redfish mixed in. During the day seawalls, boat docks, and other similar ambush points (especially with current on them) tend to produce best. Bridges will get the fish stacked up at night.
SURF/PIER- The beach came back to life this week as mullet began to show back up. The pods are still on the smaller side, but they have been holding a good number of snook and tarpon. The sharks have also been in the mullet pods (though for the most part the sharks tend to hold in the pods a little more offshore). The mullet tend to be the easiest to find early morning and late afternoon. Mid-day they tend to stretch out in a long line and the fish don't hold in them quite the same. A live mullet fished on the edges, or under the school tends to be the best way to go. A large swimbait (8" NLBN or similar) can also one an effective choice. The Juno Beach Pier has been good this week as well. Still some pilchards hanging around. Snook have been biting well at the pier, as well as the Spanish Mackerel. Mangrove snappers were biting early in the week, though they seem to have slowed down a bit as the week went on.
Fall Seminar Time with Capt. Paul Sperco
Just like the flyer says I will be at Bass Pro on the 27th to present a mini seminar and have a question and answer session about our fall mullet run that should be right around the corner . I was at Santa Lucea beach access on Sunday and watched 30 to 100 pound tarpon destroying pods of mullet up and down the beach . I got on the phone to a friend to let him know what was happening and he actually stopped short at Stuart Beach and found the same situation with the bait and the tarpon . I will talk about tackle, baits , locations , and times to target the long list of species that will attacking the mullet, pilchards, and hopefully the glass minnows that will be migrating our way . This won’t be one of my normal 2 hour seminars with handouts and no distinct end time but I will answer any and all questions you might have at the end of the forum . The pompano will certainly get some dedicated attention as that fishing should be getting better daily . I hope to see you there and if anyone has any questions please contact me at 609 903 8243 . I actually played catch and release with lots of short pompano the past couple of days so get ready for some good pompano action in the upcoming weeks . The Pink/Flesh Crab Fishbites have been getting most of the attention from the pompano and whiting so make sure you stock up on that color . I have been fishing that bait with my Pink Peppermint Pompano rig with the white and pink floats and it has been producing. The Snook Nook has both the Fishbites and the rigs so make sure you add them to your tackle . Good luck this week and catch em up
Thursday, September 12, 2024
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
Sebastian Inlet Report with The Snookman
The snook bite is on!
"Good morning, all my Sebastian Inlet anglers and sightseers. I hope you had a great weekend and dodged the rain showers. I need to start this report off with dismay and concern about the condition of the north jetty. People seem to forget that fishing on this jetty is a privilege, not a right. Park management can revoke this privilege if you violate the rules and impact the jetty, marine resources, or the safety of your fellow anglers. It is, and has been an ongoing problem on the jetty. Now that the fishing action is picking up and drawing more anglers, litter has increased exponentially. People are stuffing junk into the monofilament recycling tubes despite their being marked for monofilament only; and there has been a blatant disregard for our marine resources: bait fish caught in the cast nets are dumped out and left on the jetty to die. Take what you need and please return the rest to the water alive and unharmed! The rules are posted by the beach warning flags. Please read them. The volume of trash discarded all over the jetty needs to stop as well. Use the available trash cans or carry your trash home with you. This isn’t my first post about this problem. Park management can lock the north jetty gates if the team decides they have had enough; they will close and lock the gates and NOBODY will be able to fish! If everyone does their part to help keep the jetty clean and presentable, we won't get to that point. If you see someone littering or breaking the rules, say something, or call the north ranger station @ 321-984-4852, and they will send someone out to resolve the issue. Thanks everyone for your help and support! Now on to the good stuff!
The fishing at the inlet over the weekend has been on fire for a change! Lots of fish of all species were being caught throughout the entire inlet, and plenty of baitfish as well to keep them excited. So here we go with the action spots.
North jetty: Over here there has been good action on both tides, with the incoming being the better tide as the water has been cleaner, and there is more room to fish the inside; whereas the outgoing everyone stacks up at the tip. Live shrimp on the incoming has been the bait of choice for the snook and reds. Several nice catch-and-release redfish were caught over the weekend, but the hot action was on the snook! Lots of really nice slot snook were caught over the weekend as of Friday, with Saturday being the hot day for them. In the time I was at the jetty, I witnessed about 12 to 15 slot fish landed, averaging 29 to 31 inches in size, with quite a few overs and unders returned to the water. Sunday was a tad slower, but still there were quite a few slot fish taken home. Other species I saw caught over the weekend were black drum, lots and lots of Spanish mackerel on live greenies, and nice mangrove snappers around the rocks at the tip and around the pilings. Lookdowns on live greenies at the tip. They’re also catching some nice bluefish, and they are early. The ones I saw were in the 2 to 3-pound range, on cut bait on the beachside. On the outgoing tide at the tip, they were catching some big snook on live mullet, too big to keep, along with quite a few catch and release redfish too. But the focus was on the cubera snappers. Ever since the schools of mullet have been around the tip of the jetty, they decided they wanted to play! Several fish were caught over the weekend on live mullet fished around the rocks at the tip, with one big one that I know of that a friend of mine caught, the fish was 30 inches long! Monster cubera! Another species hanging around to play have been the big jack crevalles, they will eat anything you throw out, from live bait, cut bait to artificials.
South jetty: The action has been hot here, especially snook. Incoming tide has been the best time to fish for them from the tip all the way back to the bridge. Live baits of any kind will bring a bite, but the croakers have been the bait of choice. Lot of small fish under the limit, quite a few over slot, but there were quite a few slot fish taken home. Redfish have been mixed in with them for that added fun factor, along with the big jack crevalle. For those fishing the incoming along the shoreline for mangrove snapper, the bite is still going on with dead or live greenies, and shrimp. Most fish I saw were 10.5 to 11 inches, with some pushing the 12 inch size. On the outgoing tide at the tip the action is all about the jacks, blue runners, black margates, some mangrove snapper, and I even saw a couple of nice pompano in one angler’s bucket!
T-dock: Back here the action is a bit slower, not too much going on as there aren't very many people fishing back here. But those that are here are catching small mangroves around the dock pilings on greenies, either live or dead. Also, there are lots of annoying puffers around to keep the kids entertained. The snook action has been slow, again not very many guys fishing back here due to the action being so good out on the jetties.
Surf area, both sides: The north side has been all about the mullet running down the shoreline in the surf. Big snook, redfish, tarpon have been dominating, along with big jack crevalle — not to mention it's time for the blacktip and spinner sharks to show up with the bigger schools of mullet. The south side surf has been pretty muddied up from the SSE winds, and the leftover NE swell we had last week making things ugly. The only thing I saw and heard about were the kitty fish, puffers and bonnet head sharks. If the water does clean up, and we are getting into the fall season, and the water cools down a bit, the pompano just might show up, as I saw two nice ones caught on the south jetty over the weekend.
So, there you go, folks. Another great report for all, and it will only get better from here as the water cools down and cleans back up. It was showing 86 along our coast this morning. Get your gear, bait, water, snacks and catch dinner or a memory. Remember, take a big bag of patience along with you because it will get crowded at times! Have fun and be safe.” — Snookman
Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area
Activity is picking up along our local beaches . The permit and pompano showed today in some pretty good numbers but unfortunately when the numbers increase so do the numbers of sharks . Randy had the hot hand as he landed two of the three permit he had hooked up and I also had one on but the hook pulled right after its initial run . Another friend of ours that was just fishing south of where we set up also landed a permit . If you have never hooked one of these exciting game fish from the surf, now is the time to get up on the sand . We hooked two on rigs fished with plain Fishbites . One with Yellow Crab and the other with Pink/Flesh crab . The other two bit on EZFlea Fishbite tipped with a live sandflea . Four permit hook ups in the space of sixty minutes is some pretty good fishing . When the permit shut off I caught a keeper pompano and released three or four more . The bites picked up as we neared the high tide mark and that’s when the sharks showed up . I managed one more keeper but had to get to the position of only using two rods as the sharks were on your fish immediately. After getting bit off another six or seven times we packed it up . The only reason we stayed for that many shark offs was the hope was for this pack to back off as the pompano were sitting right in front of us and the strikes were instantaneous. We also managed to land ladyfish, whiting , and croaker . Remember these fish are coming from the north so don’t because to try some of the beaches up towards Fort Pierce and Vero . There’s plenty of mullet north of us that are on the way and look for the pompano bite to keep increasing on a daily basis . The bulk of our bites came from the 40 to 60 yard mark today . Stagger your rods as far as distance to locate the area that the permit and pompano are holding . Things are heating up so get your Fishbites, sandflea rake, the fleas were thick today, and pick a beach and give it a shot . Good luck this week and catch em up . Snook Nook is stocked up with all of the Fishbites baits so stop in and stock up .
From Todd @ Juno Bait Crew-Juno Beach
INSHORE- Snook fishing remains good inshore. A few trickles of finger mullet have shown up, though the biggest push of them isn't here just yet. The early season pods are some of the best to fish, as the snook and tarpon have not completely gorged themselves yet on the easy meals. During the day the snook will stack up around ambush points (seawalls, boat docks, etc) and let the current bring the mullet schools to them. A night the snook will gravitate towards the bridges, again letting the current bring the bait to them. Snook, and to a lesser extent tarpon, are super lazy and would prefer to exert as little energy as possible to chase down a meal...in other words, the current is your friend! Live mullet are a top bait choice during the day. Lowlight periods a topwater (Yo-Zuri Hydro Pencil or Topknock pencil) is a killer choice for the snook. At night (especially around current in deeper water) a flair hawk style jig is a great way to go for the snook.
SURF/PIER- Mullet reports drastically have tapered off after our first little push of fish. A few small pods around, but the big numbers are still up the coast a bit. Snook fishing remains good along the beach and at the Juno Beach Pier. Still a good amount of smaller baits around and the snook are keyed in pretty good on them, and live shrimp as well. In addition to the snook, a good number of Spanish Mackerel have shown up at the pier to chomp up the small baits. The Macs will no doubt bite best early in the morning and then again late in the afternoon. Anytime you have a good number of Spanish Macs around you can no doubt have a big kingfish around as well. Starting to hear a few more pompano reports on the beach. Conditions look good for the pomps to bite headed into the weekend.
Sunday, September 1, 2024
Snook-Nook Fishing Report
The Snook fishing has remained steady as of late. There are still some fish in and around the inlet, but a lot of the Snook have begun to move away from the inlet and work their way back inshore. Fishing the causeways as well as docks and seawalls in both the St. Lucie and Indian River are good places to look for them. Fishing the seawalls with larger live mullet or top water plugs can be a blast this time of year! Fishing at night in the shadow lines at the causeways and in dock lights will present plenty of opportunities as the Snook will wait for the mullet to come into the light and ambush them. If you want to fish north of the power plant, you’ll be able to find Snook on the flats as well as up in the mangroves. Casting top waters in the morning before the sun gets high and transitioning over to soft plastics after that will be one of your most effective strategies if you’re heading up there. You may even run into some trout or redfish as well.
Snook won’t be the only target for anglers during the mullet run, plenty of people will be out chasing Tarpon. There have been a lot of Tarpon around already and we should begin seeing even more of them as more schools of mullet push into our area. You can look to find Tarpon north of the power plant around Little Mud and Bear Point, around the causeways, in the crossroads, in the inlet, up in the North Fork as well as out on the beaches. You should be able to see them rolling or airing out on mullet. The larger live mullet will be one of your best baits to use, if you are seeing a good flush of crabs on an outgoing tide, you can switch over to crabs. You can either free line the crab or mullet or fish it with a float. There have been plenty of the big triple digit fish around so be ready for a battle! Along with the Snook and Tarpon there have been plenty of big jacks around cruising the channels and seawalls hunting down schools of mullet.
Aside from all the mullet run excitement, Black Drum, Sheepshead, Mangrove Snapper, Triple Tail, Bonefish and Pompano have been caught. Black Drum have been caught at the Roosevelt Bridge on shrimp, chunks of crab as well as fiddler crabs. We had a pretty good Black Drum bite there last year too with some bigger fish caught. Sheepshead and Mangrove Snappers have been caught around structure such as channel markers, docks and the bridges. There have been some Triple Tail caught north of the Jensen Causeway on channel markers and crab trap buoys. Bonefish have been caught on the Sailfish flats on jigs, fly and pieces of shrimp. The east side relief bridge at the Jensen Causeway has been holding some Pompano that anglers have been catching on jigs.
Surf Fishing Report
Our summertime Whiting and Croaker fishing has slowed down a good bit. There are still a few to be caught in the first trough on pieces of shrimp and Fishbites, you will want to focus on fishing the incoming tide if you’re on the hunt for them. We’ve had some Pompano actually showing up on the beaches which is typically uncommon this time of year. They have been caught by those fishing the long rods 70-90yds off the beach in the deeper troughs. Capt. Paul Sperco has been catching them on the Pink/Flesh Crab Fishbites. Like the Whiting and Croakers, you will also want to focus on the incoming tide if you’re looking to catch a few. Bonefish, Palometta and a good amount of short Pompano have been caught as well from the surf. We have also had a good amount of Sandfleas on the beach too for those looking to load up for the winter.
The beach can turn into a National Geographic like scene during the mullet run and it is truly a sight to see. Tarpon, Snook, Sharks, Jacks and a variety of other predators will be feeding on schools of mullet as they work their way down the beaches. It is always wise to check the beach before hauling all your equipment because a half a mile of distance can be the difference from a lifeless beach to that National Geographic feeding frenzy. If you are able to locate the schools of mullet you will typically find the fish. Live mullet, NLBN paddle tails and straight tails, Hogy swimbaits, Rapala X-Raps, Yozuri Crystal Minnows and spoons are all some of the top choices for those looking to get in on the surf mullet run action.
Beach Fishing With Paul Sperco Palm Beach/Martin County Area
Had an opportunity today to meet Randy up on the beach for a couple of and throw the pompano rods out . All in all it was a fun couple of hours as our catch list included catch and release palometa , short pompano, numerous bonefish, and four nice keeper sized pompano that found their way to our cooler . High tide was around 4 pm today and the majority of the bites came between 130 and 330 . The other nice part of the day was the showing of the sandfleas . They came up the entire few hours we were on the beach . We fished right here in Jensen Beach and talking to a couple of friends who have fished the last couple of days the fleas have been on most of the beach accesses from Glasscock to Stuart Beach . Late afternoon is prime time to rake the fleas and now is the time to get some for the freezer for the upcoming pompano season . Pink/Flesh Crab Fishbites was the ticket this afternoon with or without a live sandflea. As far as the mullet schools that made a preliminary showing last weekend, they were nowhere to be found from Glasscock to Stuart Beach . There’s plenty of them north of us and as they move south the surf action will really heat up . All of the fish were holding 70 to 90 yards off today and the ease of reaching them with Mark Burford’s Over The Bar 13 footers was a piece of cake . Some of those bigger bonefish will certainly give you the hope that there’s a nice pompano on the other end when they hit your bait but either way they are fun to catch . Please get them released as quick as you can as they are somewhat fragile . Good fishing from the beach is coming . Good luck and catch em up .
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