There have been plenty of slot sized fish caught over the past few weeks. The water has been warming up a bit with some warmer weather in the afternoons so the Snook have been a bit more active and we have seen more productivity from anglers fishing live baits such as Croakers, Pilchards and Threadfins. Don’t be surprised if you start seeing more productivity later in the morning as the weather and water temps warm up. If you’re fishing right around sunset on a chilly morning, start out with your slower presentations such as live shrimp or work some soft plastics to increase your chances. We’ve seen some slot sized and over slots caught around the causeways and there have been some schooled up around docks in both the Indian and St. Lucie rivers. Those fishing the Jensen Causeway for Snook have still been doing well in the evenings focusing on the shadow lines. Artificial shrimp such as Thumper Shrimp and Vudu Shrimp along with paddle tails and flair hawk jigs have been getting thumped for anglers fishing lures. There have been some Snook and Trout caught north of the Jensen causeway on both the east and west side by those wading. There have also been some Trout mixed in with Snook in some of the dock lights.
You can expect to still find some Sheepshead around inshore and on some of the nearshore patch reefs. Live shrimp or fiddler crabs on a jig head will get you the bite when they’re around. You will want to look for them around structure as they will be feeding on the barnacle growth. Typically the more barnacle growth you find, the higher the chance of some Sheepshead being in the area. We’ve been still seeing some Black Drum caught around the bridges on shrimp, fiddler crabs and cut pieces of crab. There have also been some nice sized Redfish that have been caught at the Stuart Causeway. Season is closed on Redfish in our area, but we have been seeing some solid upper slot and over slot sized fish. The Redfish can be caught on live shrimp, croakers, cut bait such as mullet or lady fish as well as crabs.
The inshore Pompano fishing is starting to pick up for us here in the river which is similar to last year’s timing. There has been a good amount of them caught in the inlet over the past week by those both fishing jigs and those fishing bait. Those fishing bait are using a Pompano surf fishing rig with a pyramid sinker baited with either pieces of shrimp, sand fleas, clam or FishBites. You can also look at different style jigs such as the Gulfstream Redfish Jig as they have been working for the Pompano as well. If you are skipping Pompano and not getting bit on the jig, it’s never a bad idea to try bait fishing. There have been Pompano caught on the Sailfish Flats as well as by those jigging from the Jensen and Stuart Causeways. If you’re looking for them on the flats, look around in some of the deeper cuts around the islands as sometimes they will get up in those areas looking to feed. Those Pompano fishing are also running into Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish, Jacks, Bonefish, Ladyfish and more to stay busy. There have also been some schools of big jacks inshore cruising the channels and sea walls looking to feed if you’re looking for a battle!
Surf Fishing Report
The Pompano fishing has remained steady and it seems more fish are starting to hit our beaches. Over the past few years, the March through April stretch has provided us with our best Pompano bite of the year. As we get into the spring Pompano bite, sometimes the afternoon bite can be more productive than the morning bite. So don’t be afraid to hit the beach in the afternoon if you can’t get out in the morning. FishBites have remained to be the most consistent bait this year if you are targeting Pompano. The majority of the fish have been in the deeper troughs 80-100 yards off the beach. The hot flavors have consisted of Powerlime Crab, EZ Flea, Electric Chicken Crab and Pink/Flesh Crab. The Permit bite off our beaches has slowed down over the past month, but we really haven’t had the proper water color for them due to some of the swells we have been getting. The Permit will be more likely to be found when we have cleaner, clearer water conditions. We can expect to see the Whiting and Croaker bite to improve as we get into the spring months as well. Pieces of shrimp as well as Bloodworm and Shrimp FishBites will get the job done for them. There have still been some Spanish Mackerel and Bluefish caught from the surf by those throwing spoons in the morning. If you’re looking to get in on the surf fishing action and learn from a true pro, you can book a charter with Capt. Paul Sperco, you can give him a call at 609-903-8243.
Don’t forget, the 4th Annual Sand Spike Shootout is scheduled for March 23rd & 24th and the headquarters and weigh station for the event will be right here at the Snook Nook. The Sand Spike Shootout is a two day Pompano and Whiting tournament benefiting the Indian Riverkeeper and presents opportunities to win some great prizes. If you’re interested in signing up you can visit the following link to get registered, https://www.theindianriverkeeper.org/sand-spike-shootout/
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