Inshore Fishing Report
Snook: Snook season is still open in our area for those who are looking to harvest a slot. The Snook fishing generally starts to pick up for us in March as the water temperatures begin to warm back up. When the water temperatures warm up, it leads to the Snook becoming more active and they will generally feed more. They tend to be more lethargic in the cooler water temperatures and won’t use as much of their energy to pursue a bait. You should be able to find a few Snook fishing docks, seawalls, bridges or around the mangroves. Typically you can find a few Snook willing to eat a Croaker on the bridge fenders around all of our main bridges. If you are fishing with Croakers, you can typically just free line them as they will naturally swim to the bottom, but if the current is stronger and you are having trouble holding bottom, you can clip on a split shot to keep you in the strike zone. Fishing Croakers around docks with deeper water and good moving current can be very productive as well. When live Mullet or white baits such as Pilchards or Threadfins are available, they make for great choices too around docks and seawalls. We generally start seeing schools of Pilchards and Threadfins outside the inlet in March. Live shrimp on a jig head can definitely be effective on some of the cooler mornings fishing docks. Fishing free lined live shrimp or shrimp on a jighead in the shadow lines around the bridges can bring you some action too. Those fishing artificials have had success throwing 3” paddle tails along the mangroves and top waters in the morning before the sun gets high. Some of our top sellers for artificials in the shop have been NLBNs, First Light Flair Hawks, Bomber Windcheaters, Thumper Shrimp & Vudu Shrimp. Those fishing artificials around the Jensen Causeway have had more success after the sun has gone down focusing on fishing the shadow lines.
Trout & Redfish: Trout fishing has remained steady for anglers on both the east and west side of the river north of the Jensen Causeway. We have a lot more grass to the north of us than we did at this time period last year which is definitely a good thing! The better numbers of Trout have been found north of the power lines, but it isn’t out of the ordinary to catch one south of the power lines. Some of the hot spots for those Trout fishing have been Little Mud Creek, Middle Cove, Bear Point and the flats around the spoil islands in Ft. Pierce. Throwing top water plugs first thing in the morning and then switching over to DOA Cals or MirrOlure MirrOdines when the sun gets higher will typically be a recipe for success. Look to fish for them in areas with good patches of grass or around schools of glass minnows. If you are fishing on the east side of the river, the majority of the Trout will be found out in the open on the flats while those fishing the mangrove lines will have a better shot at Snook and the occasional Redfish. There have been a few Redfish caught around the power plant however the majority of them have been caught around the spoil islands in Ft. Pierce. Those targeting Redfish have had success with artificial shrimp such as Gulps and Thumper Shrimp along with the DOA Cals.
Sheepshead/Black Drum: Our Sheepshead fishing generally remains steady throughout the month of March. 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. If you are fishing with fiddler crabs, we have jigs available at the shop that will match up with them perfectly. They have a football shaped head with a swinging hook. Take the hook and run it through where the crab’s back two legs are for the best presentation. If you are struggling to find them inshore, you can go outside the inlet and catch them on some of our shallow patch reefs with live shrimp on a jig head. You will find Lane Snapper, Mangrove Snapper, Margates and a variety of other species mixed in with the Sheepshead. There have still been some Black Drum caught around the bridges on shrimp and chunks of crab. The bite hasn’t been on fire, but there have been a few around the bridge fenders for those who are putting their time in. The Roosevelt Bridge and 10 cent bridge tend to produce the most fish, but you can also find them around the Stuart and Jensen Causeways as well as on docks and channel markers.
Pompano: Our inshore Pompano fishing really picked up for anglers in February. Anglers were able to pick away at Pompanos using goofy jigs on and around the Sailfish Flats and in the St. Lucie Inlet. You can look around in some of the deeper cuts around Sailfish Flats as sometimes they will get up in those areas looking to feed. If you are skipping Pompano and not getting bit on the jig, it’s never a bad idea to try bait fishing. 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. A few Pompano have been caught on the flats by the power plant too. It has been on the slower side for those jigging for Pompano on the Jensen Causeway east side relief bridge. A few fish have been picked away at, but they haven’t come in big numbers yet. Over the past few years March has been a great month for those Pompano fishing there. Chartreuse/Orange and Chartreuse/Pink Gulfstream Pompano jigs in either 3/8oz or 1/2oz paired with either a Pink, Chartreuse or Gold teaser is typically a go to combination for those jigging at the bridge. You can run into plenty of bycatch when jigging for Pompano too, expect to run into Bluefish, Jacks, Ladyfish, Spanish Mackerel, Bonefish & more.
Tarpon: Tarpon fishing has been on the slower side, but that is to be expected with the cooler water temperatures. As the water temperature starts warming up into the 70s, the Tarpon fishing will begin to improve. A few Tarpon have been caught towards the power plant around Little Mud. Live baits such as larger mullet or artificials such as DOA Terror Eyz are some of the most popular options if you are fishing there. Larger presentations such as NLBN straight tails or paddle tails as well as JYG Pro Y-Tails can get you the bite too. When the water temps do get up into the 70s we hope to see more bait around for them to feed on, your prime times will typically be early in the morning, in the evening and at night. They should start gathering around the causeways soon!
Misc: Those fishing channel markers and crab traps to the north have been able to pick away at a few Triple Tail with live shrimp. A lot of juvenile fish have still been around, but those who put their time in have been greeted with a few keepers. Those fishing the channel markers with shrimp have also run into some croakers. You can also find croakers around the causeways and up in the North Fork. Those looking for Spanish Mackerels have still been able to find them outside of the inlet. There have still been Mackerels caught at Pecks lake and on schools of bait leading up to Pecks.
Offshore Fishing Report
Surface Fishing: The surface fishing has been steady for anglers recently and should continue to improve as we get into March and into the spring where we will typically see some of our best fishing of the year. As we get into the spring, we should also begin to see more live bait showing up right outside the inlet. When bait is difficult, be sure to reserve your baits the day before with Stuart Live Bait, call or text Bryan or Mike at 772-985-0425. Those fishing the surface have caught Sailfish, Mahi, Blackfin Tuna, Kingfish and an occasional Wahoo. The fish can be scattered out this time of year, but when you find the right condition such as temperature change, color change, debris or signs of life, those areas are typically holding a few fish. Also look to find fish over reefs and wrecks, you may have to pick through some Kingfish if you are looking to find Sails or Mahis around the reefs and wrecks, but if you put your time in, the right bite will typically come along. We are starting to see a lot more Kingfish caught which is a sign that spring is right around the corner. If you are looking for Kings, look to find them over the reefs and wrecks in the 60’-90’ range, you can find some out deeper as well. There have been solid numbers to the south around the Loran Tower as well as some caught on the six and eight mile reefs.Those fishing for Mahis and Sails have been catching them both by trolling and fishing live baits. As we get deeper into the spring and bait becomes more plentiful, you will begin to see a lot of boats switching over from trolling to live baiting. There has been some consistent Mahi and Sail action ranging from 90’-130’ but that can change on a day to day basis. Last week we had a pocket of cooler water pop up offshore which resulted in some really good sailfishing for those fishing in that pocket of cooler water as the sails stuck in that zone. The Mahi fishing can be expected to improve in the coming weeks. March through May typically provides us with our best Mahi fishing of the year, not only just the number of fish, but the size of them too. If you do hook one, be on the lookout for more Mahis with the hooked fish as we tend to see these fish traveling in packs this time of year. It is always a good idea to have rods rigged and ready to go with bucktails or a bare hook so you can get baits in the water quickly if you do come across a pack of them. If you do plan on trolling, running a rod with a planer in your spread is always a good idea to cover more water and increase your chances at potentially picking off a Wahoo. The Blackfin Tuna bite out at Pushbutton has remained steady, some anglers have been loading their live wells with small chummer sized baits and chumming the Tunas up to get their bites. Trolling feathers can also be effective, but you will want to be out there first thing in the morning or in the evening as they will tend to start to push deeper in the water column as more boats arrive and as the sun gets higher. When the fish start pushing down, you can send out some live baits with a lead and stagger them at different depths and wait for a Tuna to find your bait. You can also mark the schools of Tunas on your machine and drop jigs to the depths you are marking them at. Kite fishing for the Tunas can be a very effective strategy as your kite will hold your baits over water that you haven’t gone over yet so the fish haven’t had the chance to see your boat and get spooked. If you see them feeding on the surface, throwing a popper at them always makes for a really cool bite and a fun fight.
Bottom Fishing: Those putting their time in Mutton fishing have been rewarded with some nice sized Muttons. The bite hasn’t been on fire, but there are definitely some quality fish around. Our Mutton fishing generally starts to get better in April. Those targeting Muttons have been finding their fish in 60’-90’ in areas such as the six and eight mile reefs, the Loran Tower and even further south on the Juno ledge. For your Mutton rig, we typically will fish an “improvised three way swivel”. We will take a regular barrel swivel and have that free on your main line, take another barrel swivel, tie your main line to one end and your leader which should typically be 30-40’ in length to the other end and add your preference of hook to the end of the leader. With the free swivel on your main line, take a foot or two of mono, tie it to the end of the swivel that isn’t on your main line and tie a loop at the end to hold a bank sinker of enough weight to hold the bottom. We like to have the lead free like that so when the fish picks your bait up, it doesn’t immediately feel the weight and spit the bait out. For bait, we typically prefer grunt plugs, to make a grunt plug, catch a grunt, cut the head off along with all the fins and tail and put your hook where the tail would be. The grunt plug is a nice hearty bait that will stay on your hook for a while even after all the smaller ‘picker’ fish start picking away at it. Those smaller ‘picker’ fish will create some commotion and kick up some sand which will get the attention of the Muttons and then they will come in to investigate and typically pick the bait up. There have been a ton of Lane Snappers around which have been a nuisance at times picking away at the Mutton baits, fishing a live bait such as a pilchard or pinfish can get you the bite too when the Lanes become a nuisance. If you are looking to target the Lanes, you can fish a chicken rig with pieces of squid or sardines to load up on them. Some Triggerfish have been mixed in too and can also be caught on the chicken rigs. Those going out to Pushbutton have been able to pick away at the Vermillions too.
Nearshore: March and April also typically bring Cobia and Permit to our area. If you are looking to get into the Permit, fishing live crabs will be your best bet either on a jig head or free lined. Areas to look for them include the boils off the Power Plant and the nearshore reefs in the 60’ range. Our Cobia fishing typically can start getting pretty good for us starting in March. Last year was a historically bad year for those Cobia fishing as the number of fish we usually see never made an appearance. We definitely hope that the Cobia fishing this year gets back on track. You will see them caught on a lot of the reefs and wrecks as they are cruising through. If you are bottom fishing, it is always a good idea to have a rod rigged with a Cobia jig in case one swims by. Many boats will be anchored up on some of the nearshore reefs such as the Sandpile looking to find them. You will be able to catch them on pretty much any live baits (pilchards, threadfins, blue runners, grunts, etc), crabs, select shrimp or Cobia jigs. Always be on the lookout for sharks, turtles and rays as you may see them swimming on the back of them as well. If you are planning on targeting Permits or Cobia, be prepared with some heavy tackle as the sharks will most likely be in pursuit of your fish. If a shark is in pursuit of your fish, you can either open the bail or free spool your reel to give the fish the chance to get away from the shark and chase it down to continue the fight once the shark comes off of it. If you notice a cold water upwelling and see the bottom temperature start dipping into the 60s, running the beach to look for Cobia is always a solid option.
Surf Fishing Report
The Pompano fishing really began to pick up for us in February from Hobe Sound to Ft. Pierce with steady numbers of Pompano caught off of our beaches. The majority of the fish have been caught 70-100yds off the beach so the longer rods will definitely make a difference in getting your baits to where they need to be. For bait, Capt. Paul Sperco reported the most productive Fishbites have been Flesh/Pink Crab, Electric Chicken Flea and standard EZ Flea. We have Fishbites Pompano Pro packs that we have assembled containing one strip of each here at the shop. Sandfleas and clams have produced for anglers too. Varying the distances of your casts when you get to the beach can be an effective strategy to locate where the schools of fish are feeding too. The Pompano tend to prefer the cleaner water so if you see a clean water/dirty water line you will want to cast your bait on the cleaner side for better results. March through April has provided us some of the best Pompano fishing of the year from our beaches over the past few years so we hope that trend continues and we can get into some great spring Pompano fishing. As we get into the spring Pompano bite and past daylight savings, 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. Those looking for Whiting have been able to catch them around the high tide mark in the first trough using pieces of shrimp or shrimp Fishbites.
Lake Okeechobee Fishing Report – Capt. Angie Douthit
Current Lake Okeechobee water level is around the 12.25 ft mark so please use extreme caution when
navigating the lake, when in doubt, stick to fishing the Kissimmee River or the Canal’s. The fact that we
are dealing with low water conditions and will continue to get lower, it’s a great time to brush up on
your deeper water angling skills for bass, such as Carolina rigging; deep water crank baits; jigs worked up
the ledges and drop-offs and etc. We still have the snow birds here and mixed with lower water levels,
you’ll experience more than usual boat activity in these deeper water areas, especially on the weekends,
so please use patience and common courtesy, we all want to enjoy our time on the water. The bass bite
has been good giving up some fun days catching quantity and quality on lures and some live-bait. The
crappie bite has been kind tough all season long, even when fishing with minnows, some days you’ll
catch a limit and other days not, but still provides a lot of fun and you’ll go home with some great
tasting fish that provides some nice meals for the Family. Bass lures that are producing bites: swim
jigs/chatter baits/swimming senkos/flapp’n shad/swim bait; worms; shallow crank baits (out on the
lake) and deeper cranks for the River; top water and flip’n pitching craws/senkos/. Color patterns are:
white; bream/shad colors; tilapia; black/blue; Junebug; redbug and watermelon/red; plum and
watermelon/purple. Areas to try for Crappie and Bass have been the Kissimmee River; Harney Pond and
Indian Praire canals; Buckhead Ridge to 4 th point; point of Horse Island; certain parts of Observation
Shoal on down towards Clewiston around the Blue Hole area; West-side of Grassy, Kings Bar; some
areas on the East side around Hendry Creek and J&S. Crappie lure body colors can be: Chartreuse;
Green’s; White; Yellow’s; some shades of Pink. I hope this information helps you to have more
productive day fishing. To book a trip call me at 863-228-7263 and be sure to check out my up-to-date
website www.southfloridabassfishing.com I am happy to answer all your questions/concerns; have
availability to accommodate “group” trips; Veteran discounts; one-person discounts; offer hotel
discounts and suggest “things to do” for those Family members who’d rather take in the local sites.
